Gender and the Accouting Profession in Saudi Arabia Essay

Essays on Gender and the Accouting Profession in Saudi Arabia Essay 3. Accountancy and Professionalism Accounting professionalization has been studied extensively from varying viewpoints like the functionalist, interactionist and/or critical perspectives. These views have tried to understand the expansion of professional accounting associations. For example, the functionalist view states that the main purpose of professionalization is to have professionals with specific knowledge and skills that are ready to aid society selflessly. One main concern of many authors has been whether accountancy is actually a profession due to its particular attributes like specialised knowledge and code of ethics. Many theoretical and sociological perspectives have been applied such as Functionalist, Weberian and Marxist, in order to understand accountancy and professionalism. For example, the Weberian view proposes that only individuals who fulfil the required standards should be allowed to even undergo training. It further states that only after being professionally trained should they apply for membership to gain credibility (add reference here). The profession of accountancy has always boasted a particular male dominated image. As a result, women have often been ignored as the ‘other’ and deprived of holding their own position as an accountant (Johnston Kyriacou 2006). Accountancy has also always fought to maintain a professional position in society and therefore, it is easily negatively affected by different process. For example, when women’s position in society is seen as inferior to men, their increased entry into accountancy serves to harm its struggle. Due to this, multiple patriarchal structures have appeared in order to control the risk to professionalization that feminization supposedly caused. The organizations and firms where accountancy is regulated affect the results and the authority of the outlined rules and practices. Often these firms are not given the importance they deserve. For, they are essential in standardizing accountancy practices, mediating identities and managing professional governing. Therefore, this research will attempt to understand the professionalization of regulation in the multi-national professional service firms (currently known as the Big 4) in Saudi Arabia and explore the role of women accountants. In the following section core features and themes which define the institutional structures of Accountancy are mapped out. 4. Institutional Structures of Accountancy †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4.1 Inclusion, Exclusion and Marginalization Studies have often ignored certain groups of accountants and have failed to include them when understanding the role of professional accounting. For example, different marginalized accountants like women, clerks, and blacks are integral in properly analysing the professional formation of accounting because they are a good indicator of the reconstruction of its boundaries. Their inclusion in studies will allow us to understand the progress of accounting as a profession and its value relating to class, gender and race (Cooper Robson, 2006). More studies of marginalized accountants will help to distinguish excluded groups, see how various systems of prestige are constructed and understand the professional development of accountancy and the important social and economic value its services are given (Cooper Robson, 2006). One study carried out by Kirkham and Loft (1993) analyzed non-elite accountants like, cost and bookkeeping clerks in order to see how they professionalised their work. For example, one method of increasing their professional formation was to ally themselves with elite accountants and auditors. Another study done by Witz (1992) explained the notion of ‘discursive strategies’ to better understand the link between ideology and professional practice. The exclusionary tactics of professional men were also examined which prevented others from entering the profession by deeming them ‘ineligible’ (Cooper Robson, 2006). Lehman (1992) further researched the role of women accountants in Russia and how they increasingly controlled the profession. However, the onset of the Western accounting model and its firms shifted this control to men (Cooper Robson, 2006). Hanlon (1994) raises a vital point in the professionalization of accounting and its related social concerns. Hanlon looks at the analysis of power and the way accounting labour is divided in society with the bulk of the service class being marginalized and their work imperilled by automation and low wage competition (Cooper Robson, 2006). For example, a small group of privileged accountants control the capital and reap immense rewards for their work while the majority are at junior levels like bookkeepers, women and new immigrants (Cooper Robson, 2006). Furthermore, a study by Cinar (2001) states that one reason for women marginalization is that most of them are concentrated in low-wage jobs. In an Arab context, Kamla (2012) showed how Western financial and auditing firms in Syria are contributing to the marginalization of Syrian women by excluding veiled women from their work-force. For example, preventing veiled Arab women from working as professional accountants in established fi rms excludes and marginalizes them due to their dress code (Kamla, 2012). Witz (1992) argues that professionalization of any work seeks to control its activity and states that the concept of a ‘professional project’ defines the historically recognized characteristics of a profession. Also, accounting isn’t the only profession where roles and tasks are distributed unequally. For example, even in the medical field a certain level of division of labour exists where menial tasks are given to nurses just like senior accountants of firms delegate everyday tasks to junior accountants, mainly women. Witz further explains that the professional projects seek to employ strategies that monopolize certain skills and power where the relationship between senior and junior groups needs to be examined further in order to understand the division of power. Also, strategies of occupational closure are prominent in establishing the boundaries of accountancy in relation to gender division. The fact that power is given to the elite few further propels the bou ndaries of power and gender division, allowing them to employ demarcation strategies to strengthen these restrictions. This conceptual model of the masculinity of the accountancy profession is a key issue in maintaining differential power due to gender (add reference here).

Stylistic Analysis of Great Gatsby Free Essays

F. Scott Fitzgerald Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896 F. We will write a custom essay sample on Stylistic Analysis of Great Gatsby or any similar topic only for you Order Now Scott Fitzgerald was the son of Edward Fitzgerald, who worked for Proctor and Gamble and brought his family to Buffalo and Syracuse, New York, for most of his son’s first decade. Edward Fitzgerald’s great-great-grandfather was the brother of the grandfather of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the poem â€Å"The Star-Spangled Banner. † This fact was of great significance to Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mollie McQuillan, and later to Scott. Mollie Fitzgerald’s own family could offer no pretensions to aristocracy, but her father, an Irish immigrant who came to America in 1843, was a self-made businessman. Equally important was Fitzgerald’s sense of having come from two widely different Celtic strains. He had early on developed an inferiority complex in a family where the â€Å"black Irish half †¦ had the money and looked down on the Maryland side of the family who had, and really had †¦ ‘breeding,’† according to Scott Donaldson in the Dictionary of Literary Biography. Out of this divergence of classes in his family background arose what critics called F. Scott’s â€Å"double vision. † He had the ability to experience the lifestyle of the wealthy from an insider’s perspective, yet never felt a part of this clique and always felt the outsider. As a youth, Fitzgerald revealed a flair for dramatics, first in St. Paul, where he wrote original plays for amateur production, and later at The Newman Academy in Hackensack, New Jersey. At Princeton, he composed lyrics for the university’s famous Triangle Club productions. Fitzgerald was also a writer and actor with the Triangle Club at college. Before he could graduate, he volunteered for the army during World War I. He spent the weekends writing the earliest drafts of his first novel. The work was accepted for publication in 1919 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. The popular and financial success that accompanied this event enabled Fitzgerald to marry Zelda Sayre, whom he met at training camp in Alabama. Zelda played a pivotal role in the writer’s life, both in a tempestuous way and an inspirational one. Mostly, she shared his extravagant lifestyle and artistic interests. In the 1930s she was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and was hospitalized in Switzerland and then Maryland, where she died in a fire. For some time, Fitzgerald lived with his wife in Long Island. There, the setting for The Great Gatsby, he entertained in a manner similar to his characters, with expensive liquors and entertainment. He revealled in demonstrating the antics of the crazy, irresponsible rich, and carried this attitude wherever he went. Especially on the Riviera in France the Fitzgerald’s befriended the elite of the cultural world and wealthy classes, only to offend most of them in some way by their outrageous behavior. Self-absorbed, drunk, and eccentric, they sought and received attention of all kinds. The party ended with the hospitalization of Zelda for schizophrenia in Prangins, a Swiss clinic, and, coincidentally, with the Great Depression of 1929, which tolled the start of Scott’s personal depression. In the decade before his death, Fitzgerald’s troubles and the debilitating effects of his alcoholism limited the quality and amount of his writing. Nonetheless, it was also during this period that he attempted his most psychologically complex and aesthetically ambitious novel, Tender Is the Night (1934). After Zelda’s breakdown, Fitzgerald became romantically involved with Sheila Graham, a gossip columnist in Hollywood, during the last years of his life. He also wrote but did not finish the novel The Last Tycoon, now considered to be one of his best works, about the Hollywood motion picture industry. Fitzgerald died suddenly of a heart attack, most likely induced by a long addiction to alcohol, on December 21, 1940. At the time of his death, he was virtually forgotten and unread. A growing Fitzgerald revival, begun in the 1950s, led to the publication of numerous volumes of stories, letters, and notebooks. One of his literary critics, Stephen Vincent Benet, concluded in his review of The Last Tycoon, â€Å"You can take off your hats now, gentlemen, and I think perhaps you had better. This is not a legend, this is a reputation – and, seen in perspective, it may well be one of the most secure reputations of our time. † General characteristic 1. The text under consideration is a part of well-known novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby† by F. Scott Fitzgerald. F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely praised as the finest and most celebrated novelist of the twentieth century America. Fitzgerald’s masterpiece The Great Gatsby, referred to as â€Å"The Great American Novel†, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. The Great Gatsby is the classic novel about the American Dream, one of the great novels of the 20th Century as it captures perfectly some essential quality of the American myth and dream of the Jazz Age. The novel has profoundly portrayed the unsatisfied desire of the wealth and the success and displayed the theme of the novel— the disillusion of American dream. Meanwhile, it also shows Fitzgerald’s outstanding talent and the writing technique incisively. His style is exquisite, and the plot is compelling. The splendid work establishes Fitzgerald as a great writer in American literature. Fitzgerald’s novel reveals his poetic temperament and style. His observation to the world is exquisite. 2. The general slant of the text is a 1st person (sing. narration, which shows that we deal with narrative with the personage uttered monologue – so the whole narration sounds very subjective. Narrator clearly expresses his opinion, gives an extraordinary description for all the personages and events. 3. The text of the story is not homogeneous. The author’s narration is interrupted by the dialogues of the characters. Direct speech harmoniously interrelates with n arration. It leaves much for the reader’s guesswork and helps the reader to realize all the events taking place in the story. 4. The linguo-stylistic analysis proper: I. Phonographic analysis The traditional text segmentation is observed in this story. It consists of paragraphs. Sometimes direct speech appears in the story. Also changes of the print present in the story, especially capitalization of some words. Author wants to underline some words and phrases with the help of this mean. That’s why he indicates the whole word by the capital letters. e. g. A momentary hush; the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her, and there is a burst of chatter as the erroneous news goes around that she is Gilda Gray’s understudy from the FOLLIES. I don’t think it’s so much THAT,† argued Lucille sceptically; â€Å"it’s more that he was a German spy during the war. † â€Å"There’s something funny about a fellow that’ll do a thing like that,† said the other girl eagerly. â€Å"He doesn’t want any trouble with ANYbody. † As for rhythmical background of the text, there are alliteration and assonance for better reading and perception of the story. e. g. Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiterer in New York†¦ Laughter is easier minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word. II. Lexical analysis ) The words are stylistically neutral in the text. The communicative situation is highly informal. Narrator describes all events which take place at the Gatsby’ party. The communicative situation is highly informal. The vocabulary includes not only standard colloquial words and expressions, but also idioms, phrasal verbs, barbarisms, etc. e. g. The bar is in a full swing, and floating rounds of cocktail permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter†¦ â€Å"See! † he cried triumphantly. â€Å"It’s a bona-fide (real) piece of printed matter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Also the colloquial words proper are observed here. . g. â€Å"†¦This fella’s a regular Belasco. It’s a triumph. What thoroughness! † The writer strong sense of place is revealed by the use of barbarism such as hors-d’oeure (snack), chauffeur, gayety (elegance), etc. Even some archaic phrases are in the text. e. g. †¦already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the centre of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change (a profound or notable transformation) of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light. ) The analysis of the vocabulary shows that author uses extraordinary words and words combination to make reader complicit in the story. The most of the words are neutral but rich in connotations. III. Morphological analysis Past Indefinite Tense is frequently used in the chapter, because narrator speaks about past events. But in the third paragraph Past Indefinite Tense is changed for Present In definite and Present Continuous Tenses to transfer the reader into the atmosphere of celebration, it creates the effect of immediate presence. The change of tenses registers changes in the narrated events. IV. Syntactic analysis How to cite Stylistic Analysis of Great Gatsby, Essay examples

Opportunities And Challenges Of Big Data In Business and Marketing

Question: Discuss about the Opportunities And Challenges Of Big Data In Business and Marketing. Answer: Introduction In this current technology based business era, big data is referred to as an ever increasing data inundation in terms of variety, volume, complexity and velocity that has been generated in the digitized eco system[1]. In other words big data is a dataset whose size is further than the aptitude of a normal database software tool. The application of big data is widely generated in the region of the consumers that is based on online purchase, social media activities, web clicks and geographical location tracking etc. This essay depicts the impact of big data in both business and marketing. Big data help to take accurate decision making approach for any business organization regardless of its background. The growing requirement of collaboration has led a business towards the developed digital ecosystem[2]. Apart from this, at each steps the consumers can eventually create new data as well. With the help of the big data technology the customers can adopt advanced level of analytics like research on operation for providing personalized recommendations for the online consumers. Opportunities and challenges of big data in business and marketing Big data is referred to as one of the most widely used technologies in both the medium and large business organizations. There are different big data tools available in the marketing and based on the type or background of the business, the owners should adopt the most suitable big data tool to lead it towards measurable success. About the concept of big data Big data is a combination of three different factors such as high volume, high variety and velocity. Big data application has the ability to observe all the activities taking place in a business organization including business transaction, social media activities and also information of the sensor data[3]. Moreover, it can create large set of data for the company success. Big data stream can stream in a higher speed and can deal with timely. The data processing can analyze the stream of data for producing near and real time results also very in a speedily manner. Bid data is all about large data but does not concern about the type of the data. The data may be structured, numeric, or unstructured in terms of video, email, audio etc. Importance of big data Big data cannot deal with the amount of data that a company stores in their server but deals with the way through which the data can be utilized appropriately. Each company has their own way to utilize data[4]. The utilization of big data and potential growth of a company are complimentary and directly proportional to each other. It means that as efficiently businesses utilize its data that much chances of business growth also enhances accordingly. A business organization can gather data from any resource and ca analyze them to find out the most suitable one[5]. Business can be negatively as well as positively impacted with big data tools, the opportunities and challenges of big data tools are elaborated in the below section: Opportunities of big data After adopting big data analytics different challenges and opportunities can be faced Big data gives transparent advantages to business organizations who have adopted it as an analytical tool, but each time it is not necessary that more amounts of data will add more values to the company profit. Big data gives many opportunities as well as challenges to the organizations who have adopted this analytical tool. BI is suitable for aggregation and analysis of structured data but there are some kinds of analysis BI cannot handle accurately. This is dependent on the situation where, data become more diverse, granular and real time and iterative[6]. After adopting big data analytics the cost, decision making, productivity and service giving capability of a company can evolved. On the other hand, challenges may occur during deciphering critical information. On the other hand, companies may face challenges also after adopting big data in terms of storage to this data that has become a challenge for the enterprises. Security and data privacy and good quality analysis are the other challenges. Data gathered from different sources again cannot be organized accurately, that may define as a challenge to those companies who have adopted Big data as an analytical tool. After the adoption of big data the followings are the opportunities those can be obtained: Big data cuts of the project and business cost: The total business as well as project cost can be minimized with the help of the application of big data tools. From the recent technology aspects it has been found that, company retailers can cut off their business cost up to 15% with the implementation and application of big data[7]. Companies can compare the maintenance charge allotted for the contractors against all the other vendors. Big data helps to make effective decision making approaches as well and due to this application the issues associated to invoice processing and automated service schedule can be easily eliminated from the business. Big data increases the business efficiency: The complete efficiency of a business can also automatically increases with the usage of big data tool. In other words efficiency of a business boosts up with the digital technologies[8]. Regardless of location and time the users can use tools like Google map, Google earth, social media etc. It saves the total amount of money and time for the application. Big data improved the business pricing: In order to understand the current status of business intelligence tool stands very helpful technology to be applied in the business organizations. In order to evaluate the detailed view of business budget rather finance, big data is helpful because it can eventually deliver clear picture of the business to the strategy developers. Compete with big business: Application of big data tools allow a business to create new competitive strategies for other businesses[9]. Apart from this, any business will become much complicated with the adoption of big data tool in their afield of application. Allowance to focus on the local experiences: In order to gain competitive advantages from the competitive market it is necessary for any business to understand the business environment. For local competitive advantages the application of big data tool is very much helpful because it allows the users to zoom in on the local business environment[10]. Once a business will get familiar about its consumers needs and demand that much sooner it will be able to develop its competitive strategies as well. Sales and loyalty increases: The loyalty and rate of sales increases with the help of big data tools. Big data tool helps to tailor the product and services based on the exact requirements and demands of the consumers. It can be said that, big data helps the operation and strategy developers to get to know more about their consumers demand and requirements. As much a business will be able to meet the requirements of the consumers that much it can grab new consumers. Not only new consumers but also a business can retain its existing consumers as well with the usage of bi data application[11]. Digital footprint is a term that is left by the consumers with a single usage. On the other hand, a digital footprint is also left while a client browse online or post on the social media. With the browsing time and activity regarding the company in the social media, the loyalty of a consumer can be measured. The rate of sales also increases with the increasing loyalty of the consumers. Challenges of big data Besides opportunities many challenges are also associated to big data application. During the applications of big data tools these challenges should be mitigated accordingly[12]. Big data application handling is a complex job. The lists of challenges associated to big data are as follows: Uncertainty of data management: One of the most disruptive challenges of big data is the usage of wide range innovative tools of data management as well as frameworks for the designs those are dedicated for supporting the operational and analytical processing. The design framework used in case of big data is different from SQL which differ the storage of big data from traditional database management system[13]. Due to wider range of application of big data (NOSQL tools) in business and marketing uncertainty with data management are occurring spontaneously. Security challenge: In case of big data application another major challenges that may interrupt the business success include security. Big data deals with management large amount of data[14]. Therefore, if enough security options are not considered by the business organizations then information may be lost or misused by the external attackers. Gathering data into a big data structure: This may be obvious that the intention of a big data management includes analyzing and processing of large amount of data. Many people are there who have analyzed data for the big data platform. However, due to lack of understanding about the complexity of big data application during transition, access and data delivery challenges may raise. The main factors those are highlighted as the main challenges of big data include data transmission, access and data loading. Again in the conventional data sets, the need to navigate transformation and the extractions are not stand as limited. Syncing across the data sources: During transmission of normal data into big data it may happen that, the sources of data are also migrating. Due to the breakage of data sequence and improper source management challenges may occur in big data application. Assorted challenges: During the integration of bog data again challenges may occur. The challenges included in this big data application include data integration, availability of skills, cost for the solution, data volume, data transformations etc. It is not necessary that all time the structure of the data will be similar[15]. Therefore, integration of data from different domain or sources is difficult to combine. This kind of combination is time taken as well as costly. Again these types of combination of data are again difficult to process. The validations for these data sets are fulfilled during data transferring phase from one source to another. Data privacy and security: For individual companies which are using the big data as a tool for their business success are facing challenges due to lack of data security and data privacy. It is necessary for any company, who is using big data application to adopt proper encryption algorithm[16]. Encryption helps to maintain the security of any business organization or marketing. Encryption technology encrypts or encodes information that cannot be access without appropriate decryption key[17]. Thus, due to improper usage of security aspects data may be hijacked which is another challenge for the companies who are using the application of big data. Big data is a competitive advantage for business and marketing In order to outperform the peers of the any business the usage of big data has become a very much common technologies nowadays. For innovation, competition and capturing values most of the industries, exiting competitors and even other new business entrants are using the strategic concept of big data application. In order to create business opportunities and completely new categories of business big data may integrate and analyze the industry data. With the help of big data, companies can also hold sufficient data regarding products, services, buyers, sellers and performance and behavior of the consumers towards the market or industry[18]. The business process can be optimized and understand easily with big data. Though the predictive models generated from the social media data and web searching the stock can be easily optimized by the retailers. Conclusion From the overall discussion it can be concluded that, big data tool provides biggest game changing opportunities as well as paradigm shift for the marketing from the beginning of invention of internet going mainstreams. It also offers the even enhancing volume, velocity, variability and complexity of information. Big data is capable to create a secure relationship between the consumers and the service providers and also with the business employees that may automatically lead the business towards marketing success. Due to excessive amount of data, organizational complexity and frequently changing behavior of the consumers the market level competition is also increasing should be strictly controlled for business level success. It is the responsibility of the business owners to adopt advanced technical excellences to avoid business level operational and functional disruptions. There are multiple big data that are showing extreme possibility to drive the marketing impact in the managemen t domain of the consumers. Thus, it can be said that big data helps to create consumers centric approach to influence product development and pricing. In order to identify the potential ability of big data technology respective challenges and opportunity of big data are elaborated in this essay. References Baesens, Bart, Ravi Bapna, James R. Marsden, Jan Vanthienen, and J. Leon Zhao. "TRANSFORMATIONAL ISSUES OF BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS IN NETWORKED BUSINESS."MIS quarterly40, no. 4 (2016). Bahrami, Mehdi, and Mukesh Singhal. "The role of cloud computing architecture in big data." InInformation granularity, big data, and computational intelligence, pp. 275-295. Springer, Cham, 2015. Bello-Orgaz, Gema, Jason J. Jung, and David Camacho. "Social big data: Recent achievements and new challenges."Information Fusion28 (2016): 45-59. Chatfield, Akemi, Christopher Reddick, and Wisam Al-Zubaidi. "Capability challenges in transforming government through open and big data: Tales of two cities." (2015). Donnelly, Christina, Geoff Simmons, Gillian Armstrong, and Andrew Fearne. "Digital loyalty card big dataand small business marketing: Formal versus informal or complementary?."International Small Business Journal33, no. 4 (2015): 422-442. Hashem, Ibrahim Abaker Targio, Ibrar Yaqoob, Nor Badrul Anuar, Salimah Mokhtar, Abdullah Gani, and Samee Ullah Khan. "The rise of big data on cloud computing: Review and open research issues."Information Systems47 (2015): 98-115. Hilbert, Martin. "Big data for development: A review of promises and challenges."Development Policy Review34, no. 1 (2016): 135-174. Khan, Nawsher, Ibrar Yaqoob, Ibrahim Abaker Targio Hashem, Zakira Inayat, Mahmoud Ali, Waleed Kamaleldin, Muhammad Alam, Muhammad Shiraz, and Abdullah Gani. "Big data: survey, technologies, opportunities, and challenges."The Scientific World Journal2014 (2014). Newell, Sue, and Marco Marabelli. "Strategic opportunities (and challenges) of algorithmic decision-making: A call for action on the long-term societal effects of datification."The Journal of Strategic Information Systems24, no. 1 (2015): 3-14. Riggins, Frederick J., and Samuel Fosso Wamba. "Research directions on the adoption, usage, and impact of the internet of things through the use of big data analytics." InSystem Sciences (HICSS), 2015 48th Hawaii International Conference on, pp. 1531-1540. IEEE, 2015. Sun, Zhaohao, Huasheng Zou, and Kenneth Strang. "Big data analytics as a service for business intelligence." InConference on e-Business, e-Services and e-Society, pp. 200-211. Springer, Cham, 2015. Verhoef, Peter C., Edwin Kooge, and Natasha Walk.Creating value with big data analytics: Making smarter marketing decisions. Routledge, 2016. Wang, Yichuan, LeeAnn Kung, and Terry Anthony Byrd. "Big data analytics: Understanding its capabilities and potential benefits for healthcare organizations."Technological Forecasting and Social Change126 (2018): 3-13. Xu, Zhenning, Gary L. Frankwick, and Edward Ramirez. "Effects of big data analytics and traditional marketing analytics on new product success: A knowledge fusion perspective."Journal of Business Research69, no. 5 (2016): 1562-1566. Zhou, Zhi-Hua, Nitesh V. Chawla, Yaochu Jin, and Graham J. Williams. "Big data opportunities and challenges: Discussions from data analytics perspectives [discussion forum]."IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine9, no. 4 (2014): 62-74.

Up The Ladder Essays - Ladders, Blue Bird, Nails, Woman, Carpenter

Up The Ladder by Peter Doern Chris found a ladder leaning against the tree in his backyard. It was Saturday, and his friend was away, so Chris decided to climb the ladder. He stepped up and climbed into the tree. There he met a blue bird, which was sitting on its nest. "Good day," said the bird. "Good day," Chris replied. "Are you climbing to the top of the ladder?" asked the bird. Chris looked up at the ladder. He couldn't see the top. "How high is the ladder?" he asked the bird. The bird hopped closer to Chris and said, "I'm not sure. I flew as high as birds can fly, and I still couldn't reach the end of the ladder." Chris sat and thought for a moment. He scratched his head and thought some more. Then he turned to the blue bird. "I can help you," he said. "I'll climb to the top of the ladder and see what's there. Then I'll come back down and tell you what I saw." Chris's suggestion pleased the bird. "I'll fly with you for a little ways," it said, "but I must return soon, to protect my nest." So Chris started climbing the ladder again, and the blue bird flew up beside him. Together they climbed past the top of the tree and into the sky. They had been climbing for a little while when the blue bird turned back to its nest. "Goodbye, Chris," the blue bird said. "Don't forget to tell me what's at the end of the ladder." Chris climbed higher. Soon he met a woman dressed in coveralls. She held a hammer in her hand and two nails in her mouth. She was pounding nails into a board. "Good day," said Chris. "Good day," said the woman, taking the nails out of her mouth. "What are you doing?" asked Chris. "I'm a carpenter," said the woman. "I'm building a home to live in." "On a ladder?" asked Chris, astonished. "Sure," replied the carpenter. "See? I'm nearly finished." Chris looked, and sure enough there was a house hanging from the ladder. "Are you climbing to the top of the ladder?" asked the carpenter. "Yes," Chris replied. "Would you like to join me?" "Thank you, but no," said the carpenter. "I'm much too busy building my house." "I'm going to see what's at the top of the ladder," said Chris. "And then I'm coming back down to tell my friend, the blue bird, what's there. Would you like me to tell you, too?" "That would be nice," said the carpenter. "I always enjoy visitors. Come any time. See you soon." "Good bye," said Chris. He began to climb the ladder again. Chris was climbing up the ladder when suddenly someone stepped on his head. "Ouch!" said Chris. "Oh, sorry," said a man. He was climbing down. "What are you doing?" asked Chris. "I'm going around to the other side of the ladder so that I can pass you," said the man. "I mean, what are you doing on the ladder?" asked Chris again. "I'm going down," said the man bluntly. "Excuse me." "Have you been to the top of the ladder?" Chris asked. "Yes," the man said. He was getting further and further below Chris. "What's there?" yelled Chris. But the man was too far away to hear. Chris kept climbing the ladder. He was climbing the ladder when he hit his head on something. "Ouch!" said a voice. It was an old woman. "Excuse me," said Chris. "Good day young man," said the old woman. "Are you going to the top of the ladder?" asked Chris. "Yes," said the old woman. "If I ever make it." "I'm going, too," said Chris. "Would you like to join me?" "Thank you, but no," said the old woman. "I'm old and slower than you are. Go on ahead." "I'm going to see what's at the top of the ladder," said Chris. "Then I'm going back down to tell my friends the blue bird and the carpenter what I saw. If you like, I can tell you what's at the top of the ladder also." "That would be very kind of you," said the old woman. "I don't think I'll ever reach the top of the ladder." "Keep trying," said Chris. "Good luck." "Good bye," said

Globish Language Definition and Examples

Globish Language Definition and Examples Globish is a simplified version of Anglo-American English used as a worldwide  lingua franca. (See Panglish.)  The trademarked term Globish, a blend of the words  global  and  English, was coined by French businessman Jean-Paul Nerrià ¨re in the mid-1990s. In his 2004 book Parlez Globish, Nerrià ¨re included a Globish vocabulary of 1,500 words. Globish is not quite a pidgin, says linguist  Harriet Joseph Ottenheimer. Globish appears to be English without idioms, making it easier for non-Anglophones to understand and to communicate with one another (The Anthropology of Language, 2008). Examples and Observations [Globish] is not a language, it is a tool. . . . A language is the vehicle of a culture. Globish doesnt want to be that at all. It is a means of communication.(Jean-Paul Nerrià ¨re, quoted by Mary Blume in If You Cant Master English, Try Globish. The New York Times, April 22, 2005) How to Learn Globish in a WeekGlobish [is]  the newest and most widely spoken language in the world. Globish is not like  Esperanto or Volapuk; this is not a formally constructed language, but rather an organic patois, constantly adapting, emerging solely from practical usage, and spoken in some form or other by about 88 per cent of mankind. . . .Starting from scratch, anyone in the world should be able to learn Globish in about one week. [Jean-Paul] Nerrià ¨res website [globish.com] . . . recommends that students use plenty of gesticulation when words fail, and listen to popular songs to aid pronunciation . . ..Incorrect English can be extraordinarily rich, and non-standard forms of the language are developing outside the West in ways that are as lively and diverse as Chaucerian or Dickensian English.(Ben MacIntyre, The Last Word: Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue. Bloomsbury, 2011)   Examples of Globish[Globish] dispenses with idioms, literary language and complex grammar. . . . [Nerrià ¨res] books are about turning complicated English into useful English. For example, chat becomes speak casually to each other in Globish; and kitchen is the room in which you cook your food. Siblings, rather clumsily, are the other children of my parents. But pizza is still pizza, as it has an international currency, like taxi and police.(J. P. Davidson, Planet Word. Penguin, 2011) Is Globish the Future of English?Globish is a cultural and media phenomenon, one whose infrastructure is economic. Boom or bust, it is a story of Follow the money. Globish remains based on trade, advertising and the global market. Traders in Singapore inevitably communicate in local languages at home; internationally they default to Globish. . . .Much gloomy American thinking about the future of its language and culture revolves around the assumption that it will inevitably become challenged by Mandarin Chinese or Spanish or even Arabic. What if the real threatactually, no more than a challengeis closer to home, and lies with this Globish supranational lingua franca, one that all Americans can identify with?(Robert McCrum, Globish: How the English Language Became the Worlds Language. W.W. Norton, 2010) The Language of EuropeWhat language does Europe speak? France has lost its battle for French. Europeans now overwhelmingly opt for English. The Eurovision song contest, won this month by an Austrian cross-dresser, is mostly English-speaking, even if the votes are translated into French. The European Union conducts ever more business in English. Interpreters sometimes feel they are speaking to themselves. Last year Germany’s president, Joachim Gauck, argued for an English-speaking Europe: national languages would be cherished for spirituality and poetry alongside a workable English for all of life’s situations and all age groups.Some detect a European form of global English (globish): a  patois  with English physiognomy, cross-dressed with continental cadences and syntax, a train of EU institutional jargon and sequins of linguistic false friends (mostly French). . . .Philippe Van Parijs, a professor at Louvain University, argues that European-level democracy does not require a homogenous culture, or  ethnos; a common political community, or  demos, needs only a lingua franca. . . .  The answer to Europe’s democratic deficit, says Mr Van Parijs, is to accelerate the process so that English is not just the language of an elite but also the means for poorer Europeans to be heard. An approximate version of English, with a limited vocabulary of just a few hundred words, would suffice.(Charlemagne, The Globish-Speaking Union. The Economist, May 24, 2014)

Me, myself and I (reflexive pronouns explained) - Emphasis

Me, myself and I (reflexive pronouns explained) Me, myself and I (reflexive pronouns explained) People have some pretty strong feelings about the way our language is used and abused if a recent Emphasis blog post is anything to go by. One source of irritation that stood out as a real piece of apple skin between the teeth was the incorrect use of reflexive pronouns. What are they? Reflexive pronouns are basic pronouns + self or selves. They are: myself yourself herself himself itself yourselves themselves. So whats the right way to use them? Officially, you should use reflexive pronouns in sentences where the subject (the person or thing carrying out the action) and the object (the person or thing on the receiving end of the action) are the same. For example: I patted myself on the back for mastering grammar. He dusted himself down, then rang her doorbell. She gave herself a wink in the mirror and said, Go get em, tiger. Reflexive pronouns can also be employed for emphasis (where, technically, they could be removed, leaving the sense the same): I knitted this whole scarf myself. Did you shear the whole flock for it yourself? Its advisable not to overdo this usage, however, as it quickly becomes overbearing. And the wrong way to use them? Cue much gritting of teeth. I think this house is absolutely perfect for yourselves. Id be grateful if you could send that information over to myself. Whereas what the culprits really mean is: I think this house is absolutely perfect for you. Id be grateful if you could send that information over to me. These examples make the mistake of using these words as replacements for the basic pronouns (you, me), as if they were some kind of upmarket equivalent. Sadly, there is no such upgrade: its just plain wrong. If we, ourselves, have reminded you of anything that really gets your goat or floats your boat on the English language front, please join the fun by leaving your comments at our blog yourselves (sorry).

Job analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job analysis - Assignment Example hen a certain task is given to a custom agent, it is upon him to see that the task is accomplished precisely, rather than assuming that some other sailor will do it. In addition, a custom employee should not drift through his time while in the job. Each one of them must pay attention to all details no matter how small the matter may be. According to their guiding principles, attention to any detail may signify the difference between failure or success of a given task, and between life and death (Young 15). A custom employee is not expected to play favorites or put into effect the rules without considering honesty and neutrality. Permitting some custom officers to ignore other rules will bring challenges in the field. Integrity at the border and port also requires that a custom worker hold on to his or her responsibility no matter what comes on his or her way. This is the reason why their regulations provide that no custom officer should quit in simple tasks. With this in mind, a custom officer can never give up, even when he sees a likelihood of death, while carrying on his duties. A good custom officer is ethically responsible. He knows what is wrong and what is not, so he tries to do only what is acceptable. He performs all duties in a timely and correct human way possible without any worries of the inconveniences or personal gain. A custom officer does not entertain immature self-seekers who prioritize his or her best efforts solely when there is a personal reward. A custom officer should not be stubborn, resentful, self-important individual who turns down orders. The laid down rules and regulations guide the daily operation of the customs department, and if followed by all custom employees, life in the field can be so easy and enjoyable for everyone (Young 23). In the customs department, a team is much greater than an individual is. Given that, every team has leaders and simple members, every custom employee is part of a team, and he should respect and work

Role Of HR In Developing Talent At Work Literature review

Role Of HR In Developing Talent At Work - Literature review Example Human resource department needs to groom the talent of the workforce in order to improve the productivity of the organisation both in the short run as well as in the long run. Talented employees would not only reduce the cost of the organisation but it would help in enhancing the productivity of the company and for this human resource department needs to assure that the existing leaders of the organisation are competent and have the qualities to lead the organisation and at the same time develop and train future leaders (Farley, 2005). Farley has focused on the long term growth and success of the organisation and he has identified talent management as an important tool that can be crucial in achieving long run success. Grossman (2007) has emphasized on the concept of talent management as well and he has given considerable importance on this subject. Grossman (2007) has defined talent management as how an employee enters the organisation and moves across from one department to another and from one organisation to another. He believes that organisation should pay attention on managing talent however it must ensure that the overall organisational structure and organisation design must not be hurt. He feels that it is important for an organisation to not neglect any of these important aspects i.e. talent management and organisational structure as an organisation without proper organisational structure would not be able to succeed in the long run. It shows that organisation should focus on talent management however in order to manage talent proper, HR department of an organisation should not ignore the importance of organisational structure and organisational design. Grossman (2007) has also focused on rewarding talented individuals which is an important aspect because by rewarding such employees, the motivation level of employees would increase and they would put an extra effort to increase the level of productivity or at least maintain their productivity level. Th us, all in all it would be helpful in improving the organisational productivity. Farley (2005) has emphasized that there should be a link between the business goals and workforce needs. Farley in his article tried to form a linkage between the people who are working in the organisation and the business processes and have made an attempt in identifying the areas from where an organisation earns its revenues so that the organisation should focus on areas from where it is generating more revenue. His article sends a message that human resource department is not just only for recruitment and evaluating performance of employees, but the role of human resource management is very broad than what it has been considered in the past. Today, human resource department needs to be responsible for effective human resource planning, succession planning, training, career development and talent management. HR department needs to identify the talent who would be able to take on the challenges to lead the organisation in future. So, as talent management with which the organisation would identify future leaders, its importance cannot be ignored. The main idea behind Farley’s article is to that human resource department needs to take more responsibility in facilitating the productivity of the organisation by helping employees to be more productive and identify areas from where the company earns its revenue. Such an article is important in today’

Compare how each writer uses language to present his views of London Essay Example for Free

Compare how each writer uses language to present his views of London Essay For many centuries London has been a vast, complex place. Many have described it as the capital of the world, however there are many different views. Some would agree that London is a wonderful place where everyone lives in happiness and peace whereas other would point out that those kind of people are delirious and that it is the dirtiest most corrupt place in England. Two such views were expressed by two poets William Wordsworth in his poem named Composed upon Westminster Bridge, 3rd September 1802 and the more political writer William Blake with his poem entitled London. The questions is, Do both poets use language effectively to express their contradictory opinions on London? One difference between the two poems is the way each uses enjambrement. Blakes poem has short, snappy lines perhaps to indicate a kind of overall lethargy among the people while Wordsworths poem has long lines which flow into each other to create a smooth and relaxed mood possibly also to symbolise how he viewed the river of London. One of the interesting aspects of Wordsworths and Blakes poems is their separate ways of describing the river, Wordsworth thinks of it as gliding at his own sweet will whereas Blake refers to it as the Charterd Thames. Wordsworth sees the river as free and sweet. By using his, he is personifying the river as if it has a choice. He enhances this by using own sweet will. Blake calls it Chartered, indicating the complete opposite of Wordsworths opinion. Chartered means organised and generally bent to mans will and this is how Blake sees it. He further develops his opinion by calling it the Thames, calling it by its man made name. Blake sees the river as being twisted by man and disliked because of that. Blake and Wordsworth set two very different scenes, Wordsworth uses phrases such as bright and glistening in the smokeless air and The beauty of the morning; silent, bare to set a scene of calm glistening beauty, to set a scene of a kind of fairy-tale wonderland. Wordsworth shows the reader how the surroundings make him feel by commenting Neer I saw, never felt, a calm so deep! this gives a further direct calming effect on the reader. Blake, on the other hand, uses the word streets twice in context with midnight and Charterd. His repetition on the word streets is to insinuate that there are streets upon streets, creating a monotonous sameness to everything, his repetition on Charterd strengthens his view of unnaturalness in London. An intriguing observation is that both poets talk of glamorous and gracious buildings, but the context they are mentioned in changes their whole meaning. Wordsworth describes them as being Open unto the fields and to the sky; indicating a certain freeness and naturalness, he is saying that buildings can be natural if natural is synonymous with good, as Blakes man made is synonymous with bad. Blake uses Palace with blood and Church with blackning, he is indicating that the people of the Church have gone against its morals and the people of the Palace are sending soldiers to their death for unworthy reasons. Blake and Wordsworth set two very different scenes, Wordsworth uses phrases such as bright and glistening in the smokeless air and The beauty of the morning; silent, bare to set a scene of calm glistening beauty, to set a scene of a kind of fairy-tale wonderland. Wordsworth shows the reader how the surroundings make him feel by commenting Neer I saw, never felt, a calm so deep! this gives a further direct calming effect on the reader. Blake, on the other hand, uses the word streets twice in context with midnight and Charterd. His repetition on the word streets is to insinuate that there are streets upon streets, creating a monotonous sameness to everything, his repetition on Charterd strengthens his view of unnaturalness in London. Both writers enhance their scenery by hinting at colours to set a more vivid picture. Blood, midnight, blackning, are all words used by Blake, suggestions of the colour red and black which create a gloomy surrounding. Red (blood) as in anger and black to suggest darkness, sorrowfulness and endlessness. Wordsworth suggests colour with a more subtle method using Never did the sun more beautifully steep he hints at gold and blinding white colours, and also at cool shade coming from the buildings. Wordsworths rhyme scheme is planned out as a love sonnet (a b b a a b b a c d c d c d), whereas Blake repetitive and simple rhyme scheme ( a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b a b). Wordsworth rhyme scheme is writing a love sonnet about London whereas Blakes rhyme scheme evokes a boring repetitiveness yet again synonymous with how Blake views London. The final difference mentioned in this essay is that whereby Blake mentions quite a few different groups of people such as Harlot, Soldier, Chimney Sweep, Infant all unfortunate groups bar the infant which is mentioned in an unfortunate context repetitively Wordsworth mentions no people but instead personifies the river (The river glideth at his own sweet will), the city (This city now doth like a garment wear, The very houses seem asleep!) and the sun (In his first Splendour). Wordsworth, whilst making it evident that there is no one around but himself, is saying the city, the river and the sun are all entities of which he has just met and thinks highly of them. In conclusion, both poets are high-quality writers who know how to use language effectively to enhance their views. Although Blake is a deeper, darker and more political writer and his poem seems to be the better of the two, Wordsworth poem does have complexity going to a slightly deeper level than Blakes but it seems naive and idealistic. Blake uses simple rhyme schemes and repetition to develop his opinion but Wordsworth uses a more complex rhyme scheme whilst subtly personifying parts of the city. With that said, both artists were good at what they did and both can use language to successfully articulate their attitudes toward London.

Aenied Essay -- essays papers

Aenied Many argue that throughout Aenied, Virgil develops Aeneas to be a boring and unheroic character; always acting as he should with apparently no power to act in any other way. Occasionally sidetracked, Aeneas is prodded and redirected by the gods toward his destiny. Aeneas’ mother, Venus, constantly interjects to lead Aeneas toward his fate. It is she who leads him away from the fallen city of Troy â€Å" I had twice-ten ships, and my goddess-mother showed me the way.†(I, 541-542) Mercury also sets Aeneas straight from his deviating course by telling him to leave his love Dido â€Å"What are you pondering or hoping for while squandering your ease in Libyan lands.† (IV, 362-363) Mercury criticizes Aeneas for ignoring the importance of his empire, and again Aeneas obeys. It is further argued that Aeneas’ makes no significant effort to advance his empire’s fate. He is â€Å"handed† all that is needed such as immortal vessels as well as weap ons and armor provided by Vulcan and other gods. At first glance this would seemingly prove that Aeneas is in fact a boring character. Upon deeper investigation of the text the true value of Aeneas’ character can be revealed. Not all of what Aeneas does is driven by the gods. There is in fact a humanistic aspect of Aeneas creating physical and emotional strife which he must endure by himself â€Å"I sing of arms and of a man: his fate had made him fugitive.† Virgil is quick to show that Aeneas is but a mortal man with human qualities. It is these human aspects of Aeneas: his leadership, his emotional strengths, and his heroism that make him a crucial and interesting character in the Aeneid. Leadership is one of the first humanistic qualities that Aeneas is given to create a sense of... ... of a boring character. When it is argued that Aeneas was just â€Å"handed† everything by the gods, the fact that not all of the gods were in support of him is often overlooked. Although many gods steer Aeneas toward his destiny, Virgil adds complexity to his character by introducing gods who wish not to see Aeneas succeed along with a slew of obstacles. He does this in order to spark the reader’s interest in his hero's successes, which may not necessarily be set in stone. The dangers that Aeneas and his crew face are real, even if it is know that he will survive them. There is in fact a humanistic aspect of Aeneas that is revealed by creating physical and emotional strife, which he must endure by himself. It is these human aspects of Aeneas: his leadership, his emotional strengths, and his heroism that make him a crucial and interesting character in the Aeneid.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 24

Mom's Handwriting Emerges The sun bursts through the attic window and lands on my face, warming it, until I open my eyes and greet the day with a squint. After a kiss, I return Nikki to my bedroom dresser and find my mother still asleep in my bed. I notice that the glass of water I left her is now empty, and I am glad to have left it there, even if I am mad at Mom now. As I descend the staircase, I smell something burning. When I reach the kitchen, my father is standing in front of the stove. He is wearing Mom's red apron. â€Å"Dad?† When he turns around, he has a spatula in one hand and a pink oven mitt on the other. Behind him, meat hisses – a thick river of smoke flies up into the exhaust fan. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Cooking.† â€Å"Cooking what?† â€Å"Steak.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I'm hungry.† â€Å"Are you frying it?† â€Å"I'm cooking it Cajun style. Blackened.† â€Å"Maybe you should turn the burner down?† I suggest, but he returns to his cooking, continuing to flip the sizzling cut over and over, so I go down into the basement to begin my workout. The fire alarm goes off for fifteen minutes or so. When I return to the kitchen two hours later, the pan he used is blackened and still on the now greasy stove; a plate and utensils are in the sink. Dad is watching ESPN on his new television, and his surround sound speaker system seems to shake the house. The clock on the microwave reads 8:17 a.m. My mother has forgotten my meds again, so I take out my eight bottles, remove all the caps, and search for the right colors. Soon I have a half dozen pills lined up on the counter, and I confirm that the colors are what I take every morning. I swallow all of my pills, thinking maybe my mother is testing me again, and even though I am technically mad at her, I am also now very worried about Mom, so I climb the steps to my room and see that she is still sleeping. Downstairs, I stand behind the couch and say, â€Å"Dad?† But he ignores me, so I return to my basement gym and continue my workout, listening to the ESPN commentators recap the college games and forecast the upcoming NFL action. Their voices arrive crisply through the floorboards above. I know from reading the paper that the Eagles are favored to win over San Francisco, which makes me excited to watch the game with my father, who will be in a great mood if the Eagles are victorious, and therefore he will also be more likely to speak with me. Midmorning, Mom descends, which is a relief, because I was starting to worry that she was really sick. I am riding the bike, and – after finding the â€Å"Pat† box last night – I just continue pedaling when Mom says, â€Å"Pat?† I do not face Mom, but using my peripheral vision, I see that she is showered, her hair is done, her makeup is applied, and she is wearing a pretty summer dress. Mom also smells really nice – lavender. â€Å"Did you take your pills last night?† she asks. I nod once. â€Å"What about this morning?† I nod again. â€Å"Dr. Patel told me I should have allowed you to take control over your meds when you first came home, that this was a step toward independence. But I was being a mom when you did not need me to be a mom. So congratulations, Pat.† â€Å"Congratulations† is a strange thing for her to say, especially since I have not won a prize or anything, but I am really only thinking about what happened last night, why Mom came home drunk. So I ask her, â€Å"Where were you last night? Did you go out with friends?† Using the corner of my eye again, I see her look down at the old brown rug beneath us. â€Å"I appreciate your putting me to bed last night. The water and the Tylenol helped. It was a bit of a role reversal, eh? Well, I appreciate it. Thanks, Pat.† I realize she has not answered my question, but I don't know what to say, so I say nothing. â€Å"Your father has been a bear lately, and I'm simply tired of it. So I'm making some demands, and things are going to change a little around here. Both of my men are going to start taking care of themselves a little more. You need to get on with your life, and I'm sick and tired of the way your father treats me.† Suddenly I forget all about the â€Å"Pat† box and face my mother as I continue pedaling. â€Å"Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?† â€Å"I'm not mad at you, Pat. I am mad at your father. He and I had a long talk yesterday when you were running. Things might be a little rough around here for a few weeks, but I think we'll all be better for it in the long run.† A wild thought leaps into my head and terrifies me. â€Å"You're not leaving us, Mom, are you?† â€Å"No. I'm not,† Mom says, looking me in the eyes, which makes me believe her one hundred percent. â€Å"I would never leave you, Pat. But I am going out today because I'm done with Eagles football. You two are on your own for food.† â€Å"Where are you going?† I ask, pedaling faster now. â€Å"Out,† Mom says, and then kisses the little white scar on my sweaty forehead before she leaves. I am so nervous about what Mom has told me that I do not eat anything all day, but simply drink my water and do my routine. Because the Eagles are playing at 4:15, I get in a full workout. The whole time, I secretly hope my father will come down into the basement and ask me to watch the 1:00 NFL game with him, but he doesn't. Midafternoon I climb up out of the basement and stand behind the couch for a second. â€Å"Dad?† I say. â€Å"Dad?† He ignores me and keeps watching the 1:00 game, and I don't even look to see who is playing, because I am so nervous about what Mom told me. I put on my trash bag and hope Tiffany is outside, because I could really use someone to talk to. But after I stretch for fifteen minutes, Tiffany doesn't show, so I run alone, thinking it funny that when I want to run alone, Tiffany is always there, but today she is not. I am very hungry, and the pain in my stomach increases as I run, which I relish because it means I am losing weight, and well, I feel as though I might have put on some extra fat in the past week, especially after drinking beer with Jake last weekend. This reminds me that I have not spoken with Jake since the Eagles lost to the Giants, and I wonder if he is coming over today to watch the game with Dad and me. Since the pain has sharpened, I decide to run farther than usual, pushing myself. Also, I am sort of afraid to go home, now that my mother has left me alone with my father for the day, and I am not sure what she meant by â€Å"changes† anyway. I keep wishing Tiffany was running with me so I might talk to her and tell her how I feel, which is a strange desire since she usually never says much in response, and the last time I tried to talk to her about my problems, she started cursing very loudly in a public place and said some really awful things about Nikki. Still, I am s tarting to feel as though Tiffany is my best friend, which is sort of strange and scary. At the end of my run, I jog down my street, and Jake's silver BMW is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he took the train in from Philadelphia, I think. I am hoping not to be left alone with my father for the game, but somehow I know this is exactly what is going to happen. When I enter the house, my dad is still alone on the couch, wearing his McNabb jersey now and watching the end of the 1:00 game. A small collection of beer bottles stand at his feet like bowling pins. â€Å"Is Jake coming over?† I ask my father, but he ignores me again. Upstairs, I shower and put on my Hank Baskett jersey. When I reach the family room, the Eagles game is just coming on, so I sit down at the end of the couch my father is not occupying. â€Å"What the hell is that noise?† Dad says, and then turns down the volume. I realize my stomach is making crazy gurgling noises, but I say, â€Å"I don't know,† and Dad turns up the volume again. Just as I had hoped, the new television is an experience. The players warming up on the field look life-size, and the sound quality makes me feel as though I am in San Francisco, sitting on the fifty-yard line. Realizing that my brother is not going to make it by kickoff, when a commercial comes on, I jump to my feet and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† but Dad only looks at me like he wants to hit me in the face again. So I sit down and do not say anything else. The announcers state that Donte Stallworth was a late scratch, so I start to hope Baskett will get a few more balls thrown his way, since the Eagles' number one receiver is out of action. The Eagles set up a nice drive and score on their first possession with a shovel pass to Westbrook, at which point my father's emotions morph. He reaches across the couch and repetitively claps his hand against my thigh, saying over and over again, â€Å"Touchdown Eagles! Touchdown Eagles!† I start to feel hopeful for my dad, but when the Eagles kick off, he resumes his negative ways and says, â€Å"Don't celebrate too much. Remember what happened last week.† And it is almost as if he is talking to himself, reminding himself not to be overly hopeful. The defense holds strong, and tight end L. J. Smith scores a touchdown with only a few minutes left in the first quarter, making it 13 – 0. Even though the Eagles have blown big leads before, it seems safe to say the Birds are the superior team today. My thoughts are confirmed after Akers hits the extra point and my father jumps up and starts singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly.† So I jump up and sing with him, and we both do the chant at the end, spelling the letters with our arms and legs: â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† Between quarters, my father asks me if I am hungry, and when I say yes, he orders us a pizza and brings me a Bud from the refrigerator. With the Eagles up 14 – 0, he is all smiles, and as we sip our beer, he says, â€Å"Now all we need is your boy Baskett to get a catch or two.† As if my father's words were a prayer answered, McNabb's first completion in the second quarter is to Baskett for eight yards. Dad and I cheer so loudly for the undrafted rookie. The pizza arrives during halftime, and the Eagles are up 24 – 3. â€Å"If only Jake were here,† my father says. â€Å"Then this day would be perfect.† My dad and I have been so happy that I've forgotten Jake is not with us. â€Å"Where is Jake?† I ask, but Dad ignores the question. In the third quarter the San Francisco running back fumbles on the Eagles' one-yard line and defensive tackle Mike Patterson picks up the ball and runs toward the opposite end zone. Dad and I are out of our seats, cheering on the three-hundred-pound lineman as he runs the whole length of the field, and then the Eagles are up 31 – 3. San Francisco scores a few touchdowns late in the second half, but it doesn't matter, because the game is basically out of reach, and the Eagles win 38 – 24. At the conclusion of the game, my father and I sing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† and do the chant one last time, celebrating the Eagles' victory, and then Dad simply turns off the television and returns to his study without even saying goodbye to me. The house is so quiet. Maybe a dozen or so beer bottles on the floor, the pizza box is still on the coffee table, and I know the sink is stacked full of dishes and the pan in which Dad cooked his breakfast steak. Since I am practicing being kind, I figure I should at least clean up the family room so Mom won't have to do it. I carry the Bud bottles out to the recycle bucket by the garage and throw away the pizza box in the outside garbage can. Back inside, a few used napkins are on the floor, and when I reach down to pick up the mess, I spot a crumpled ball of paper under the coffee table. I pick up the ball, uncrumple it, and realize it is not one but two pieces of paper. Mom's handwriting emerges. I flatten the papers out on the coffee table. Patrick, I need to tell you I will no longer allow you to disregard the decisions we make together, nor will I allow you to talk down to me any longer – especially in front of others. I have met a new friend who has encouraged me to assert myself more forcefully in an effort to gain your respect. Know that I am doing this to save our marriage. Your options: Return the monstrous television you purchased, and everything will go back to normal. Keep the monstrous television, and you must agree to the following demands: You must eat dinner at the table with Pat and me five nights a week. You must go on a half-hour walk with either Pat or me five nights a week. You must have a daily conversation with Pat, during which you ask him at least five questions and listen to his replies, which you will report to me nightly. You must do one recreational activity a week with Pat and me, such as eating at a restaurant, seeing a movie, going to the mall, shooting baskets in the backyard, etc. Failure to complete either option 1 or 2 will force me to go on strike. I will no longer clean your house, buy or cook your food, launder your clothes, or share your bed. Until you declare which option you wish to take, consider your wife on strike. With best intentions, Jeanie It does not seem like Mom to be so forceful with Dad, and I do wonder if her â€Å"new friend† coached her through the writing of the two-page letter. It is very hard for me to picture Dad returning his new television, especially after watching the Eagles win on the new set. His purchase will be considered good luck for sure, and Dad will want to watch next week's Eagles game on the same television so he will not jinx the Birds, which is understandable. But the demands Mom made – especially the one where Dad has to talk to me every night – also seem incredibly improbable, although I do think it would be nice to eat dinner together as a family and maybe even go out to a restaurant, but not to the movies, since I am now only willing to watch the movie of my own life. Suddenly I need to speak with my brother, but I do not know his phone number. I find the address book in the cabinet above the stove and place a call to Jake's apartment. A woman picks up on the third ring; her voice is beautiful. â€Å"Hello?† she says. I know it is not my brother on the other end, but I still say, â€Å"Jake?† â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"It's Pat Peoples. I'm looking for my brother, Jake. Who are you?† I hear the woman cover the phone with her hand, and then my brother's voice comes through loud and clear: â€Å"Did you see that ninety-eight-yard fumble return? Did you see Patterson run?† I want to ask about the woman who answered my brother's phone, but I am a little afraid of finding out who she is. Maybe I should already know, but forget somehow. So I simply say, â€Å"Yeah, I saw it.† â€Å"Frickin' awesome, dude. I didn't know a defensive tackle could run that far.† â€Å"Why didn't you come over and watch the game with Dad and me?† â€Å"Truthfully?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I can't lie to my brother. Mom called me this morning and told me not to come, so I went to a bar with Scott. She called Ronnie too. I know because Ronnie called me to make sure everything was okay. I told him not to worry.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Should he be worried?† â€Å"No, why did Mom tell you and Ronnie not to come over?† â€Å"She said it would give you a chance to be alone with Dad. She said it would force Dad to talk to you. So did he?† â€Å"A little.† â€Å"Well, that's good, right?† â€Å"I found a note from Mom to Dad.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I found a note from Mom to Dad.† â€Å"Okay. What did it say?† â€Å"I'll just read it to you.† â€Å"Go ahead.† I read him the note. â€Å"Shit. Go Mom.† â€Å"You know he won't be taking the television back now, right?† â€Å"Not after the Birds won today.† â€Å"Yeah, and I'm worried that Dad won't be able to meet the demands.† â€Å"Well, he probably won't, but maybe he'll at least try, right? And trying would be good for him – and Mom.† Jake changes the subject by mentioning Baskett's catch in the second quarter, which turned out to be his only catch of the game. My brother doesn't want to talk about our parents anymore. He says, â€Å"Baskett's coming along. He's an undrafted rookie, and he's getting catches. That's huge.† But it doesn't feel huge to me. Jake says he's looking forward to seeing me next Monday night, when the Eagles will play the Green Bay Packers. He asks me to have lunch in the city before we tailgate with Scott and the fat men, and then we hang up. It's getting late, and my mother is still not home. I begin to worry about her, and so I do all the dishes by hand. For a good fifteen minutes – with steel wool – I scrub the pan my father burned. And then I vacuum the family room. Dad had splattered some pizza sauce on the couch, so I find some cleaning spray in the hall cabinet and do my best to remove the stain – dabbing lightly and then wiping a little harder in a circular motion, just like it says on the side of the bottle. My mom comes home as I am on my knees cleaning the couch. â€Å"Did your father tell you to clean up his mess?† Mom asks. â€Å"No,† I say. â€Å"Did he tell you about the letter I wrote him?† â€Å"No – but I found it.† â€Å"Well, then you know. I don't want you to do any cleaning, Pat. We're going to let this place rot until your father gets the message.† I want to tell her I found the â€Å"Pat† box in the attic, how hungry I was today, that I really don't want to live in a filthy house, and I need to take one thing at a time – finding the end of apart time first and foremost – but Mom looks so determined and almost proud. So I agree to help her make the house filthy. She says we will be eating takeout, and when my father is not home, everything will be as it was before she wrote the note, but when my father is home, we will be slovenly. I tell Mom that while she is on strike, she can sleep in my bed, because I want to sleep in the attic anyway. When she says she'll sleep on the couch, I insist she take my bed, and she thanks me. â€Å"Mom?† I say when she turns to leave. She faces me. â€Å"Does Jake have a girlfriend?† I ask. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I called him today, and a woman answered the phone.† â€Å"Maybe he does have a girlfriend,† she says, and then walks away. The indifference Mom shows regarding Jake's love life makes me feel as though I am forgetting something. If Jake had a girl friend Mom did not know about, she would have asked me a million questions. Her lack of interest suggests that Mom is keeping another secret from me, maybe something larger than what I found in the â€Å"Pat† box. Mom must be protecting me, I think, but I still want to know from what.

Health of Indigenous Peoples Essay

This essay seeks to demonstrate that whilst Indigenous health policy may have been on the Australian public policy agenda since the1960s, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health has remained. A brief description of the lives of Indigenous Australians prior to the colonisation of Australia is given, followed by a description of various policies that have been introduced by the Australian government to combat these inequalities. This essay demonstrates why these policies have been inadequate, in turn highlighting why the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge in creating Indigenous health policies is important. This essay closes with a brief examination of the Closing the Gap policy, which is utilising the knowledge of Indigenous Australians in creating culturally sensitive Indigenous health policies. In conclusion, this essay demonstrates that by including Indigenous Australians in the policymaking process, we might be starting to close the gap. The health inequality of Indigenous Australians has long been a concern for Australia and the world. Whilst the overall health of Australia has continued to improve, the health of Indigenous Australians remains at levels below those of non-indigenous Australians. Whilst it may seem that there is a lot being done to address these issues, the statistics demonstrate that policies implemented to address these issues have not been effective (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2010; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 29). The thesis of this essay is that whilst the government has been seen as attempting to address the issues of health inequalities of Indigenous Australians, it is only in recent times that the government has implemented programs that are anywhere near close to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. To demonstrate this thesis, this essay will firstly discuss the history of Indigenous health prior to colonisation. This will be done to highlight how Indigenous health has declined dramatically since colonisation. This essay will then discuss what the government has been doing since the 1967 referendum, in which Indigenous Australians were formally recognised in the Constitution, to address issues of health inequalities (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2010). In the next section, a discussion on the reasons why there is a large gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous health will occur. This will be followed by a discussion on the utilisation of Indigenous knowledge to provide adequate health services. This essay will finally discuss the current Closing The Gap policy (Australian Human Rights Commission 2011), which has been introduced to address issues that previous policies have failed to. This will be done to highlight the fact that whilst it may seem that as the Indigenous population require the knowledge and assistance of its non-indigenous counter parts, what is evident is that health of Indigenous populations has in fact declined since the colonisation of Australia. Failing to recognise the correlation between colonisation and declining health of Indigenous people, will only see a continuation of the problem rather than seeing a positive change. Whilst the information pertaining to the health of Indigenous Australians prior to colonisation in 1788 appears to be scarce, what is known is that Indigenous health has been on the decline since the arrival of European settlers. Indigenous Australians were considered to be healthier than those of their colonisers (Flood 2006, p. 120). Prior to colonisation, there was no contact with the outside world and therefore infectious diseases were minimal. Due to the introduction of new illnesses from colonisation, the population of Indigenous Australians declined (Carson 2007, p. 43). It was also common for Indigenous women to contract sexual diseases from the often non-consensual contact with the colonisers (Carson 2007, p. 44). Health was also impacted upon by change in diet. Prior to colonisation, Indigenous Australians maintained a diet of protein and vegetables due to the animals and plants available to them (Flood 2006, p.120), as well as the exercise they maintained from hunting and gathering (Flood 2006, p. 122). After colonisation, the Indigenous diet included many foods which saw an increase in obesity, diabetes and heart disease (O’Dea 1991, p. 233). It was not just the introduction of disease and change in die that impacted upon Indigenous Australians’ health. Anthropological studies surrounding Indigenous culture have shown that Indigenous populations have close ties to the land, as the land is incorporated into their sense of being. Pieces of land belonged to particular groups of individuals, and the objects from the natural landscape were considered to be part of their history (Carson 2007, p. 180). It was the failure of colonisers to understand this worldview that has contributed to the deterioration of mental health amongst Indigenous Australians, as they were forced off their lands and into settlements and reserves (Carson 2007, p. 49). This contributed to the feeling of being disconnected from land and family, exacerbating feelings of not be longing, lack of identity and low self-esteem (Ypinazar et al.2007,p. 474). As one can see, the issue of health amongst Indigenous Australians is a complex one, complicated by the differing world views of Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. It is due to this lack of understanding that has resulted in a myriad of health policies that have attempted to address the issue of health inequality of Indigenous Australians. The first health policy to address the health issues of Indigenous Australians was implemented in 1968, with thirty five adjustments made between then and 2006. Without going into the details of every amendment or new policy, what was common throughout this timeline, was that there were various bodies and institutions created to address the issues that had not been adequately addressed previously, responsibilities were allocated by the government to the states and territories, and programs were implemented to address health issues. Change in governments also meant that policies were constantly changing, which meant that the ways in which health issues were seen and therefore addressed also changed (Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet 2010). When attempting to implement a policy that will adequately address the issue, what has been found is that comparative analysis has been used to determine how health issues have been addressed in other countries. Whilst this kind of analysis may be sufficient in some circumstances, it does not suit such a situation where our Indigenous population’s culture and worldview is unlike that of any other. For example, whilst health issues may be similar to those of Indigenous populations elsewhere, worldviews which impact upon health and wellbeing will vary and may not be able to be applied from one culture to another (Tsey et al.2003, p. 36). One event that highlights the differing views on how issues should be addressed, was the closing down of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) by the John Howard Government in 2004 (Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet2010). What was significant about this was that Indigenous health policy had been the responsibility of ATSIC. This action effectively removed the responsibility of Indigenous health from the Indigenous people and placed the responsibility with mainstream departments that were also responsible for non-indigenous health. By doing this, the government had wound back many years of work to address the health inequalities of Indigenous Australians, perceiving Indigenous Australians as a culture that could not look after themselves and needed instead the knowledge and expertise of the superior colonialists (Kay & Perrin 2007, p. 19). By removing the responsibility of Indigenous health from ATSIC and placing it in the hands of a body that was also responsible for non-indigenous health, the government failed to understand the intricacies of Indigenous Australian culture and the implications that this kind of action can have on Indigenous health. Whilst the overall health of Australians is amongst the top third of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 8). There is a clear disparity between Indigenous and non-indigenous health, when one considers that even in this day and age of modern medicine, Indigenous Australians are expected to live twelve years less than their non-indigenous counterparts for males, and ten years less for females (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 29). So what are considered to be the reasons for this inequality? What has already been highlighted, is that Indigenous health has suffered from the introduction to changes in diet, introduction of diseases both airborne and venereal, and the impact upon mental health due to dispossession of land and loss of kinship. Mental health issues can also be connected to the economic and social disadvantage of many Indigenous individuals, which can lead to substance abuse and other issues (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 33). The failure to adequately address mental health issues has resulted in deaths by suicide being the second biggest reason for deaths by injury (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010, p. 30). These figures demonstrate that policies have clearly not been working. A salient point to note is that Indigenous Australians are the least likely group of the whole population, to access important health services. So what are the reasons behind this lack of access to services? It can be as simple as the kind of service that an individual receives. From personal experience of serving Indigenous customers, tone of voice can be misinterpreted. What may be considered polite in most circumstances, can be misconstrued as being conceited by others. Use of language can also be a barrier. For example, (again from personal experience), language has to be altered to manoeuvre these barriers, such as replacing the term ‘bank account’ with the word ‘kitty’. Other barriers may include the fact that in remote communities, health professionals may also be the town judge, which may deter Indigenous people from accessing the services from a person who might have also been responsible for sentencing an individual or a member of their family (Paul 1998, p.67). Barriers such as the remote locations of individuals in comparison to the services, and the cost of services also have to be taken into account. For example, if a service is some distance away from an individual, the cost of travelling may be too high. The cost of services close by may also be too expensive for individuals, or individuals may receive poor treatment due to either being turned away from services, or mistreatment due to racialist beliefs. This may result in individuals travelling long distances due to this very mistreatment in their own communities (Paul 1998, pp.67-68). The misconception that all Indigenous Australians are one group of people can also result in culturally inadequate services, deterring individuals from accessing important health services (Paul 1998, p. 68). This lack of understanding about Indigenous cultures when providing health services has resulted in a rise in the provision of health services that are either run by Indigenous individuals, or have been created in consultation with Indigenous individuals, to ensure that the services being provided are culturally adequate. An example that highlights this can be seen in the creation of a program in 1998in the Northern Territory that was attempting to address the health inequalities of Indigenous children (Campbell et al 2005, p. 153). There were many problems with this programme because the people that were overseeing the programme did not have cultural knowledge that was a factor in the health and wellbeing of the children. What resulted was a program which was implemented in an Indigenous remote community, which utilised the knowledge of Indigenous people from the community itself. This allowed for the programme to be altered when issues were addressed and individuals within the community were able to provide solutions to issues, rather than being told what was going to happen by an outside authority (Campbell etal. 2005, p. 155). Whilst this programme realised that a bottom-up approach was more beneficial than a top-down one which usually occurs in policy implementation, there were issues because the programme also involved people from the outside that were there to manage the programme, who were unwilling to give total control to the community, generating feelings of disempowerment, resentment and marginalisation (Campbell et al. 2005, p. 156). Whilst there are many examples of programs that have been implemented to address the health inequalities of Indigenous Australians, one that deserves mentioning because of success that it has had are the men’s groups in Yaba Bimbie and Ma’Ddaimba Balas (McCalman et al. 2010, p. 160). What was found was that these programs were successful because they were run by Indigenous men who had direct knowledge of the cultural issues and needs of the community as they also lived there. They were also successful because the men felt included in their communities by having control, rather than being controlled by an outside source. Due to these men’s groups, individuals were able to come together and share their concerns about their community, and as the others also were from the same community, they were able to contribute to solutions to the problems by feeling able to speak freely about their concerns. One such concern was anger management issues, which were exacerbated by the social issues that the individuals faced (McCalman et al. 2010, p. 163). Whilst, issues like this may seem to be separate, they in fact contribute to other areas, as has been mentioned earlier in regards to mental health and suicide, which flow on to other members of the community, when there may be no one in the family who is able to earn an income, which contributes to poverty. This may in turn, render an individual unable to access services as previously mentioned. As one can see, when individuals who are directly impacted by issues, are included in finding solutions to address these issues, there is more success than when they are not included. It is the understanding of this that has seen the implementation of the Close The Gap policy (Australian Human Rights Commission 2011). This policy is based on the understanding that the concept of health is different in the eyes of Indigenous Australians than that of non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare2009). This policy has sought to reduce the gap of inequality between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians by reducing the gap in life expectancy by 2031, halving mortality rates of children by2018, ensuring equal access to early childhood education by 2013, halving the gap in the area of inability to read and write by 2018, halving the gap of individuals who attain their Year 12 education by 2020 and halving the gap of unemployment rates by 2018 (Gillard2011, p. 2). Various programmes have been implemented to address these issues, with a common theme of inclusion. That is, the programs all involve Indigenous Australians who have a better cultural understanding than non-indigenous Australians. This has allowed for individuals to work with their own communities, various levels of government, non-government organisations and businesses (Gillard 2011, p. 6). By doing so, it has provided individuals with a sense of control and purpose over their own lives, which has seen a decrease in the mortality rates of Indigenous Australians (Gillard2011, p. 12), as well as a reduction in the rates of reading and writing problems (Gillard 2011, p. 14). There has also been a significant increase in the numbers of Indigenous Australians aiming towards their Year 12 qualifications (Gillard 2011, p. 16), as well as a decrease in the number of unemployed in the Indigenous population (Gillard 2011, p. 17). Whilst these figures are promising, one has to look at some of the programs that have been implemented as a result of this policy, to see if lessons have been learned from past mistakes, or if similar mistakes are being made. One such program that is deemed to be addressing issues of inequality is the Welfare Payment Reform act, which allowed the government to withhold portions of welfare payments (Gruenstein 2008, p. 468). This was to ensure that portions of the payment were going to required living expenses before going to things such as alcohol. Whilst this may seem as though it is an important step in addressing issues within communities, what is important to note is that policies such as these are in direct violation of the Racial Discrimination Convention because they directly target Indigenous individuals solely because they are Indigenous and are not necessarily in need of intervention (Gruenstein, 2008, p. 469). Whilst the Closing the Gap policy has good intentions, it can result in actions that treat Indigenous Australians as a homogenous group, rather than recognising the variation of issues. In conclusion, this essay has demonstrated that Australia has come a long way in addressing the issues of inequality amongst Indigenous Australians. It has been demonstrated that Indigenous Australians were in good health prior to colonisation, and only since colonisation has the health of Indigenous Australians has declined. This essay has also shown that the different governments have varied between allowing Indigenous Australians self-determination, or be included in the process of policy making, to the government seizing control of the issues, excluding the Indigenous community from decision making. Whilst it has been shown that the government has been addressing issues for well over 40 years, it has only been in recent times that issues of inequality have begun to be adequately addressed. By understanding that it is Indigenous Australians who are better able to understand their issues, which stem from the actions of non-indigenous peoples and allowing Indigenous Australians to take control of their own lives, will we start to close the gap of health inequality between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

Biography of Sargon the Great, Ruler of Mesopotamia

Biography of Sargon the Great, Ruler of Mesopotamia Sargon the Great was one of the worlds earliest empire  builders. From roughly  2334 to 2279 BCE, he ruled a civilization called the Akkadian Empire, consisting largely of ancient Mesopotamia,  after conquering all of Sumer (southern Mesopotamia) as well as parts of Syria, Anatolia (Turkey), and  Elam  (western Iran). His empire was the first political entity to have an extensive, efficient, large-scale bureaucracy to administer his far-flung lands and their culturally diverse people. Fast Facts: Sargon the Great Known For: Creating an empire in MesopotamiaAlso Known As: Sargon of Akkad, Shar-Gani-Sharri, Sarru-Kan (True King or Legitimate King)  Sargon of Agade, King of Agade, King of Kish, King of the LandDied: c. 2279 BCE Early Life Almost nothing is known of Sargons early life. There is no birth date; the dates of his reign are approximate; and the end of his reign, 2279, is only presumably the year of his death. His name at birth also is unknown; he adopted Sargon later. Although his name was among the most famous in antiquity, the modern world knew nothing of him until 1870 CE, when Sir Henry Rawlinson, a British army officer and scholar of the Orient, published the Legend of Sargon, which he had found in the library of King Ashurbanipal  of Assyria while excavating the ancient Mesopotamian city of  Nineveh  in 1867. The Legend of Sargon, engraved in cuneiform on a clay tablet, supposedly represented his biography, though its often described as folklore. It reads, in part: My mother was a changeling, my father I knew not...My mother conceived me in secret, she gave birth to me in concealment. She set me in a basket of rushes, She sealed the lid with tar. She cast me into the river...The water carried me to Akki, the drawer of water. He lifted me out as he dipped his jar into the river, He took me as his son, he raised me, He made me his gardener. Sargons mother, said to have been a priestess in a town on the Euphrates River and perhaps one of an order of sacred prostitutes, couldnt keep the child. She hit upon an option strikingly similar to one involving Moses, although her baby supposedly floated down the Euphrates instead of the Nile. The future founder of the  Akkadian Empire was discovered by a gardener who served Ur-Zababa, the king of  Kish, a massive subterranean city on the island of Kish off the coast of Iran. Rise to Power Sargon eventually became Ur-Zababas cup-bearer, a servant who brought a king’s wine but also served as a trusted adviser. For unknown reasons, the king felt threatened by Sargon and tried to get rid of him: When Lugal-zage-si, the  king  of Umma who had conquered and consolidated many city-states in Sumer, came to conquer Kish next, Ur-Zababa sent Sargon to deliver a  clay tablet to the king, supposedly offering peace. The tablet, however, contained a message requesting that Lugal-zage-si kill Sargon. Somehow the conspiracy was thwarted, and the Sumerian king asked Sargon to join his campaign against the city. They conquered Kish and Ur-Zababa was deposed. But soon Sargon and Lugal-zage-si had a falling out. Some accounts say Sargon had an affair with Lugal-zage-si’s wife. At any rate, Sargon captured  Uruk,  an ancient land in southern Mesopotamia on the Euphrates River, from Lugal-zage-si and then defeated him in battle at Kish. Expanding His Realm A large part of  Sumer had been controlled by Uruk, so with both Ur-Zababa and Lugalzagesi out of the way, Sargon was the new ruler of an area from which to launch military campaigns and expand his empire. But Sargon also wanted to maintain the lands under his control, so he established an efficient  bureaucracy by placing trusted men in each Sumerian city to rule in his name. Meanwhile, Sargon expanded his empire, defeating the  Elamites to the East, who inhabited what is today western Iran. To the West, Sargon conquered parts of  Syria  and  Anatolia. He established his capital at Akkad, near Kish, becoming the first king of the Akkadian Dynasty. The city, which lent its name to the empire, has never been found. He conquered the nearby city-states of Ur, Umma, and Lagash and developed a commercial trade-based empire, with unifying roads and a postal system. Sargon made his daughter Enheduanna a high priestess of Nanna, Urs moon god. She was also a poet and is considered the world’s first author known by name, credited  with creating the paradigms of poetry, psalms, and prayers used throughout the ancient world that led to genres recognized in the present day. Death Sargon the Great is said to have died of natural causes around 2279 BCE and was succeeded by his son Rimush. Legacy Sargon Akkadian Empire lasted a century and a half, ending when it was displaced by the Gutian dynasty of Sumer during the 22nd century BCE. One of the results of Sargon’s conquests was the facilitation of trade. Sargon controlled the  cedar forests of Lebanon  and the silver mines of Anatolia, which provided valuable raw materials for trade in the  Indus Valley, as well as in civilizations in Oman and along the Gulf. The Akkadian Empire was the first political entity to make extensive use of bureaucracy and administration on a large scale, setting the standard for future rulers and kingdoms. The Akkadians developed the first postal system, constructed roads, improved irrigation systems, and advanced the arts and sciences. Sargon also is remembered for creating a society where the weak were protected. Stories say that during his reign, no one in Sumer had to beg for food, and widows and orphans were protected. Rebellions were common during his reign, though he reportedly said his enemies faced a â€Å"lion with teeth and claws.† Sargon the Great wasn’t regarded as a hero from humble beginnings who gained power to save his people, but his empire was considered a  Golden Age compared to those that followed. Sources Zettler, Richard L. Reconstructing the World of Ancient Mesopotamia: Divided Beginnings and Holistic History. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 2003.Sargon of Akkad: Familiar and Legendary Tales of a Famous Mesopotamian King. Ancient Origins.Sargon of Akkad. Ancient History Encyclopedia.Sargon: Ruler of Mesopotamia. Encyclopaedia Britannica.