A Change For Jane

Her name was Jane Hulsebosch.   She was my math teacher for fifth and sixth grade. Jane was a tall large woman with black tight curly hair. Her eyes were brown and beady, like a ferret. She was approximately five feet and eleven inches tall, but to me she seemed much taller. Jane did not stand, she loomed. If she looked over my shoulder while I took one of her labyrinthine exams, it felt like the sword of Damocles swinging over my head. Jane was an extremely heavy woman who was plagued with varicose veins. When I was young, however, it looked like she had beanbags stored under her skin. Jane was a heavy smoker. I could not help but notice the stale smell of smoke on her fingertips as I gingerly approached her desk with a paper to grade.Jane to me was the educational equivalent of terrorism. I was not stupid enough to actually volunteer an answer to her questions. I attempted, like my other poor unfortunate classmates to crawl into a crevice in the floor by keeping my eyes downcast. Silly me.Like a panther circling its prey Jane walked around our classroom. Employing the Socratic Method, she barked questions at me. And I, paralyzed in fear, failed yet again to answer correctly. The woman was an insidious masochist. I know she delighted in terrorizing us. She threw erasers and chalk at us with the precision of a stealth bomber while wailing â€Å"DOPEY!†My morning prayer was that Mrs. Jane Hulsebosch die a long painful death. In my head I painted glorious medieval deaths. My personal favorite fantasy was one where she is disemboweled. My classmates, however, preferred the â€Å"drawn and quartered† method. God it seemed, never answered our prayers.Then one cold damp winter morning it seemed that God did answer me, well sort of.Jane entered the classroom but her gait was unsteady. She smelled like something I had never identified until I was in college. She smelled like a brewery.Her face was swollen, like someone who just got pummeled in the face during a game of dodge ball, but worse. Was that a black and blue that I saw?   I did not know, and did not care to draw her attention to the fact that I was staring at her. Quickly, I l ooked at my textbook and pretended I was reading.A haunted silence filled my classroom. All of us just sat holding our breath. My stomach felt like there was a lead balloon in it. (Indeed, as I write this paper, the feeling sets in.) What did we do? Did we do something so terrible that we rendered her speechless?Did Sean get caught cheating again? After what seemed like hours, two police officers entered our classroom along with the principal. What was happening? Were we being arrested for being bad students like she promised? Was the threat of our behavior going on our â€Å"permanent record† happening now?No. Jane was being led out of our classroom. Suddenly, as she passed my desk I was compelled to look up at her and a tear hit my shoe.Outside, someone was wailing. It was Jane, but it was not the same yelling that she did in class. What was happening? Our principal entered the classroom and told us that he would be teaching us for awhile and that we should all pray for our teacher.Well, we did†¦but not for her return. That night I remember my parents whispering in hushed horrified tones and then calling me into their bedroom to â€Å"discuss something†.   I was asked an interminable amount of questions about Jane, the throwing, the yelling and that smell.   Jane, they told me was in the hospital. Her husband had been beating her and she had a drinking problem.

A comparison of the Ideas of William James and the Teachings of Christ Essay

William James had an incisive insight about a number of intellectual and psychological dealings. He was a trained medical doctor yet he excelled in the field of philosophy and wrote enormously about his thoughts and ideas. Pragmatism, Meaning of Truth as a Sequel to Pragmatism, Pluralistic Universe, and Varieties of Religious Experiences are considered as the major philosophical premises proposed by William James. The ideas of Pragmatism demand scrupulous attention to understand. As per William James, the meaning of an idea or a proposition or a thought lies in its observable practical consequences. Hence the idea under proposition must exhibit this quality of direct practical results. He believes that a thought or an idea must always be based on the verity of faith. He writes: â€Å"A fact [may] not come at all unless a preliminary faith exists in its coming†¦ Faith in a fact can help create the fact. † (James, â€Å"The Will to Believe†, 1897) Therefore trust and idea are sometimes inter-reliant and may often cease to exist without each other. He opines that the truth or falsity of a judgment depends on the obtainment of the expectations that follow the judgment under question. For a judgment to comply with this, one needs to be pragmatic [= as a matter-of-fact] in his approach towards the events which are going to be judged. We can also see a contrast between his thoughts when he constantly vacillates between science and religion. The general credence that religious experiences involve a supernatural domain, on the whole, is somehow remote to science. However, to the individual human being these remote things are accessible as their driving force is faith and not empirical examination. James tries to bridge this gap between science and religion. The difference between the scientific principles and religious beliefs are woven to arrive at a multipart thinking procedure which we can call as the â€Å"Science of Religion†. He wrote about this as follows: Religious experience, in other words, spontaneously and inevitably engenders myths, superstitions, dogmas, creeds, and metaphysical theologies, and criticisms of one set of these by the adherents of another. Of late, impartial classifications and comparisons have become possible, alongside of the denunciations and anathemas by which the commerce between creeds used exclusively to be carried on. We have the beginnings of a â€Å"Science of Religions,† so-called; and if these lectures could ever be accounted a crumb-like contribution to such a science, I should be made very happy. (James, The Varieties of Religious Experiences, Lecture XVIII) These thoughts point towards that eternal question of can there be a God who created this universe? A pragmatist, such as James Williams, would say â€Å"Yes, there indeed must be an empirical God who made all this universe provided the consequences are proved or the relations established†. That, simply put, is another state of perplexity where the vision of identifying the ‘Cause’ and ‘Effect’ may cease to exist. Now let us examine what pure religion and religious thoughts or philosophies (sans James Williams! ) say about such perplexities of life. The Bible and the preaching of Jesus Christ and other religious foundations categorically decline the right to question. They demand absolute ‘surrender’ in order to get absolute ‘delight’. The teachings of Jesus must be quoted here: â€Å"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. † (Matthew 7:24-27) The teachings of Christ demands unquestionable faith in the supernatural in order to attain absolute delight. This absolute delight or state of freedom is in total contrast to what we have seen so far in the flow of William James’ ideas. However there is one similarity: That both the schools of thoughts agree to the fact that humanity is something which, neither needs to be empirically analyzed nor pragmatically accepted. The laws of both pragmatism and religion bend and tend to converge at one solitary point and this point of convergence is diligently referred to as ‘Kindness’. Historically, William James lived in the 19th Century. (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) During this period of time America was witnessing the industrial revolution and started emerging as the international power. It was also that phase of the history when the country was reeling under aftereffects of the Civil War and the laborer strikes. The ideas of William James were widely accepted from both laymen and intellectuals alike. The very concepts of ‘Pragmatism’, â€Å"Will to Live’, ‘Pluralistic Universe’ and ‘A Study in Human Nature’ were regarded as the new hopes amidst turbulent times. Even though the dynamics of the contemporary society have changed immeasurably, I still feel some of James’ ideas would be contentedly accepted. Economical imbalances (Read: The Recession), and religious conflicts (Read: Fundamentalists/Extremists) have rendered a sense of cynicism. The thoughts of William James will surely be a respite if understood and implemented diligently. The astute adoption is the key as James writes: â€Å"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. † (William James â€Å"The Principles of Psychology†, 1890) Let us hope better sense prevails upon the humanity and the thoughts of William James guide us through the testing times. References William James, â€Å"The Will to Believe†, 1897 William James, The Varieties of Religious Experiences, Lecture XVIII Bible, Matthew 7:24-27 William James â€Å"The Principles of Psychology†, 1890

The Life of John Adams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of John Adams - Research Paper Example His father was a man of simple origins, but his mother Susanna Boylston Adams hailed from a very prestigious and elite family. As a bright and hardworking boy, he managed to enter Harvard in 1755. He started his career as school teacher and switched to study law under James Putnam. He served as successful lawyer in Boston for a decade. John Adams married Abigail Smith (1744-1818) and fathered four, the eldest of whom is John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States of America. The couple shared a unique intellectual companionship and the letters exchanged between them are preserved till date as a strong proof for lovable camaraderie. Contribution to the American Revolution John Adam plunged into politics angered by the oppressive acts of the British government like many other young men of his time. The Stamp Act of 1765, which ordered every legal document used in America should use only a stamped paper, produced in London, triggered wide spread agitations. A three membe r team including John Adams petitioned against the act and made it repealed in 1766. Adams rose in popularity when he defended Captain Thomas Preston in the Boston Massacre case. Adams influence grew with time and he became an important delegate of Continental Congress. At 1776, he became the chairman of the Continental Board of War and Ordnance. He travelled to Paris in 1778 where he aided Benjamin Franklin in pursuing France to help America fighting against Britain. He came back in 1779 and started writing the Boston state constitution very famous for its Bill of Rights. Adam travelled to Netherland and stayed there for nearly two years. He managed to raise a loan of one millions four hundred thousand dollars to support the revolution back home. This funding played a prominent role in the success of the revolution. He acted as the main instrumental diplomat in faming the Treaty of Paris (1783) which officially ended the American Revolution. Adams made sure the United States held t he rights for North Atlantic fishing during the treaty negotiations. He was influential in raising a huge amount of Dutch loan which helped the country face its first elections. He also framed various trade treaties with European countries other than British to maintain steady economy in the new nation. John Adams Presidency John Adams returned back to the new nation of his dreams the Independent United States of America nearly after ten years of staying abroad. He was made the Vice President of the country in honour of his service. He published several works during this period including Thoughts on Government, Discourses on Davila and many other newspaper articles2. After George Washington served two terms as President John Adams succeeded him as the second President of America. The White House was in its initial stage of construction then. John Adams became the first President to reside there with his family. John Adams term of Presidency posed enormous challenges. The French Revo lution was viewed upon as a great progressive step in the history of mankind by the Republicans and Thomas Jefferson. But, John Adams just viewed it as "a mob rule, violence and terror and eventually the establishment of a despotic government ruled by a single person".3 As a result John Adams sent two commissions to France to work out a treaty with the French known as the XYZ affair, causing great displease among his colleagues. The Alien and Sedition

French policing- Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes Essay

French policing- Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes - Essay Example The minister of Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service controls the Directorate-General. The Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes is responsible for ensuring that fraud is detected and tackled, indirect taxes are levied accordingly, smuggling is prevented at borders, counterfeit products are detected and dealt with, drug trafficking is prevented, money laundering is stopped, and borders are thoroughly surveyed (IMF, 1996). The Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes in France serves the purpose of guarding the borders, guarding the coasts, handling custom services and conducting rescue operations in the sea. The history of French custom services can be traced back to the revolutionary period. France formed a military custom service responsible for fighting in major wars which included the First World War and the Franco-Prussian War. This custom service was referred to as the General Firm. The servicemen who served in this custom service were armed and they acted as frontier guards, as well as performing other functions related to para-military activities such as patrolling to prevent smuggling (IMF, 1996). During that time, custom service workers were divided into two groups, those working in brigades and those working in offices. Those working in brigades were well organized, armed, disciplined and operated along military lines. Those working in offices were given the same duties and respon sibilities as custom inspectors in other countries. Individual custom officers serving the customs department later on wore blue uniforms with red stripes on the trousers. Most of them were known to be former soldiers. The customs service of the military took part in the initial stages of the Second World War. However, after French was defeated, the service was disbanded and never reconstituted again. The custom service in France has been tasked with the responsibility of custom and immigration checks at certain

Evaluation of Website Outrigger Canoe Club Essay

Evaluation of Website Outrigger Canoe Club - Essay Example Site's visitors can read about history of the club, location, services provided and, after completing registration, access the membership-only area. Useful five-day local weather forecast placed on the front page is of great help for planning a club visit and outdoor sport activities. Very detailed information on general services and catering, club's hours of operation is provided. Besides, the policies, for instance dress code and no smoking and cell phones permitted areas, are outlined; Original old black and white photos as well as description of Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation adds flavor of historical tradition and creates feeling of sports spirit. The club, as mentioned, had many celebrity members, including famous Duke Paoa Kahanamoku and other sportsmen. The Dining and Hours of Operation sections partially repeat each other. As an improvement this information can be left in Dining section only. In addition, Dining section can be combined with Catering; To my mind, the "best thing" about the website is the nicely illustrated story of the Outrigger Canoe Club. It starts with club establishers and land lease from Estate of Quinn Emma. The story tells about the club's survival years between the fire in 1914 and reconstruction in 1941.

With todays advances in the use of C.G.I. and digital imagery, will Essay

With todays advances in the use of C.G.I. and digital imagery, will the human actor eventually become obsolete - Essay Example a green grid and a few rudimentary objects; as he first enters the alternate universe represented by CGI animation, Homer Simpson says "this place looks expensive... I feel like Im wasting a fortune just standing here" (Treehouse of Horror VI). This was the attitude of many animators for years who struggled to advance their technology while battling financial constraints. In the last decade, however, great advancements have been made not only in the capabilities of computer graphic artists and software but in the ability of computers to animate more for less; it didn’t hurt that animation studios were granted larger budgets to explore CGI options. Feature films like the CGI breakout hit Toy Story paved the way for more investment in computer animation and now people in the film industry are beginning to wonder whether computer animation is destined to overtake the role of real, live actors. CGI is an acronym for computer generated imagery; this field encompasses many different specific computer graphics such as landscaping, people, animals, weather and other special effects (Pierson, 2002, 3). 3D computer graphics were primarily used for special effects in TV and movies before the trend of feature length computer animated films caught on, animators focused their efforts on creating new, and ultimately cheaper and less complicated, ways of dealing with onscreen special effects. Traditionally, special effects could include anything from a fire in a burning building to a full on explosion, or even the tricks of an illusionist which were too complicated to be performed in reality. With CGI animation, television and film producers can sidestep the often messy and unpredictable hazards of physical special effects and actually make the outcome closer to what they had envisioned to begin with. Specifically, special efforts on computer began to take the place of the creation of miniatures (used when large scale models are too cumbersome) and also to take the

Critical reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Critical reading - Essay Example The paper has two thesis statements. One is that society should accept Samuel Morse’s declaration of his invention of the telegraph. And the second is shared credit should be given to his predecessors paving the road for long distance communication. The thesis was clearly stated. Arguments to support both stands were presented but it was not balanced. The latter side was more substantiated, failing to lay down stronger arguments on why society should accept Morse’s claim. The writer could have discussed about how Morse came up with the invention from his artistic background: how Morse had this device on his own design and how he developed this telegraph despite lacking the technical knowledge. The writer could also answer the question regarding what inspires him to do this demonstration. The outline was strategic and logical. The opening statements claim how important telegraph is, arousing the reader’s interest. The valuable contribution of Morse’s predecessors, especially Chappe’s was explained. It was written clearly, and because of the absence of jargons, it could be easily understood. The statement about how the telegraph changed the society is very necessary. However, the distinctness of Morse’s telegraph could be explained