Welsh History essays

Welsh History essays Wales has a tumultuous and somewhat violent history. During the early years A.D., the country was in turmoil with the Roman invasions, and the biggest defenses that the Welsh had were the deep, dark hills scattered all over the country. Without the safety of these hills, Wales would certainly have been taken over by the Romans. After the Romans left Wales, the Vikings presented a new threat to the peaceful lands of Wales. The Romans also had a huge effect on the Welsh religion and language. Wales was affected both negatively and positively by these invasions. In 55 B.C., Julius Caesar planned a series of exploratory expeditions into Wales, which were inspired by tales of large deposits of gold in the vast hills in North Wales. (Millet, 1995, p.187) These explorations prepared the ground for the arrival of the Roman armies (Cunliffe, 1990, p.203). In 43 A.D., the Roman army arrived on the shores of Wales to attempt a completion of their new Roman British empire (Tedesco, 178, p. 387). Wales had a strong military history that took a central role in society as far back as 1200 B.C. (Thompson, 1989, p.735). The old Roman boast Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered) might have been applied to other places in their vast empire, but in Wales, their conquest was never complete (Johanson, 1979, p. 359). To help with the invasion, they constructed a city at Caerwent that introduced Roman notions of civilization to the natives. They also built a network of roads that connected their two bases at Chester and Caerwent with some small forts (Av ery, 1975, p.687) During some expeditions into the hills of Pumpsaint, the Romans finally found the gold that they had been searching for (McQueen, 1985, p.982) When the Romans left Wales in the 4th century, they left it unprotected against the Saxons, Picts and Irish Goidel tribes. The end of the Roman Empire meant the beginning of a Dark Age for Wales ( ...

Kate Chopins The Awakening of Edna Pontellier

Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening' of Edna Pontellier â€Å"She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength.  She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before.† Kate Chopin’s The Awakening  (1899) is the story of one woman’s realization of the world and potential within her. In her journey, Edna Pontellier is awoken to three important pieces of her own being. First, she awakens to her artistic and creative potential. This minor but important awakening gives rise to Edna Pontellier’s most obvious and demanding awakening, one which resonates throughout the book: the sexual. However, though her sexual awakening may seem to be the most important issue in the novel, Chopin slips in a final awakening at the end, one that is hinted at early on but not resolved until the last minute: Edna’s awakening to her true humanity and role as a mother. These three awakenings, artistic, sexual, and motherhood, are what Chopin includes in her novel to define womanhood; or, more specifically, independent womanhood. Awakening of Artistic Self-Expression and Individualism What seems to begin Edna’s awakening is the rediscovery of her artistic inclinations and talents. Art, in The Awakening, becomes a symbol of  freedom and of failure. While attempting to become an artist, Edna reaches the first peak of her awakening. She begins to view the world in artistic terms. When Mademoiselle Reisz asks Edna why she loves Robert, Edna responds, â€Å"Why? Because his hair is brown and grows away from his temples; because he opens and shuts his eyes, and his nose is a little out of drawing.† Edna is beginning to notice intricacies and details that she would have ignored previously, details that only an artist would focus and dwell on, and fall in love with. Further, art is a way for Edna to assert herself.  She sees it as a form of self-expression and individualism. Edna’s own awakening is hinted at when the narrator writes, â€Å"Edna spent an hour or two in looking over her own sketches. She could see their shortcomings and defects, which were glaring in her eyes.† The discovery of defects in her previous works, and the desire to make them better demonstrate Edna’s reformation. Art is being used to explain Edna’s change, to hint to the reader that Edna’s soul and character are also changing and reforming, that she is finding defects within herself. Art, as Mademoiselle Reisz defines it, is also a test of individuality. But, like the bird with its broken wings struggling along the shore, Edna perhaps fails this final test, never blossoming into her true potential because she is distracted and confused along the way. Awakening of Sexual Freedom and Independence A great deal of this confusion is owed to the second awakening in Edna’s character, the sexual awakening. This awakening is, without doubt, the most considered and examined aspect of the novel. As Edna Pontellier begins to realize that she is an individual, capable of making individual choices without being another’s possession, she begins to explore what these choices might bring her. Her first sexual awakening comes in the form of Robert Lebrun. Edna and Robert are attracted to one another from the first meeting, though they do not realize it. They unwittingly flirt with each other, so that only the narrator and reader understand what is going on. For instance, in the chapter where Robert and Edna speak of buried treasure and pirates: â€Å"And in a day we should be rich!† she laughed. â€Å"I’d give it  all to you, the pirate gold and every bit of treasure we could dig up. I think you would know how to spend it. Pirate gold isn’t a thing to be hoarded or utilized. It is something to squander and throw to the four winds, for the fun of seeing the golden specks fly.† â€Å"We’d share it and scatter it together,† he said. His face flushed. The two do not understand the significance of their conversation, but in reality, the words speak of desire and sexual metaphor. American literary scholar Jane P. Tompkins wrote in Feminist Studies: â€Å"Robert and Edna do not realize, as the reader does, that their conversation is an expression of their unacknowledged passion for one another.† Edna awakens to this passion wholeheartedly. After Robert leaves, and before the two have the opportunity to truly explore their desires, Edna has an affair with Alcee Arobin.   Though it is never directly spelled out, Chopin uses language to convey the message that Edna has stepped over the line, and damned her marriage. For instance, at the end of Chapter 31, the narrator writes, â€Å"He did not answer, except to continue to caress her. He did not say good night until she had become supple to his gentle, seductive entreaties.† However, it is not only in situations with men that Edna’s passion is flared. In fact, the â€Å"symbol for sexual desire itself,† as George Spangler puts it, is the sea. It is appropriate that the most concentrated and artistically depicted symbol for desire comes, not in the form of a man, who may be viewed as a possessor, but in the sea, something which Edna herself, once afraid of swimming, conquers. The narrator writes, â€Å"the voice of [the] sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.† This is perhaps the most sensual and passionate chapter of the book, devoted entirely to depictions of the sea and to Edna’s sexual awakening. It is pointed out here that â€Å"The beginning of things, of a world especially, is necessarily vague, tangled, chaotic, and exceedingly disturbing.† Still, as Donald Ringe notes in his essay, the book is too often seen in terms of the question of sexual freedom.† The true awakening in the novel, and in Edna Pontellier, is the awakening of self. Throughout the novel, she is on a transcendental journey of self-discovery. She is learning what it means to be an individual, a woman, and a mother. Indeed, Chopin amplifies the significance of this journey by mentioning that Edna Pontellier â€Å"sat in the library after dinner and read Emerson until she grew sleepy. She realized that she had neglected her reading, and determined to start anew upon a course of improving studies, now that her time was completely her own to do with as she liked.† That Edna is reading Ralph Waldo Emerson is significant, especially at this point in the novel, when she is starting a new life of her own. This new life is signaled by a â€Å"sleep-waking† metaphor, one which, as Ringe points out, â€Å"is an important romantic image for the emergence of the self or soul into a new life.† A seemingly excessive amount of the novel is devoted to Edna sleeping, but when one takes into account that, for each time Edna falls asleep, she must also awaken, one begins to realize that this is just another way of Chopin demonstrating Edna’s personal awakening. Awakening of Womanhood and Motherhood Another transcendentalist link to awakening can be found with the inclusion of Emerson’s theory of correspondence, which has to do with life’s â€Å"double world, one within and one without.† Much of Edna is contradictory, including her attitudes toward her husband, her children, her friends, and even the men with whom she has affairs. These contradictions are encompassed within the idea that Edna was â€Å"beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her.† So, Edna’s true awakening is to the understanding of herself as a human being. But the awakening goes further still. She also becomes aware, at the end, of her role as a woman and mother. At one point, early in the novel and before this awakening, Edna tells Madame Ratignolle, â€Å"I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children but I wouldn’t give myself. I can’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me. Writer William Reedy describes Edna Pontellier’s character and conflict in the literary journal, Reedys Mirror, that â€Å"Woman’s truest duties are those of wife and mother, but those duties do not demand that she shall sacrifice her individuality.† The last awakening, to this realization that womanhood and motherhood can be a part of the individual, comes at the very end of the book. Professor Emily Toth writes in an article in the journal American Literature that â€Å"Chopin makes the ending attractive, maternal, sensuous.† Edna meets with Madame Ratignolle again, to see her while she is in labor. At this point, Ratignolle cries out to Edna, â€Å"Think of the children, Edna. Oh, think of the children! Remember them!† It is for the children, then, that Edna takes her life. Conclusion Though the signs are confusing, they are throughout the book; with a broken-winged bird symbolizing Edna’s failure and the sea concurrently symbolizing freedom and escape, Edna’s suicide is, in fact, a way of her maintaining her independence while also putting her children first.  It is ironic that the point in her life when she realizes a mother’s duty is at the moment of her death. She does sacrifice herself, as she claims she never would, by giving up the chance at all she could have in order to protect her children’s future and well-being. Spangler explains this when he says, â€Å"primary was her fear of a succession of lovers and the effect such a future would have on her children: ‘to-day it is Arobin; tomorrow it will be someone else. It makes no difference to me, it doesn’t matter about Leonce Pontellier- but Raoul and Etienne!’†Ã‚  Edna gives up the newly found passion and understanding, her art, and her life to protect her family. The Awakening is a complex and beautiful novel, filled with contradictions and sensations. Edna Pontellier journeys through life, awakening to the transcendental beliefs of individuality and connections with nature. She discovers sensual joy and power in the sea, beauty in art, and independence in sexuality. However, though some critics claim the ending to be the novel’s downfall and what keeps it from top status in American literary canon, the fact is that it wraps up the novel in as beautiful a way as it was told all along. The novel ends in confusion and wonder, as it is told. Edna spends her life, since the awakening, questioning the world around her and within her, so why not remain questioning to the end?  Spangler writes in his essay, â€Å"Mrs. Chopin asks her reader to believe in an Edna, who is completely defeated by the loss of Robert, to believe in the paradox of a woman who has awakened to passional life and yet, quietly, almost thoughtlessly, chooses death.† But Edna Pontellier is not defeated by Robert. She is the one making choices, as she has determined to do all along. Her death was not thoughtless; in fact, it seems almost preplanned, a â€Å"coming home† to the sea. Edna strips off her clothes and becomes one with the very source of nature that helped to awaken her to her own power and individualism in the first place. Further still, that she goes quietly is not an admission of defeat, but a testament to Edna’s ability to end her life the way she lived it. Each decision that Edna Pontellier makes throughout the novel is done quietly, suddenly. The dinner party, the move from her home to the â€Å"Pigeon House.† There is never any ruckus or chorus, just simple, impassioned change. Thus, the novel’s conclusion is a statement to the enduring power of womanhood and individualism. Chopin is affirming that, even in death, perhaps only in death, one can become and remain truly awakened. Resources and Further Reading Chopin, Kate. The Awakening, Dover Publications,1993.Ringe, Donald A. â€Å"Romantic Imagery in Kate Chopins The Awakening,† American Literature, vol. 43, no. 4, Duke University Press, 1972, pp. 580-88.Spangler, George M. Kate Chopins The Awakening: A Partial Dissent, Novel 3, Spring 1970, pp. 249-55.Thompkins, Jane P. The Awakening: An Evaluation, Feminist Studies 3, Spring-Summer 1976, pp. 22-9.Toth, Emily. Kate Chopin. New York: Morrow, 1990.

The effects of Strategic marketing on Business performance Dissertation

The effects of Strategic marketing on Business performance - Dissertation Example But this study will show that it is a much broader aspect with different factors acting to develop strategic marketing and which affects the overall performance of a business organization. Acknowledgements I am thankful to all my faculty members, colleagues and institution for giving me an opportunity to study the process of Strategic Management and analyze them in the context of real life scenario. I am also especially thankful to my supervisors for their timely advice, feedbacks and tips which aided me in improving upon my work and remain punctual in the agreed scheduled deliveries of dissertation chapters. Table of Contents Page No. Abstract 2 Acknowledgement 3 1. Introduction 6 1.1   Background 6 1.2   Aim and objective of research 11 1.2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aim of the study 11 1.2.2 Objective of the study 12 1.3 Scope of the study 14 1.4 Key Concepts 15 1.5 Structure of the thesis 20 2. Literature review 21 2.1   Strategic marketing 21 2.2   Marketing capabilit ies and assets 33 2.3 Business Performance Measurement 36 3. ... Discussion and Conclusion 54 6. References 58 7. List of Figures 7.1 Figure 1 20 7.2 Figure 2 21 7.3 Figure 3 27 7.4 Figure 4 28 7.5 Figure 5 31 7.6 Figure 6 32 7.7 Figure 7 33 7.8 Figure 8 35 7.9 Figure 9 38 7.10 Figure 10 56 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background Marketing is one of the most significant factors of the business and in the book Practice of Management Drucker wrote, â€Å"There is only valid definition of business purpose to create a customer†¦[Therefore], any business enterprise has two -- and only these two – basic functions: marketing and innovation. They are the entrepreneurial functions. Marketing is the distinguishing, the unique function of the business.† (Silk, 2006, p.vii) So it is evident, for outperforming competition and taking accurate marketing decision, every company requires good marketing knowledge. An organization’s product positioning and services depend on the performance and implementation of intellect and good strategic plans. This can be explained simply by the statement about marketing management provided by Moore and Pareek (2009, p.7) â€Å"in business, marketing has two aims. The first is to attract new customers by highlighting the potential value of a good service. Getting customers is an active process, meaning the business must solicit the customer; rarely do customers come to business. The second aim is to retain customers by continually meeting and surpassing the customer’s satisfaction with the products.† (Moore & Pareek, 2009, pp.7-8) In the present era, market has become highly competitive. In this competitive market, a strategy is needed to offer product or service which will do better than the competition. In this context Kenechi

Enterprise resource planning systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enterprise resource planning systems - Essay Example As well, the literature search involves other organizations with comparable characteristics and using industry-oriented (IERP) system (Kayas, McLean, Hines & Wright, 2008). With this understanding, a comparative analysis to assess the weaknesses and strengths of the architectures of every system and how each system has been or might have been effective in the planning processes is presented from a broad perspective. To start with is the analysis of the first two organizations, which have implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. From literature, CISCO and IBM are two organizations with comparable culture; hence they have implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) system towards realizing organizational objectives and gains in the shortest time possible (Wolfrum & Christopher, 2007). CISCO Systems is one of the organizations known to have efficient and well designed organizational system. CISCO Systems firm has always been focused in keeping a positive business culture in all its business activities through the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (Lea, Gupta & Yu, 2005). As well, IBM Inc. is another firm that has implemented this type of system towards managing its business operations and enhancing effective and competent production in the global perspective. Through comparing these organizations, it is quite clear that the architectures of the systems used have some points of weaknesses and strengths, which may be effective in planning. On the points of strengths, the architecture of this systems helps to manage business operations whereas enhancing simplicity in labor force (Huang, Wang, Yu & Chiu, 2004). However, the architecture of the systems brings inconvenience at some points, given that systems are prone to malfunction. Secondly, the other two comparable organizations in terms of characteristics and use of industry-oriented (IERP) system

A Brave New World-perspective analysis Essay Example for Free

A Brave New World-perspective analysis Essay Imagine Brenda, a woman who will not under any circumstances trade her life in order to be conditioned, and then live as a Beta in the Brave New World (BNW), universe. If this is the case, then Brenda could not consistently accept Hedonism. This is due to the definition of Hedonism, the amount and intensity of bodily pleasure in Brave New World (BNW), and the amount and intensity of bodily pleasure here in real life. The definition of Hedonism leads one to maximize the amount of pleasure and minimize the amount of pain: The only thing intrinsically good in life is pleasure, and the only thing intrinsically bad in life is pain. Other things in life have extrinsic value they can lead to either pain or pleasure, but do not produce the sensations by themselves. However, Hedonists are only concerned with pleasure and pain, as these are the only intrinsic values. The distinctive factor that determines a better life from a worse one, is the amount of net pleasure in ones life. The net pleasure is determined by subtracting the amount of pain in ones life from the amount of pleasure. Notice that Hedonism only determines better lives from worse ones, not good from bad. To make the distinction between good and bad is an arbitrary decision and cannot be measured through a comparable medium such as net pleasure. Quantitative Hedonism states that quantity and intensity are the only criteria that determine just how good a certain pleasure is. If all pleasures differ only in quantity and duration, then the world in BNW is a dream for hedonists. Ones life in BNW is conditioned to be content and happy with ones, job, class in life, and the daily schedule of life. This schedule for ones life never changes and so delivers a maximum amount of pleasure due to being happy and content. High pleasure in BNW also comes from the open sexual relations between people. Basically, it is encouraged from childhood to have as many sex partners as possible, therefore maximizing the amount of pleasure from sex. The drug of choice in BNW is called Soma, and it delivers an amazing feeling without any hangover effect like alcohol. This drug is distributed daily at ones work to maximize ones amount of body pleasure. With all of these factors enhancing pleasure, it is also important to state that not much causes pain for ones life in BNW. There are no personal relationships to cause pain, jobs and education are  given specifically for people, and life is very much planned and repetitive. This repetition is what maximizes the amount and duration of pleasure in BNW lives. In real life, there does not exist anything like the above mentioned pleasures, in either quantity or duration. Therefore, when comparing the net pleasure of a life in BNW to a real earthly life, a hedonist finds that BNW lives have a higher net pleasure, and are thus far better. This is because they in BNW have much more intrinsically good pleasure, and much less disappointment and intrinsically bad events. So, if Brenda refuses to trade her life in order to be conditioned and live a BNW life, then she could not consistently accept hedonism because trading her life would give her a higher net pleasure, and by definition, a bett er life. Brenda still could accept hedonism if she accepted qualitative hedonism, based on Mills distinction between higher and lower pleasures. According to Mills, certain pleasures have a distinct higher value than other pleasures. This can be due to a mere preference for one pleasure over another, with the preferred pleasure having more intrinsic value because it is preferred, and thus more net pleasure. This can also be due preferring higher intellectual mind pleasures, as opposed to body pleasures like those in BNW. Mills distinction goes hand in hand with qualitative hedonism, which adds quality to the criteria distinguishing pleasure (intensity and duration). Higher quality pleasure are generally thought to be intellectual and creative pleasures as compared to bestial pleasures. Intimate relationships can also be thought of as being a higher quality pleasure. It is not substantial, however, that these higher pleasures merely exist for a hedonist, these higher pleasure must contribute to a higher net pleasure in life in order to be of value. Since there are absolutely no intellectual or intimate pleasures in BNW, the argument could be made that the intellectual and intimate pleasures in real life give higher net pleasure, and thus a better life. This theory also takes into account the pain that may be caused by relationships or by not attaining certain intellectual milestones. However, the argument can be made that the pleasure derived from these higher pleasures far surpasses any pain caused by them and guarantees a higher net pleasure than any life in BNW. If Brenda adopts this method of thinking, then she could both accept hedonism and still not  want to trade her life for a life in BNW. A qualitative hedonist, in order to consistently believe that actual life is better, must claim that the overall net pleasure one receives in real life is more than the net pleasure one receives in the BNW universe. One must claim that experiences in actual life, including but not limited to intellectual and intimate pleasures, produce more net pleasure than a life of bestial pleasures in BNW. This includes all of the pain and hardships experienced in real life, but not in BNW. The argument is that even with all of this pain, the net pleasure is still higher in real life. This is also what Brenda must adhere to if she wishes to not trade her real life for a conditioned BNW life.

Lord of the Rings :: essays research papers

It is easy for the reader who enters the enchanted realm of Tolkien's own work to be lost in the magic of the Middle-Earth and to forbear to ask questions. Surrounded by elves, hobbits, dragons and orcs, wandering the pristine fields and woods, described with such loving care they seem almost real, it is easy to forget there is another world outside, the world in which John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, an Oxford don, lived and wrote his monumental series of fantasy novels. It is, after all, natural to want to escape humdrum reality. Literature that offers a simple pleasure of a different time, a different place has nothing to be ashamed of. Tolkien in the same essay describes "escape and consolation" as one of the chief functions of the fairy-tale by which term he understands also what we would call "literary fantasy" today. "Escape and consolation" seem to be self-evident terms. What is there to discuss? Perhaps all that I have to do today is to praise Tolkie n's fertile imagination and to step modestly aside. But the sentence I just quoted suggests that asking questions about the fairy-tale realm is not so much unnecessary as dangerous. You risk not merely boredom and disenchantment but the actual expulsion from the Fairyland. Why? Is there, perhaps, more to the magic land than meets the eye? What if the "escape" it offers is fake; what if Middle-Earth lies not "in a galaxy long ago and far away", as Star Wars put it, but much closer to home, right on the border with Tolkien's war-stricken England of the 1940s and perhaps even not so far from our own turbulent Middle East. What if the further away we travel, the more inevitably we come home? These are the questions I want to discuss today.And if the result of this inquiry will be the loss of the key to the gates of Paradise, I'm willing to take this risk. Therefore the focus of this talk will be the question that Tolkien himself emphasized as central to our perception of works of fantasy: what is "the effect produced now by these old things in the stories as they are" (32); in other words, how are the elves, orcs, the Dark Lord and the magic ring relevant to the here and now? However, I do not believe that the answer to this question should be sought in the circumstances of the author's own life.

Women in Combat Rough Draft

Auriel Payan April 7, 2013 English 2010 Rough Draft Women fighting in combat is a topic that has stirred a lot of controversy in the last few months. This comes about from the uplifting of the ban that did not let women fight in combat. Though the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act in 1948, created a corps for women in every branch of military, it was also the beginning of when women would not be included in combat. (Mackenzie 1,) Whenever the topic of war comes to mind, the one’s usually pictured in war are men. People tend to forget that men are not the only ones involved in war or the military. In January 1994, a memorandum from then Secretary of Defense Les Aspin rescinded the â€Å"risk rule† barring women from any positions that could expose them to direct combat, hostile fire, or capture; the rule was replaced by the â€Å"direct ground combat assignment rule,† which more narrowly tailored the restriction to frontline combat positions. † ( Mackenzie, 1) This would completely change the way women in the military would be. Though not as big in number, women still do have a significant role in the military today. They can join the Military but they can have no part in combat.This limits the kinds of jobs that women can have. Woman in the United States want to feel equal to the man and the stigma that war is a â€Å"man’s thing â€Å" has created a lot of controversy, especially in the society that we live in now. Women in our society are breaking away from the boundaries set from the past generations. Women are now taking and seeking roles that were once considered only for men. Just like in our society, women are trying to advance in the military. Advancing in the military, not only has to be being able to fight in combat, but also reaching some of the highest military rankings.The leap for women being able to fight in combat came this past January, when the United State’s Department of Defense, uplifted the ban on women being able to fight in combat. A woman representing her country by joining the military is something that not only takes great sacrifice, but courage as well, and they deserve the utmost respect. If a woman is willing to risk her life for the sake of her country, just like the men, should be allowed to partake in combat. War is much physical as it is mental. Opponents argue that women are physically not capable to succeed out in the battlefield.If a soldier is not physically capable to perform, they could possibly endanger themselves or their fellow soldiers. Soldiers out on the battle field carry various items like electronic equipment, weapons, ammunition, heavy body armor, and enough water, weighing anywhere between fifty to hundred pounds. There is no denying that women on average do have forty to fifty percent less upper-body strength compared to men, but it is not one hundred percent certain that certain women are not fully capable. The statistic that women a re a lot weaker in their upperbody comes up a lot, but it is stretched from the truth. The physical fitness argument, which tends to focus on differences between average male and female bodies, is also undermined by the fact that women who join the military tend to be more fit than the average American. Additional training and conditioning further decrease the gap between female and male service members, and evidence indicates that women usually benefit substantially from fitness-training programs. † (Mackenzie, 1) To join the military there is this mental and physical toughness that one has to have or has to overcome by the time that they are about to be deployed.Yes, there is some women that are not physically capable to perform in the military, but at the same time, there are many men as well. Needless to say, there is a certain kind of person that is needed when joining the military. This goes beyond male and female. Character has a lot more to do with the success of an in dividual than the sex does. Regardless of this, the opposition still argues that women are still not physically capable and this could seriously put people in jeopardy.Here in the United States, opponents of allowing women fight in combat, strongly believe that women are not physically capable, but in other Countries this has been disproven. â€Å"In the 1970s, the Canadian military conducted trials that tested women's physical, psychological, and social capacity for combat roles. The results informed the final decision of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to remove Canada's female combat exclusion. After similar tests, Denmark also lifted its combat ban in the late 1980s. (Mackenzie, 1) If other countries have dismantled this theory that women are not physically capable, why has the United State’s not followed? Qualifications for being able to fight on the battle field should be tested on whether or not the individual is physically and mentally fit, the sex of the individu al should not be the determining factor for why they cannot be out in combat. The United States has had a rich history of patriotism. Citizens, for the most part, are proud of the nation that they live in. When one looks outside for the fourth of July, all one sees is red, white and blue.A lot of Americans have a great sense of pride in the nation that they live in. Most Americans have a sense of recognition for the sacrifices that some people have made in order to make this a very prosperous country. Among those that Americans feel that deserve the recognition are ones that serve in the military. There is the upmost respect and pride that comes along when an American sees a soldier that is fighting for their country. According to Pew Research Center for the People and Press, â€Å"Two-thirds (66%) support allowing women in the military to serve in ground units that engage in close combat, while just 26% are opposed. More than half of Americans are in support of the uplift of this ban. As an American, one has the god given right to choose if they want to defend their country. Upon deciding this, a lot of courage and pride has to come for one to say that they want to join the military. Though women only make up fifteen percent of the United State’s military, or roughly two hundred and fifteen thousand women currently serving, they still deserve the same amount of respect given to the men. Women joining the military are aware of the disadvantages that they are going to face just because of the simple fact that they are women.They realize at a very early start that war for men and war for women are two distinct things. It is a given that women are much more susceptible to negative aspects of war like sexual assault and sexual harassment. The fifteen percent of women that make up the military have chosen to overlook these negativities and have chosen to join the military regardless. These women are aware of the risks and dangerous and still have chosen to join the military. The courage, dedication and willingness of women in the military alone, should be the reason for why they should be allowed to fight in combat.The debate on women fighting in combat has a similar history to the debate on the policy â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. † In 1950, President Truman signed the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This policy sets up discharge rules for homosexual members or anyone seen acting out in homosexual ways (Cristina Rivero, 1). This was the beginning of disallowing openly gays from joining the military. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency, it was made clear from his staff that â€Å" Homosexuality is incompatible with military service. Those that were believed to act in homosexual ways or were gay were discharged because of the fear that homosexuals would disrupt the order of the military. According to the supporters of this ban, the disruption was going to be so great, that the military as a whole was in jeopa rdy. Many people felt, that this â€Å"would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability. † (Wiki, 1) In essence, military officials were scared that soldiers would end up betraying or not performing to their peak if there were an openly gay member in their unit.This would all change In 1993 when President Clinton, ordered that a bill be passed that military members would not be asked their sexual orientation. This would become to be known as â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t tell. † In simple terms, if one was gay and was in the military, one could not openly express themselves as being gay. This stirred a lot of controversy because people believed that one should be able to express their sexual orientation without repo caution or fear of being discriminated against. Even though in 2003, President Clinton would want the â€Å"Don’t ask, don’t tel l† policy removed, it would not come about until years later.In 2011, don’t ask, don’t tell would come to an end. As the end of don’t ask, don’t tell came, a lot of military officials came out. Several high ranking military officials decided it was the appropriate time to finally come out. For years, the fear that openly gay members would be detrimental to the military kept many military men and women from being open about their sexuality. There was such a great fear when in reality there was minimal or even no consequences from openly gay members serving in the military. This is much like the debate on women fighting in combat today.Women have been serving in the military for decades. Hundreds of women have been hurt and even killed while proudly serving their country. With the proper training, any military member should be able to perform at their peak. If someone is not physically, mentally ready to be out on the battlefield, one should not be ou t there. There have been gay members in the military that have had the proper training leading to successful military careers. The fact of their sexual orientation did not limit or hurt them while serving in the military. Like men, women have been serving their country with honor and pride for decades.But unlike men, the women in the military do not tend to receive as much recognition for their service to their country. Women may only make up fifteen percent of the military, but they have been excluded from twenty percent of the jobs in the military. â€Å"According to the Department of Defense, ending the ban will open up 237,000 positions to women. † (Hallman, 1) With the uplift of this ban, more opportunities will be opened for women not only in the types of jobs that they can have, but the rankings that they could possibly reach. Sexual assaults in the military towards women tend to go unreported.By allowing women to reach higher-rankings, there could be the possibility t hat sexual assaults go down or more likely to go reported. â€Å"Recent surveys of female veterans found that close to a third were victims of rape or assault while they were serving, which is double the rate in the civilian population. † (Hallman, 1) More often than not, sexual assaults go unreported in the military. By having women as higher-ranking officials, the sexual assault epidemic in the military may start being addressed properly. The proper steps in reporting sexual assaults may take place.There is always this fear that there will be severe repo cautions if women come forward. Women may feel a lot more comfortable reporting sexual assault to a women high-ranking official. Allowing women to fight in combat will be a positive movement that may even get rid or limit the negative aspect of the military. During war, soldiers encounter a variety of difficult tasks, mishaps and dangerous situations. All of these things are inevitable and are a part of war. Soldiers are pu t through situations that are not only physically but also mentally exhausting. Because of this a lot of soldiers develop PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. † (Mayo Clinic) From 2009, post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses have increased in women from fifteen percent up to twenty-two percent. Men have increased from nine percent to fourteen percent in the diagnosis of PTSD. (Anderson, 1) This alone raises a lot of questions whether women are mentally stable enough to be on the front lines.Though it is true that women are being diagnosed at a much higher rate than men, there are probably a lot of men that are not willing to come forward and admit that they have post-traumatic stress disorder. Men in general tend to not want to come forward because of t he fear that they will be looked as less of a man or less honorable. Women on the other hand are much more likely than men to come forward and because of this, the statistic may not be as accurate and be swayed. Women are traditionally viewed as these caring, emotional, and even soft individuals when compared to men.But realistically, in the military all of these characteristics of traditional women are dropped. It takes a certain kind of individual, man or woman, to join the military. The women that do decide to join the military are not like the traditional women. These women are tough, rigid individuals that are not much different to their male counterparts. The military lifestyle is a lot different than the civilian lifestyle. Yes it is true that women officially may not be allowed to fight on the frontlines, but that does not mean that women are not exposed to the same dangers as the men who are.USA Today States, â€Å"since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 292,0 00 women have served in those combat zones out of a total of almost 2. 5 million, Pentagon records show. In both wars, 152 women have died from combat or noncombat causes, records show, and 958 have been wounded in action. † Much like the men, some women that have served for their country have died. This just goes to show that even though women typically aren’t in the battlefield, the risk of them dying is significant. The military should be black and white not male or female.A lot of people are calling the uplifting of women fighting in combat an â€Å"experiment†. Is it really an experiment or just an official document that allows women to fight in combat? Women in the military are exposed to the same dangers as much as the men are. With the uplifting of this ban, men and women will now receive the same training essential for the front lines. Both men and women should receive this training in order to guarantee that both will be successful. If a soldier is not prepared mentally or physically, they should not be allowed to fight in combat.There should be rigorous testing on each individual soldier determining if they are combat ready. The sex of the soldier should not be the deciding factor whether or not someone is combat ready. There are plenty of men that are physically and mentally ready, but there is also plenty of women as well. Women are becoming more equal in our society vastly due to the fact that they are fully capable of doing any task that men can perform. Citations Mackenzie, M. H. (2012). Let Women Fight. Foreign Affairs, 91(6), 32-42. Tom V. B. and Jim M, (2013, January 23).USA Today http://www. usatoday. com/story/news/nation/2013/01/23/panetta-women-combat-pentagon/1859221/ http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Don't_ask,_don't_tell Mackenzie, M. H. (2013,January 23) http://www. foreignaffairs. com/articles/138200/megan-h-mackenzie/let-women-fight Hallman, L. (2013, March 6) End of Combat Ban Will Give Women Recognition They Dese rvehttp://www. foreignaffairs. com/articles/138200/megan-h-mackenzie/let-women-fight Pew Research (2013, January 29) http://www. people-press. org/2013/01/29/broad-support-for-combat-roles-for-women/1/

Sex and Violence in Romeo and Juliet

â€Å"I fear this but a dream, too sweet to be substantial,† are the soft words uttered from star-crossed lovers caught in the chaotic instability that permeates Franco Zeffirilli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968), Baz Lurman’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), and John Madden’s Shakespear and Love (1998). Although there are significant differences in each movie’s portrayal of Juliet and her Romeo, they accurately depict Freud’s ideas concerning love and human tendencies. In â€Å"The Einstein-Freud Correspondence,† Freud explains that in nature, violence rules everywhere. Einstein questions mankind’s lust for destruction and Freud affirms that man has two basic instincts: sex and violence. The constant state of instability and antagonism between humankind in nature makes peace unavoidable. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, love can attempt to rebel against the specter of war, but it is always beaten down. Tragically, Romeo and Juliet’s love is inextricably entwined with the aggression that plagues their feuding families. Both Romeo and Juliet try to fight the hostility with love, but all psychical acts (according to Freud) occur in an atmosphere of constraint, and the tension between one’s impulses, and what society will allow, creates an unavoidable instability. Each movie is an interesting interpretation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece; however, Zeffirilli’s Romeo and Juliet is the best representation of true love and human tendencies. Though extremely witty and entertaining, Madden’s Shakespeare in Love does not represent true love and human nature. One of Madden’s central devices is to create a background of events, large and small, drawn from Will Shakespeare's daily life. For example, in the opening scenes Madden shows Will strolling through town hearing lines shouted out from town criers such as â€Å"a plague on both your houses! † Moreover, Madden poses Will as at a loss for inspiration. Hence, William gets the foundations of his next play (Romeo and Juliet) from a chance encounter with a rival poet. Madden’s use of time and space is key to the progression of Will’s character. The events in the queen’s quarters, the tensions between the two playhouses, and the auditions for Will’s new play set up the meeting for the beautiful Viola. Madden creates a real narrative outside the realm of the story of Romeo and Juliet which explains how the masterpiece came to be. For example, the battle between two playhouses, The Rose and The Curtain, is transformed into the feud between the two noble houses of Montague and Capulet in imaginary Verona. Another interesting theme is the idea of chaos. In numerous moments it seems all will be lost, but as Henslow says several times when asked how everything will work it, he answers, â€Å"I don’t know, it’s a mystery. † Among the chaos, Will’s love and inspiration for fair Viola is the fuel that keeps the fire burning. In other words, Romeo and Juliet's modern adapters direct the spectator's attention to what might have been the inspiration for Shakespeare’s work. Nevertheless, with love, comes violence (as mentioned above). What produces the lovers' calamity is the depth of their feelings. The truth is, even in a world built on such unfavorable foundations, it should take much more to destroy love. William’s and Viola’s love, on the other hand, is not the best testament to true love. It proves much weaker than the civilization. In the final scenes, the queen decrees Viola leave with her husband. Society succeeds in oppressing their love without resistance. If their love were true, they would fight with every last breath to be together. Lurhman’s Romeo + Juliet, like Madden’s Shakespeare and Love, falls short of true love as well. Unlike Zeffirilli, Lurhman set out with the intention of making a modern day Romeo and Juliet with great success. He plays brilliantly with love in relation to time and nature. He toys with time in the opening gang warfare scene, playing the typical montage introduction of the players through a series of speedy zooms that isolate, in turn, the important characters on screen. His use of color and chaos is perfectly representative of Freud’s ideas concerning constant instability. Not only that, but his choice in music creates dramatic setting. The movie itself has numerous speed-up moments but is slowed down in critical scenes to allow viewers to soak up every bit of information. For example, the fight scene is particularly profound. Tasteful music backs the thunder, clouds, and darkness that envelope the screen as Mercutio dies. It is a perfect example of nature coming in and playing a role in the movie. Lurhman does an amazing job with his timing because he allows the viewer to slow down and soak every drop of the scene. One of the most important misreadings of Romeo + Juliet occurs during Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech. Normally interpreted as the drunken improvisation of a jesting wit in relation to dreams, here Mercutio is speaking about the drug ecstasy. Playing to modern times, Lurhman has Romeo take the ecstasy before heading to the Capulet ball. The meeting scene between Romeo and Juliet is thus overshadowed by the fact that Romeo has just taken a drug that inspires enormous amounts of pleasure. Consequently, the implication is that the relationship is founded on artificial feelings. One could argue that Romeo washes away the effects of the drugs in the sink prior to the Juliet-aquarium meeting, but ecstasy does not wear off that easily. True, the rest of the movie holds fast to the love tragedy that is Romeo and Juliet, but the drug-induced meeting is questionable in terms of true love. Finally, Zeffirilli’s old Romeo and Juliet is the best example of true love and human nature. Not to mention the style, dialogue, setting, costumes, and music in Zeffirilli’s version are closely related to the themes and feel of Shakespeare’s famous play. From the opening scenes, the viewer is taken into the old world and shown the incredible violence and resentment between the two houses. Within the first ten minutes, the viewers are given a picture of the impermeable violence similar to that which Einstein wished to stop in his correspondence with Freud. Perhaps love could settle the inherent violence that permeates human nature? In the case of Romeo and Juliet, there love cannot, but it is pure and true. The meeting scene between the lovers is one of absolute beauty. Romeo’s playful pursuit of Juliet is simple, yet elegant. The scene commences at the beginning of a serene song by a boy (incredible choice by Zeffirilli) leading up to the first act of aggression: Romeo’s hand touching Juliet’s. Although their love is forbidden by their family names, it continues to grow. Unfortunately, their time and space is limited and the constraint on their bond is too great. Their suffering is due to the fact that they do not understand what love can accomplish. Instead of uniting the families, they cause a fresh slice in an already open wound. However, the reason they never progress and mature in their love is because of the tragedies of civilization and the violence inherent in it (as mentioned above). Hatred among men rages without restraint, and for Romeo, it causes him to kill Tybalt, a newly made family member. Censored wishes of the â€Å"Id† arise up and transform Romeo when he says, â€Å"Take back the villain that thou gavest me, for fire, fury be my conduct now! † The exile and eventual plot to unite the forbidden lovers is thwarted again by time and space. Zeffirilli’s final scenes are wet with tragedy as Romeo passes the donkey on horseback, which has the letter explaining the father’s plan. Finally, Romeo is unable to live without his Juliet because his love for her is something more. She is a part of him and without her; he has no reason to continue breathing. The sum of one lover’s bliss is reliant on the life of his love. If he or she is dead and their love is true, then the lover has no choice but death. Both Einstein and Freud would agree that the Montagues and Capulets (in Zeffirilli’s and Lurman’s masterpieces) represent civilization and human kind’s natural form of aggressiveness. Juliet remarks after the potent â€Å"love-at-first-sight† scene in Romeo and Juliet, â€Å"my only love sprung from my only hate. † The brilliance of the two lovers’ story is the ancient hatred between their families. Conversely, the tragedy of them is that love connects the characters no more to happiness than it does to sorrow, turmoil and murder. Unfortunately, the two young lovers live under the illusion of physical freedom from the duties and constraints of their families/civilization. The hatred between the Montagues and Capulets is deep-rooted and rages on without restraint (much like society today). Romeo and Juliet’s love is eloquent and passionate but without solidity. It cannot hope to combat the aggression plaguing them. Freud states, â€Å"love is†¦best understood clinically as a response to stimuli† (Freud, 524). The issue is that the stimuli are too short lived. However, what is true love? It is the perpetual question that echoes through the corridors of time with answers always varying. Yet love has a correspondence with time. The way it begins, takes shape, and changes is relative to time and space. In each of the movies, the time and space of Romeo and Juliet’s love is portrayed in the background as apposed to the foreground. The visuals, music, and emotion strike at the subconscious, leaving the viewer in awe. Madden, Lurhman, and Zeffirilli create masterpieces that people desire and want to see. In conclusion, Freud would argue the lovers must understand that human consciousness exists in perpetual tension and instability. Not only that, but true love offers complete happiness to the lovers. In his lectures, Freud gives a poem from Goeth’s Westostlicher Diwan as an example of real love: So it is held, so well may be; But down a different track I come; Of all the bliss on earth hold for me I in Zuleika find the sum (Freud, 520). The lovers find the sum of all bliss in each other if their love is true. However, the power and sum of their love does not mean it can combat the nature of violence and society. Each film, respectively, depicts Freud’s ideas on true love and human nature. Though, human nature can be redefined as violence and aggression. Freedom is limited in each one of the Shakespearean films because the tension between one’s impulses and what society will allow creates an inevitable instability. Both Einstein and Freud would agree that try as the fiery lovers might, nature and violence of the instilled houses of Verona will stop there love from flourishing into something greater.

Free Essays on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Helpful or Hazardous Should stem cell research be banned? This is one of the most controversial questions posed in the last century. The heart of this controversy is whether or not it is morally ethical or legal to use stem cells in research and medicine, possibly to discover the cures and treatments for many diseases afflicting people today. Although stem cells are found in adult organisms as well as in fetuses and embryos, embryonic stem cells are the only types that are able to become any other type of cell. As organisms develop, stem cells become specialized types of cells and are harder to find and less potent in their ability to differentiate. For, this reason, it is often though that embryonic stem cells offer the most promise for medical breakthroughs. This is also another reason why the government should fund embryonic stem cell research along with the fact that embryonic stem cell research can benefit those suffering from serious diseases and help with other medical problems such as burns. Stem cells themselves have actually been around for almost as long as life has been on earth. In essence, all life evolved from stem cells of some kind. Stem cell research has been around for almost as long as microscopes. It is only within the 1980s that more sophisticated developments have been allowed for the growing of cells in laboratories. Fetal nerve cells were one of the first stem cells that were used to treat Parkinson disease. The National Institute of Health states that stem cells are generally very early stage cells that have the ability to turn into other specialized types of cells and at the same time replicate themselves (2).For example, a Binion 2 stem cell can turn into liver cells, skin cells, and nerve cells etc. There are two groups of stem cells that are important: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. There are common terms that one may come across describing stem cells gr... Free Essays on Embryonic Stem Cell Research Free Essays on Embryonic Stem Cell Research Pro Embryonic Stem Cell Research "Is it more ethical for a woman to donate unused embryos that will never become human beings, or to let them be tossed away as so much garbage when they could help save thousands of lives?" (cnn.com) This is the question that was asked by Christopher Reeves an advocate for stem cell research who recently passed away. This is the question asked by millions of children and adults with terrible incurable diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease, spinal cord injuries and cancer who have the same hopes and aspirations that Christopher once had. Christopher Reeve’s advocacy for researching stem cell research helped to make it a major issue in the 2004 campaign between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Many people opposed to embryonic research including President Bush argue that stem cells can be derived from sources other than embryos such as adult cells, umbilical cords from babies, from human placenta (whitehouse.gov/). This is true but these people fail to realize the limited potential that these types of stem cells offer compared to embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are the only types of cells that are totipotent or pluripotent meaning they can become any type of cell in the body. (isscr.org/science/faq.htm) America needs to uplift the restrictions on embryonic stem cells and peruse research to the fullest extent so patients and their families are not denied the endless hope of possibilities that new research can bring to society. I believe that the ban on federal funding should be uplifted allowing scientists to explore their maximum potential while following certain ethical restrictions. In August 2001 Bush’s stem cell policy was supposed to provide the funding for 60 stem cell lines. Many of the stem cell lines turned out to be useless either having no scientific value or not even being a genuine stem cell line. As of today there are o... Free Essays on Embryonic Stem Cell Research Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Helpful or Hazardous Should stem cell research be banned? This is one of the most controversial questions posed in the last century. The heart of this controversy is whether or not it is morally ethical or legal to use stem cells in research and medicine, possibly to discover the cures and treatments for many diseases afflicting people today. Although stem cells are found in adult organisms as well as in fetuses and embryos, embryonic stem cells are the only types that are able to become any other type of cell. As organisms develop, stem cells become specialized types of cells and are harder to find and less potent in their ability to differentiate. For, this reason, it is often though that embryonic stem cells offer the most promise for medical breakthroughs. This is also another reason why the government should fund embryonic stem cell research along with the fact that embryonic stem cell research can benefit those suffering from serious diseases and help with other medical problems such as burns. Stem cells themselves have actually been around for almost as long as life has been on earth. In essence, all life evolved from stem cells of some kind. Stem cell research has been around for almost as long as microscopes. It is only within the 1980s that more sophisticated developments have been allowed for the growing of cells in laboratories. Fetal nerve cells were one of the first stem cells that were used to treat Parkinson disease. The National Institute of Health states that stem cells are generally very early stage cells that have the ability to turn into other specialized types of cells and at the same time replicate themselves (2).For example, a Binion 2 stem cell can turn into liver cells, skin cells, and nerve cells etc. There are two groups of stem cells that are important: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. There are common terms that one may come across describing stem cells gr...

The Different Types of Money in an Economy

The Different Types of Money in an Economy While it is true that all money in an economy serves three functions, not all money is created equal. Commodity Money Commodity money is money that would have value even if it were not being used as money. (This is usually referred to as having intrinsic value.) Many people cite gold as an example of commodity money since they assert that gold has intrinsic value aside from its monetary properties. While this is true to some degree; gold does, in fact, have a number of uses, its worth noting that the most often-cited uses of gold are for making money and jewelry rather than for making non-ornamental items. Commodity-Backed Money Commodity-backed money is a slight variation on commodity money. While commodity money uses the commodity itself as currency directly, commodity-backed money is money that can be exchanged on demand for a specific commodity. The gold standard is a good example of the use of commodity-backed money- under the gold standard, people were not literally carrying around gold as cash and trading gold directly for goods and services, but the system worked such that currency holders could trade in their currency for a specified amount of gold. Fiat Money Fiat money is money that has no intrinsic value but that has value as money because a government decreed that it has value for that purpose. While somewhat counterintuitive, a monetary system using fiat money is certainly feasible and is, in fact, used by most countries today. Fiat money is possible because the three functions of money a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value are fulfilled as long as all people in a society acknowledge that the fiat money is a valid form of currency. Commodity-Backed Money vs. Fiat Money Much political discussion centers around the issue of commodity (or, more precisely, commodity-backed) money versus fiat money, but, in reality, the distinction between the two isnt quite as large as people seem to think, for two reasons. First, one objection to fiat money is the lack of intrinsic value, and opponents of fiat money often claim that a system using fiat money is inherently fragile because fiat money doesnt have a non-money value. While this is a valid concern, one must then wonder how a monetary system backed by gold is significantly different. Given that only a small fraction of the worlds gold supply is used for non-ornamental properties, isnt it the case that gold has value mostly because people believe it has value, much like fiat money? Second, opponents of fiat money claim that the ability for a government to print money without having to back it up with a specific commodity is potentially dangerous. This is also a valid concern to some degree, but one that is not entirely prevented by a commodity-backed money system, since its certainly possible for the government to harvest more of the commodity in order to generate more money or to revalue the currency by changing its trade-in value.

304 Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

304 Final - Essay Example Over and above standards, the Lake Havasu Fire Department excels in most areas of testing for career advancement and in areas of personnel development. Steve suggested that recruitment begins with job postings on well-known job search websites, through word-of-mouth advertising by current employees and through a city-sponsored job pool consisting of qualified applicants who completed preliminary testing. This preliminary testing is offered to community citizens who have undertaken the state-mandated fire training and are seeking a position within the unit. Validation of these credentials is part of the selection process by making contact with references or other certification grantors in this field of study. In this department, the recruitment process is extensive and involves screening of high volumes of candidates simply to select a single employee from the candidate pool. In order to achieve promotion within the unit, especially to an administrative level, several tests must be completed which test abilities in spatial relations, management and leadership, clerical abilities, and other necessary job functions. Steve offered that these tests come from both the state level and from years of alterations which were built from benchmarking best practices of other firehouses across the country. This department is a regular subscriber to several magazines which describe internal organizational activities in modern fire departments and use some of the tips and suggestions to change testing procedures or structures. In order to achieve promotion, success in areas of physical fitness must be proven. These tests are developed for preliminary job screening and selection as well as to ensure that weight and health are congruent with department or governmental expectations. Physical fitness is a large part of the weekly job responsibilities of the department workers