Interesting Features of Ancient Civilizations - 631 Words

Question: Try to imagine what it was like to live during that time and in that place. What was it that caused the transition from Neolithic life to civilization? What were some of the major features of those civilizations that you found interesting? One of the most interesting features of ancient civilizations was the extent to which topography influenced cultural worldviews and practices. For example, in the case of the Sumerians, they possessed a highly-evolved and complex culture, as manifested in the philosophical depth of their Epic of Gilgamesh. However, the openness of the land in which they lived to invaders made them vulnerable as did the propensity of the land to catastrophic flooding. This may be one of the reasons why they did not create as politically and architecturally complex a society as Egypt or Greece. It also likely affected the relatively dark worldview expressed in Gilgamesh. However, despite the susceptibility to invasions, subsequent civilizations in the area, like the Babylonians, created ways of tracking the stars and other valuable methods of observing and interpreting the world in a scientific fashion that were to become the building-blocks of modern civilization in other areas. In contrast to Mesopotamia, Egypt had the advantage of a regular, predictable source of fertilization of its soil in the form of the Nile. This stable source of food enabled the creation of one of the worlds great empires. The pharaoh was responsible for allShow MoreRelated Ancient Solar Architecture Essay1723 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Solar Architecture Passive solar design and architecture may seem like a distant dream in our fast paced modern world, but in reality it’s more of a modern revival of a style of energy efficient building that has been around for millennia. What once seemed to be common sense ideas for designing a house that could both keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter has somehow been forgotten since we started to overuse the planet’s resources on our own comforts. When heating a houseRead MoreEssay on Ancient Egyptian economic surplus1017 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Effects of Economic Surplus: Egypt Ancient Egypt is such an interesting and amazing society to study due to the various factors that allowed the city and population to thrive. The culture, quite different to other cultures around the world in ancient times, developed quite unique traditions, technologies and ideas. Small features of this society including aligning the 4 corners of the pyramids and being able to divide the year into 365 days makes it truly fascinating, The main reason that thisRead More The Lost City Atlantis1338 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction We have all heard about the legend of Atlantis. It’s said that Atlantis was an advanced civilization with highly developed economy and technology. But one day, catastrophe occurred in sudden. Atlantis entirely sank beneath the waves in only one day and one night. In thousands of years, Atlantis has caught the imagination of people from all over the world. Many adventurers, historians and anthropologists spent their whole life trying to open the mysterious veil of Atlantis. But hasRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On Ancient Egypt1177 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology in Ancient Egypt When one thinks of Egypt, the first thing that comes to mind are the pyramids. The pyramids are the most recognized art form in history because of its uniqueness and aesthetics. This may be because for an ancient civilization, Egypt was astounding in regards of technology. They did not just build one model of their ideal pyramid, instead they created many over and over again, to establish a perfect resting place for their ruler and the ruler’s family. This verifies thatRead More Sound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers 1431 Words   |  6 PagesSound and Sense in Langston Hughes The Negro Speaks of Rivers    The text of the poem can be found at the bottom of this page.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Langston Hughes poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Hughes makes use of some interesting poetic techniques. This poem is written in free verse, and seems, at first glance, to be very unstructured. Hughes repeats words and lines, but does not make use of repeated sounds. Hughes rivers are very rich in symbolism, and are not just simple bodies of waterRead MoreGeography Of The Indus River1660 Words   |  7 Pagesgo from ocean to land bringing rain with it. The mountain ranges, the Himalayas and Hindu Kush, were located near the north. The first civilization in the sub-continent grew around the Indus River; later another civilization grew around the Ganges River. The rivers would flood and this leaves behind rich soils which makes plentiful crops that fed the civilization. Agriculture depends on the summer monsoon. If rain comes, there are no problems, but if it comes late or not at all crops die and peopleRead MoreThe Egypt : Ancient Egypt1792 Words   |  8 PagesFew civilizations are as fascinating as that of the ancient Egyptians. The kingdom along the Nile River has been the subject of many books, magazine articles, movies, and T.V shows and documentaries. Museums from all over the world dedicate entire exhibits to excavated Egyptian artifacts. Egypt itself receives millions of tourists flocking to photograph the pyramids and its ruins each year. There are so many reasons behind why we are infatuated with ancient Egypt. One reason is its sheer antiquityRead MoreMesopotamia And Its Impact On Mesopotamia Essay924 Words   |  4 Pageslocation falls right in between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where modern day Iraq is today. It was located right along â€Å"the fertile crescent†. Because of this the soil was very rich which caused great agriculture. It was one of the first civilizations to roam the earth. During 4300 BCE, the late Ubaid period in Mesopotamia began. Many events and actions took place during this time. Mesopotamia was an outstanding region and contained many treasures including pottery, inventions, architectureRead MoreOrson Is The Oldest Human Fossil?928 Words   |  4 Pagescreature who might have lived, as far back as, one million years ago. Calling this creature Buia Man after the city in northeastern Africa where the remains were found. Prof. Abbate thinks he has discovered the earliest fossil that displays physical features associated with Homo sapiens, the species to which modern humans belong. Moreover, Buia Man says, Prof. Abbate also shows physical characteristics of an extinct human species homo erectus which is the immediate ancestor of Homo sapiens. The discoveryRead MoreCultural Context Of The Temple Of Athena1745 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction ï  ¬ Main body 1. Establishment of the temple 2. Related politics and art 3. Culture development ï  ¬ Conclusion Cultural influence of the temple of Hera It is very clear that ancient buildings can be a part of the evidence to show what happed in the history. As a part of ancient culture, architectural languages have the significant vale in both culture and construction. The temple of Hera, which becomes the sign of Greek classic architecture even the whole Europe, plays an

The Issue Of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide

â€Å"You have a terminal illness.† These words are a death sentence and can completely turn a person’s life upside down. All hopes and dreams for the future are lost in a single second; all that remains is death staring straight into your face and from that moment on, the process of preparing for one’s death begins. Some individuals with terminal illnesses find solace in knowing that they can exert some power over their illnesses and choose how they want to die. Just as any individual has the legal right to plan out their healthcare wishes and ensure that their end-of-life concerns are taken care of, terminally ill patients should also have the right to have the choice to want to die naturally or end their lives. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide can give the dying individual comfort in knowing that they have options. Physicians presently are allowed to relieve the dying of their pain and suffering by administering lethal doses of pain medications. Terminally ill patients should be able to access lethal doses of medicine voluntarily through their physician to allow them the choice of death. Strong morals and ethics surrounding this issue have split society on whether or not physician-assisted suicide should be legalized across the United States. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of a terminal illn ess can create feelings of uncertainty, fear and helplessness and therefore, physician-assisted suicide laws should be passed nationwide to be able to give those who are dying ofShow MoreRelatedThe Controversial Issue Of Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide1962 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction The topic of legalizing Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) has long been a controversial issue in Canada and has recently received increased attention. In 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the provisions of the Criminal Code prohibiting assisted suicide. Two decades later, the Supreme Court of Canada began to deliberate whether to uphold or strike down the law prohibiting doctor-assisted suicide. On October 15th (What is the year), the nine justices of the Supreme Court heard impassionedRead MoreLegalizing Assistive Suicide1278 Words   |  5 PagesAssistive suicide, also known as euthanasia, â€Å"is suicide committed by someone with assistance from others, typically to end suffering from a severe physical illness† (American Heritage Dictionary, 615). This action is most commonly committed between doctor and patient interactions. This controversial issue depicts suicides as a helpful solution to personally benefit terminally ill patients, as opposed to a forbidden socia l issue. Assistive suicide has become a major debate of legalization. â€Å"ThisRead MoreIs Physician Assisted Suicide A Good Idea?1464 Words   |  6 PagesIs Physician-Assisted Suicide a Good Idea? Imagine having a relative with a terminal illness; perhaps this person feels that his only option is assisted-suicide. Now, put yourself into his shoes. Would you choose to live the rest of your days in pain, or would you choose to die with a sense of dignity? Physician-assisted suicide has been prohibited for many years. Numerous physicians have given their input on the subject, enlightening a multitude of people on the fundamentals of assisted-suicide. OthersRead More Dutch vs. American Euthanasia Essay1250 Words   |  5 PagesDutch vs. American Euthanasia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Dutch take their euthanasia seriously. The Dutch government has resubmitted its proposal for formally legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia, while modifying its controversial provision allowing euthanasia for children. When first proposed to Parliament over a year ago, the bill allowed for cases where children from 12 to 16 years old could request and receive euthanasia against the wishes of their parents. The modified proposal still allows childRead MoreLegalizing Physician Assisted Suicide1140 Words   |  5 PagesIn current society, legalizing physician assisted suicide is a prevalent argument. In 1997, the Supreme Court recognized no federal constitutional right to physician assisted suicide (Harned 1) , which defines suicide as one receiving help from a physician by means of a lethal dosage (Pearson 1), leaving it up to state legislatures to legalize such practice if desired. Only Oregon and Washington have since legalized physician assisted suicid e. People seeking assisted suicide often experience slantedRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide918 Words   |  4 Pagesallows terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a physician. According to the legislature, patients who seek assisted-death must only have six months to live and are required to submit a written request as well as two oral requests at least 15 days apart. (Reilly). While Gov. Jerry Brown still has yet to approve this new law, the act has shed light on the topic of euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide. With the pending status of the law, the question remains on whether or notRead MorePAS: The Right of Each Patient1624 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom the state of Oregon that currently has a regulated physician assisted suicide program for the terminally ill, I am writing to you today, Mr. Blumenauer, to possibly convince you to draft a national law to legalize PAS for the United States specifically for the terminally ill. As you ma y know, the talk within this issue has been going around quite some time. Many americans fear that by legalizing PAS that it might create problematic issues that could lead to abuse as well as lack of advancementRead MoreAssisted Suicide : Rights And Responsibilities1570 Words   |  7 PagesAssisted Suicide: Rights and Responsibilities A woman suffering from cancer became the first person known to die under the law on physician-assisted suicide in the state of Oregon when she took a lethal dose of drugs in March, 1998. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act passed a referendum in November, 1997, and it has been the United States only law legalizing assisted suicide since then. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, more than 4,000 doctors have approved of the assisted suicideRead MoreEssay On Physician Assisted Suicide1549 Words   |  7 PagesWriting Project Worksheet 1. This paper will examine the Washington state policy of physician-assisted suicide. 2. State Info: (characteristics, size, culture, political culture, industries, features, etc. to explain state support of policy) Washington is a state in the northwestern United States with an estimated population of 7,288,000, as of July 1, 2016. Washington’s population is primarily white at 69% (not including Hispanics), with Hispanics comprising 12.4%, Asians 8.6%, and African AmericansRead MoreEssay Problems with Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide1262 Words   |  6 PagesEuthanasia Problems      Ã‚  Doctors do err on cancer patients survival times, so how can they say when the time is ripe for assisted suicide. A study in the July 1 issue of Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, finds that doctors are often wrong in predicting how long terminally ill cancer patients will live. After studying the accuracy of doctors predictions regarding 233 patients with end-of-life cancer, the researchers found most doctors had a tendency to overestimate survival

Oroonoko Matters Of Race And Kingship English Literature Essay Free Essays

Aphras Behn ‘s Oroonoko tends to concentrate on the intervention of bondage and race, peculiarly Behn ‘s ‘granting of epic stature to an African prince ‘ ( Pacheco 1 ) . This highlights the impression of affinity, and mention to a legitimate sovereign. Behn ‘s novelette of an African slave who was one time a male monarch was published in 1688, the twelvemonth that saw the exsanguine deposition of King James II in England. We will write a custom essay sample on Oroonoko Matters Of Race And Kingship English Literature Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now This essay will seek and research and analyze the connexions between affairs of race and kingship in the novelette. In his article George Guffey challenged such readings by ‘asserting that the significance of Behn ‘s hero resides non in his African beginnings but in his royal blood, his captivity ‘ , ( Lore Metzger 3 ) harmonizing to Guffey, this presents a mirror image of the at hand deposition of the legitimate sovereign, James II. One could construe this as Behn, stand foring hierarchal rules, making a monarchist political orientation ; this is shown in Behn ‘s series of mentions to the executing of Charles I, this creates linkages to Oroonoko ‘s linear as a prince executed by racialist work forces, inferior in hierarchy. The nostalgic imprint of the old order demonstrates the split in English civilization caused by the civil war ‘s wake ; this impression of kingship is shown in Oroonoko when capturers name him Caesar. The storyteller and Oroonoko- Caesar have both received European instructions, as Todd suggests ‘accorded to favor white work forces ; both are victims and donees of socioeconomic systems that discriminate male monarchs from common mans ‘ back uping the privileges of the aristocracy with net incomes of the slave- trade. Oroonoko is described as holding captured and sold black slaves in African wars before he was himself enslaved by a Christian. The storyteller non merely belongs to a slave owning category but ‘clearly supports the chauvinistic colonising endeavor which fuelled and depended on the African Slave trade ‘ ( Todd, 218 ) . Behn uses exuberant description ‘of gold-prospecting ‘ ( 45 ) to propose desirability- in 1688, on the Eve of William of Orange ‘s accession to the British throne- Behn suggests ‘ Ti bemoaned what his stateliness lost by losing that portion of America ‘ ( 59 ) . The storyteller and a hero who are both victims of the slave trade, and by comparing both characters at different minutes, to the Indians, Behn ‘provides a position on ‘the Conquest of America ‘ ( Todd 219 ) demoing impressions of imperialism and kingship. The renaming of slaves can be seen as destructing individuality, slaves were renamed every bit shortly as they arrived in foreign lands, taking individuality and therefore Oroonoko ‘s kingship, nevertheless one could reason the name Caesar given to the character still denotes affinity and creates a certain sum of regard. Throughout the narrative a sort of monarchist discourse pervades Behn ‘s narrative of a prince who is ‘beloved like a Deity ‘ ( 29 ) . After Oroonoko is sold into bondage in Surinam, Behn ‘foregrounds the monarchist myth ‘ ( Anita Dacheco ) . Trefy, who buys Oroonoko, knows he is no ordinary slave, he is at first richly dressed, harmonizing to his societal place, he can non conceal the: ‘Graces of his expressions and Mein The Royal Youth appear ‘d in spight of the slave, even by those who yet knew non that he was a prince ‘ ( p.39 ) Even though disguised, authorization radiances through, this is clearly shown when Oroonoko reaches the plantation, the response of the slaves to his presence make significance of his royal position clear: ‘Live, O male monarch, Long live, O male monarch! And snoging his pess, paid him Divine Homage ‘ ( 41 ) The slaves worship Oroonoko as a God, as Pacheo emphasises ‘It would be difficult to conceive of a more extremist exoneration, of the royal privilege ‘ intending the slaves serve as a map, a literary map, to solidify the rightness and holiness of royal power. Trefry even reflects merrily that Oroonoko ‘s ‘ Grandeur ‘ is ‘confirmed by the Adoration of all the slaves ‘ ( 41 ) . The royalist discourse basically portrays royal power as a natural jurisprudence, with godly intent, shacking the blood of the royal line. The text seeks to reenforce its monarchist political orientation with governing category values, this can be seen by Oroonoko ‘s instruction, the emphasise on preparation as Pacheo references ‘Oroonoko as a European blue blood, with privileges European upper class-culture ‘ , the work forces who contribute to Oroonoko ‘s instruction are gentlemen such as Trefry, a individual of great ‘wit, and all right a cquisition ‘ ( 38 ) . The novelette written at a clip of great intense turbulence in societal power dealingss, endorses the elitist values of the opinion category, formalizing the authorization non merely for the monarchy, but besides of the upper categories that clutter around the throne, ‘allied to it through a shared involvement in continuing the differentiation of familial power ( 496 ) , SOMETHING SHOULD GO HERE. The affairs of race are questioned in Oroonoko ‘s beloved, whom the English rename Clemene. As Todd suggests Imoinda is ‘doubly enslaved- to the Whites, male and female ‘ ( 219 ) one could propose even to her black hubby. In contrast to the storyteller, who stands in relation Oroonoko, as queen or ‘ Petraarchan lady-lord to a vassal- a ‘Great kept woman ‘ ( 46 ) . As Todd provinces ‘Imoinda is an eldritch amalgam of European ideals of European fantasties about married womans of ‘Oriental ‘ tyrants ‘ , she is hence an image of ideal that race can non dispute. Race is shown Behn ‘s portrayal of her African prince, of both his physical visual aspect and his character, is deeply Europocentric: ‘His face was non of that brown rusty Black, His olfactory organ was lifting and Roman, alternatively of African and level, His oral cavity the finest shaped that could be seen: far from those great turned lips, which are so natural to the remainder of the Blacks ‘ ( p 8 ) The text is clearly eager to separate its hero from other inkinesss: his beauty by and large and his single characteristics distance Oroonoko from what the storyteller calls his ‘gloomy Race ‘ ( 6 ) and place him with European thoughts of beauty. The phrase ‘ bating his coloring material ‘ makes his us feel Oroonoko ‘s African beginnings as a liability, a defect in his race. When the novelette comes to see the hero ‘s every bit extraordinary virtuousness. The history of Oroonoko ‘s upbringing stresses his ‘natural disposition to Arms ‘ ( 6 ) , his tuition in ‘ Ethical motives, linguistic communication and Science ‘ ( 7 ) . One could construe this ‘nature ‘ belonging non to primitivism but to royalism, for it is inseparable from elevated birth. We are told of Oroonokos ‘ native beauty ‘ and struck with ‘ an awe and fear, even those that knew non his Quality ‘ ( 6 ) , the word quality combines intensions of virtuousness and high birth, in this novelette a royal birth, which reflects the prince beauty. Individual value is associated with birth, virtuousness with an familial rank which is shown as a natural order. This is a construct of basic hierarchy, virtuousness as Pacheco provinces ‘ virtuousness is purportedly transmitted from one coevals to the following ‘ ( 4 ) , inte nding power and Kingship is legitimised on the impression of worthiness, authorization is presented as familial. Kingship is explored even further when looker-ons are fortunate to witness royalty it inspires ‘Awe and fear ‘ , these picks of words establishes as profoundly right a relationship between the prince and the remainder of humanity. As Pacheco points out ‘there is no reference here of the Doctrine of the Godhead right of male monarchs ‘ this vitally of import to the Stuart sovereign, but the holiness of Kingship is implied as Oroonoko himself is invested with something kindred to divine power. How to cite Oroonoko Matters Of Race And Kingship English Literature Essay, Essay examples

List of Inventions During Industrial Revolution free essay sample

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions of the times. It began in the United Kingdom, then subsequently spread throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world. The flying shuttle 1733 The flying shuttle was one of the key developments in weaving that helped fuel the Industrial Revolution. It was patented by John Kay in 1733. As prior to this invention weavers used to weave by hand and could only weave a fabric no wider than an arms length. If this length exceeded the maximum, two people would do the task of one but the flying shuttle could weave much wider than an arms length at much greater speeds. The spinning jenny 1764 The spinning jenny is a multi-spool spinning frame. It was invented c. 1764 by James Hargreaves in Stanhill, Oswaldtwistle near Blackburn, Lancashire in England. We will write a custom essay sample on List of Inventions During Industrial Revolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The device reduced the amount of work needed to produce yarn, with a worker able to work eight or more spools at once.This grew to 120 as technology advanced. The Spinning Frame 1768 The spinning frame was an invention developed during the 18th century British Industrial Revolution. Richard Arkwright employed John Kay to produce a new spinning machine. With the help of other local craftsmen the team produced the spinning frame, which produced a stronger thread than the spinning jenny produced by James Hargreaves. The frame employed the draw rollers invented by Lewis Paul to stretch, or attenuate, the yarn. The Water Frame 1768

Most People Say Being Stupid Will Lead No Where. They Essays

Most people say being stupid will lead no where. They claim that it is the worst possible condition in which to spend one's life, and if possible, it should be completely avoided. They would even suggest if the symptoms of stupidity are caught in the early stages, it could easily be treated by a surgeon. The most effective method used to do this is the chainsaw technique, later described in volume two. Yet, perhaps if people took a closer look at some of the advantages stupidity had to offer, they wouldn't have such a negative attitude toward it. After reading this paper, one will understand the advantages of stupidity. Admittedly, stupidity has certain disadvantages. Life isn't a bowl of cherries. And being stupid doesn't make it any fruitier. Being stupid can annoy even the most sensitive people. If one acts stupid, and does it in the wrong crowd, like a group of adults, it will seem more immature than funny. If one is forced to act stupid while dealing with lower life forms, for example, high school teachers, one may encounter barriers such as cruelty and insensitivity, with the utterance of statements like, "Think with your head straight!" or, "You have a brain, use it." Yet these are all true, there are still many advantages to stupidity. The first advantage is very easy to understand. Stupid people are never asked to do a lot. Many have noticed that people tend to steer away from someone they feel may be stupid. This is for a very good reason. The stupidity which they posses makes a name for themselves, a name which can be very difficult to shake. Possibly, it is a word which describes the working habits of the person, such as"crappy". Yet, this creates a positive situation for the stupid person. They will have a lot of free time on their hands for more of lifes truly meaningful pleasures. Some of these activities are combing facial hair, and counting the pixels on a Sony TV. Now, there has been a rumour going around that suggests that stupid people have low expectations. This is true. They are so stupid that they don't realize great from O.K. They could have a Sanyo cordless phone, but would probably choose instead a Pierre Cardin alarm clock telephone, because it comes free with their sensamatic folding bed. And someone with the"advantage" of stupidity might have a hard time doing certain tasks, or setting things up. Yet this isn't all bad. For example, if a stupid person leaves the chore, and comes back to it later, no one will be able to understand it. Would they get fired from their job? No. For the very simple reason that no one would understand their work except for them. The job would have to be given back to the stupid person, perhaps with a higher salary, or someone would do it for them, leaving them with even more free time! Free time is great for brainstorming (Admittedly this seems to be a bad choice of words!). Yet the ideas stupid people create tend to be original. For example, when was the last time someone stupid said something, and made one think about it? It seems that people are always talking about someone elses dumb idea. An example of such an idea would be, "How many stories will that english teacher drop before having a stroke?" This would suggest that stupid people may have the upper hand when it comes to thinking up original ideas. In fact, the next time someone wants an original idea for something, they should try talking to their local, community stupid person. The reason for this is that while a stupid person thinks with his head, he does not do so an organized manner. This is why they have so much creativity. By thinking in this fashion, their ideas have a natural tendency to flow more easily, without the interruptions which occur from the editing of thoughts that logical people would have normally. Thus if someone else should say to one, "That was a stupid idea!" one should merely look that person straight in the eye, and say, "Thank-you!" This also means that the claim, "Stupid minds think alike." is not true. All stupid minds have different ideas, each idea being original. One of the final advantages of stupidity is that stupid people are always remembered, even after graduation day. It has been noticed how a quiet person is always hard to detect, and often remains anonymous. There is a very good reason for this. The mind has a hard time keeping quiet people in its memory track. But it

Legalization Oof Marijuana

Legalization Oof Marijuana Legalization of Marijuana The use of marijuana is legal today for medicine purposes. However, when California Proposition 215 was proposed in 1996, it caught the attention of the general public and became a major issue. There were supporters and, of course, opponents of this Proposition.Many doctors said that marijuana is helpful in treatment of AIDS, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis and spasticity. Besides the above, use of marijuana also relieves the pain that cancer causes and relieves the nausea that is associated with chemotherapy that the patients have to undergo. Supporters of the proposition know that marijuana is not a risk free drug. However, they believe the doctors would weigh the benefits and risks against each other before prescribing it to patients. The main argument favoring this proposition is that marijuana relieves the pain of patients suffering from cancer and AIDS. Supporters believe that it is a humane act in passing proposition 215 to help these patients that are in great pain.English: Man holding a California state-issued car...

Entrepreneur interview & Personal Analysis Essay

Entrepreneur interview & Personal Analysis - Essay Example A decision maker, leader, communicator and a good team player is what an entrepreneur is. This paper provides an analysis of the personality of a small business entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial Interview This paper deals with analyzing and conducting the reflective study of the small business entrepreneurs. The interview conducted here reflects upon the background, motivating factors and personalities of the businessmen. The survey questionnaire contains 15 questions which are aimed upon discovering the personality traits and capacities. The survey has been conducted with the owner of fashion boutique, Ellen Sandry. Ellen has been a successful entrepreneur for a few months and has been really successful in quite a short time. Fashion industry has motivated him a lot and considering the interests, the interview responses have been analyzed below: What is you educational background? Ellen has studied fashion designing at a reputable institute and this education aroused interest in pursuin g the field of fashion as his personal career. Besides interest, Ellen feels that the scope of fashion industry has gained great heights in the present era and thus, it would be a good initiative to take up. What have your previous experiences been? The entrepreneur’s response to this question was amazing as he mentioned many experiences that he has been through recently. He has taught, worked as a steward at a hotel and interned at a local bank for a while. Later on, his professional enthusiasm compelled him to start his own business. How did you get into this business? In reply, Ellen mentioned that his interest brought him into this business. He had a passion for colors, beauty and money. Thus, this capacity seemed to be suitable. How many employees do you have? Ellen has only two people who look into his business. He calls them his helpers and pays them a good salary at the end of every month. They manage his boutique on a daily basis and even stay overtime and help Ellen wind up the necessary tasks. How do you finance your business? Ellen mentioned that he already had enough capital at the time of initiation of his business. Besides this, he takes small loans from the financial institutions and invests them into business. What have been the major challenges that you have countered while initiating and managing the business? Ellen Sandry has been a successful owner of a small boutique and earns good profits every month. According to him, it is necessary to take risks and accept challenges with good entrepreneurial skills. During the starting up of his fashion boutique, he had to counter the shortages of finance, skilled labor, and inventory. Moreover, decision-making was an area where he was not much confident. Besides this, arranging for a considerably sophisticated infrastructure also became a problem which he quickly managed with the help of his own skills. Do you take social and environmental factors into consideration? To this Ellen replied tha t while starting up his boutique, he assured that it will not create any negative externalities for the society. He took care of all the security standards, societal costs, and made sure that the environment is not affected from the existence of his business in any way. How does the economic environment impact your business? The economic booms and depressions impact all the businesses and similarly,

Information Security Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Information Security Managment - Essay Example the operations of the organization are protected and would ensure the organization of achievement and change in its execution inside the business and in this manner an ascent in the change and proficiency of an associations operation inside the organization1. This risk appraisal returns from the prior research that was carried out by the administration. The exploration was led by the Tesco UK supermarket administration. The IT office directed a security review inside the firm to use the methodology and guaranteed successful evaluation of the usage of meetings surveyed by the different departmental heads2. Just like in every risk appraisal, there has to be a team that would undertake the various roles in order to meet the desired goal or the exercise3. The group that surveyed the security and trustworthiness of the association and made recommendations included: This step helps in identifying the vulnerabilities that relate to the operation of Tesco UK supermarket. This will be a great boost the different vulnerabilities and a number of frameworks that the company to ensure efficiency in its operation.4. The process followed in identification of the risks involved assessing the previous risks carried out within the organization and the level at which the information system of the company has the information effectively addressed in order to avoid the occurrence of more threats within the firm. In addition, the likelihood of the of a number of susceptibilities within the company are also effectively addressed so that the operations can take place smoothly5. The team also reviewed the means through which the employees operated in the firm in order to know the means through which the company6. The team also looked at the safety of the various data storage devices within the firm to confirm if there was any form of malware that would affect the system. NB: Advising the company on the same is somewhat hard - the $8100 and $3000 are real amounts of money that need to

A Comparison of and Contrasting of role of two politicians in the Essay

A Comparison of and Contrasting of role of two politicians in the media eye - Essay Example He further notes that the independence of media from political meddling and the essence of media as the way they play their political roles, the manner in which media is subjected to pressures from the commercial systems that fund the media entities as well as the decisiveness of the government in supplying information all have a great deal to do with the maturity of democracy and the propagation of public opinion driven societies. The functionalities of media have made it a vulnerable tool subjected to use and albeit abuse by those in power bent on swaying public opinion and influencing popular opinion on individuals and issues among other things. In these perceptions premise, the paper presents a comparative exploration of the role of two politicians in the media eye. The paper will also take a significant thrust in examining the coverage of two politicians and exploring their images as portrayed in various mainstream media. The thrust of the paper will also entail the ways in which the media and or the politicians attempt to manipulate the images of them as generated by the media. For the objectives of the exercise, two political figures who are the 2008 USA Presidential election candidates Republic John McCain and Democrat Barrack Obama will be used. The 2008 US presidential campaign trail is historic from various dimensions. The campaigned has pitted sitting Senators yet the most remarkable aspects of the campaign are based on the fact that after the election US will have either the first Black American president or a woman as vice president. The election campaign has drawn most media coverage surpassing previous presidential election drives.... ting Senators yet the most remarkable aspects of the campaign are based on the fact that after the election US will have either the first Black American president or a woman as vice president. The election campaign has drawn most media coverage surpassing previous presidential election drives. The paper will make an observation of extracts and nuances form mainstream and global media channels like Cable News Net Work (CNN) and the British Broadcasting Network (BBC) and various online news interfaces to examine the images of the two politicians that have been carved and explore the ways in which media and the political figures have to attempted to manipulate the images created of them. CNN is one of the leading global news channels and has had a significant bearing on the image creation and dissemination of the US presidential candidates. It is worth mentioning from the onset that CNN were the 8th largest sponsors to the sitting President George W. Bush in his 2004 Campaign. Nonetheless it may be presented that mainstream media have tended to playing to a perceived public sentiment that the Bush administration has failed the electorate on various issues and hence the unpopularity of the Republican election ticket regardless of who the actual individuals and their polices are. Many media channels have largely portrayed the democrat candidate Barrack Obama in manner of glossing over his possible nomination as historic development in American politics demonstrating the American society commitment to values of racial reform and egalitarianism. CNN has always hammered the nuances of 'historic' ticket aspect that Obama's candidature is. Besides the presenting of Obama's ticket as historic development, CNN has captured various political and economic analyses from some

Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome in Fast-growing Broilers

Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome in Fast-growing Broilers This study investigated variations of plasma angiotensin II and gene expression of renin, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) in the heart of pulmonary hypertensive chickens. Plasma angiotensin II was significantly increased at 28 days of age (P1R was increased at 12 and 42 days (P1R and ACE transcripts in the left ventricle of the treated group were increased at days 12 and 42 respectively compared to controls (P1R mRNAs were relatively upregulated in heart of chickens developing pulmonary hypertension while considerable reduction of renin/ACE and elevation of AT1R in right ventricle of heart may involve in dilated cardiomyopathy. Key words: Renin-angiotensin system, Pulmonary hypertension, Broiler chicken. Introduction Pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS, ascites) in fast-growing broilers is an elevated blood pressure within the pulmonary circulation (Baghbanzadeh and Decuypere, 2008). Pulmonary hypertension initiates the sequential development of hypoxemia, right-sided congestive heart failure, central venous congestion, cirrhosis of the liver, and accumulation of ascitic fluid into the abdominal cavity (Balog, 2003). It is commonly accepted that PHS in fast-growing broilers is a direct effect of right atrioventricular valve insufficiency, ventricular volume overload and right ventricular dilation and failure (Baghbanzadeh and Decuypere, 2008). In PHS, a high vascular resistance due to an anatomically inadequate pulmonary vascular capacity and excessive vascular tone reflecting an imbalance between pulmonary vasoconstrictors and vasodilators has been demonstrated (Wideman et al., 2013). Many vasoactive elements are involved in the pathophysiology of PHS such as norepinephrine, thromboxane,endothe lin, serotonin, nitric oxide, prostacyclin and angiotensin II (Teshfam et al., 2006, Hassanpour et al., 2009, Hassanpour et al., 2011, Wideman et al., 2013). Pathophysiologic alterations in the cellular and molecular levels of this syndrome have been noted (Kim and Iwao, 2000, Sato et al., 2012, Hassanpour et al., 2013a, Hassanpour et al., 2013b). Angiotensin II (Ang II) is the central active component of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) that plays a major role in regulating the cardiovascular system, and disorders of the RAS contribute largely to the pathophysiology of hypertension, renal disease and chronic heart failure (Dostal and Baker, 1999). This system is an ever-evolving endocrine system with considerable checks and balances on the production and catabolism of angiotensin peptides most likely due to the manifold effects of angiotensin (Putnam et al., 2012). In the RAS, a precursor peptide, angiotensinogen, is cleaved by renin to form the decapeptide angiotensin I. The dipeptidase angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) cleaves angiotensin I to form the octapeptide angiotensin II (Levy, 2004). Ang II, through the activation of specific Ang II types 1 and 2 receptors (AT1R; AT2R), regulates cardiac contractility, cell communication, and impulse propagation. In addition, Ang II is involved in cardiac remodeling, gro wth, and apoptosis (Paul et al., 2006, Ferreira et al., 2008). The concept of a local RAS located in the heart with autocrine and paracrine roles has been confirmed in mammals by many studies, particularly with the demonstration that elements of the RAS and Ang receptors are present in cardiac tissue (De Mello and Danser, 2000). The objective of this study was to determine plasma angiotensin and the relative amounts of renin, ACE and AT1R mRNA expression in the heart ventricles (right and left) of broiler chickens with pulmonary hypertension experimentally induced by 3,5,3†²-l-triiodothyronine (T3). This hormone increases metabolism via increasing number and size of mitochondria and stimulation of the cell membrane enzyme Na+-K+ ATPase), thus, increases oxygen consumption and requirement (Griffin and Ojeda, 2000). The increased body demand for oxygen prompts an increase in cardiac output. High cardiac output triggers an increase in lung arterial pressure, presumably because of the low compliance of the pulmonary vasculature (Balog, 2003). Materials and methods Birds and treatments A total of 60 One-day old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to a control or treatment group (30 birds per group). Each group was randomly divided into three equal replicates of 10 chickens per pen. The chickens were reared for seven weeks on wood shavings under standard conditions and provided ad libitum access to water and a standard ration (Starter: 12.6 MJ metabolisable energy (ME)/kg of diet, 230 g/kg crude protein (CP), Grower: 13.2 MJ ME/kg of diet, 210 g/kg CP, Finisher: 13.4 MJ ME/kg of diet, 190 g/kg CP formulated) to meet requirements for broilers . In the treatment group, T3 was included in the basal diets at a concentration of 1.5 mg T3/kg after day 6 of rearing period (Hassanpour et al., 2013a). Throughout the study mortality was recorded daily. Those broilers that died during the experimental period were examined for lesions of heart failure and ascites. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Ahvaz and Shahrekord Universities approved all procedures used in this study. Assessment of right ventricular hypertrophy At 12 and 42 d of age, six chickens from each group were selected at random, weighed and killed by decapitation. The heart was resected and right ventricle hypertrophy was estimated as described by Teshfam et al. (2006). The ratio of right ventricle to total ventricle (RV/TV) was calculated as an index of pulmonary hypertension. Chickens with an RV/TV ratio >0.28 were classified as pulmonary hypertensive chickens (Wideman, 2001). The right and left ventricles of the heart were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -70 °C for subsequent RNA analysis. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis In this experiment, frozen ventricular tissues which had been prepared in the aseptic condition, were homogenized in a liquid nitrogen bath. Total RNA from right (six samples from each group at 12 and 42 days) and left ventricles (six samples from each group at 12 and 42 days) was extracted by a guanidine / phenol solution (RNx plus, Sinaclon Bioscience, Karaj, Iran). 100 mg of homogenized tissue was prepared in this solution. The homogenate was then mixed with chloroform. The resulting mixture was centrifuged (9000 rpm, 4 °C, 15 min), yielding an upper aqueous phase containing total RNA. Following 100% isopropanol precipitation, the RNA pellet was washed with 75% ethanol. The RNA samples were resuspended in DEPC-treated water. Total RNA was treated with RNase-free DNase (Sinaclon Bioscience, Karaj, Iran) to avoid amplification of contaminating genomic DNA. RNA was evaluated by agarose gel (1.5%) electrophoresis to determine extracted RNA quality as indicated by discrete 18S and 28 S rRNA bands. The amount and quality of RNA were determined by spectrophotometry. Only RNA of sufficient purity, having an absorbance ratio (A260/280) greater than 1.9, was considered for synthesis of cDNA. Total RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA in a short time after extraction (less than 6 hours) using M-MLV reverse transcriptase (Sinaclon Bioscience, Karaj, Iran) as described by Hassanpour et al. (2010). The reverse-transcription (RT) was done in a 20  µl volume containing 2  µg of extracted RNA, 200 ng random hexamer, 0.5 mM dNTP. This mixture was heated to 65 °C for 5 min, and 40 u of RNase inhibitor, RT buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl, 75 mM KCl, 3 mM MgCl2), 10 mM DTT and 200 u M-MLV reverse transcriptase were added. This mixture was incubated for 5 min at 25 °C, followed by 50 min at 38 °C. The reverse transcription mix was heated to 75 °C for 15 min to denature the RNA and then stored at -20 °C. Quantitative real time PCR Analysis In this study, relative quantification of real time PCR was used to measure changes in a gene expression in response to T3 treatment. The levels of renin, AT1R, ACE and ÃŽ ²-actin transcripts were determined in the six samples of right and left ventricles from each group at 12 and 42 days by real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR using Eva-Green chemistry (Sinaclon Bioscience, Karaj, Iran). This method requires a suitable internal standard to control for variability between samples and to normalise the input load of cDNA. ÃŽ ²-actin was used as an internal standard. Specific primers of Renin, AT1R, ACE and ÃŽ ²-actin were designed with Primer-Blast (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/tools/primer blast/index.cgi?LINK_LOC=blastHome). The expected products of primers in PCR were checked in Nucleotide-Blast (www.blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi?PROGRAM=blastnPAGE_TYPE=BlastSearchLINK_LOC=blasthome) which found no similarity with other chicken genes. Primers are listed in Table 1. PCRs were carried out in a real-time PCR cycler (Rotor Gene Q 6000, Qiagen, USA) in three replicates for each sample of ventricles. 1  µl cDNA was added to 4  µl Titan Hot Taq Eva-Green Ready Mix (Sinaclon Bioscience, Iran), 0.5  µM of each specific primer in a total volume of 20  µl. The thermal profile was 95 °C for 5 min, 35 cycles of 95 °C for 40 s, 60 °C for 35 s and 72 °C for 30 s. At the end of each phase, fluorescence was assessed by the real-time PCR cycler and used for quantitative objectives. The no-template control and no-reverse transcriptase control were used to check contamination in the PCR reagents. Gene expression data were normalized to ÃŽ ²-actin. Data were analyzed using Rotor Gene-software, version 2.0.2 (build 4) (Qiagen, USA) and LinRegPCR software version 2012.0 (Amsterdam, Netherland), to give the threshold cycle number and reaction efficiency (Ruijter et al., 2009). Relative transcript levels and fold changes in transcript abundance were calculated using eff iciency adjusted Livak methodology (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  CT method) (Livak and Schmittgen, (2001). Measurement of angiotensin II in plasma The six chickens per group at 12, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days were selected for blood collection. Blood samples were collected from the brachial vein in heparinized syringes and centrifuged at 2,500g for 10 min to obtain plasma. The total amount of Ang II plasma level was quantified by using a commercially available Ang II-EIA kit (catalog No.: S-1133, Bachem Chemical Company, Germany) following the manufacturers instructions. Plasma proteins was precipitated as follows before the use of this kit. Briefly, 1 mL plasma was mixed with 2 mL acetone and centrifuged (10000 rpm, 4 ºC, 10 min). The supernatant was extracted with 4 mL petroleum benzine and left at room for 30 min. After discarding the ether phase, the aqueous, lower phase containing the angiotensin was evaporated to dryness at 40 ºC. The dried extracts were redissolved in 0.25 mL assay buffer (0.1 M Tris-HCl, (pH=7.4), 3 mg/mL bovine serum albumin and 2 mg/mL neomycin sulfate) and stored at -20 ºC prior to assay (Gray and S imon, 1985). The materials for protein precipitation were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Co. The Ang II-EIA kit is an in vitro quantitative assay for detecting the angiotensin II peptide based on the principle of a competitive enzyme immunoassay (competitive binding to the Ang II antibody between biotinylated Ang II peptide and peptides in samples). This kit has intra-assay variation Statistical analysis Data are represented as mean  ± SE. Comparisons were made using an independent sample t-test between each treatment and its control. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS-16 software (SPSS Institute Inc.). All data were checked to have a normal distribution and log transformed if necessary. Any data requiring log transformation were back-transformed for presentation of data. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results Estimation of right ventricular hypertrophy The RV/TV ratio was greater in the treated groups at 42 days of age (0.303  ± 0.021) than controls (0.215  ± 0.017) (P=0.004), while this ratio was not significant at 12 days (control: 0.154  ± 0.014; treatment: 0.171  ± 0.012) (P=0.091). The increase of RV/TV ratio was 29% at 42 days. The clinical signs of ascites was observable in the most treated chickens at the end of rearing period. Expression of renin, AT1R and ACE genes in the right and left ventricles Real-time PCR results of renin, ACE and AT1R genes are shown in Figs. 1–3. The expression of ÃŽ ²-actin was detected in all samples. The renin, AT1R and ACE genes were expressed in the right and left ventricles of control and T3-treated broilers at 12 and 42 days of age. The relative amount of renin mRNA expression in the right ventricle of the treated groups was significantly increased at 12 days (15.5 fold) (P=0.009) and decreased at 42 days (4 fold) of age compared to controls (P=0.012; Fig. 1). The relative amount of ACE mRNA expression in the left ventricle of the treated group was significantly increased (9 fold) at 42 days of age compared to controls (P=0.008), but did not differ at 12 days of age (Fig. 2). In the right ventricle, the expression of this gene was increased (2.9 fold) at 12 days (P=0.031) while decreased (3 fold) at 42 days of age in the treated group compared to control (P=0.024). The relative amount of AT1R mRNA expression in the right ventricle of the treated group was significantly increased at 12 (5.9 fold) (P=0.036) and 42 (3.7 fold) (P=0.044) days of age compared to control. In the left ventricle of the treated group, the mRNA amount of this gene was only higher (3.9 fold) at 12 days of age than control (P=0.043; Fig. 3). Assessment of plasma angiotensin II The level of Ang II was measured in plasma samples of chickens at 12, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days of age. The amount of Ang II was significantly increased in T3-treated chickens only at 28 days of age when compared with control (P=0.041; Fig. 4). In this study, total mortality was 23.3% for treatment group and 3.3% for control group. Discussion In the present study, the effect of T3 hormone was observed at 42 days of age which increased cardiac index (i.e., RV/TV > 0.28). According to Wideman (2001), this high cardiac index is associated with sustained pulmonary hypertension (significant high blood pressure of pulmonary artery and right ventricle). In T3-treated chickens of our experiment, cardiac index was not critically high to be noticed as pulmonary hypertension at 12 days of age. Thus, any alterations in cardiac RAS gene expression at this age were not related to this syndrome (Klein and Danzi, 2007, Vargas et al., 2012). Ang II, apart from its effect of elevating arterial pressure, exerts mitogenic and growth promoting effects on cardiac myocytes; both of these effects contribute to the development congestive heart failure (Varagic and Frohlich, 2002). In our experiment, the amount of plasma Ang II considerably was higher at 28 days of age and so at this time of rearing period could be critical in the incidence of PHS , as previously suggested by Hassanpour et al. (2011). However, our data showed that Ang II may be involved as an important factor in the induction of PHS, but its role in the development of this syndrome and heart dilation is not predominant, versus PHS in mammals (Wollert and Drexler, 1999). It must be noticed that hyperthyroidism increases degradation of proteins far exceed synthesis (Decuypere et al., 2005). Thus, variation of Ang II amount during rearing period of chickens could be affected by excess T3. At 42 days of age, cardiac index was considerably high to cause heart failure and PHS. It is noticed that this stage could be associated with heart dilation, which may differ cardiomyocytes structurally and functionally from hypertrophic stage (Lowes et al., 2002, Hassanpour et al., 2013a). Thus, alternations in the expression of mentioned genes in the heart ventricles, particularly in the right ventricle, which was more affected by PHS than the left ventricle, could be due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Renin mRNA has been detected in the heart of various species (Paul et al., 2006). Pieruzzi et al. (1995) described that volume overload of heart was able to increase renin mRNA in the rat heart. In contrast, Iwai et al. (1995) were unable to confirm these findings. In the present study, mRNA variations of this gene were not considerable in the left ventricle of the treated chickens while in the right ventricle, conspicuous increase (12 days) and decrease (42 days) were observed. The initial increase of renin mRNA may be influenced by volume overload of heart due to thyroid hormone while consequent decrease of this gene could be due to occurrence of the PHS. As previously mentioned, the end stage of PHS could be associated with dilated cardiomyopathy of the right ventricle in which cardiomyocytes are unable to contract properly. Apparently, this disability occurs in the expression of many genes (Ladenson et al., 1992, Lowes et al., 2002, Teshfam et al., 2006, Hassanpour et al., 2013b) . A reduction of renin mRNA in the right ventricle may be due to negative compensatory feedback of cardiomycytes against high activation of systemic RAS (high plasma Ang II). It may be also noticed that T3 initially stimulates expression of genes (such as renin) and then, suppresses transcription in long time, similar to its effect on protein (Ruckebusch et al., 1991). Further, the elevation of ACE mRNA might be influenced by thyroid hormone and initial induction of hypertrophy in the heart ventricles, while the reduction of this transcript occurred in the dilated right ventricle at the end stage of PHS. Hao et al. (2013) reported an increase of ACE mRNA and concentration of Ang II in the right ventricular tissue of cold stress-chickens at 42 days of age. This apparent discrepancy between our results and study of Hao et al. (2013) could be due to different routes in the induction of PHS. Comparison of cardiac index in these two studies confirms that induction of PHS with T3 was more severe than cold stress. Probably, the right ventricular remodeling in the cold stress-chickens was not completely progressed. Thus, it could be logical reason for increasing of ACE mRNA and Ang II in the hypertrophic right ventricle. The increasing of AT1R in the heart hypertrophy and heart failure has been confirmed (Barlucchi et al., 2001, Diniz et al., 2007) which is in relative agreement with our findings. Wollert and Drexler (1999) reviewed that AT-receptors-dependent signaling cascades potently modulate cardiac myocyte function and growth. They also reported that cardiac hypertrophy in response to haemodynamic overload can occur independently of the AT-receptors. In conclusion, the gene expression of renin, ACE and AT1R was relatively upregulated in the heart of chickens developing PHS. The right ventricle of hearts from pulmonary hypertensive chickens showed considerable reduction of renin, ACE and elevation of AT1R which may be involved in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Confession of the Jews and First Confession :: Confession of the Jews Essays

Confession of the Jews and First Confession In comparing the books "Confession of the Jews" and "First Confession", I have found there to be similarities and differences. For example, "First Confession" deals with a boy converting from a boy to a young man by going to confession and telling his sins for the first time. "Conversion of the Jews" deals with converting a boy into someone he has never really seen which was a free thinker which only older people usually do. In "Conversion of the Jews" Ozzie, who was the main character, had a problem with getting along with the priest Rabbi Binder at Hebrew School. Rabbi Binder didn't really like Ozzie because he was always asking a lot of questions and Rabbi Binder was always getting angry at him. In "First Confession" Jackie, the main character, also had a problem. Jackies problem was similar to Ozzies, but also different. Jackie had a problem with his sister Nora. Nora believed that Jackie was always lying and being bad. On his confession day his mother sent Nora go with Jackie. Nora ordered Jackie to tell all of his sins, including how he was mean to the grandmother who lived with them. Ozzie seemed troubled to Rabbi Binder in "Conversion of the Jews". In reality Jackie wasn't bad at all, he was just a boy who wanted answers to his questions. And that was proved when Ozzie asked a question in class and Rabbi Binder went crazy and hit Ozzie because he thought Ozzie was trying to be a wise guy. So Ozzie tried to prove a point to Rabbi Binder and his fellow classmates by running to the roof and making believe he was going to jump. With Ozzie being on the roof it gave Rabbi Binder a bigger belief that Ozzie was crazy and troubled. Ozzie wasn't really crazy, he was just trying to make a point that he really wasn't dumb. Ozzie just wanted to believe that there was really a Christ. So with the point that Ozzie was trying to make helped to convert everyone and their beliefs. Jackie, like Ozzie, was also troubled in "First Confession". He was a young boy who lived with his family, including the grandmother. Jackie believed the grandmother didn't like him very much, so he did mean things to her like hide under the table when she cooked dinner. When it came time for his first confession he went with his sister Nora. Nora tormented Jackie and scared him into believing he was a sinner and he will pay for all of his sins.