Sailmaker essays

Sailmaker essays Sailmaker by Alan Spence was written with a strong theme. Spence conveys effectively the theme of hope turning to disillusionment. He does this with sensitive characterisation, an effective structure and powerful symbolism. The story is set in Glasgow around the 1960s when the ship building industry was declining. It is about a boy who lives wit his parents in a tenement flat. His dad is a tic man but used to be a sailmaker. The boy finds a small old yacht in the bed recess in their small home. He asks his dad to fix the yacht up because it has no sails but his father keeps on delaying this. The boys uncle paints it for him without delaying but the father never put sails on it. So eventually the boy forgets about it and the yacht goes back to where it came from, the glory hole. In the second part of the story, time has moved on. It is a few years later and the family is not doing well because the mother has died and the father is out of a job, spending most of his time drinking or at the betting shop. Soon the boy and his father become desperate and start burning their belongings in the fire. They find the fathers old tools and the boat, and burn them also. The fathers tools and the yacht are the main symbols in the story. Alan Spence uses them as symbols of loosing hope. The tools were tools that the father used when he was a sailmaker. They are a symbol of part of his life and his pride in his craft, therefore they are important to him. When he puts them into the fire this shows his desperation because he needs to sacrifice these important possessions. Earlier on in the story there is another symbol of hope fading. The torch that the father used when he became a tic man is a pathetic substitute for his sailmaking tools. It emphasises the contrast between the two jobs. The small boat is an ongoing symbol all the way through the story. From w...

The Murder of Micaela Costanzo

The Murder of Micaela Costanzo Micaela Costanzo, 16, was a good kid. She was pretty and popular. She did well in school, and enjoyed being on the high school basketball team and was considered a  local track star. She was close to her mother and sisters. She texted them regularly- especially if she had a change in schedule. So, on March 3, 2011, when Micaela- or Mickey, as everyone called her- didnt text her mother after school or answer her cell phone, her mother knew something was terribly wrong. Micaela Costanzo Goes Missing Mickey was last seen around 5 p.m. leaving through the back doors of West Wendover High School in West Wendover, Nevada. Normally, her sister picked her up from school but on this day, her sister was out of town and Mickey had planned to walk home. When she didnt arrive, her mother began calling her friends and finally the police, who immediately began investigating the teens disappearance. They interviewed her classmates and friends, including her childhood pal Kody Patten, who gave police the same story as her other friends: the last time he saw Mickey, he said, was outside the school around 5 p.m. A Gruesome Discovery at the Gravel Pits Many people organized search parties and began combing the vast desert surrounding the town, including an area known as the gravel pits. Two days later, a searcher noticed fresh tire tracks leading to what looked like fresh blood and a suspicious mound covered by sagebrush. Investigators uncovered Mickeys body. Shed been beaten and stabbed repeatedly on her face and neck. A plastic tie was found around one of Mickeys arms. The  evidence  indicated to police that shed been brought unwillingly to the location where she was murdered. Investigators turned to the schools surveillance cameras for more clues. Person of Interest When investigators found calls and text messages to Patten on Mickeys phone records at the time she disappeared, he became a person of interest in the case. In addition, school surveillance video showed Mickey and Patten in the hallway leading to the exit where she disappeared minutes later. In his first interview, Patten told police hed last seen Mickey with her boyfriend at the front of the school. Everyone else said she was at the back of the building. The High School Couple Mickey Costanzo and Kody Patten had known each other since they were kids. They stayed friends as they got older but socially, they went their separate ways. Patten became involved with Toni Fratto, a devout Mormon who, like Mickey, was popular at school. Fratto was dedicated to Patten and wanted to help the volatile teen reach his goal of joining the Marines. After dating a while, Patten and Fratto decided that they wanted to get married. Patten even joined the Mormon faith so that the couple could marry in the temple. Patten was 6-foot-8, with a quick temper- at home, and at school. After a bad fight with his father, he moved into Frattos house. Frattos parents were conflicted about having Patten stay there. Their primary concern was for their daughter, whom they knew was in love with Patten. They were also worried that Fratto might move out to be with Patten. In the end, they agreed to let him move into their home, where they could keep an eye on their daughters fiancà ©. The senior Frattos relationship with Patten improved and soon they considered him part of the family. Jealousy and Manipulation Toni Fratto was insecure about her relationship with Patten, and even more so about Pattens friendship with Mickey. Fratto kept a diary and wrote about her insecurities. She believed Patten loved Mickey and one day, he would leave her for his childhood friend. Patten began to use Frattos jealousy as a perverse form of entertainment. He would create scenes that he knew she would react to, including talking and texting with Mickey. According to Mickeys family, for months Fratto verbally insulted Mickey. Mickeys sister recalled that Mickey told her she disliked the drama, that she had a boyfriend, and that she wasnt interested in Patten. But the taunts continued and Fratto became convinced that Mickey would ruin her relationship with Patten. The First Confession Once Patten was established as the primary person of interest in the case, the police asked him to come in for an interview. It didnt take long for Patten to break down. Encouraged by his father, he confessed to his involvement in Mickeys death. Patten told police that he and Mickey had gone for a drive to the gravel pit after school. They began arguing. He said she told him to break off his engagement with Fratto  and start dating her instead- which he refused to do. The argument turned physical. When Mickey began to hit him in his chest, he shoved her back. She fell, hit her head, and went into convulsions. Not knowing what to do, he Patten tried to knock her out by hitting her in the head with a shovel. Patten said she was still making sounds, so he slashed her throat to get her to stop. Realizing she was dead, he buried her in a shallow grave and tried to burn her personal belongings. Patten was arrested and charged with first-degree murder with the possibility of a death sentence. He hired attorney John Ohlson, who had a reputation for keeping killers off of death row. Frattos Reaction Devastated by Pattens arrest, Fratto visited, wrote, and called him, telling him that she missed him and would always stand by him. Then in April 2011, while her parents were out of town, Fratto- dressed in her pajamas and accompanied by Pattens father- went to Ohlsons office and tape-recorded an entirely different version of the circumstances of Mickeys murder. Fratto said that after school she received a text from Patten with the words, Ive got her. That meant Mickey was in an SUV that Patten had borrowed and he was on his way to pick Fratto up. The three went to the gravel pits. Mickey and Patten got out of the car. Mickey began yelling at Patten and pushed him. Fratto said she diverted her eyes but heard a loud thud and got out of the SUV to see what had happened. She said Mickey was lying on the ground, not moving. Patten began to dig a grave. By the time he was finished, Mickey was semiconscious. They kicked, punched, and hit her with the shovel. When she stopped moving, they placed her in the grave and took turns slitting her throat. Fratto also admitted to sitting on Mickeys legs to hold her down during the attack. Since Patten was his client, not Fratto, there was no attorney-client privilege and Ohlson immediately turned the tape over to the police. Toni Fratto, who had not even been a suspect, was subsequently booked, charged with murder, and held without bail. Plea Deals Both Patten and Fratto were offered plea deals. Patten agreed  at first but then changed his mind. Fratto agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder and testify against the man who she promised to stand by forever. The confession Fratto gave to the police differed from the one shed given Pattens attorney. This time, she said Patten was mad at Mickey and when she got into the SUV, she saw Mickey stuffed in the back, scared, with her hands up to her face. Patten sent Fratto a text saying, We have to kill her. When they got to the gravel pits, he ordered Fratto to stand guard. Patten dug the grave and told Fratto to hit Mickey, but she refused. Patten began punching Mickey and told Fratto to hit her with the shovel. Fratto hit Mickey in the shoulder and Patten hit her in the head. While on the ground, Fratto held down Mickeys legs. At some point, Mickey looked up at Patten and asked if she was still alive and if she could go home. Patten slit her throat with a knife. In April 2012, Fratto, 19, pled guilty to second-degree murder with a deadly weapon in the death of Micaela Costanzo and was sentenced to life behind bars with the possibility of parole in 18 years. As of August 2018, she was sent to the Florence McClure Womens Correctional Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Patten Gives Another Version of Events In a meeting about a plea deal, Patten later gave another version of what happened the day Mickey died. He said Fratto had confronted Mickey in school that day and called her a slut. Patten suggested that Fratto and Mickey meet and talk it out. Fratto said she wanted to fight it out and Mickey had agreed. That was as far as Patten got with this version of the story. He stopped after his attorney recommended that he turn down the plea deal. In May 2012, Patten agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder to avoid the death penalty in the death of Micaela Costanzo. As part of the presentence report, Patten wrote a letter to the judge denying that he had killed Mickey. He laid the blame solely on Fratto, saying that she slit Mickeys throat. The judge didnt buy it. He sentenced Patten to life, telling him, Your blood runs cold, Mr. Patten. There shall be no possibility of parole. As of August 2018, Patten was incarcerated in Ely State Prison in White Pine County, Nevada. One Final Version? With the two killers locked away from one another, Fratto had time to reconsider her situation. She offered one more version of the deadly story. In an interview with Dateline NBC’s Keith Morrison, she said that she had been abused and controlled by Patten during most of their relationship and that he forced her to participate in murdering Mickey. She feared for her life after she saw him beat Mickey, she said and had no choice but to go along with what he wanted.

Property Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Property Management - Research Paper Example Property Management is a hot topic among modern real estate managers who are entrusted with the profitable care of any residential, commercial or industrial real estate in most modern cities and states around the world. Since the 1800's, effective and professional Property Management has been in demand, with the arrival of steel-frame buildings and elevators, the proliferation of the suburbs and the explosion of large real estate property-investment institutions that specifically aim to build more urban dwellings and infrastructure for the purpose of generating profits from real estate as an enterprise (Kyle et al, 3). With the advent of large urban commercial and industrial complexes, Corporate Property Management took its imposing place in the real property management scene while big government similarly responded with equally imposing bureaus intended to regulate the residential settlements and commercial complexes, with their sophisticated modeling schemes for simulating the growth, and implementing land audits that help dictate the land values of zoned areas in vast metropolises while placing various zonal restrictions aimed at efficiently harmonizing the explosion of mega-cities and the suburban sprawl. Sophisticated corporate... Sophisticated corporate strategies, financial instruments and computer based management information systems and property management-outsourcing which underlay the development of modern property management have been around for quite some time already, with much of their contribution to the practice of real estate property development, still evident in today's real estate property values that have been arrived at through the methods and practices advanced by modern-day property managers. However sophisticated this industry may now seem, Property Management began as the very basic practice of ensuring a property's maximum value (in terms of financial worth or appraisal) while expending the least amount of resources (financial or otherwise) for its upkeep and development. It involves the simple concepts of ensuring the maximum "value for money" on the part of the occupier and maximum profit on the part of the owner. It has been the property manager's job to make sure that the owner's best interests are sufficiently advanced while satisfying the requirements of the tenants. Property Management, as practiced by the State, by private corporations or by common individuals have remained fundamentally unchanged over the 19th century, that is to say that its objectives of profitability and operational efficiency remained the same, until the late 20th century wherein the real property market environment had undergone sweeping changes such that the management of a certain property, be it residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use or special-purpose, has become a major discipline requiring an interdisciplinary approach that involves an intricate network of whole government bureaucracies and corporate divisions that

The class is American Art and Architecture. Topic is the american Term Paper

The class is American Art and Architecture. Topic is the american artist John Singleton Copley - Term Paper Example He was one of the most successful artists in colonial America who was widely renowned for his portrait paintings and he was believed to be the master of great pieces of American history of arts. He was one of the finest portraitists in American history. His capacity of demonstrating the fantasies of people and objects in contrast with various combinations of light and dark enabled him to be recognized for a long time by the art historians. The parents of Copley were said to be poor and uncultured and he was the stepson of the artist Peter Pelham. By the time in 1760, although being difficult circumstances in life, Copley managed to gain the position of a supreme artist. And then in 1774, he left Boston and went to London, where he familiarize his style of painting with the British painterly approach and that was the time when he diversified his focus of the paintings from portraits to history paintings which enabled him in gaining global appreciation. Many people argue that Copley was not formerly trained under any professional artist, but this is not the reality. In the difficult times of his youth, Copley had to spend 3 years with his stepfather, Peter Pelham and there he got the chance to study and learn the drawing patterns, printmaking and the art of painting portraits. Not only his stepfather, but Copley also had witnessed the artistry works two English artists, John Smibert (1688 – 1751) and Joseph Blackburn (1752 – 1777). Copley had learned a lot from the copies of various old master paintings that were drawn by Simbert. The early work of Copley was mainly influenced by by  Joseph Badger (1707/8–1765), Robert Feke (about 1708–1751), and John Greenwood (1729–1792). Not only them, but his early works also reveal that they were influenced by Simbert and Blackburn. For instance, his painting of Joseph Mann which he painted in 1754 was influenced by the early works of Feke and Greenwood. He

Animal Species Essay Example for Free

Animal Species Essay 1. On the diagram below, what percentage of energy (from the choices in blue on the left) is transferred from a producer to a: (A) secondary consumer, (B) tertiary consumer, (C) quaternary consumer? The producer takes 100% from the sun then gives 10% to the primary consumer then 1% to the secondary consumer then .1% to the tertiary consumer and then .01% to the quaternary consumer. 2. Look at the quote from Rachel Carson on the first page. What do you think the quote means? Use some of the terms we have covered regarding the topic of food webs in your one to two paragraph explanation. All the life of the planet is inter-related  each species has its own ties to others, and  all are related to the earth. I think she’s referring to the consumption between the animals going all around the world and going to the past life, similar to earth because all the animals eventually die and are tied together on earth. The food chain connects everyone and everything together in some way which is key to life on earth. 3. Why is it beneficial that many predatory fish have larval and juvenile stages that feed at a low trophic level, while the adults feed at a tertiary or quaternary trophic level? It’s beneficial because then they’re not competing for the same food. If the juvenile are eating something different it will help them actually make it to adulthood. Also juvenile fish don’t have the same energy as the adults so they eat in the low trophic level because it’s an easier and safer feed. 4. Not all adults feed at a high trophic level. Whale sharks (50 ft) are the largest fish and feed on plankton and small fish, while Great White sharks (20 ft) are the largest carnivorous fish and feed on sea lions, seals and large fish. Blue whales (100 ft) are the largest whale and feed primarily on plankton and krill, while the Sperm whale (45 ft) is the largest carnivorous whale feeding on fish and very large squid. (a) How does the location of each animals position in relation to the producers contribute to their size? Be sure to look at the food chain and the amount of energy that is being transferred between the levels. –I think the location of an animal correlates with ones size because if you think of a wale compared to costal fish you know they can’t eat the same things considering a wale being right offshore is highly unlikely. Plus the larger animals (like a whale) won’t have as much energy  as a smaller animal to catch its food so they would eat in the low trophic level because it’s easier to get, and takes less energy. (b) Why do you suppose the plankton feeders are able to attain such large sizes compared to the carnivores? –The main reason I feel that plankton eaters are able to attain such large sizes is because plankton are not a hard catch compared to trying to catch a seal or chase a school of fish. Plankton eaters can eat a lot more, while saving energy, which is perfect for bigger animals.

The Importance of Physical Education and Health :: Teaching Philosophy Teacher Education Essays

The Importance of Physical Education and Health In studying Physical Education and Health, I have learned that there are a significant number of benefits of physical activity. Physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality, and of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes. Physical activity also improves mental health, and is important for the health of muscles, bones, and joints. As a teacher I will try to implement activities that will hold the students interest while benefiting them physically as well. I will also introduce the students to new activities, and sports instead of always using the conventional sports such as basketball, football, and other activities that students are already familiar with. If I have a student that has special needs I will deal with them case by case. I will make sure that those students will be involved in the activities, and interact with the other students. By doing this, the special needs students will not feel out of place, and it will give the other students a chance to interact with those that have different abilities. I will make the students feel comfortable in my class, so that they will have a positive experience with physical education. Hopefully by doing this, they will want to participate more in class, and maybe even be more apt to get involved in physical activities out as class. For example, if a student feels secure in his/her abilities to perform an activity they may join a team where they can further enhance their abilities. Hopefully my program will show a person that is already physically educated new ways to be physically active. Also I would want to introduce the benefits and ways of staying physically active their entire life. I want to be a coach and by being involved in a physical activity that is not mandatory, I will be helping students see that physical activity happens outside of the classroom too. I would also like to help start new programs in and out of school that would give children and adults the opportunities to be physically active. The adults in return, may see the purpose and benefits of being physically active that, hopefully, my students will learn from my classes.

Globalization and its Effects Essay

Research revelations in (Lardy, 2002, pp. 87-103) hold it that those countries which embraced globalization experienced an average of 5% growth, while those that shunned the concept experienced varied degrees of decline. Regardless of its positive impacts, Globalization if mishandled in one way or another can spell doom to a nation; this is due to the powerful economic vulnerable position that it puts a country on. As the economy grows, and international boarders linked, so does the non-traditional threats of terrorism, heightened rate of the spread of infectious diseases (SARS and HIV/AIDS) and other cross-boarder security issues. Globalization is an irreversible move and every nation has just to content with its effects, there is no short cut out of it; the best way to approach it therefore is to counter its effects and use them to the advantage of a national economy. Upon realizing this fact, the Chinese government went down into reconfiguring their economy to counter any negative outcome of globalization, for instance, it has affected reforms in the domestic banking and created diplomacy in defining international trade to at least protect Chinese interests (Susumu, 1999, p. ). Since globalization rolls the whole world into a single tiny village, the Chinese political big wigs have seen it necessary to consider the diverse effects that have in the past been not prioritized at all like; unregulated capital flows, cybercrime, epidemics, weapon proliferation and international terrorism. Top seed Chinese thinkers even believe that through the international institutions, globalization can be used to democratize t he United States and reduce their unilateralist political power. And if this concept is exploited well, China will grow into a rich and powerful nation, stable enough to shape the New World Order (Susumu, 1999, pp. 5-11). The Chinese economy stands to gain a lot in the current global direction that the nation is set on. With the current financial crisis, it does call for active international coordination to stay afloat and reduce incidences of worker lay offs. It will have mutual benefits for those who dare to fully participate in its drive. By getting to know the measures that other countries have put in place to counter biting effects, China has found a compromise point and forge a way forward through the current economic hard times. If the nation fine tunes its capital market and effects banking reforms, then it will help the world emerge out of the current economic crisis and even those of the future (http://www. unu. edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu11ee/uu11ee0p. htm). Globalization has helped China to gain a significant economic growth through breaking cultural bondage and establishing policies that lead to liberalization in this modern world. With the positivity that the nation has had on globalization, their current economic ranking rose to 7th from 32nd in the world, thanks to the integration with the world economy. The growth is attributed to increased corporate governance and human resource optimization. The positive effects of globalization as given in (Lardy, 2002, pp. 160-219) to the Chinese economy therefore include; strengthening interdependence in all nations, opening opportunities to bring into maximum use foreign capital and technology, promoting free trade that increase export trade. Lardy also gives highlights of the negative impacts presented by globalization, which he says are the following, but not limited to; difficulties in maintaining economic sovereignty especially for the developing nations and widening the rifts between the well industrialized economies and the marginalized ones. Globalization brings into play varied practices hence leading to cultural mix up; this is worse in a society which values originality like the Chinese. Besides these, it also results to an intensified competition for limited resources and higher scale of interdependence. To this effect, each and every person must acquire a way of coping up with the new development and adapt the new practices in the competitive environment. Traditional practices are most likely to be dropped in favor of new rules as individuals cooperate and coordinate with one another. To the Chinese government, they are currently down on what can be referred to as â€Å"system maintenance†. The nation has sought to have a stable relationship with its allies and foes a like as it feels that is the only way to rise above all the odds in the international system. To this effect, it has improved the level of democracy, which has in turn boosted its relationship with former foes like Germany, Russia, E. U and France (Susumu, 1999, pp. 11-15). Such a move will help China to actively participate in multinational institutions and transnational economic structures which will put it in a good position to counter future financial challenges with ease. For whichever government in place, it must strive to establish significant policies that can speed up development in all sectors of the economy. Even though globalization can cause a lot of hardships to the poor, it also opens opportunities to this group of individuals who dare to take advantage and turn the ills to their benefit. Poor people in this context refer to the recipients of public services, simple workers and those who frequently use common property resources to survive. With increased competition, the poor may find it hard to match high quality market standards hence falling out f business as production cost shoots or as the market price fluctuates. Social protection is therefore mandatory to be effected by every state that intends to go the global way, and China is not left out (Bardhan, 2004, pp. 271-278). Globalization affects poverty directly and indirectly, the government in place should get down on programs for instance investing on public facilities like health, education, training and other economic and social infrastructure that will cushion the public from the negative effects of globalization. These steps will go along way in reducing discrimination and market fragmentation in the society. Whilst the quality of life of many people will change for the better, some individuals will definitely lose it out. Globalization will present opportunities for everyone to grab and those who sleep on the idea and strive to maintain the status quo will be on the losing end. Resources drawn from every corner of the world will be made available; the same applies to technological advancement which makes things to be done much faster and easier. But one negative outcome of this is that the introduction of too much mechanization from the outside world will drive people out of employment as companies strive to achieve efficiency and reduce the production cost. But despite the negative effects, if properly affected, globalization stands a chance in ensuring that the nationals have a quality life worth living (Bardhan, 2004, p. 284). The advent of globalization presented so much challenge to the CCP (China Communist Party). People were getting more and more enlightened, especially with issues concerning their civil rights. Revolutions and a little bit isolated cases of political disability were therefore unavoidable and characterized the period. Labor standards became a thorny issue, as workers pushed to have their conditions be the same as those in the U. S. when labor barriers were eliminated production operations shifted directions to the U. S. The strain was not only felt in the labor market, the same was witnessed in the education, political, social and professional sectors which responded to accommodate the changes. All these under the CCP had to be addressed as they developed a force which needed political direction (Ding Lu, 2003, pp. 23-37). But all these moves were out of a good cause as it has helped the country to stay afloat above surging challenges. The future of the move seems to be no different as the party will have to employ the same tactics of changing with the changes. And more complex will be the future non traditional issues on security like; having to deal with separatists, drug traffickers, smugglers, cross-boarder criminal acts, ecological and environmental issues. Conclusion Globalization has been reported to be the force behind the robust economic growth in China as industrialization also took a centre stage in the country. But it is the imbalance in the international systems and national economies that are causing negative effects of the force. The financial crisis is not attributed to globalization and neither will it be the last straw to hit globalization, the government of China and all other world leaders should come up with mechanisms to coordinate the world market to strengthen their resistance to crises. Globalization tries to act like blanket of neutrality over the international capital flow and power relations. The successes that the nation is enjoying now area as a result of ancient liberalization and the move should never be dropped, for it is the only way to keep China and the rest of the world abreast as they ward off economic pitfalls. The programs which are meant to reduce the pathetic situation of the disadvantaged in the society should not only be meant to accelerate economic growth, but also help these individuals.