Live, Laugh, Love free essay sample

Live, Laugh, Love Everyone has difficult times in their lives; some tougher to get through than others. There is only one time period in my life that’s stands out to be the most difficult part of my life to get through. I was only eleven when this obstacle began, yet still to young to comprehend how tragic the situation actually was at the time. My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer in June 2004, and was put in the hospital for surgery and recovery. That summer the only times my brother, my sister, and I were able to go home was when we had to gather clothes; we migrated between our father’s house, our grandparents house, and our friends houses. After the summer ended and school started, we were able to move back into our house. Life was basically the same, except for the fact that my mom now had no hair and was vomiting every other hour due to the chemotherapy. We will write a custom essay sample on Live, Laugh, Love or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition, my mom, a single parent of three, had to stop working. Despite how sick she was, she still attempted to work as much as she could. Though we argued, like any other teenage daughter and mother would, our relationship grew stronger as I got older. I considered my mom as a best friend; she was someone who I was incredibly comfortable talking to and I adored being around. My friends loved my mom as much as I did as well. My mom used to come and eat lunch with me and my friends when I was in eighth grade. Even when I wasn’t home, some of my friends used to come over and spend time with my mom. She was loved by everyone, old and young. In September 2007, I entered Shepaug Valley High School, and I spent a lot of time away from home my freshman year. I allowed our relationship to drift apart; partly because I was angry at her for forcing me to go to Shepaug Valley High School and the other part was me just being a rebel. I got myself into some trouble early in the summer of 2008, which really made it obvious that my relationship with my mom was lacking something. Little did I know, the medicines for my mom had stopped working and all she had left as an option was to hope for an acceptance into a cancer clinical trial. But it is only now that I realize my mom knew she was dying; she took away my punishment months early. She knew I was unhappy, and she didn’t want to see me unhappy in her final months. I started my sophomore year at New Milford High School and was having a difficult time adjusting to the new school. One of the days, my mom picked me up, and I immediately began talking about my needs and desires. My mom only turned to me and said â€Å" Nichole, I’m dying.† The tumor in her liver was continuously growing and could not be stopped, so her liver was failing. My mom was dying and I had only acted spiteful and inconsiderate towards her when she clearly didn’t deserve that. Reality had finally hit me. Shortly after that car ride, my mom was hospitalized. This time though, she only grew weaker and more sickly. And when matters didn’t improve, she was brought back home. Friends and family came to visit her before it was too late. Then things took a turn for the worst. I was just about to begin practice when my father called me saying that he needed to get me immediately; my mom wasn’t doing well. The next morning, November 8th, 2008, I was woken up at seven only to be informed that my mom had passed away in her sleep. The wake and funeral took place a few days later and I had the love and support of my friends and family. Afterwards though, my brother, my sister, and I had to move out of our house and in with our father. Mentally, I was not alright afterwards; I had trouble sleeping at night and I had a hard time letting out emotions and kept them all bottled up. It took much effort to get myself mentally stable. I saw a therapist who helped me tremendously to overcome this hardship. I even started to spend more time with my sister, who has now become the best friend that my mom was to me. Having gone through this dreadful experience, I consider it to be my awakening. It has opened my eyes to reality and has changed my perspective on life. Prior to my mom’s death, I was inconsiderate towards others and took everything for granted, but now I appreciate every single thing in my life. I don’t treat people with disrespect anymore because you never know what could happen to them suddenly. And most importantly I cherish every second of my life and I treat it as though it were my last. I once read that you time will pass by too fast and eventually you will lose someone you love, so laugh too much and love like you‘ve never been hurt, because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you will never get back. And you can’t be afraid that your life will end, but you should be afraid that you life will never begin. I admire that and take it into consideration when I look upon my life.

Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Explorer and Cartographer

Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Explorer and Cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454–February 22, 1512) was an Italian explorer and cartographer. In the early 16th century, he showed that the New World was not part of Asia but was, in fact, its own distinct area. The Americas take their name from the Latin form of Amerigo. Fast Facts: Amerigo Vespucci Known For: Vespuccis expeditions led him to the realization that the New World was distinct from Asia; the Americas were named after him.Born: March 9, 1454 in Florence, ItalyParents: Ser Nastagio Vespucci and Lisabetta MiniDied: February 22, 1512 in Seville, SpainSpouse: Maria Cerezo Early Life Amerigo Vespucci was born on March 9, 1454, to a prominent family in Florence, Italy. As a young man, he read widely and collected books and maps. He eventually began working for local bankers and was sent to Spain in 1492 to look after his employers business interests. While he was in Spain, Vespucci had the chance to meet Christopher Columbus, who had just returned from his voyage to America; the meeting increased Vespuccis interest in taking a journey across the Atlantic. He soon began working on ships, and he went on his first expedition in 1497. The Spanish ships passed through the West Indies, reached South America, and returned to Spain the following year. In 1499, Vespucci went on his second voyage, this time as an official navigator. The expedition reached the mouth of the Amazon River and explored the coast of South America. Vespucci was able to calculate how far west he had traveled by observing the conjunction of Mars and the Moon. The New World On his third voyage in 1501, Vespucci sailed under the Portuguese flag. After leaving Lisbon, it took Vespucci 64 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean due to light winds. His ships followed the South American coast to within 400 miles of the southern tip, Tierra del Fuego. Along the way, the Portuguese sailors in charge of the voyage asked Vespucci to take over as commander. While he was on this expedition, Vespucci wrote two letters to a friend in Europe. He described his travels and was the first to identify the New World of North and South America as a separate landmass from Asia. (Christopher Columbus mistakenly believed he had reached Asia.) In one letter, dated March (or April) 1503, Vespucci described the diversity of life on the new continent: We knew that land to be a continent, and not an island, from its long beaches extending without trending round, the infinite number of inhabitants, the numerous tribes and peoples, the numerous kinds of wild animals unknown in our country, and many others never seen before by us, touching which it would take long to make reference. In his writings, Vespucci also described the culture of the indigenous people, focusing on their diet, religion, and- what made these letters very popular- their sexual, marriage, and childbirth practices. The letters were published in many languages and were distributed across Europe (they sold much better than Columbuss own diaries). Vespuccis descriptions of the natives were vivid and frank: They are people gentle and tractable, and all of both sexes go naked, not covering any part of their bodies, just as they came from their mothers’ wombs, and so they go until their deaths...They are of a free and good-looking expression of countenance, which they themselves destroy by boring the nostrils and lips, the nose and ears...They stop up these perforations with blue stones, bits of marble, of crystal, or very fine alabaster, also with very white bones and other things. Vespucci also described the richness of the land, and hinted that the region could be easily exploited for its valuable raw materials, including gold and pearls: The land is very fertile, abounding in many hills and valleys, and in large rivers, and is irrigated by very refreshing springs. It is covered with extensive and dense forests...No kind of metal has been found except gold, in which the country abounds, though we have brought none back in this our first navigation. The natives, however, assured us that there was an immense quantity of gold underground, and nothing was to be had from them for a price. Pearls abound, as I wrote to you. Scholars are not certain whether or not Vespucci participated in a fourth voyage to the Americas in 1503. If he did, there is little record of it, and we can assume the expedition was not very successful. Nevertheless, Vespucci did assist in the planning of other voyages to the New World. European colonization of this region accelerated in the years after Vespuccis voyages, resulting in settlements in Mexico, the West Indies, and South America. The Italian explorers work played an important role in helping colonizers navigate the territory. Death Vespucci was named pilot-major of Spain in 1508. He was proud of this accomplishment, writing that I was more skillful than all the shipmates of the whole world. Vespucci contracted malaria and died in Spain in 1512 at the age of 57. Legacy The German clergyman-scholar Martin Waldseemà ¼ller liked to make up names. He even created his own last name by combining the words for wood, lake, and mill. Waldseemà ¼ller was working on a contemporary world map in 1507, based on the Greek geography of Ptolemy, and he had read of Vespuccis travels and knew that the New World was indeed two continents. In honor of Vespuccis discovery of this portion of the world, Waldseemà ¼ller printed a wood block map (called Carta Mariana) with the name America spread across the southern continent of the New World. Waldseemà ¼ller sold 1,000 copies of the map across Europe. Within a few years, Waldseemà ¼ller had changed his mind about the name for the New World- but it was too late. The name America had stuck. Gerardus Mercators world map of 1538 was the first to include North America and South America. Vespuccis legacy lives on through the continents named in his honor. Sources Fernndez-Armesto Felipe. Amerigo: the Man Who Gave His Name to America. Random House, 2008.Vespucci, Amerigo. â€Å"The Letters of Amerigo Vespucci.† Early Americas Digital Archive (EADA).

Minimalism or Minimal Art Mid-1960s to the Present

Minimalism or Minimal Art Mid-1960s to the Present Minimalism or Minimal Art is a form of  abstraction. It focuses on the most essential and elemental aspects of an object. The art critic Barbara Rose explained in her groundbreaking article ABC Art, Art in America (October-November 1965), that this empty, repetitious, uninflected aesthetic could be found in the visual arts, dance, and music. (Merce Cunningham and   John Cage  would be examples in dance and music.) Minimal art aims to reduce its content to rigorous clarity. It may try to rid itself of evocative effect, but it does not always succeed. Agnes Martins faint graphite lines drawn on pale flat surfaces seem to radiate with human delicacy and humility. In a small room with low light, they can be exceptionally moving. How Long Minimalism Has Been a Movement Minimalism reached its peak during the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, but many of its practitioners are still alive and well today. Dia Beacon, a museum of mainly Minimalist pieces, exhibits a permanent collection of the best-known artists in the movement. For example, Michael Heizers North, East, South, West (1967/2002) is permanently installed on the premises. Some artists, such as Richard Tuttle and Richard Serra, are now considered Post-Minimalists. What Are the Key Characteristics of Minimalism? Clarity and simplicity of form.No narrative.No anecdotal content or references.Emphasis on pure shapes.Often monochromatic surfaces. Best Known Minimalists: Agnes MartinDonald JuddMichael HeizerRobert MorrisRobert SerraRichard TuttleTony SmithAnn TruitRonald BladenDan FlavinSol LeWittRobert MangoldDorothea Rockburne Suggested Reading Battcock, Gregory (ed.). Minimal Art: A Critical Anthology.New York: Dutton, 1968.

Corporate social responsibility focusing on Starbucks Essay

Corporate social responsibility focusing on Starbucks - Essay Example Starbucks is involved in many CSR initiatives ranging from philanthropy to service projects. The company is keen on enhancing ethical sourcing programs and environmental concerns. The organization has various NGOs and CSR programs which follow different ethical and social standards. In order to successfully achieve this, the company has developed an effective communication strategy that fits the needs of the various stakeholders. Organizations are increasingly being pressured by their environment to become social citizens while still being profitable. Rather than being a differentiation strategy, acting ethical and social responsibility has become an expectation. Organizations have to achieve legitimacy through responding to the expectations of the community. The company uses both online and multimedia communication features to address the expectations of the stakeholders. The company has suffered from stakeholder skeptism (Forehand and Grier, 2003). The company was accused of being unrealistic and extremely philanthropic. In order for the stakeholders to develop confidence, the company has increased transparency and decreased the chances of miss communication. The company ensures that there are no self-beneficial motives when carrying out the social responsibility and ethics program. In doing this, the company has stressed the need for engaging in the social issues that counter the skeptics from the stakeholders. Ethical/social issues targeting stakeholders Starbucks is sentient that its stakeholders have diverse prospects and requirements (Morsing and Schultz, 2006). The company has explicitly tailored its CSR program to meet these needs. Starbucks is using transparency and philanthropy to target the stakeholders. This includes supporting coffee farmers in Mexico and Ethiopia. The company has developed programs that emphasize on the long-term commitment to the CRS and ethics initiatives (Forehand and Grier, 2003). The shareholders of the leading organizations have been consistent in their shift from maximizing profits to increasing value. Companies have to balance people, planet and profit in a globalised market (Schwartz and Carroll, 2003). More power relies on the stakeholders to demand increased transparency and organizational communication. The stakeholders expect the companies to document and acknowledge their impact in the environment (Saksson and Jorgensen, 2010). The organizational ethical behaviors have come under sharp focus (Forehand and Grier, 2003). CRS is perceived to be a morally and ethically correct approach in which all the shareholders stand to gain. The modern corporations have a major part of their assets being the intangible parts i.e. the reputation, goodwill and human capita (Morsing and Schultz, 2006). Therefore, CSR approaches are significant for the achievement and legitimization of any successful corporation. Stakeholders perceive an organization based on the reputation and goodwill the company enjoys (Schwar tz and Carroll, 2003). For CSR initiatives in Starbucks to be successful, the corporate communication tools must be interpreted in the right ways (Forehand and Grier, 2003). The process of establishing and maintain the mutual relations between the public and an organization is crucial (Morsing and Schultz, 2006). Many organizations are facing a dilemma on how to handle stakeholders (Preble, 2005). Organizations have to achieve maximum profits and at the same time meet the demands of the stakeholders (Saksson and Jorgensen, 2010). The company has stressed on both economic and ethical motives while executing the CSR program. Analysis on multiple factors The ethical motives are salient and are emphasized through ethical organizations (Preble, 2005). Starbucks has to meet certain standards in its value chain. The strategic team of the company acknowledges that having a bad reputation has negative implications to the stakeholders

Assigment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assigment 2 - Essay Example The Texas State Senate and United States Senate allow their members to filibuster bills. This paper analyzes the similarities and differences between Texas state senate and United States senate filibustering. Similarities In the US, filibustering is a powerful legislative tool and it has been used to influence many senate proceedings and outcomes. For instance in the united states senate, most major legislations require over 60% votes before being nominated for a house debate. While filibustering may be viewed as a democratic move in most senates, most people believe that filibustering is negative and uncalled for in any proceeding. This is evident in both the US and Texas state senate’s, where parliamentarians have created bills to stop filibustering. Filibustering has also attracted positive criticism in both the US and Texas state senate. For instance filibustering has been used to shun contentious bills from being passed without prior participation of all senate members. F or instance, the abortion bill that threatened to criminalize abortion and instruct the closure of all abortion clinics has been delayed due to the existence of filibustering in the Texas. Thus, in both the US ant Texas state senate, filibustering has positive and negative criticism. Senate Rule XXII, the US state senate allows certain senators to prolong a bill or a speech for as long as they can. The law recognizes the necessity to prolong certain bills. This is usually true in both the US and Texas senate. In the US senate, prolong a house debate was an open practice until the house of representative passed a permanent rule in 1842 to limit the length of debates. Similar measures have been taken in the Texas state senate to regulate house debates. There are many uncertainties in filibustering bills as administered in both senates. The main issue attached to filibustering, is the determination of the length of a debate. According to critics, it is impossible to determine or out ru le, the length of a bill based on the filibustering policy. For instance, it is impossible to define how long a long speech is. Lack of a clear-cut definition on the length of a debate has been applied by critics to shoot down filibustering bills. Lack of clear-cut policies on filibustering is evident in both the US and Texas state senate. The passage of filibustering legislations has not been welcomed by most senators who use lengthy discussions or debates to prevent or influence the passage of bills. The issue of filibustering is commonly associated with US politics. In both the Texas and US senates, republicans are believed to be the main filibusters. The political association is historic and it has minimal implication on bill passage. However, senate proceedings are influenced by the US senate. More so, the bill of rights and other contentious issues are often ruled out depending on political affiliations. The rules of both houses are clear on the issue of filibustering and neit her of the houses identifies filibustering as a political issue. Indeed, both senates recognize filibustering as important in any proceedings. The cause of filibustering in both the US and Texas senate are similar and they are protected by the law. For instance the in the US senate, most common filibustering occur when a senator attempts to delay or obstruct a vote or a bill. On such

The Keys to Entrepreneurship Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursewo

The Keys to Entrepreneurship What makes a successful entrepreneur? What can one do to put oneself in a position to succeed on their own? Jay Goltz, for example, is an extremely successful entrepreneur who started his business from the ground up. In the summer of 1978, Jay Goltz founded the Artist’s Frame Service. His business started by using his father’s basement as his office, but eventually moved to an old factory district in Chicago. Today, Goltz’s business in the largest retail, custom picture framing facility in the United States, with over 120 employees and more than $9 million in sales. This success has led Goltz to earn several awards, including being inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. What did Goltz do or possess to make his business venture so successful? Perhaps if one asks the right questions the answers will reveal themselves. Why do entrepreneurs like Jay Goltz succeed when so many others fail? Can a person develop the personality traits to become a suc cessful entrepreneur, and how would one attempt to do that? How important is a business plan when getting started in a business like Goltz’s Artist’s Frame Service? By examining Jay Goltz, and how he started his business, one should be able to identify the attributes that are required to be successful in entrepreneurship. Jay Goltz succeeded in business, I believe, because he was much more prepared than the average person was. Along with possessing key personality traits, Mr. Golt...

Motivational Theories and Factors Essay

Stress and conflict in the workplace can cause major emotional and physical damage to the facility and workers. In the past, there have been reports of tragedies caused by disgruntled workers who may have clocked in with a gun in hand. We are going to look into ‘three motivational theories including the relationship of stress and conflict in relation to individual motivations. ’ Many factors can motivate employees while at work. Some of the motivating factors could include the structure of the lives of the employees before they became employed. Personality is a big factor in employee performance and motivation. Someone that is an introvert may not have the same mind set as an extrovert. This will definitely dictate how that employee behaves and responds to directives at work. Turmoil has happened in recent years in workplace settings. Let us take a closer look at a tragic workplace incident. Omar Thornton was a thirty-four year old black delivery driver in Manchester Connecticut. On August 4, 2010, he signed his resignation papers in front of witnesses after he saw video footage of him stealing beer from his company. Before leaving the room he reportedly pulled a gun and started randomly shooting workers he came across. In the end, he killed eight, leaving two wounded before he killed himself. Thornton’s relatives and girlfriend said he had been harassed in a racial manner. This story is not the only one we have seen in the news. It proves that motivation can be a source of good behavior or negative. In Thornton’s case he was motivated by what he thought to be racially aimed mistreatment from his white co workers. This caused him to become stressed and it reached a deadly point of conflict, a him against them scenario. In the real world, no employee should allow their job stress to motivate them to take lives or destroy property. Stress can lead to serious consequences, whether it becomes a health issue or affects performance in a negative way. If employees are in constant conflict over management issues, pay working conditions or other concerns, this can lead to low moral among the employee congregation. It won’t matter if all employees are involved in the struggle, dissatisfaction can spread like sand into each individual’s boundaries. It will be the main topic around the water cooler each day. The job for management is to keep employees motivated in the right direction for the good of the company and its productivity. Management can help decrease the incidents of job dissatisfaction by following these steps. Positive reinforcement should always follow an employees job well done. When problems or disagreements arise the discipline should fit the crime. All persons who live up to their expected performance should be treated in a fair respectful manner. Goals should always be well pronounced so that no employee will say they didn’t know what was expected of them. Some jobs may need to be restructured to generate better productivity. All employees who perform in an acceptable capacity should be rewarded fro their compliance. Increased pay or a truck load of benefits may not always be at the top of the list when it comes to employee motivation. People want to feel needed and appreciated on the job. They want to know that their work is worth something. So, to decrease the incidents of stress, unfairness which can lead to conflict and disgruntled or dissatisfied employees, companies need to place value on employees who are doing what they are asked. When conflicts arise, there should be a procedure in place to allow every voice to be heard. When I am involved in stressful work situations, I bring it to the attention of my department manager. I do not attack an individual, I attack the cause of the problem. I follow the company’s guidelines for resolution, it has always worked for me. Since I started this class, I have learned that positive external motivation can also decrease or prevent stress in the workplace. So there should be a plan already in place to head off negative incidents.