Harvard Social Enterprise Conference

Harvard Social Enterprise Conference The Social Enterprise Conference brings together top leaders, practitioners, and students passionate about social enterprise. In our 17th year, the conference’s content focused on the untold truths of Social Enterprise and challenge participants to dare to take the steps necessary to make a difference. One of the great things about being at one of the top universities in the world is being right next to another one of the top universities in the world. The conference took place on Saturday, March 5th at the Harvard Kennedy School and Sunday, March 6th at Harvard Business School, neither of which Ive ever been to before. I really wanted to go but I had a pset due on Saturday and plans to hang out with friends Friday. So I stayed up Friday night watching Pineapple Express with a fraternity brother, then worked for six hours, finished by 8am, slept for three hours, woke up, had a nice cup of coffee, called up my friends inviting them to join me at Harvard that day, turned my MIT hat inside out, and made my way up to conference. AT MIT, they say you have to pick only two between academics, sleep, and social life, but I was damn sure going to squeeze in all three.   The Harvard Social Enterprise Conference had attendees and sponsors from all over the world. It was an honor to be able to attend and meet amazing people who shared such a strong desire to have a positive impact in the world. Aldrich Hall, part of the Harvard Business School and the location of some of the panels on the second day of the conference. This is a study hall inside of Spangler Hall. A study hall. I dont know how people could study in a place like this. Id be too distracted gawking around at the chandeliers, the mahogony floors, the fancy rugs, the leather chairs, and the exquisite atmosphere. Rich Corinthian leather. At the Untapped Talent: Breaking Down Barriers to Employment panel. Afterwards I got to talk to one of the panelists, Jordyn Lexton, founder of Drive Change, locally sourced food trucks that hire, teach, and empower formerly incarcerated youth. I shared the story of our jalapeño bacon mac and cheese  campaign  my friends and I did a few months ago and Jordyn was extremely impressed at how far weve come and how far we plan to go. Back to the Future: Impact Investing. Another panel on the second day of the conference expaling impact investments, investments into companies made with the intention to generate a measurable social or environmental impact alongside a financial return. These panels were great, but the real stealer of the show came towards the end of the first day during a virtual reality demo, where I watched an eight-minute virtual reality film called Inside Impact: East Africa. The film is part of the Clinton Global Initiative and documents President Clinton and Chelsea Clintons trip to East Africa in spring 2015 and how the Clinton Global Intitiative is changing lives and empowering communities.   I put on the glasses and just like that, I was teleported to Bill Clintons office, where he was briefing me on the initiative. I listened to him at first, but soon I became distracted and started spinning around on my chair and looking outside his office window. Suddenly I found myself in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, in the middle of the day. I was sitting behind a merchants table at a marketplace as I looked around, noticing the skyscrapers and the busy traffic around me. Then I was teleported to Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, but only a short distance away from Nairobi. I was sitting on the railroad tracks overlooking the slums. I could practically feel the heat wave over me and hear the mosquitos buzzing around. I then sat in a classroom at the Farasi Lane School back in Nairobi. A teacher trained by the Discovery Learning Alliance (DLA) was teaching her students about malaria prevention. I listened to the class, how it was taught, and how the kids answered the questions. Image courtesy of the Clinton Global Initiative. With the virtual reality headset I could see the classroom and even look directly behind me to the kids sitting in the back seats. Afterwards, I met with a Solar Sister Entrepreneur in rural Karatu, Tanzania. A solar panel on her roof charges a generator and provides her house with power, but she also sells solar-powered lights, cookstoves, and other goods. Then I attended the Starkey Foundations public hearing aid fitting in one of the neighborhoods. I watched a little boy regain his hearing and react to the snapping of his moms fingers and her subsequent tears of joy after the hearing aid was put into his ear. After the experience ended, I took off my googles and was back in the basement of the Harvard Kennedy School, speechless. I travelled halfway around the world and experienced the lives of six different people in eight minutes. The experience connected me a lot more with the communities in Nairobi, Kibera, and Karatu, and I see so much potential for how virtual reality could bring us closer in the future. I decided right then and there I was going to get a virtual reality headset for myself to start messing around and developing for it. I stood up, walked over to the table, put the goggles down, pulled out my phone, went on Amazon.com, and bought myself a Samsung Gear VR. If you guys want to get involved as well, I suggest buying a pair or getting the much cheaper Google Cardboard, which works with any phone, or even just finding a virtual reality group near you. Theres tons of virtual reality Facebook and Meetup groups you can join.

Philosophy And Its Importance Of Philosophy - 861 Words

Philosophy and Its Importance Doing philosophy as many philosophers demonstrate over time and in the present is to simply question the understanding of what is known and not known or accepted and unaccepted. This is to say, that philosophers must question all aspects of life and all the surrounding dimensions of the world. In doing so, the philosopher is trying to grasp a firmer or different understanding of the truth that is either presently or not presently known; whether comforting or not comforting. One of the world’s most famous and original philosophers Socrates, had a student named Plato who explains this very concept of philosophy in the â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† when describing what it would be like for the newly free prisoner to realize the actual true reality in which the prisoner lives in. â€Å"[The prisoner would] be pained and dazzled and unable to see whose shadows [the prisoner had] seen before†, but the prisoner would now see reality more clea rly than previously seen before. (Plato) Though the prisoner’s revelation seems to be uncomforting, Plato follows this newly sorrowful seen reality by asserting that the prisoner’s next steps in continuing would be to â€Å"see the sun, not images of it in water or some alien place, but the sun itself, in its own place, and be able to study it.† (Plato) The prisoner could now expand on this new realization of reality and allow this new view to further carry the prisoner to future and further understandings of reality and itsShow MoreRelatedImportance And Importance Of Philosophy1179 Words   |  5 PagesSarah Smith Philosophy 102 Dan Synnesvedt 18 September 2017 What is Philosophy? Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline(Webster.) The value theory or value system is the system that is used in order to determine how one determines the importance of things, ideas and people. Philosophy can be a hard term or subject to fully grasp, while in actuality the word directly translated from Greek is loveRead MoreThe Importance of Philosophy Essay1311 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Philosophy ‘Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions, since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves.’ (Bertrand Russell, Problem of Philosophy, pp. 93-94). Discuss the usefulness (or the lack of it) of studying philosophy with referenceRead MoreThe Importance Of The Philosophy Of Science865 Words   |  4 Pagescommunicate clearly, and use information effectively to solve problems and become leaders in their communities. â€Å"Political efficacy is not necessarily a matter per se of what to think; it is more fundamentally about how to think† (Snauwaert, Importance of the Philosophy of Science, 2012). A pedagogical view allows the students to reflect upon their activities to solve a scientific puzzle which can stimulate the learning process for future endeavors. Students cant just learn science content andRead More The Importance of Philosophy Essay1171 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of Philosophy The question is Philosophy. Why is it important? What makes it important? To answer theses questions you first have to know what philosophy is. Philosophy is defined as: the pursuit of wisdom; a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means. This is the written definition of philosophy, but I think philosophy can’t be defined to just words. It’s more then words. Philosophy to me is an attempt to understandRead MoreThe Importance of Philosophy to Engineering8110 Words   |  33 PagesAbstract Philosophy has not paid sufficient attention to engineering. Nevertheless, engineering should not use this as an excuse to ignore philosophy. The argument here is that philosophy is important to engineering for at least three reasons. First, philosophy is necessary so that engineers may understand and defend themselves against philosophical criticisms. In fact, there is a tradition of engineering philosophy that is largely overlooked, even by engineers. Second, philosophy, especially ethicsRead MoreImportance of Moral Philosophy1122 Words   |  5 PagesA Moral Essay As a human being and as a leader, moral philosophy is very important (Fagothey, 2000; Pojman, 2012). What a leader believes from a moral and ethical standpoint is often shaped by what that leader was taught growing up. Each person has a set of morals that they learned at some point in their life. These morals were observed from and taught by parents and other family members, as well as friends, neighbors, teachers, and others in the community. The goal becomes the reaching of EudaimoniaRead MoreEssay about The Importance of Philosophy582 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Philosophy â€Å"All things in life are philosophical.† This is a well-known quote by the renowned Greek scientist/philosopher Aristotle. When one is to imagine life without thought, free will or knowledge, they are left to only imagine the oblivion they would be left to reside in. To me, philosophy is more than ethics, esthetics, and epistemology... it is the ability to stand ones ground with certain viewpoints, attitudes and beliefs. Philosophy seemed to be the centerRead MoreThe Importance Of Philosophy And Happiness By Epicurus991 Words   |  4 Pages Letter to Menoeceus by Epicurus In this piece of writing Letter to Menoeceus, Epicurus highly emphasized on the importance of philosophy and happiness. To begin with, he encouraged people of all ages, whether young or old, to study philosophy in order to develop better understanding of what desires to fulfill. By philosophy, Epicurus meant a state of mind, based on a realistic worldview that, if its implications were understood, would free people’s minds from superstitious fear and moral anxietyRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Moderation in Greek Philosophy1842 Words   |  8 Pagesis a classic example of the consequences of gaining too much knowledge. Remnants of this tale can be seen throughout the western world an in some of the greatest literature. The Greeks are known for their contributions to government, culture and philosophy. Their influence can still be seen today. The Greeks produced ideas that laid the groundwork for modern civilizations and they pushed the boundaries of knowledge in sever al areas. However, some of the most celebrated Greek thinkers questioned theRead MoreThe Importance of Disctinction Between Knowledge and Belief in Philosophy1231 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of Disctinction Between Knowledge and Belief in Philosophy To try and decipher the distinction between knowledge and belief we must first understand what the meaning of Philosophy is. In its simplest definition it translates to â€Å"the love of wisdom† taken from the Greek word â€Å"philo† which means love and â€Å"sophia† meaning wisdom. Philosophers love to know the truth about the general principles of the world and they pursue the truth in these. Through the ages

America s Drug Enforcement And Addiction - 1725 Words

It might seem like the United States has become more lenient on drug enforcement and addiction. Considering that municipalities removed penalties for bringing in someone overdoing on drugs into the emergency room and have lowered the minimum amount of time someone spends in prison for drug possession. However, I argue these changes are motivated by the changing face of heroin or its increasing use among the white suburban middle class. For instance, more social resources have been allocated to today’s Heroin epidemic compared to harsh crime laws issued in the 1990’s used to combat the Drug War. One can argue that the United States has taken steps to improve the treatment of drug users, but this overlooks the fact that there is an†¦show more content†¦(Fernandez) This resulted in increasing instances of racially segregated neighborhoods and aggravated Urban decay in Inner city neighborhoods. Although disenfranchisement in the South may not fully explain why drug addiction marginalizes racial minorities, it is key to explaining why African Americans and other minorities were subject to harsher penalties during 1990’s. The War on Drugs was declared In the 1980’s and 90’s, the United States was going through a War on Drugs. â€Å"The carceral effects of the New Democrats’ competition with the Republicans vastly increased the ranks of the incarcerated. State and federal prisons imprisoned more people under Clinton’s watch than under any previous administration.† (Murch) The Clinton administration took a different approach to what its republican predecessors did. It included The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which introduced harsher penalties for drug trafficking and violent and escalated the Drug War. The bill included provisions such as: â€Å"†¦including a three strikes mandatory life sentence for repeat offenders, money to hire 100,000 new police officers, $9.7bn in funding for prisons, and an expansion of death penalty-eligible offences. It also dedicated $6.1bn to prevention [programs] designed with significant input from experienced police officers, however, the bulk of the funds were dedicated to measures that are seen as punitive rather than rehabilitative or preventative.† (BBC)Show MoreRelatedLaw Enforcement : The United States Essay1595 Words   |  7 PagesWe the People Law enforcement was designed in the early 1800’s by a man named Robert Peal, which is why cops are sometimes referred to as Bobbies in England; designing an organization of law enforcement that would protect people from harming other people (Christ). This was the model that we based our western law enforcement agencies on, until prohibition became a federal task in the 1920’s. This is when the federal government decided to take up the task of protecting people from themselves. FastRead MoreUnited States War On Drugs Essay1575 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"War on Drugs† been successful in reducing illicit drug abuse in the country? The â€Å"War on Drugs† is a term generally referred in America to the campaign aiming to reduce drug abuse in the country. The term first appeared in July 18 1971, when former U.S. President Richard Nixon started the campaign. However, on April 9, 2015, President Obama publicly announced that the policy has been counterproductive, and needs to be overhauled. Based on my research, I have concluded that the â€Å"War on Drugs† policyRead MoreMeth Addiction : The Only Way Anyone Ever Quits An Addiction1307 Words   |  6 PagesMeth Addictions â€Å"The only way anyone ever quits an addiction is that they come to a place where the desire to be free exceeds the desire to use† (â€Å"Anonymous†). Methamphetamine is not a new drug. In 1887, Germany first made amphetamine. Later on in 1919, Japan developed meth. When they discovered that the powder was soluble in water and then could be used for injection, it became popular in World War II to keep soldiers awake. Kamikaze pilots on their suicide mission were given high doses. LaterRead MoreDrug Addiction : History, Laws, And Treatment Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pages Drug Addiction, History, Laws, and Treatment Drug Addiction itself affects almost  ­Ã¢â‚¬ Twenty-three million Americans are currently addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs. Only one in 10 percent of them (2.6 million) receives the treatment they need. The result: a treatment gap of more than 20 million Americans†(Writer, B. J. 2010). Drug Addiction is it truly a disease or a choice? Many state authority figures say it s a choice not a disease much of science says it s a choice disease, both inRead MoreThe Mexican President Felipe Calder989 Words   |  4 PagesName: Kevin Whitten Topic: Mexico s War on Drugs Purpose: Inform Organizational Plan: Topical Introduction Attention Getter: A bloody war has been raging on in North America for the last four years which has resulted in over 34,500 deaths as of December 2010, which was by far one of the most violent years so far with over 15,000 people killed. Speaker Purpose: Having been stationed in Fort Hood Texas for three years I often visited Mexico and being an addict in recovery, in some smallRead MorePolicy And Implications Of The President s Inaugural National Drug Control Strategy Essay1727 Words   |  7 Pagesinaugural, the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy presented an evidence-based practice that addressed reducing drug use and eliminating its consequences in the United States (National Drug Control Strategy, 2013). The president responded by having his administration draft the â€Å"third way† in drug policy, which rejects taking extreme measures on drug addicts and in criminalizing them, also minimizing the United States participation in the â€Å"war on drugs† (National Drug Control Strategy, 2013). ThisRead MoreThe Modern War On Drugs977 Words   |  4 PagesModern War on Drugs In the past forty years, the United States has spent over $2.5 trillion dollars funding enforcement and prevention in the fight against drug use in America (Suddath). Despite the efforts made towards cracking down on drug smugglers, growers, and suppliers, statistics show that addiction rates have remained unchanged and the number of people using illegal drugs is increasing daily (Sledge). Regardless of attempts to stem the supply of drugs, the measure and quality of drugs goes upRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1331 Words   |  6 PagesWar On Drugs Decriminalization provides a solution the problems related to drugs. Decriminalization is not making drugs legal, it is treating the drug addicts as a patient instead of making them feel like they are criminals and putting them into a jail although selling drugs is still illegal. Drugs must be decriminalized because decriminalization has proven that the death rates and crime rates have decreased and the use of drugs have decreased in decriminalized countries such as PortugalRead MoreThe Drug Of Drug Abuse1143 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica has been fighting drug abuse for over a century. Four Presidents have waged a â€Å"War on Drugs† and unfortunately, this war continues to be lost at an alarming magnitude. Drug abusers continue to fill our courts, hospitals, and prisons. The drug trade causes violent crime that ravages our neighborhoods. Children of drug abusers are neglected, abused, and even abandoned. The current methods of dealing with this issue are not worki ng. Our society needs to implement new and effective laws and programsRead MoreDrug Abuse1279 Words   |  6 PagesThe use of and abuse of illegal and prescription drugs are a health, social, and law enforcement problem that is affecting Americans across the country. Drug abuse is destroying the lives of many teens and adults and is also destroying families in the United States. The use of drugs is a major problem in the United States among all Americans, but drug addiction is the main cause for America s troubled teens today. Exactly what is a drug? A drug is any chemical that produces a therapeutic or non-therapeutic

Forrest Gump Chapter Thirteen Free Essays

string(102) " this little partition to take a pee in a jar in private, when all of a sudden I hear this commotion\." Chapter Thirteen My first impression is of bein squashed under somethin, such as my daddy was when them bananas fell on him. Can’t move, can’t yell, can’t say nothin, can’t do nothin – we is strictly here for the ride. Outside, lookin thru the winder, all I can see is blue sky. We will write a custom essay sample on Forrest Gump Chapter Thirteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now The spaceship is movin out. After a little wile, we seem to slow down some, an things ease up. Major Fritch say we can unbuckle our seatbelts now, an get on bout our bidness, whatever it is. She say we is now travelin at a speed of fifteen thousan miles a hour. I look back an sure enough, the earth is only a little ball behin us, just like it look in all them pichers from outer space. I look aroun, an there’s the big ole ape, all sour-lookin, an glum, glarin at Major Fritch an me. She say maybe he want his lunch or somethin, an for me to go on back there an give him a banana afore he gets angry an does somethin bad. They has packed a little bag of food for the ape an it contain bananas an some cereals an dried berries an leaves an shit like that. I get it open an start rummagin thru it lookin for somethin that will make the ape happy, an meantime, Major Fritch is on the radio with Houston Groun Control. â€Å"Now listen here,† she say, â€Å"we has got to do somethin bout this ape. It ain’t Sue – it is a male ape, an he don’t look none to glad to be here. He might even be violent.† It took a wile for the message to get there an a reply to get back to us, but some feller down there say, â€Å"Awe pooh! One ape is jus like any other.† â€Å"The hell it is,† Major Fritch say. â€Å"If you was in this little bitty compartment with that big ole thing you would be singing a different tune.† An after a minute or two a voice come cracklin over the radio, say, â€Å"Look, you is ordered not to tell anybody about this, or we will all be made laughing-stocks. As far as you or anybody else is concerned, that ape is Sue – no matter what it’s got between its legs.† Major Fritch look at me an shake her head. â€Å"Aye, aye, sir,† she say, â€Å"but I’m gonna keep that fucker strapped in as long as I’m in here with him – you understand that?† An from the ground control there come back one word: â€Å"Roger.† Actually, after you get used to it, bein in outer space is kind of fun. We is without gravity, an so can float all over the spaceship, an the scenery is remarkable – moon an sun, earth an stars. I wonder where Jenny Curran is down there, an what she is doin. Aroun an aroun the earth we go. Day an night go by ever hour or so an it sort of put a different perspective on things. I mean, here I am doin this, an when I get back – or should I say if I get back – what then? Go an start up my little srimp-growin bidness? Go find Jenny again? Play in The Cracked Eggs? Do somethin about my mama bein in the po house? It is all very strange. Major Fritch be catchin a wink or two of sleep whenever she can, but when she ain’t sleepin, she is bitchin. Crabbin bout the ape, crabbin bout what kind of jackoffs they is down at groun control, crabbin bout she got no place to put on her makeup, crabbin bout me eatin food when it ain’t supper or lunchtime. Hell, all we got to eat is Granola bars anyway. I don’t want to be complainin too much, but it seem like they might of picked a good-lookin woman or at least one that don’t bitch all the time. An furthermore, let me say this: that ape ain’t no dreamboat either. First I give it a banana – okay? It grapped the banana an started peelin it, but then it put the banana down. Banana started floatin all aroun the cabin of the spaceship an I got to go find it. I give it back to the ape an he start mushin it up an flingin the mush everplace, an I got to go clean that up. Wants attention all the time too. Evertime you leave it alone it commences to put up an enormous racket an clack its jaws together like a set of them wind-up teeth. Drive you nuts after a wile. Finally I got out my harmonica an started playin a little somethin – â€Å"Home on the Range,† I think it was. An the ape started to calm down a little. So I played some more – stuff like â€Å"The Yellow Rose of Texas† an â€Å"I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair.† Ape is lyin there lookin at me, peaceful as a baby. I forget there is a tv camera in the spaceship an they is pickin all this up down there at groun control. Nex mornin when I wake up somebody hole up a newspaper in front of the camera down in Houston for us to see. The headline say, â€Å"Idiot Plays Space Music to Soothe Ape.† That is the sort of shit I has got to contend with. Anyhow, things are goin along pretty good, but I been noticin that ole Sue is lookin at Major Fritch in a kind of strange way. Ever time she get near him, Sue sort of perk up an be reachin out like he wants to grap her or somethin, an she start bitchin at him – â€Å"Git away from me you awful thing. Keep your hans to yoursef!† But ole Sue has got somethin in mind. That much I can tell. It ain’t long before I find out what it is. I have gone behin this little partition to take a pee in a jar in private, when all of a sudden I hear this commotion. You read "Forrest Gump Chapter Thirteen" in category "Essay examples" I stick my head aroun the partition an Sue has managed to grap a holt of Major Fritch an he has got his han down in her space suit. She is yellin an hollerin to beat the band an is crackin Sue over the head with the radio microphone. Then it dawns on me what the problem is. Wile we has been up in space for nearly two days, ole Sue been strapped into his seat an ain’t had a chance to take a leak or nothin! An I sure remember what that’s like. He must be bout to bust! Anyhow, I go over an got him away from Major Fritch an she still hollerin an yellin, callin him a â€Å"filthy animal,† an shit like that. When she get loose, Major Fritch go up to the front of the cockpit an put her head down an start sobbin. I unstrap Sue an take him behin the partition with me. I find a empty bottle for him to pee in, but after he finished, he take the bottle an heave it into a panel of colored lights an it bust to pieces an all the pee start floatin aroun in the spaceship. I say, to hell with this, an start leadin Sue back to his seat when I seen a big glob of pee headin straight for Major Fritch. It look like it gonna hit her in the back of the head, so I turn Sue loose an try to head off the pee with a net they have give us for catchin stuff that’s floatin aroun. But jus as I am bout to net the glob of pee, Major Fritch sit back up an turn aroun an it caught her right in the face. She start hollerin an bawlin again an in the meantime, Sue has done gone an started rippin out wires from the control panel. Major Fritch is screamin, â€Å"Stop him! Stop him!† but before you know it, sparks an stuff is flyin all aroun inside the spaceship an Sue is jumpin from ceilin to floor tearin shit up. A voice come over the radio wantin to know â€Å"What in hell is goin on up there?† but by then it is too late. The spaceship is weavin all aroun an goin end over end an me, Sue an Major Fritch is tossed aroun like corks. Can’t grap holt of nothin, can’t turn off nothin, can’t stan up or set down. The voice of groun control come over the radio again, say, â€Å"We is noticin some kine of minor stabilization trouble with your craft. Forrest, will you manually insert the D-six program into the starboard computer?† Shit – he got to be jokin! I’m spinnin aroun like a top an I got a wild ape loose in here to boot! Major Fritch is hollerin so loud I cannot hear or even think nothin, but the gist of what she is hollerin seem to be that we is bout to crash an burn. I managed to get a glance out of the winder, an in fact things don’t look good. That earth comin up on us mighty fast. Somehow I managed to get to where the starboard computer is, an hold on to the panel with one han an I’m puttin D-six into the machine. It is a program designed to land the spaceship in the Indian Ocean in case we get in trouble, which we certainly is now. Major Fritch an ole Sue be holdin on for dear life, but Major Fritch holler out, â€Å"What is you doin over there?† When I tole her, she say, â€Å"Forgit that, you stupid turd – we is already done passed over the Indian Ocean. Wait till we go roun again an see if you can set us down in the South Pacific.† Believe it or not, it don’t take much time to go roun the world when you is in a spaceship, an Major Fritch has grapped holt to the radio microphone an is hollerin at them people at groun control that we is headed for either a splash-down or crash-down in the South Pacific Ocean an to come get us as soon as they can. I’m punchin buttons like crazy an that big ole earth is loomin closer. We fly over somethin Major Fritch thinks look like South America an then there be only water again, with the South Pole off to our left an Australia up ahead. Then everthing get scorchin hot, an funny little souns are comin from the outside of the spaceship an it start shakin an hissin an the earth is dead up ahead. Major Fritch shout to me, â€Å"Pull the parachute lever!† but I am pinned in my seat. An she is pressed up against the ceilin of the cabin, an so it look like it’s curtains for us, since we is goin bout ten thousan miles a hour, an headed straight for a big ole green blob of land in the ocean. We hit that goin this fast, ain’t even gonna be a grease spot lef. But then all of a sudden somethin go â€Å"pop† an the spaceship slow down. I look over, an damn if ole Sue ain’t pulled the parachute lever hissef an saved our asses. I remind mysef then an there to feed him a banana when all this shit is over. Anyhow, the spaceship be swingin back an forth under the parachute, an it look like we is gonna hit the big ole green blob of land – which apparently ain’t so good neither, since we is sposed only to hit water an then ships will pick us up. But ain’t nothin gone right from the time we set foot in this contraption, so why should anybody expect it to now? Major Fritch is on the radio an sayin to groun control, â€Å"We is bout to land on someplace north of Australia out in the ocean, but I ain’t sure where we is.† Couple of seconts later a voice come back say, â€Å"If you ain’t sure where you is, why don’t you look out the winder, you dumb broad?† So Major Fritch put the radio down an go look out the winder an she say, â€Å"Jesus – this look like Borneo or someplace,† but when she try to tell that to groun control, the radio done gone dead. We be gettin real close to the earth now, an the spaceship still swinging under the parachute. There is nothin but jungle an mountains beneath us cept for a little bitty lake that is kind of brown. We can barely make out somethin going on nex to the lake down there. The three of us – me, Sue an Major Fritch – all got our noses pressed to the winder lookin down, an all of a sudden Major Fritch cry out, â€Å"Good God! This ain’t Borneo – this is fuckin New Guinea, an all that shit on the groun must be one of them Cargo Cults or somethin!† Sue an me lookin down hard, an there on the groun nex to the lake, lookin back at us, is about a thousan natives, all with they arms raised up towards us. They is wearin little grass skirts an has their hair all flayed out, an some is carryin shields an spears. â€Å"Damn,† I say, â€Å"what you say they is?† â€Å"Cargo Cult,† Major Fritch say. â€Å"In World War II we used to drop packages of candy an stuff like that on these jungle bunnies to keep em on our side, an they ain’t never forgot it. Figgered it was God or somebody doin it, an ever since, they is waiting for us to come back. Even built crude runways an all – see down there? They has got a landin zone all marked off with them big roun black markers.† â€Å"Them things look more like cookin pots to me,† I says. â€Å"Yeah, they do, sort of,† Major Fritch say curiously. â€Å"Ain’t this where cannibals come from?† I axed. â€Å"I reckon we will soon find out,† she say. Spaceship is gently swingin towards the lake, an jus afore we hit, they start beatin they drums an movin they mouths up and down. We can’t hear nothin on account of bein in the capsule, but our maginations doin just fine. How to cite Forrest Gump Chapter Thirteen, Essay examples

Kabbalah Essays - Jewish Culture, Sephirot, Kabbalah,

Kabbalah Kabbalah is described as Jewish mysticism dating back to the beginning of time according to holy beliefs. Opposed to traditional Judaism, Kabbalistic beliefs are based on a different interpretation of the book of Genesis. Kabbalistic concepts consist mainly of a Sephirot Tree which organizes the ten basic principals of life and an organized Universe making this branch of Judaism very different than other mainstream religions. Kabbalists have faith that divine status can be reached through means of traditional magick to find the meaning in numbers and letters of the holy scriptures making Kabbalah very unique in it's beliefs. I. Creation A. Taught by God to a group of angels B. Hebrew Sources in Israel C. first centuries B.C.E. II. Scriptures A. Book of Zohar (Book of Splendor) B. Sefer Yezirah C. Genesis, Old Testament III. Beliefs A. World Can be grasped through numbers and letters B. Job to discover hidden meaning in numbers and letters of holy scriptures through traditional magick methods C. Sephirot Tree of Life 1. ten numbers are working principals of life organized and pictured in the S.T.L. 10 - Malkuth Kingdom - Divine (Exile/Physical) 9 - Yesod - Foundation (Union of Male and Female) 8 - Hod - Glory (Dependence/Vulnerability) 7 - Netzach - Firmness (Leadership/Conference) 6 - Tiphareth - Beauty (Balance/Harmony) 5 - Geburah - Strength/Severity (Discipline/Boundaries) 4 - Chesed - Mercy/Love (Compassion/Healing) 3 - Binah - Intelligence/Understanding (Differentiation/Repentance) 2 - Chochmah - Wisdom (Pure Thought/Connectedness) 1 - Kether - Being/Existence (Will/Selflessness) 2. 11th Sephirot - Between Chochmah and Binah - Daath - Knowledge (sex) found in the first chapters of Genesis 3. climb tree by means of magick D. God 1. fills Universe 2. all things, good and evil/immanent and transcendent 3. boundless IV. Rituals/Ceremony A. Coming of Age 1. Bar Mitzvah a. ceremony of admitting a boy (13) to the adult Jewish community 2. Bat Mitzvah a. ceremony of admitting a girl (12 or 13) to the adult Jewish community B. Hanukah 1. eight days 2. signified with the Menorah 3. commemorating the rededication of The Temple in Jerusalem C. Prayer 1. pray in Hebrew 2. Shabbat is celebrated as the day of rest (sundown on Friday night to sun down on Saturday) 3. bow before entering a Jewish worship service Conclusion: Kabbalah is described as Jewish mysticism dating back to the beginning of time according to holy beliefs. Opposed to traditional Judaism, Kabbalistic beliefs are based on a different interpretation of the book of Genesis. Kabbalistic concepts consist mainly of a Sephirot Tree which organizes the ten basic principals of life and an organized Universe making this branch of Judaism very different than other mainstream religions. Kabbalists have faith that divine status can be reached through means of traditional magick to find the meaning in numbers and letters of the holy scriptures making Kabbalah very unique in it's beliefs. KABBALAH Kabbalah is described as Jewish mysticism dating back to the beginning of time according to holy beliefs. Opposed to traditional Judaism, Kabbalistic beliefs are based on a different interpretation of the book of Genesis. Kabbalistic concepts consist mainly of a Sephirot Tree which organizes the ten basic principals of life and an organized Universe making this branch of Judaism very different than other mainstream religions. Kabbalists have faith that divine status can be reached through means of traditional magick to find the meaning in numbers and letters of the holy scriptures making Kabbalah very unique in it's beliefs. Kabbalistic practices are believed to originate straight from God. Kabbalists believe that the secrets of the holy scriptures were taught by God to a group of angels in Heaven. The angels then came down upon earth in human form and taught the religion to the people of Israel. Writing of the Kabbalah dates back to the first reordered centuries of the earth (B.C.E.) known to creationists. The scriptures of Kabbalah include the Book of Zohar or Book of Splendor. The Zohar is a five-volume mystical commentary on the Torah. Torah is the Hebrew word for law or teaching and it more commonly referred to as the Books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible, Genesis; Exodus; Leviticus; Numbers; and Deuteronomy. It is traditionally said to be authored by Rabbi Shim'on bar Yohai, about 2000 years ago. Historically, it was probably put into written form in the fourteenth or fifteenth century by the Spanish rabbi Moses de Leon. Another scripture of Kabbalah is Sefer Yetzirah which means "Book of Formation". Sefer Yetzirah is a brief work on the Creation. It is traditionally ascribed to Abraham,

ADD †Attention Deficit Disorder

ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder Free Online Research Papers When I surveyed the class and asked the question, do you know anyone with a learning disability or not; ten of you said yes, and six said no. What you probably don’t know is that a lot of your friends most likely have a learning disability, you just don’t see it. I’m going to share with the class a true story from my past that I have never shared with anyone. It all started when I was diagnosed in the fifth grade. My teacher asked my mother to come to school because she needed to talk to her about how I was doing in my studies. Her exact words were, â€Å"Mrs. Jersey, I think you should know that your daughter is slow.† But I’m making it a point, to let the class know that I am, by no means, slow. But there was something wrong; my parents just didn’t pick up on it yet. Needless to say that a certain teacher was reprimanded for her actions that day and that I was tested for a learning disability within that same week. SLIDE 4- Congratulations you have attention deficit. Can you imagine being nine years old and being told that you have a disability? I didn’t feel like any of the other kids, not to mention I was failing every subject that was I taking. Until I was put on medication, even though it was a very small dose, it did the trick. Adderall; it changed my life. Within a week of taking my new prescription, my teachers noticed a drastic change in my performance in class. SLIDE 5- But I was dealing with other issues because of this medication, the dark side of it, the possible side effects that I wasn’t told about, until after I had them. The side effects that I experience were horrible, I was losing weight because I lost my appetite, I was constantly having severe migraines, I was always dizzy, and I couldn’t fall asleep if you paid me to. Why put any child through such an ordeal? I could stop taking the meds at anytime if I wanted to, but I didn’t. I finally felt normal for the first time, and I actually started to fit in with the other kids. Those side effects were a small price to pay when you consider what I was gaining in the end. Those were just my side effects, but there are many other ones, and there are a few that can be harmful to your health. ADD medicine can cause severe heart and liver problems; to this day I have to get blood work done each year to make sure that my liver is still in good condition. But no matter th e cost, it’s all worth it. SLIDE 6- There are tons of people out there who don’t agree with medicating a children. In doing extra research for my speech I found many websites who are trying to abolish the use of typical ADD/ ADHD medications. They are suggesting as an alternative, to try herbal medications, and other â€Å"steps† to deal with your child’s disability, that doesn’t involve any medication at all. One website, created an herbal drug called â€Å"mind soothe† that actually contains some drugs such as St. John’s Wart. I found this amusing because there are some drugs that I am forbidden to take, because they will have a bad chemical reaction with my attention deficit medications, and the outcome of that combination can result in life altering illnesses or even death. Want to know what the #1 drug that I am not permitted it take is? St. John’s Wart. But enough about all the medical information about this disability, now I’m going to tell you what life is like in my shoes. Many people don’t believe that ADD is the real deal. Hopefully you will understand what people who have a disability just like mine, go through every day. SLIDE 7- So what is it like to have ADD? Some people say the so-called syndrome doesnt even exist, but believe me, it does. Many metaphors come to mind to describe it. Its like driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers. Everything is blurred and youre speeding along, and its really frustrating not being able to see very well. Or, its like listening to a radio station with a lot of static and you have to strain to hear whats going on. Or, its like trying to build a house of cards in a dust storm. You have to build a something to protect yourself from the wind before you can even start on the cards. In other words its like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, out of nowhere, youve got another idea before youve finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of things that miss the point completely. Because you truly are trying really hard. Its just that you have all these invisible things pulling you this way, and it makes it really hard to stay on task. But there is a positive side to all this. Usually the positive doesnt get mentioned when people speak about ADD because people tend to focus on what goes wrong, or at least on what has to be somehow controlled. But often once the ADD has been diagnosed, and the child or the adult, with the help of teachers and parents or doctors and friends have learned how to cope with it, an untapped part of the brain comes into view. Suddenly the radio station is tuned in, the windshield is clear, and the sand storm has died down. And the child or adult, who had been such a problem, such a general pain in the neck to himself and everybody else, that person starts doing things hed never been able to do before. SLIDE 8- In places where most of us are blind, they can, if not see the light, at least feel the light, and they can produce answers apparently out of the dark. It is important for others to be sensitive to this sixth sense many ADD people have, and to encourage it. If the environment insists on rational thinking and good behavior from these people all the time, then they may never develop their creative side that makes them so unique. It can be tiresome to listen to people talk. They can sound so vague or as if they’re rambling on. But if you take them seriously and bear along with them, often you will find they are on the verge of startling conclusions or surprising solutions. Let me leave you by telling you that we need your help and understanding. We may make mess-piles wherever we go, but with your help, those mess-piles can be turned into a world of reason and art. So, if you know someone like me whos acting up occasionally and daydreaming and forgetting this or that and just not getting with the program, consider ADD before he or she starts believing all the bad things people are saying about them. The main point of this speech is that there is a more complex side to ADD than just a list of symptoms. ADD is a way of life, and until recently it has been hidden, even from those who have it. It is a way of living. Before the syndrome is diagnosed that way of living may be filled with pain and misunderstanding. After the diagnosis is made, one often finds new possibilities and the chance for real change. Research Papers on ADD - Attention Deficit DisorderTrailblazing by Eric AndersonStandardized TestingLifes What IfsBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnThe Hockey Game

The Commonwealth of Nations - African History

The Commonwealth of Nations - African History What is the Commonwealth of Nations? The Commonwealth of Nations, or more commonly just the Commonwealth, is an association of sovereign states consisting of the United Kingdom, some of its former colonies, and a few special cases. The Commonwealth nations maintain close economic ties, sporting associations and complementary institutions. When was the Commonwealth of Nations Formed? In the early twentieth century, the government of Britain was taking a hard look at its relationship with the rest of the British Empire, and particularly with those colonies populated by Europeans – the dominions. The dominions had reached a high level of self-government, and the people there were calling for the creation of sovereign states. Even amongst the Crown Colonies, Protectorates, and Mandates, nationalism (and the call for independence) was on the rise. The British Commonwealth of Nations was first noted in the Statute of Westminster on 3 December 1931, which recognized that several of the United Kingdoms self-governing dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) were autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. What was new under the 1931 Statute of Westminster was that these dominions would now be free to control their own foreign affairs – they were already in control of domestic affairs – and to have their own diplomatic identity. Which African Countries are Members of the Commonwealth of Nations? There are 19 African states who are currently members of the Commonwealth of Nations. See this Chronological List of African Members of the Commonwealth of Nations, or Alphabetical List of African Members of the Commonwealth of Nations for details. Is it Only ex-British Empire Countries in Africa Who Have Joined the Commonwealth of Nations? No, Cameroon (which had only partially been in the British Empire following World War I) and Mozambique joined in 1995. Mozambique was admitted as a special case (ie could not set a precedent) following democratic elections in the country in 1994. All its neighbors were members and it was felt that Mozambiques support against white-minority rule in South Africa and Rhodesia should be compensated. On the 28th November 2009 Rwanda also joined the Commonwealth, continuing the special case conditions under which Mozambique had joined. What Kind of Membership Exists in the Commonwealth of Nations? The majority of African countries who had been part of the British Empire gained independence within the Commonwealth as Commonwealth Realms. As such, Queen Elizabeth II was automatically the head of state, represented within the country by a Governor-General. Most converted to Commonwealth Republics within a couple of years. (Mauritius took the longest to convert – 24 years from 1968 to 1992). Lesotho and Swaziland gained independence as Commonwealth Kingdoms, with their own constitutional monarchy as head of state – Queen Elizabeth II was recognized only as the symbolic head of the Commonwealth. Zambia (1964), Botswana (1966), Seychelles (1976), Zimbabwe (1980), and Namibia (1990) became independent as Commonwealth Republics. Cameroon and Mozambique were already republics when they joined the Commonwealth in 1995. Did African Countries Always Join the Commonwealth of Nations? All those African countries still part of the British Empire when the Statute of Westminster was proclaimed in 1931 joined the Commonwealth except for British Somaliland (which joined with Italian Somaliland five days after gaining independence in 1960 to form Somalia), and Anglo-British Sudan (which became a republic in 1956). Egypt, which had been part of the Empire until 1922, has never shown an interest in becoming a member. Do Countries Maintain Membership of the Commonwealth of Nations? No. In 1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth when it declared itself a republic. South Africa rejoined in 1994. Zimbabwe was suspended on 19 March 2002 and decided to leave the Commonwealth on 8 December 2003. What Does the Commonwealth of Nations do for its Members? The Commonwealth is best known for the Commonwealth games which are held once every four years (two years after Olympic games). The Commonwealth also promotes human rights, expects members to meet a set of fundamental democratic principles (curiously enough spelt out in the Harare Commonwealth declaration of 1991, given Zimbabwes subsequent departure form the association), to provide education opportunities, and maintain trade links. Despite its age, the Commonwealth of Nations has survived without needing a written constitution. It depends upon a series of declarations, made at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.