The Lottery Essays - Dystopian Literature, Films, Human Sacrifice

The Lottery The Lottery: Symbolism Essay submitted by In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The story starts off on a beautiful summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very euphoric but strikes a contrast between the atmosphere of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered in the square. The atmosphere is subdued, where the children are gathered around quietly. The black box is the central theme or idea in the story. It symbolizes at first some type of mystery, but as we read the ending we realize that it is synonymous with doom. Someone's fate lies in an inanimate object, the black box. We do not always enjoy change, even if it might prove beneficial to us. The box is symbolic of our loathing of change; it is old and splintered showing that we cling to what is familiar rather than change and it also symbolizes the traditions of the community. No one in the little town questions the origin of the black box, but accept it as an intrical part of their lives. The lottery itself is symbolic of the paradox of the human psyche between compassion on one hand and the thirst for violence and cruelty on the other. An example of this is when the children are enjoying a break from school, playing and being children, and suddenly they are being joined by rational adults in stoning a mother to death. It appears that tradition has blinded these people in an irrational way, making them unable to think of a reason why this possibly should not be happening. When forced with the possibility of death, human nature in all its complexity, comes down to one instinctive urge, that of survival. When Tessie was in no danger she was gossiping with the other ladies and even encouraged her husband to go and pick a piece of paper. When Tessie wins the lottery; she pleads for another chance and screams for mercy. She demands that her daughters take their chances as well, which is indicative of regression toward our basic instinct of survival. The pieces of paper that are lifted away by the breeze is not only symbolic of the ease with which life can be taken but is also symbolic of vast civilizations that were doomed to eventual failure for believing in and acting on tradition and not living according to the word of God. We see that even as Tessie is being stoned to death does she not question the reasoning behind the lottery, but why it should be her that has to die.

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3 Examples of How a Comma Can Change Meaning

3 Examples of How a Comma Can Change Meaning 3 Examples of How a Comma Can Change Meaning 3 Examples of How a Comma Can Change Meaning By Mark Nichol Omission of a lowly comma often alters the intent of a sentence, as demonstrated in the following examples, each followed by discussion and a revision. 1. Customers likely to be the target of any kind of prosecution under this law include individuals who use tax planners such as celebrities and politicians. This sentence mistakenly implies that celebrities and politicians sometimes double as tax planners, but the terms for those classes of people are modifying individuals, not â€Å"tax planners,† so either relocate the pertinent phrase â€Å"such as celebrities and politicians† to follow individuals, or simply set the phrase off with a comma: â€Å"Customers likely to be the target of any kind of prosecution under this law include individuals who use tax planners, such as celebrities and politicians.† 2. Within three years, the company projects that 67 percent of all spending on enterprise information technology will target cloud-based products and services. Omission of a comma to complement the one preceding what should be a parenthetical phrase leads to the erroneous implication that the projection is directly tied to the period specified. But â€Å"the company projects† is merely an attribution, and â€Å"within three years† pertains to the percentage figure, not the projection: â€Å"Within three years, the company projects, 67 percent of all spending on enterprise information technology will target cloud-based products and services.† (Note also the deletion of that.) 3. Organizational structure does not specifically represent a building block of procurement success- at least not in the way that cost analysis, sourcing or savings methodology and tracking do. Does this sentence refer to cost analysis, sourcing, and savings methodology and tracking, or does it refer to cost analysis, sourcing or savings methodology, and tracking? The context may be clear for experts, but a layperson may be perplexed, and even someone very familiar with these concepts may be momentarily puzzled. If your publication does not customarily employ serial commas, use one nevertheless when one or more items in an in-line list (one appearing within a sentence) is complex (â€Å"a and b†). Better yet, always use the serial comma: â€Å"Organizational structure does not specifically represent a building block of procurement success- at least not in the way that cost analysis, sourcing, or savings methodology and tracking do.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. Further45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†20 Ways to Laugh

Choose one from 5 options Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choose one from 5 options - Outline Example Job analysis assumes an important place in human resources management because of its significance and implications in both strategic and operational issues of an organization. Job analysis when broken down into smaller specifications drives job descriptions, job priorities and job classifications (Marchington & Wilkinson 2005, p.167) which help the organization in multiple ways. With the help of job design, competent and skilled employees can be recruited (Elearn 2009, p. 2013), job activities can be redesigned, modified or simplified and job activities also serve as the basis for setting compliance, safety, compensation, performance, training and development and other managerial standards. Job analysis is often confused and used simultaneously with the terms ‘occupation’ and ‘position’. While a position is determined by the number of workers in an organization, occupation is the sum total of jobs of similar kind in an organization. Thus, all technical jobs cumulate to form an occupation. Understanding the difference between these terms is also crucial from organizational point of view because jobs make occupations, occupations turn into positions and finally positions develop into organizational structure. Having being talked about two-legged approach of job analysis in an organization, the body of the essay gets split into two divisions where first part will talk about functions or domains which job analysis serves in. As for example and already mentioned above, the role of job analysis spans across human resource planning, recruitment, training, development, performance appraisal, compensation plans, evaluation and counseling and even job and organizational redesign (Management Study Guide n.d) (Figure 2). This section will more or less emphasize on describing the tasks and activities of specific functions that relate with job analysis and prove to be of a critical component in these domains. It will be more inclined towards elaborating

Topic 6-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topic 6-2 - Essay Example The website has place where users can register as members and create accounts. Monster.com is also an online job search and placement website accessible to all people searching for jobs on the internet. The website has spaces where job seekers fill the preferred job types, skills and city, country or zip code. Users can also browse jobs by using companies, categories and industries and location. Similar to CareerBuilder the website has career resources where users can obtain tips about salaries, benefits, interviews, education and skills, resume and diversity resources among others. The website has a place for users to register as members and create accounts. Unlike the CareerBuilder, the Monster has mobile application that allows job seekers to access the website and related features. Contrary to the CareerBuilder, the Monster has no part where users can upload their resumes for potential employers to obtain finer

An American Gaucho in Argentina Essay Example for Free

An American Gaucho in Argentina Essay I. Identification of Problems With the development of economic integration globally, man is beginning a new era of global negotiation. Cross-cultural business negotiations that between business people who from different countries with different mentalities and cultures are becoming more and more frequent. At present, people gradually concern the problems, which are triggered by cross-cultural business negotiations. American Great Plains Foods was a manufacturer and marketer meat products that was founded in 1896. It grew into international company that people relied on for Great Plains strong brand. Comidas Gaucho is well-known Argentina food processor which was targeted by Great Plains look into forming an alliance for South American market. Peter Fuller was sent out as Great Plains representative to reach a cooperative agreement with Comidas Gaucho. Peters Argentina trip which takes place over a period of three days, is not as what is originally expected. The main reason for the failure of Peters Argentina trip is that a lack of understanding Argentina business etiquette, as well as cultural differences. Peter ignored the cultural differences of cross-cultural business negotiations had a significant impact. Most of the problems in case are caused by the lack of understanding of Argentinian advance by Peter. For example, wearing a short shirt, Peter appeared in Ezeiza International airport is filled with people who are wearing coats, which is sufficient to prove that Peter didnt prepare at all for his Argentina trip. II. Analysis and Evaluation The chart below is based on Hofstedes five cultural dimensions (Geert-Hofstede, 2014). We can see one of the largest score difference is on uncertainty avoidance between Argentina and U.S. According to Hofstede, â€Å"Uncertainty Avoidance is referring to a lack of tolerance for ambiguity and a need for formal rules and policies. This dimension measures the extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations.† (Hofstede, 1980) The UAI was designed to test how comfortable are people with changing the way they work on live (low UA) or prefer the known systems (high UA). With high score of 86, Argentinian senior managers tend to focus on the daily  operations of the organization. They advocate conscientious with strict formal management system, the decision-making are must talking to the experts. However, on the uncertainty avoidance, the United States at a score of 46 which is roughly half that of Argentina. American senior managers are willing to spend more attention to the organizations strategies, the managers tend to use their personal experience and intuition to make decisions. In this case, Peter was anxious to make a showing alliances and intentions. Even Comidas Gaucho managers eschewing his proposal, or they cannot make such important decision in any time soon, Peter have tried to established the strategic alliance with Comidas Gaucho out many times. As mentioned before, Comidas Gaucho is a high UA organization which is like a precision machine, its parts match exactly an integral part of. The staffs in all levels of the organization are work in close conjunction with each other to eliminate uncertainty the maximum extent possible. However, Americans have consciousness of competition. As well as they pursuing speed and profits, which created American businessman resolutely commercial style. They will try to shorten the time in all aspects of the negotiations, and strive to make each a negotiation can be a quick fix. The one true measure of how a negotiation process, is depends how many problems have solved. Americans have a unique sense of value for time: time is money. It is reflected in the use of English words, such as: Time is on, it is kept, it can be borrowed, it can be used, it can be saved, it can be spent, it can be wasted, it can be lost, it can be given, it can be killed, and so on. Americans schedule decide what they do, what not to do, and what need to be done first. Time totally weaving a network of American life, decisions and coordinates the relationship between the Americans. Peter was very dissatisfied with Comidas Gaucho representatives late, but Jorge is irrelevant. Concept of time in some South America countries are not so strong, late for them is not unforgivable. According to Creegan (2012), â€Å"the Argentines descended from the boats†, most of Argentines are descendants of European migrants, with emphasis on British and Italians (Creegan, 2012). Thereby, Argentine business man generally pay attention to clothing, demeanor and generous rules. Peters casual attire is not perceived as appropriate in doing business. He also overlooks some other business etiquette of Argentina. Argentine are eager to share their yerba mate with  the guests, but Peter shows obvious objection of the yerba mate, while Argentine would see this as Peters disrespect for the local traditions. Argentine run away from the controversial issues as politics and religion issues, but Peter discussed the sensitive matter Falklands with Jorge around their dinner tables. (Durrer, 2006) III. Recommendations People often think that others ideas will be roughly the same as themselves, but it is dangerous for cross-cultural communication. In the process of cross-cultural communication, the negotiator have to constantly remind ourselves that people have different cultural backgrounds, different customs. Peter must learning to observe Argentine culture, also need to contrast Argentine culture with American culture, in order to gradually improve his cross-cultural awareness. Patience is very important during do business with Argentine. Peter cannot expect the strategic alliance could be formed by one meeting. Peter could accepted what Eduardo suggested. May be Eduardos Iowa trip could promote the two companies agreement. References Creegan, J. K. (2012). The Argentines Descended from the Boats: Migration in Argentina Retrieved from: http://www.argentinaindependent.com/top-story/the-argentines-descended-from-the-boats-migration-in-argentina/ Durrer, H. (2006). Ways of Perception. On Visual and Intercultural Communication. White Lotus Press, Bangkok, 2006, ISBN 974-4800-92-5. Anonymous. (2014). What about Argentina? The Hofstede Centre. Retrieved from: http://geert-hofstede.com/argentina.html

The Saga of Kirke :: Classics

The Saga of Kirke. In various situations in the Kirke episode the themes of false paradise and loyalty are present. The Island of Kirke gives itself a false appearance of divinity. The goddess Kirke gives off a false appearance of enchantment and courtesy. Odysseus and his men convey the theme of loyalty throughout the episode of Kirke to each other. Odysseus shows loyalty not just to his men, but to his wife and his homeland as well. From the ship's arrival on the shore the island gives itself a false appearance of divinity. Odysseus narrates that an unseen god has lured them into the cove: "We came/ washed in our silent ship upon her shore/ and found a cove, a haven for a ship-/ some god, invisible, conned us in" (154-157). False appearance of divinity comes out on third day on the island of Kirke. On Odysseus's way back to the seashore from the observation rock he comes across a big buck, which he kills to feed his men. Odysseus perceives the buck as a gift from the gods: ", some god's compassion/ Set a big buck in motion to cross my path-/ So hands were washed to take what heaven sent us" (173-200). Kirke herself gives off a false appearance to the men. When the first group of Odysseus's men come to the house, they were enticed by the goddess's song: "In the entrance way they stayed to listen there:" (240-241). She shows the men that she is courteous by inviting the men in and giving them food and drink. The goddess works her magic on the men by giving them temptations to deal with. She gives them food to eat, and wine that she has laced with some sort of potion that causes the men to lose desire to go home. Kirke then turns the men into pigs. She uses false appearance as a courteous enchanting god the lure the men in. "/ to call them in./ While she prepared a meal of cheese and baley/ and amber honey mixed with Pramnian wine./ adding her own vile pinch,/ / all/ swinish now" (253-265). The men are not the only ones that have to deal with the deception of Kirke. She tries to deceive Odysseus with the same food and drink that she offered his men, but with the knowledge attained from Hermes he was able to out wit the goddess. When her first attempt fails she then tries flattery to dupe Odysseus into the bedroom to lie with her: " 'What a champion, of what country, can you be?/ We two shall mingle and make love upon our bed.

Immigration and Security Essay

The article, in a general context, raised the question on whether the concept of diplomacy and democracy has come back into the ideologies of the United States Government?   After utiliziation of progress reports on the issue, the writer came up with a central argument suggesting that the United States government, with direct intervention by The Whitehouse, finally came up with a well-crafted solution that does not require the use brute force. Article writer David Silverberg (2007) stated that the compromise stipulated the following: Existing illegal aliens in the country (United States) can apply for residence Visas and eventual citizenship.   Up yo 4oo,oo temporary employees can be admitted into the country for temporary employment but would have to leave after 2 years.   The act will then open new portals for educated, skilled English-Speaking illegal aliens that have long conformed to the old system of family ties prevalent in the past. (2007) A certain premise of the article pointed out that the United States government had promulgated a possible solution to a problem that had been plaguing several of its major policies.   The first policy violation was on illegal immigration, which caused disorient on the   government funding because anti- illegal immigration efforts brought additional costs and damaged the American economy in general. The other was the   destruction of the myth of the connection between illegal immigration issues and terrorism which affects the United States government’s war against terrorism.   In connection, it was without a doubt that the United States have started filtering the country of foreigners particularly of Middle-Eastern heritage as an initial reaction to the Al Qaeda attacks in 2001.   In spite of the fact that most illegal immigrants were quite useful in doing menial tasks, immigration policies intended for homeland security threats would not be efficient if it did not consider illegal immigration matters (Farnam, 2005, p. 168). The said issues answered the â€Å"So what?† question due to the fact that issue of illegal immigration in the United States draw mixed opinion from American citizens and political figures (Pew Hispanic Center, 2006, p. 1).   It was in this regard that the main point of the article was very convincing in giving the importance to the matter, for the United States government appeared to have lost the sense of diplomacy in executing its policies directed toward national security after the 9/11 attacks.   The compromise mentioned by Silverberg then was the first non-hostile resolve on a national security matter. The issues that the article tackled was not unique in any way for illegal immigration was already a serious matter in the United States since the late 19th century.   The issues of illegal immigration started in the United States in 1882 (Lui, 2007), wherein the United States government banned most Chinese laborers because of threats of cheap labor which undermined the economic stability of the country (Smith & Edmonston, 1997, 23). Silverberg articulated several points, primarily on how the compromise became   reasonable and fair, and how it will be beneficial to all the parties involved.   The reason behind Silverberg’s judgment was grounded on the logic of the advocates who, because of their conflicting points of view, created dilemma in the legal and ethical perspectives.   The dilemmas also affected the United States constitution, particularly immigration laws and human rights of the illegal aliens. Silverberg first bequeathed the side of   the anti-illegal immigration advocates who argued that the United States constitution never tolerated mass law-violations, therefore such neglegeance should be punished accordingly.   Sileverberg conversely showed compassion over poverty stricken individuals who sought for a better life in the United States, he also argued that penalizing illegal aliens was not a viable option for it will violate the policies of human rights.   Second is the explanation of the side of the liberals who contested that illegal immigrants cannot afford legal fines that would be imposed.   However, a simple humane point cannot justify the unconstitutional act of massive law breaking, hence, this is also not the perfect solution to the predicament. In a different note, Silverberg also attempted to pesuade readers in a securing perspective, that proposed counter-measures against illegal immigration such as investments on additional border patrol officers, more sophisticated border security technology, as well as construction of new detention facilities and extra efforts on identification of undocumented immigrants will tremendously affect the results of the compromise.   In spite of   the cost, Silverberg argued that the American government will reap a lot of fruit in their investments.   Furthermore, Silverberg believed that despite all of the expenditures, the act and the counter-measures will provide favorable opportunities for the United States. Silverberg also pointed out careful and proper timing in implementation was a key factor for a rush in implementation may cause a difficulty in the process or disastrous results.   Given the account that the proposition was a compromise, a wreckless execution of concepts may cause discrepancies in the status of illegal aliens. Silverberg only provided the idea of the compromise which is the only element close to literature in the article.   However, the articles arguments were solidified by cited comments from key contributors such like Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Senators Ted Kennedy, Jon Kyl, and John McCain who supported and rejected the idea of the compromise respectively. The given sources provided Silverberg with ingenuity in crafting solid arguments which highlighted the importance of the subject matter at hand.   Though the method of data collecting was not well explained or expounded, Silverberg managed to analyze the nature of the problem, the objectivity of the proposed solution, and plausible solutions to avoid the problem from repeating again.   In this sense, the study can be replicated for the compromise generated numerous ideas for preventive methods.   Furthermore, conducting a more formal study may serve as an eye -opener to the parties involved because the concerns of the article were inclined on how the United States government could lessen the violation of human rights in implementing policies. The variables Silverberg used were the parties involved, the â€Å"against† party and the â€Å"pro† party together with the points argued by the two opposing sides.   Because as   previously mentioned, the article pointed out the irrationalities and flaws of the advocacies which lead to the connotation that the article’s premise was the alternative point of view on the matter. There were no exact findings or results yet as the compromise is still under the stages of development.   However, Silverberg managed to give a rough estimate that the compromise can practically give a positive light to all the parties involved.   Silverberg gave particular emphasis on the universal nature of the compromise in how it addressed all the concerns of the parties involved.   He also concluded that the efficiency of the compromise , regardless of ammendments, would be solid if ample time is given to perfect it. The findings were therefore comprehensive and complementing with the central argument and main points for Silverberg was capable of explicating how the compromise satisfied all sides in conflict.   Judging from the arguments and the plausible solutions given, Silverberg successfully stimulated the importance of the matter.   The article’s conclusion then proved to be full-proof for one of the conditions included careful implementation and sufficient time for ammendments and revisions. Silverberg thoroughly addressed the implications of his conclusions particularly on how he gave emphasis on the dilemma created by the opposing sides.   Through explanations of the advocacies, Silverberg made a comprehensive defense of his main arguments about the advantages and impartiallity of the compromise. References Farnam, J. (2005). US Immigration Laws Under the Threat of Terrorism. New York: Algora Publishing. Lui, C. (2007, May 7). How Illegal Immigration was Born. American Heritage. Retrieved 23 May 2008, from http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20070507-chinese-exclusion-act-california-chester-a-arthur-immigration-san-francisco-earthquake-of-1906-paper-sons.shtml Silverberg, D. (2007, May 22). The Immigration Debate and Homeland Security. Homeland Security Today. Retrieved 21 May 2008, from http://hstoday.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=284&Itemid=151 Smith, J.P., & Edmonston, B. (Eds.). (1997). The New Americans: Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Effects of Immigration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. The American Public Opinion on Immigration in Spring 2006: A review of Major Surveys (2006). Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.

Reflecting on Wisdom Essay

This assignment was a hard one for me, due to not really having a family, a religious background, or someone that I could talk to as I was growing up. It says in our text book that wisdom and knowledge is based on practical intelligence and has good judgment due to life lessons and hardship. So that got me thinking about the many people that cross my path everyday due to my job. I am a C.N.A and take care of the elderly. Even though I cannot just pick one elderly person because I think they all possess wisdom and knowledge. Most grew up as farmers and worked in the fields alongside their family to either put food on their table or for a few dollars a week. They have seen the good and bad days that weather can do to crops and the animals that they also raised for food. Others can tell you about when they were in wars and how that was as a soldier back in those days, then you have the ones that were fortunate to travel to different counties just for fun, like my client Mr. Emery he has been to Greece, Spain, and Italy, what was nice is he has pictures of all these places so as he is telling you about it you can take a look at the pictures that he has taken. I think all of our elderly are full of wisdom and knowledge because of the things they have seen over their years. If you just sit down to listen to them you will take something away from it. Most elderly will love to tell you their story if you ask them. As for myself I can say that I have a little bit of wisdom due to life circumstances, but I think I posses more of the transcendence virtue, I have learned to slow down and appreciate beauty whether it is a flower or a sunset, I also posses gratitude, I am more thankful for the good things that happen. I also posses perspective as my children say because I have always been able to give them good advice when it is needed, which means I also  have an open mindedness because you would be amazed at some of the questions teens can come up with. My strengths that I need to develop more fully is all the rest of human virtues, in the courage category I need to develop bravery, and zest. I am not one for doing new things so when challenges, and difficulties come my way I do not know how to handle it and I would like to get to where I can approach life with excitement and energy. In the humanities category I need to develop all three strengths. I at one time did posses all these strengths but over time and life lessons, I have seemed to have lost them. I am not as kind as I use to be, I definitely do not posses love except for my children, other than that I have little to no heart, and as social intelligence I do not care about other people’s feelings, its either you like me or you don’t. In the temperance category, I need to learn forgiveness, I believe if I can master this one the rest of the human virtues will fall back in place, this one has been a weakness for me for years now, I not only need to forgive myself for things done wrong but also to people that have done me wrong. My motto use to be â€Å"Everything done wrong to me would just make me stronger.†, but instead it has turned me into a person that I do not like, I am no longer the fun, kind loving person that I use to be and that everyone wanted to be around. I have became a loner that is bitter, and heartless. My life consists of going to work doing my job and coming home to my children with little interaction with the outside world.

Carpenter Ants, Genus Camponotus

Carpenter Ants, Genus Camponotus Carpenter ants are so named for their skill at constructing their homes from wood. These large ants are excavators, not wood feeders. Still, an established colony can do structural damage to your home if left unchecked, so its a good idea to learn to recognize carpenter ants when you see them. Carpenter ants belong to the genus Camponotus. Description Carpenter ants are among the largest ants that people encounter around their homes. Workers measure up to a 1/2 inch. The queen is slightly larger. In a single colony, you may find ants of varying sizes, however, as there are also smaller workers that reach just 1/4 inch in length. Color varies from species to species. The common black carpenter ant is, predictably, dark in color, while other types may be yellow or red. Carpenter ants have a single node between the thorax and abdomen. The top of the thorax appears arched when viewed from the side. A ring of hairs encircles the tip of the abdomen. In established colonies, two castes of sterile female workers develop – major and minor workers. The major workers, which are larger, defend the nest and forage for food. Minor workers tend to the young and maintain the nest. Most carpenter ants build their nests in dead or decaying trees or logs, though they do also inhabit landscape timbers and wooden structures, including peoples homes. They prefer moist or partially decayed wood, so carpenter ants in the home may suggest a water leak has occurred. Classification Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Arthropoda Class - Insecta Order - Hymenoptera Family - Formicidae Genus - Camponotus Diet Carpenter ants do not eat wood. They are true omnivores and not all that picky about what they will consume. Carpenter ants will forage for honeydew, the sweet, sticky excrement left behind by aphids. Theyll also eat fruits, plant juices, other small insects and invertebrates, grease or fat, and anything sweet, like jelly or syrup. Life Cycle Carpenter ants undergo complete metamorphosis, in four stages from egg to adult. Winged males and females emerge from the nest to mate beginning in the spring. These reproductives, or swarmers, do not return to the nest after mating. Males die, and females establish a new colony. The mated female lays her fertilized eggs in a small wood cavity or in another protected location. Each female lays about 20 eggs, which take 3-4 weeks to hatch. The first larval brood is fed by the queen. She secretes a fluid from her mouth to nourish her young. Carpenter ant larvae look like white grubs and lack legs. In three weeks, the larvae pupate. It takes an additional three weeks for the adults to emerge from their silken cocoons. This first generation of workers forages for food, excavates and enlarges the nest, and tends to the young. The new colony will not produce swarmers for several years. Special Adaptations and Defenses Carpenter ants are largely nocturnal, with workers leaving the nest at night to forage for food. The workers use several cues to guide them to and from the nest. Hydrocarbons from the ants abdomens mark their travels with a scent to assist them in returning to the nest. Over time, these pheromone trails become major transportation pathways for the colony, and hundreds of ants will follow the same path to a food resource. Camponotus ants also use tactile trails to find their way back and forth. Ants feel and remember the distinct edges, grooves, and ridges in tree trunks or sidewalks as they move through their environment. They also employ visual cues along the way. At night, carpenter ants use moonlight to orient themselves. To appease their appetites for sweets, carpenter ants will herd aphids. Aphids feed on plant juices, then excrete a sugary solution called honeydew. Ants feed on energy-rich honeydew, and will sometimes carry aphids to new plants and milk them to get the sweet excretion. Range and Distribution Camponotus species number about 1,000 worldwide. In the U.S., there are approximately 25 species of carpenter ants. Most carpenter ants live in forest ecosystems.

Typhoid Mary, Who Spread Typhoid in Early 1900s

Typhoid Mary, Who Spread Typhoid in Early 1900s Mary Mallon (September 23, 1869–November 11, 1938), known as Typhoid Mary, was the cause of several typhoid outbreaks. Since Mary was the first healthy carrier of typhoid fever recognized in the United States, she did not understand how someone not sick could spread disease- so she tried to fight back. Fast Facts: Mary Mallon ('Typhoid Mary') Known For: Unknowing (and knowing) carrier of typhoid feverBorn: September 23, 1869 in Cookstown, IrelandParents: John and Catherine Igo MallonDied: November 11, 1938 in the Riverside Hospital, North Brother Island, BronxEducation: UnknownSpouse: NoneChildren: None Early Life Mary Mallon was born on September 23, 1869, in Cookstown, Ireland; her parents were John and Catherine Igo Mallon, but other than that, little is known of her life. According to what she told friends, Mallon emigrated to America in 1883, around the age of 15, living with an aunt and uncle. Like most Irish immigrant women, Mallon found a job as a domestic servant. Finding she had a talent for cooking, Mallon became a cook, which paid better wages than many other domestic service positions. Cook for the Summer Vacation For the summer of 1906, New York banker Charles Henry Warren wanted to take his family on vacation. They rented a summer home from George Thompson and his wife in Oyster Bay, Long Island. The Warrens hired Mary Mallon to be their cook for the summer. On August 27, one of the Warrens daughters became ill with typhoid fever. Soon, Mrs. Warren and two maids became ill as well, followed by the gardener and another Warren daughter. In total, six of the 11 people in the house came down with typhoid. Since the common way typhoid spread was through water or food sources, the owners of the home feared they would not be able to rent the property again without first discovering the source of the outbreak. The Thompsons first hired investigators to find the cause, but they were unsuccessful. George Soper, Investigator The Thompsons then hired George Soper, a civil engineer with experience in typhoid fever outbreaks. It was Soper who believed the recently hired cook, Mary Mallon, was the cause. Mallon had left the Warren house approximately three weeks after the outbreak. Soper began to research her employment history for more clues. Soper was able to trace Mallons employment history back to 1900. He found that typhoid outbreaks had followed Mallon from job to job. From 1900 to 1907, Soper found that Mallon had worked at seven jobs in which 22 people had become ill, including one young girl who died with typhoid fever shortly after Mallon had come to work for them. Soper was satisfied that this was much more than a coincidence; yet, he needed stool and blood samples from Mallon to scientifically prove she was the carrier. Capture  of Typhoid Mary In March 1907, Soper found Mallon working as a cook in the home of Walter Bowen and his family. To get samples from Mallon, he approached her at her place of work.   I had my first talk with Mary in the kitchen of this house. ... I was as diplomatic as possible, but I had to say I suspected her of making people sick and that I wanted specimens of her urine, feces and blood. It did not take Mary long to react to this suggestion. She seized a carving fork and advanced in my direction. I passed rapidly down the long narrow hall, through the tall iron gate, ... and so to the sidewalk. I felt rather lucky to escape. This violent reaction from Mallon did not stop Soper; he proceeded to track  Mallon to her home. This time, he brought an assistant (Dr. Bert Raymond Hoobler) for support. Again, Mallon became enraged, made clear they were unwelcome and shouted expletives at them as they made a hurried departure. Realizing it was going to take more persuasiveness than he was able to offer, Soper handed his research and hypothesis over to Hermann Biggs at the New York City Health Department. Biggs agreed with Sopers hypothesis. Biggs sent Dr. S. Josephine Baker to talk to Mallon. Mallon, now extremely suspicious of these health officials, refused to listen to Baker, who then returned with the aid of five police officers and an ambulance. Mallon was prepared this time. Baker describes the scene: Mary was on the lookout and peered out, a long kitchen fork in her hand like a rapier. As she lunged at me with the fork, I stepped back, recoiled on the policeman and so confused matters that, by the time we got through the door, Mary had disappeared. Disappear is too matter-of-fact a word; she had completely vanished. Baker and the police searched the house. Eventually, footprints were spotted leading from the house to a chair placed next to a fence. Over the fence was a neighbors property. They spent five hours searching both properties, until, finally, they found a tiny scrap of blue calico caught in the door of the area way closet under the high outside stairway leading to the front door. Baker describes the emergence of Mallon from the closet: She came out fighting and swearing, both of which she could do with appalling efficiency and vigor. I made another effort to talk to her sensibly and asked her again to let me have the specimens, but it was of no use. By that time she was convinced that the law was wantonly persecuting her, when she had done nothing wrong. She knew she had never had typhoid fever; she was maniacal in her integrity. There was nothing I could do but take her with us. The policemen lifted her into the ambulance and I literally sat on her all the way to the hospital; it was like being in a cage with an angry lion. Mallon was taken to the Willard Parker Hospital in New York. There, samples were taken and examined; typhoid bacilli was found in her stool. The health department then transferred Mallon to an isolated cottage (part of the Riverside Hospital) on North Brother Island (in the East River near the Bronx). Can the Government Do This? Mary Mallon was taken by force and against her will and was held without a trial. She had not broken any laws. So how could the government lock her up in isolation indefinitely? Thats not easy to answer. The health officials were basing their power on sections 1169 and 1170 of the Greater New York Charter: The board of health shall use all reasonable means for ascertaining the existence and cause of disease or peril to life or health, and for averting the same, throughout the city. [Section 1169] Said board may remove or cause to be removed to [a] proper place to be by it designated, any person sick with any contagious, pestilential or infectious disease; shall have exclusive charge and control of the hospitals for the treatment of such cases. [Section 1170] This charter was written before anyone knew of healthy carriers- people who seemed healthy but carried a contagious form of a disease that could infect others. Health officials believed healthy carriers to be more dangerous than those sick with the disease because there is no way to visually identify a healthy carrier in order to avoid them. But to many, locking up a healthy person seemed wrong. Isolated on North Brother Island Mary Mallon herself believed she was being unfairly persecuted. She could not understand how she could have spread disease and caused a death when she, herself, seemed healthy. I never had typhoid in my life, and have always been healthy. Why should I be banished like a leper and compelled to live in solitary confinement with only a dog for a companion? In 1909, after having been isolated for two years on North Brother Island, Mallon sued the health department. During Mallons confinement, health officials had taken and analyzed stool samples from Mallon approximately once a week. The samples came back intermittently positive for typhoid, but mostly positive (120 of 163 samples tested positive).   For nearly a year preceding the trial, Mallon also sent samples of her stool to a private lab where all her samples tested negative for typhoid. Feeling healthy and with her own lab results, Mallon believed she was being held unfairly.   This contention that I am a perpetual menace in the spread of typhoid germs is not true. My own doctors say I have no typhoid germs. I am an innocent human being. I have committed no crime and I am treated like an outcast- a criminal. It is unjust, outrageous, uncivilized. It seems incredible that in a Christian community a defenseless woman can be treated in this manner. Mallon did not understand a lot about typhoid fever and, unfortunately, no one tried to explain it to her. Not all people have a strong bout of typhoid fever; some people can have such a weak case that they only experience flu-like symptoms. Thus, Mallon could have had typhoid fever but never known it. Though commonly known at the time that typhoid could be spread by water or food products, people who are infected by the typhoid bacillus could also pass the disease from their infected stool onto food via unwashed hands. For this reason, infected persons who were cooks (like Mallon) or food handlers had the most likelihood of spreading the disease. The Verdict   The judge ruled in favor of the health officials and Mallon, now popularly known as Typhoid Mary, was remanded to the custody of the Board of Health of the City of New York.  Mallon went back to the isolated cottage on North Brother Island with little hope of being released. In February of 1910, a new health commissioner decided that Mallon could go free as long as she agreed never to work as a cook again. Anxious to regain her freedom, Mallon accepted the conditions. On February 19, 1910, Mary Mallon agreed that she was ...prepared to change her occupation (that of the cook), and will give assurance by affidavit that she will upon her release take such hygienic precautions as will protect those with whom she comes in contact, from infection.  She was then released.   Recapture of Typhoid Mary Some people believe that Mallon never had any intention of following the health officials rules; thus they believe Mallon had malicious intent with her cooking. But not working as a cook pushed Mallon into service in other domestic positions which did not pay as well. Feeling healthy, Mallon still did not really believe that she could spread typhoid. Though in the beginning, Mallon tried to be a laundress as well as worked at other jobs, for a reason that has not been left in any documents, Mallon eventually went back to working as a cook. In January of 1915 (nearly five years after Mallons release), the Sloane Maternity Hospital in Manhattan suffered a typhoid fever outbreak. Twenty-five people became ill and two of them died. Soon, evidence pointed to a recently-hired cook, Mrs. Brown- and Mrs. Brown was really Mary Mallon, using a pseudonym. If the public had shown Mary Mallon some  sympathy during her first period of confinement because she was an unwitting typhoid carrier, all of the sympathies disappeared after her recapture. This time, Typhoid Mary knew of her healthy carrier status, even if she didnt believe it; thus she willingly and knowingly caused pain and death to her victims. Using a pseudonym made even more people feel that Mallon knew she was guilty. Isolation and Death Mallon was again sent to North Brother Island to live in the same isolated cottage that she had inhabited during her last confinement. For 23 more years, Mary Mallon remained imprisoned on the island. The exact life she led on the island is unclear, but it is known that she helped around the tuberculosis  hospital, gaining the title nurse in 1922 and then hospital helper sometime later. In 1925, Mallon began to help in the hospitals lab. In December 1932, Mary Mallon suffered a large stroke that left her paralyzed. She was then transferred from her cottage to a bed in the childrens ward of the hospital on the island, where she stayed until her death six years later, on November 11, 1938. Other Healthy Carriers Though Mallon was the first carrier found, she was not the only healthy carrier of typhoid during that time. An estimated 3,000 to 4,500 new cases of typhoid fever were reported in New York City alone and it was estimated that about three percent of those who had typhoid fever become carriers, creating 90–135 new carriers a year. By the time Mallon died over 400 other healthy carriers had been identified in New York. Mallon was also not the most deadly. Forty-seven illnesses and three deaths were attributed to Mallon while Tony Labella (another healthy carrier) caused 122 people to become ill and five deaths. Labella was isolated for two weeks and then released. Mallon was not the only healthy carrier who broke the health officials rules after being told of their contagious status. Alphonse Cotils, a restaurant and bakery owner, was told not to prepare food for other people. When health officials found him back at work, they agreed to let him go free when he promised to conduct his business over the phone. Legacy So why is Mary Mallon so infamously remembered as Typhoid Mary? Why was she the only healthy carrier isolated for life? These questions are hard to answer. Judith Leavitt, the author of  Typhoid Mary, believes that her personal identity contributed to the extreme treatment she received from health officials. Leavitt claims that there was prejudice against Mallon not only for being Irish and a woman, but also for being a domestic servant, not having a family, not being considered a bread earner, having a temper, and not believing in her carrier status. During her life, Mary Mallon experienced extreme punishment for something in which she had no control and, for whatever reason, has gone down in history as the evasive and malicious Typhoid Mary. Sources Brooks, J. The Sad and Tragic Life of Typhoid Mary. CMAJ :154.6 (1996): 915–16. Print. Canadian Medical Association Journal (Journal de lAssociation medicale canadienne) Leavitt, Judith Walzer. Typhoid Mary: Captive to the Publics Health. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996.Marineli, Filio, et al. Mary Mallon (1869–1938) and the History of Typhoid Fever. Annals of Gastroenterology 26.2 (2013): 132–34. Print.Moorhead, Robert. William Budd and Typhoid Fever. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 95.11 (2002): 561–64. Print.Soper, G. A. The Curious Career of Typhoid Mary. Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine 15.10 (1939): 698–712. Print.

HEALTHY GRIEF Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HEALTHY GRIEF - Essay Example Her work was specially linked with the dying as well as diagnosis of life threatening diseases which could put a person in grief and create a sense of loss. (Kurian, 2009) The five stages of grief, according to this model, include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. At each stage, an individual experiences grief over the period of time however, it is not necessary that the same stages may occur in sequential manner and every person facing a given situation may pass through this. (Kubler-Ross, 1969) According to this model, persons facing a dying situation may go through five different stages of the grief. However, it is not necessary that everyone must go through the same cycle in same order or experience the same stages of grief at all. According to this model, the five stages of grief are: 1. Denial- this is the first stage where an individual often feels that he is fine and nothing can be done to him. This stage is considered as a temporary defense for an individual and can be replaced with the awareness about the possessions of an individual as well as individuals who will be left behind after the death. 2. Anger is a stage where a person specifically starts to believe as to why he or she is the victim of any illness or grief. This is an stage where an individual actually realizes that denial can no longer work and can often become unmanageable because of misplaced feelings of rage and fury. 3. Bargaining stage is reached when an individual starts to believe that he or she can actually bargain to gain more time to delay the death. It is often argued that it is at this stage where a person fully understands that he cannot avert death but can bargain by altering the life style to negotiate with the higher power. 5. Acceptance is the last stage where individual actually realizes the mortality of his own or the loved ones. It is at this