NetFlix Support Services

About the Supplemental Security Income Program - SSI

About the Supplemental Security Income Program - SSI Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal government benefit program providing cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter to persons who are blind or otherwise disabled and have little or no other income. Monthly SSI benefits are paid to persons with limited income and resources who are disabled, blind, or age 65 or older. Blind or disabled children, as well as adults, can qualify to get SSI benefits. How SSI is Different From Retirement Benefits While the SSI program is administered by the Social Security Administration, the way in which SSI benefits are administered is very different from how Social Security retirement benefits are paid. SSI benefits do not require and are not based on the recipients prior work or a family members prior work. In other words, no current or prior employment is required to qualify for SSI benefits. Unlike Social Security benefits, SSI benefits are funded by general funds from the U.S. Treasury generated by income taxes paid be individuals and corporations. Social Security taxes withheld from workers paychecks under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) do not help fund the SSI program. Total SSI funding, along with maximum monthly amounts to be paid to SSI recipients, are set annually by Congress as part of the federal budget process. SSI recipients in most states can also have their benefits supplemented by Medicaid to help pay for doctor bills, prescriptions and other health care costs. SSI beneficiaries may also be eligible for food stamps in every state except California. In some states, an application for SSI benefits also serves as an application for food stamps. Who is Eligible for SSI Benefits Anyone who is: aged (age 65 or older);blind or disabled. And, who: has limited income; andhas limited resources; andis a U.S. citizen or national, or in one of certain categories of aliens; andis not absent from the country for a full calendar month or for 30 consecutive days or more; andis not confined to an institution (such as a hospital or prison) at the governments expense; andapplies for any other cash benefits or payments for which he or she may be eligible, (for example, pensions, Social Security benefits); andgives SSA permission to contact any financial institution and request any financial records about you; andfiles an application; andmeets certain other requirements. What Does  Ã¢â‚¬ËœLimited Income’ Include? For purposes of determining SSI eligibility, Social Security counts the following as income: money you earn from work;money you receive from other sources, such as Social Security benefits, workers compensation, unemployment benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs, friends or relatives; andfree food or shelter. What  Are ‘Limited Resources’? For purposes of determining SSI eligibility, Social Security counts the following as limited resources: cash;bank accounts, stocks, U.S. savings bonds;land and real estate;vehicles;personal property;life insurance; andanything else you own that could be converted to cash and used for food or shelter. NOTE: For complete details on the SSI program, including qualifications and how to apply for benefits, see the  Understanding Supplemental Security Income home page on the SSA website.   SSI Payment Details Amounts of SSI benefit payments are set annually by Congress and are typically adjusted every January to reflect the current cost of living.  Maximum (SSI) payment amounts increase with the cost-of-living increases (COLA) that apply to Social Security retirement benefits. Some states provide supplemental SSI benefits. SSI benefit payments are not taxable. Possible Benefit Reductions Exact benefit amounts paid to individual SSI recipients may be less than the maximum depending on non-SSI income, like wages and other Social Security benefits. Persons living in their own home, in the home of another person, or in a Medicaid-approved nursing home may also have their SSI payments reduced accordingly. The monthly amount is reduced by subtracting monthly countable income. In the case of an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, the amount payable is further divided equally between the two spouses.   Updated current maximum and average SSI payment amounts can be found on the SSI Statistics web site. SSI Work Incentive Programs Helping people with disabilities achieve independence by taking advantage of employment opportunities is one of the Social Security Administration’s highest priorities. SSI’s work incentive programs help disabled and blind SSI recipients to continue to work while minimizing the risk of losing their SSI or Medicaid benefits. Certain work incentive programs allow SSI recipients to exempt some of their work income from their list of resources. Others allow SSI recipients to continue to receive Medicaid coverage even though they are not receiving monthly SSI cash benefits. SSI recipients may be eligible to take advantage of more than one work incentive program. As with Social Security retirement benefits, working can reduce the amount of the recipient’s SSI benefit payments. Complete information on SSI work incentive opportunities can be found in the SSA’s â€Å"The Red Book - A Guide to Work Incentives.†

Zaras E-Tailing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zaras E-Tailing Plan - Essay Example The evidence is that the five initial target markets are a good choice for Zara, except for Poland, which is a newly opened economy where market barriers and regulations are still perceived to be high and Internet usage still in its infancy stage. In the other four target markets, Internet use is matured and well developed, but another problem may present itself in the form of stiffer competition. As a result, web development, operation and maintenance costs are expected to be costly. There is also the possible risk that the online operation would not yield the desired results. For these reasons, the report provides a road map for Zara in overcoming the challenges to its successful entry into e-tailing. This market is the logical site of the first Zara e-tailing site because it is the company's home base where its facilities and resources are concentrated. For this reason, no problem is expected in so far as supply chain management, speedy communication and transport of products are concerned. Spain has over 52 million people, its per capita income is high by EU standards, and the Internet is increasingly used for acquiring goods and services. The Basque rebellion seems to be under control.2. France Paris is the world's fashion capital, which makes France an even better site for Zara's initial online stores. Internet usage is highly advanced among France's over 70 million people. However, the world's most renowned fashion companies

Stereotypes and Media Influence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stereotypes and Media Influence - Essay Example 287) and (3) be responsible for communal discrimination as well as unfairness. Frequently, the â€Å"groups being stereotyped have little to say about how they are represented† (Merskin, p. 301). Stereotypes have a significant part in today's civilization - mainly in ‘misinformation’ or ‘half truth’. Stereotyping is as a preset conservative belief or idea of a person or group of individuals, held by several people. Stereotypes can be fundamental or intricate overviews, which â€Å"public apply to individuals or groups† (Merskin, p. 319), in accordance with their look, conduct and way of life. Stereotypes are present universally. However, the world appears to be getting better in a number of ways it seems nearly unattainable to release it from stereotypes. Stereotypes have been there from the start of time in daily life by means of faith, political affairs and the media. Human beings have the inclination to apply stereotypes in their wittiness, their depictions of others, and even in their way of life. One may think that it is feasible to get rid from such practices; nonetheless, if one observed the standard endorsements of misinformation, it would make this aim unfeasible. On the other hand, stereotypes are not negative at all times. Misinformation is a power, which can manipulate and have an effect on every person; making alterations in conduct, approach and ones thinking. It is as well identified that media affects its spectators by amending their opinions based on the data that they see. Large number of stereotypes televised by misinformation has related results. The media frequently utilizes as well as misrepresents stereotypes; nonetheless, considerable amount of people among society believe them. Television... The media frequently utilizes as well as misrepresents stereotypes; nonetheless, considerable amount of people among society believe them. Television programs, for instance, the Simpsons are filled with stereotypes during its thirty minutes of transmission. The Simpsons has a huge viewership that watch this program every day as it is aired in prime time. â€Å"Characters such as Apu are highly discriminated and stereotyped. On this show, Apu is characterized as an Indian immigrant, who prays to Ganesh, and he holds a highly noticeable and dissimilar accent†. This is a stereotype that is viewed by young kids and is recognized as comic; they relate this understanding towards individuals they meet in reality. Spectators of this program consider this knowledge to be entirely truthful for they hold slight or no understanding regarding that specific group. Despite the fact that the stereotypes publicized on television are misrepresented more often than not, they are pretty well ackn owledged by the viewers as the fact. The spectators who view such programs on a day-to-day basis do not identify the prejudiced content, which is being shown. In particular, media grabs the â€Å"interests of their audience through comedy, drama, and action which causes the viewers to disregard the immorality behind the content† (Schiappa, p. 259). Consequently, the usefulness of applying such stereotypes adds to the recognition of television programs. In contrast, the misinformation's utilization of stereotypes is not constantly a negative event. Misinformation’s use of stereotypes can occasionally provide one the enthusiasm to gain knowledge.

Reduced Budget Plan U2IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reduced Budget Plan U2IP - Research Paper Example Lean production philosophy has also been covered in the research paper. Comparison has been done between accounting principles in lean production with that of typical production. The project basically throws light on the cost perspectives in an organization. Managerial Accounting Vs Cost Accounting Managerial accounting encompasses cost accounting and covers a broader scope than cost accounting. Highlights on the differences between managerial accounting and cost accounting are enumerated below: Managerial accounting includes cost accounting as well as financial accounting whereas cost accounting includes cost information only for managerial use. Managerial accounting is carried out for decision-making whereas cost accounting is used for the purpose of ascertaining cost and cost control. Managerial accounting deals with qualitative as well as quantitative aspects whereas it deals with only quantitative aspects. Cost accounting involves working out cost per unit whereas managerial acc ounting includes further comparative analysis of figures and statements. Managerial accounting has a more future-oriented approach whereas cost accounting is historical in approach and makes projections based on historical data. Managerial accounting cannot be installed without a proper cost accounting system whereas cost accounting does not require management accounting for its installation. Lean Production Philosophy It is manufacturing technique to boost profitability and efficiency. It aimed at reducing the time lag between customer order and delivery by elimination of wastages in the production system. The companies in order to have a successful lean production system in place should practice if not all most of the technical requirements: Kaizen: Kai means continuous and Zen means improvement. It relates to continuous improvement in cost, design, quality and delivery. Kanban: It needs to be in place. Step change: To eliminate waste there is a need to make radical improvements o f an activity. Supplier base reduction: Attempts to reduce engagement with large number of suppliers. Cellular manufacturing: In order to reduce process, waiting and transport time it is essential to group closely all the facilities in place to produce a product. Total productive maintenance (TPM): It is aimed at improving consistency, capacity and reliability of machines. Five S and general visual management: Aimed at reducing inefficiency and clutter of any office or production system. Value and the seven wastes: The notion of value shouldn’t be ignored ever. Supplier development: Focus is on developing links with suppliers and working closely with them. Single minute exchange of dies (SMED): It is necessary to eliminate delays in change-over times on machines in order to improve work flows and reduce lead time. Single piece flow needs to be in operation: One complete product should flow through stages of operation at a time (Bhasin, 2004, pp. 57-58). Accounting Principles in Lean Production and Typical Production Lean production follows the same Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as in typical production. Lean accounting enables value based pricing i.e. by value streams focussing on customer value whereas in typical accounting is cost based pricing. Both enable inventory valuation but lean accounting values inventory better and easier. Lean accounting enables value stream financial improvement and control to pursue perfection whereas

Nature of Granular Cells in Granular Cell Ameloblastoma

Nature of Granular Cells in Granular Cell Ameloblastoma IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY Objective: To evaluate the nature of granular cells in granular cell ameloblastoma Study Design: Tissue specimens of five patients with granular cell ameloblastoma were fixed in buffered formalin and later embedded in paraffin wax. Blocks were sliced into 3micron thick sections for immunohistochemicalanalysis using a panel of markers CD68, Bcl2, S100, P53,Cytokeratin(AE1/AE3),vimentin and desmin Results: All five cases were strongly positive for cytokeratin and CD68. S100 was negative in three cases and showed mild positivity in two cases . Bcl2, P53, Vimentin and Desminwere negative in all the five cases. Conclusions: This study presents a heterogenous nature of the granular cells, however further validation is required with a larger sample size. INTRODUCTION: Ameloblastoma is a benign odontogenic tumour usually located in the jaw bone [1]. It is considered to be the most common odontogenic tumor. It is a tumor of the enamel organ without formation of enamel. Robinson has defined it as: Unicentric, nonfunctional, intermittent in growth, anatomically benign and clinically persistent. The importance of this tumor lies in its common occurrence, locally invasive behavior which causes marked deformity and serious debilitation. They also demonstrate increased recurrence rate after surgery. [2]It has a distinctive microscopic appearance characterized by the presence of peripheral columnar cells with hyperchromatic, reversely polarized nuclei, arranged in a palisaded pattern. [3] Conventional solid or multicysticameloblastoma exhibits six microscopic subtypes namely follicular, plexiform, acanthomatous, granular cell, desmoplastic and basal cell ameloblastoma. [4]. The follicular and plexiform patterns are the most frequent. Less common histopathologic subtypes include the acanthomathous, granular cell, desmoplastic, and basal cell [1,5] Granular cell ameloblastoma (GCA) is one of the rare histological variants of ameloblastomaaccounting for only 3. 5% of ameloblastomas. [5] Granular cell ameloblastoma is characterized by nests of large, eosinophilic granular cells. [6] Aggressive behaviour has been ruled out by many studies and suggest that granular cells are just a transitional or matured phase in the life cycle of ameloblastomas, starting with normal stellate reticulum-like cells, leading to a production of granules and finally leading to degeneration and formation of cystic areas. [7] Whether granular cell change in ameloblastoma is a degenerative process or a harbinger of a more aggressive course is a matter of debate. [8] [Figure 1 2] Previous studies have carried out ultrastructural, histochemical and immunohistochemical methods to characterize the nature of the granular cells , though the mechanism involved is poorly understood. The present study attempts to do an immunohistochemical analysis with a panel of markers to study the nature of granular cells in granular cell ameloblastoma. Due to its rarity accounting to 3. 5%, literature search revealed that majority of them were single case studies . This study is the first of its kind to report antigenic characterization in five such cases with a wide range of markers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case Selection: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of granular cell ameloblastoma were retrieved from the archives of Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, SRM Dental College, Chennai. The clinical data of the patients are listed in table 1. Immunohistochemical Analysis: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 3 µ tissue sections on poly-L-Lysine coated slides (Biogenix Life Sciences Limited, CA, US). Pre-diluted ready to use primary monoclonal mouse anti CD-68, anti – Bcl2,anti-S 100, anti-P53, anti-cytokeratin antibody (AE1/AE3), anti-Vimentin and anti-Desmin(Biogenix Life Sciences Limited, CA, US)were used followed by thesuper sensitive polymer HRP detection system(Biogenix Life Sciences Limited, CA, US). Colored reactions were developed by incubating with 33-diaminobenzidine and subsequently counterstained with Harris hematoxylin. Positive and negative controls were included in all reactions. Presence of brown coloured end product at the site of target antigen was indicative of positive immunoreactivity. Evaluation of theimmunoreactivity was based on staining intensity and wereclassified asweak, moderate, and strong. Localization of positively stained cells in peripheral ameloblast-like cells, central stellate reticulum like cells , and granular cells were also evaluated. RESULTS: Immunoreactivity of the markers used in the study are listed in table 2. CD-68expressed strong positivity in all the five cases. Positivity was observed only in the granular cells. Cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) expressed strong positivity in all the five cases by staining peripheral cells, stellate reticulum like cells and granular cells. Bcl2, P53, Vimentin and Desminexhibited negative staining in all the five cases. DISCUSSION: Granular cell ameloblastoma accounts to 3. 5% of all ameloblastomas [11]. The lesion presents with marked transformation of thecytoplasm of the stellate reticulum like cells, so that the cells take on a very coarse, granular, eosinophilic appearance. [5] GCA is known to be aggressive histologic variant among all the ameloblastoma . Granular cells have been described in other odontogenic tumor, the granular cell ameloblastic fibromaand oral lesions, such as congenital epulis and granular cell tumor [12] The nature of various oral granular cell lesions is unclear, and many theories have been proposed for the origin of granules, the principal ones are odontogenic, fibroblastic, histiocytic, myoblastic, and neurogenic. [13] Granular cells are also seen associated with the enamel organ of developing tooth. [14] The granular appearance has been ascribed to numerous lysosomes based on histochemical and electron microscopic findings. Ultrastructurally, the osmiophilic internal structure of the lysosomes varies considerably. [15] Many of these granules approach 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃŽ ¼m in size; giant granules of 30à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °ÃŽ ¼m in diameter are rarely seen. They present with features of finger-print-like membranous structures, myelin figures, small particles, granules, vesicles, lattice structures, and crystalloids. This diversity may represent different materials and stages of digestion of the lysosomal contents. The myelin figures suggest the presence of phospholipid in the granules. Therefore, it has been concluded by many authors that numerous lysosomes represent increased cellular actions of the tumour ameloblasts to digest unwanted components [14,16]. Considerable interest about the nature of granular cells in ameloblastoma ever since it was recognized has happened because of its reported aggressive behaviour however recent literature reports speculate that the granular cell transformation in granular cell ameloblastoma may be associated with the aging phenomenon. [17,18,19] The present study was carried out in five cases of granular cell ameloblastoma to ascertain the nature of the granules using a panel of markers CD68, Bcl2, S100, P53, Cytokeratin (AE1/AE3),vimentin and desmin. Strong positivity for cytokeratin and CD68was noted in all the cases. S100 was negative in three cases and mildly positive in two cases. P53,Bcl 2,Vimentin and desmin were negative in all the five cases. [Table 2] The nature of granules in granular cell ameloblastoma in the previous studies have reported epithelial origin due to consistent positivity with cytokeratin and negativity with other mesenchymal markers. [Figure 3] Presence of strong positivity with CD68 in granular cells indicates the presence of lysosomal aggregates. [Figure 4] Negative expression of antiapoptotic factors such as Bcl-2 and p53 proteins in granular cells indicate that there is increased apoptosis in the granular cells. This finding was similar to the report by Kumomoto et al who reported apoptosis in the granular cells [20]. Contradictory to previous reports is the presence of mild positivity with S100 unlike other previously published reports. S100 is normally present in cells derived from the  neural crest ( Schwann cells, and  melanocytes),  chondrocytes,  adipocytes,  myoepithelialcells,  macrophages,  Langerhans cells,  dendritic cells, and keratinocytes. Mild positivity of S100 could be suggestive of transdifferentiation of the cells. Such heterogenous presentation of granular ameloblastomas evokes more interest to further ratify its true nature. CONCLUSION: The current immunohistochemicalpanel could be evolved further for a better understanding of the nature of the granular cells in ameloblastomas. Further studies with more number of cases could help reason out the antigenic heterogeneity of granular cell ameloblastoma.

Children Affected By Divorce Essay -- essays research papers

CHILDREN AFFECTED BY DIVORCE & PROTECTING THEIR BEST INTERESTS On the 11th of June, 1996, the Family Law Reform Act 1995 came into effect amending certain sections of the Family Law Act 1975, in particular, those relating to the care of children involved in divorce situations. The object of these amendments, according to the new act, was to ensure two things. Firstly, â€Å"that the children may receive adequate and proper parenting to help them achieve their full potential,† and secondly, â€Å"to ensure that parents fulfil their duties, and meet their responsibilities, concerning the care, welfare and development of their children.† These recent amendments are clearly a positive step forward for family law because the law has recognised that the child is the only important factor in a divorce and that it is crucial that the rights of the child are protected. To fairly evaluate the effectiveness of these recent amendments in protecting the interests of the child, the social implications of the act, the principles taken into accoun t when deciding a case, the impact on stakeholders, and criticisms of the act must all be taken into consideration. In order to ensure that the child’s rights are protected, the courts aim is to ensure that parental responsibility survives any changes in the nature of the child’s parent’s relationship. Parental responsibility relates to â€Å"all the duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, parents have in relation to children.† When deciding a case involving a child in the event of a separation between the child’s parents, the child’s best interests are now the court’s paramount consideration. The concepts access, custody, and guardianship have been replaced in the amendments by contact, residence, and joint parental responsibility. Between 1987 and 1997, the annual number of divorces rose from 39,700 to 51,300. As a result of this increase, one fifth of all Australian children aged one to seventeen now live in single parent households. Of these children living with only one natural parent, 88% live with their mothers with the remaining 12% living with their fathers. This ratio of which parents children resided with remained constant between 1987 and 1997, indicating that the trend of the courts to favour mothers over fathers has continued despite the changes to the act. With the number of divorces consistently risin... ... the number of cases which can be funded has dropped from 6,000 last year to 4,000 this year. It now seems very unlikely that steps will actually be taken to remedy this problem by either of the suggested solutions due to the lack of funding and the budget cuts will most likely result in a worsening of the situation. Overall, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of the amendments to the Family Law Act 1975 because it is impossible to measure how well a child’s best interests have been served. However, if the Family Court of Australia has adequately implemented the changes then one would expect that the amendments have been effective in improving the system of determining what is in the child’s best interests. Therefore the court’s final ruling with regards to the contact, residence, and maintenance of the child will be the option which is best for the child. In conclusion, when all of the factors have been taken into consideration, it appears that the recent amendments will result in a step forward for the way in which the rights of children are protected by the court’s decisions. Whether or not the courts will make use of this improved system, however, is another question.

Red Pada and Red Fox

The Red Panda comes from the family of Ailuridae and its scientific name is Ailurus Fulgens. The Red Fox, whose scientific name is Vulpes Vulpes, is from the Canidae family. They are both mammals and are the same size. However, the Red Panda and the Red Fox share similarities and differences in their appearance, habitat, diet, behaviour, reproduction and status of population. First of all, the Red Panda and the Red Fox are quite similar but a little different in their appearance. Like the Red Fox, the Red Panda has four legs, two ears, a black nose and two eyes at the side of their heads.They also have a long bushy tails with which they keep themselves warm, like a cover, in winter. The Red Panda looks like a cat, while the Red Fox looks like a dog. The main colour of the fur of these two animals is red. The Red Panda has while fur on its cheeks, around its eyes, and has black fur from its neck to its feet. In contrast, the Red Fox has while fur from its neck to its stomach and has b lack fur on its ears. There are both similarities and difference in their habitat. The Red fox and the Red Panda can both be found in the forest.But the Red Panda lives in temperature bamboo forests in northeast Asia, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Laos, Myanmar and Eastern Himalaya mountain at 1500-4000m above sea level. While the Red Fox lives around the world in many kinds of environments such as forests, grasslands, mountains and deserts. Most of the Red Foxes are found in the United States , Canada, Asia and Europe. The Red Panda sleeps in trees, whereas the Red Fox sleeps in dens. The next similarities and differences of them are in their diet.Both the Red Panda and the Red Fox eat many kinds of food, such as fruit, insects, bird’s egg, small birds and rodents. The main food of the Red Panda is bamboo leaves and young bamboo, while the favourite food of the Red Fox is rodents. In terms of behaviour they are somewhat similar, but there are also some differences. They are both sol itary animals, expect when they have a partner. The Red Panda is a excellent tree climbers. While the Red Fox hears very well and run with speed up to 48 km/h. Besides, the Red Fox like play with its prey before kill them.Finally, they are also similar but different in the way they reproduce. The Red Panda has a gestation period about 130 days, and its cub lives with it for one year. On the other hand, the Red Fox has a gestation period less than two months, and its cub leaves its mother after seven months. Both animals give babies although different gestation period. In conclusion, there are both similarities and differences between these two animals. They are share some similarities and differences in factor of them. The Red Panda is endangered species, while the Red Fox’s population are stable.

The Social Experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden †English Essay

The Social Experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden – English Essay Free Online Research Papers The Social Experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden English Essay The social experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden; attempted to prove to early America that self and self-reliance can be found through nature. This required an ongoing process of removing themselves from society and the harmful effects of the masses in order to define the fundamental differences between a commerce driven society and goals of the transcendentalist movement. The Brook Farm Institute for Agriculture and Education was created by George Ripley in 1841. The Brook Farmers chose the name for their community as it referred to the way they chose to unite labor and culture and to the way that they chose to earn their living. The transcendentalist perceived farming to be the occupation most favorable to personal growth because of its distance from the market, proximity to nature, and a promise to protect moral independence. The Brook Farmers, unlike the member of the Fruitlands, did however sell their milk, vegetables, and hay and kept their stock dividends low in order to keep enough capital to expand production. Lane, Charles â€Å"Brook Farm.† The Dial, January 1844 The philosophy of Brook Farms sought to merge the values, ideas, and spiritual matters with physical events, the union of mind and body, spirit and flesh. At Brook Farm, and in other communities, physical labor is perceived as a condition of mental well-being and health. They believed that manual labor was uplifting, and thus, every member, even the writers and poets, spent at least a few hours a day in physical effort. This was another expression of the connection made by the flesh and spirit with nature through physical tasks performed at Brook Farm. The members of Brook Farm believed that they could create a utopian microcosm of society that would eventually serve as a model for all. Peabody, Elizabeth Palmer â€Å"Plan of the West Roxbury Community.† The Dial, January 1842. In June 1843, Bronson Alcott, along with Charles Lane, established the Fruitlands. This utopian community is located in the small town of Harvard, MA. Alcott became interested in communal living and was inspired to create such a community after meeting Lane during a teaching excursion to England in 1842. Although there were several communal living experiments in existence at the time that Alcott could have joined, he found them all unsatisfactory. For example, Alcott felt that Brook Farm, the most notable utopian community at the time, was not pure enough. Therefore, the members of Fruitlands, including a colorful group of people ranging from ex-convicts to nudists; were forbidden to eat meat or use any animal products including wool, honey, wax, and manure. Unfortunately, the community could not be sustained by human labor alone and the strict diet of fruits and grains left many members sick and malnourished. Often, Alcott and Lane would go on lecturing tours to promote the community, leaving the women and children to do all the manual labor. When Emerson visited the community in June of 1843, he prophetically stated, They look well in July. We shall see them in December. Bridges, William E. â€Å"Spokesmen for the Self† (1971). Although the members of Fruitlands never tried to produce more goods than they could use since they believed a surplus of material goods would inhibit spirituality, they ultimately could not produce enough. The community collapsed in January of 1844. During the spring 1845 through the summer 1847 Thoreau researched Walden, or Life in the Woods while living in a rude shack on banks of Walden Pond. The book begins as follows. â€Å"When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only. I lived there two years and two months. At present I am a sojourner in civilized life again. By opening the book in this manner Thoreau immediately brings the reader into his reality. There is no room for misunderstanding about the level of self reliance that Thoreau is speaking of with this piece. But if it seems that his opening statement is altogether too straightforward an introduction for a work thats held up as an American literary classic, remember: its precisely that simplicity at which Thoreau had originally sought after. Harris, Kenneth M. Emersonian Self-Reliance and Self-Deception Theory. Philosophy and Literature 15.2 (Oct. 1991): 286-94 In this masterpiece, Thoreau describes his retreat from the encroaching mess of civilization and outlines his philosophy of self-reliance. The greatest of his principles is simply that nature provides that which we naturally require and that man is owned by his possessions. The human spirit has been polluted by an economic machine that only enslaves the more the individual buys in. The idea of choice is non-existent from most individual’s minds because their focus is purely on surviving in a world that bombards them with choices that only appear to be free. Bridges, William E. â€Å"Spokesmen for the Self† (1971). When Thoreaus two years at Walden had ended, he left with no regrets: I left the woods for as good a reason as why I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one. His experiment had been a success. He had learned many lessons, had taken time to examine his inner self and his world, and bad proved he could live under the simplest conditions and still be fulfilled: I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that as one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.† Because of such social experiments like Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden readers get a first hand look at a complex study comprising the human minds attempt to discover both the obvious and obscure behind mans existence and his place in the natural world. What seems to be the most important underlying theme is that this is an ongoing process of self examination. These various extreme attempts at dropping out of society in an effort reclaim self through self reliance define the fundamental differences between a commerce driven society and goals of the transcendentalist movement. Student Name Final Paper Thesis and Annotated Bibliography Final Essay Prompt: Describe the way the concepts of the self and self-reliance develop and find expression in colonial and early American literature. Identify those specific figures or works that you see as significant and explain their contributions. Thesis: The social experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden; proved to early American authors that self-reliance could of be found through nature and a ongoing process of removing themselves from society and the harmful effects of the masses. Annotated Bibliography Bridges, William E. â€Å"Spokesmen for the Self: Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman.† (1971) Bridges assists the reader to outline Emerson’s, Thoreau’s, and Whitman’s, dream of America as a place of self-fulfillment and self reliance through various examples of their work. This is very interesting material that I will use to assist in creating my own ideas and thoughts on self-reliance during the early American period. I’ll will probably use work cited by these authors throughout my paper to give example of my conclusions. Bauerlein, Mark. â€Å"The Pragmatic Mind: Explorations in the Psychology of Belief.† Durham: Duke UP, 1997. The Pragmatic Mind is a study of the pragmatism of Emerson, James, and Peirce. I plan to use information from this book to help understand the broad social and academic changes that resulted because of these authors. Harris, Kenneth M. Emersonian Self-Reliance and Self-Deception Theory. Philosophy and Literature 15.2 (Oct. 1991): 286-94 This article gives insight into self-reliance and self-deception as they relate to Emerson’s works. I can use this article to discuss the intent of Emerson and other early American authors about works relating to self and self-reliance. Work Cited Page Bridges, William E. â€Å"Spokesmen for the Self: Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman.† (1971) Bauerlein, Mark. â€Å"The Pragmatic Mind: Explorations in the Psychology of Belief.† Durham: Duke UP, 1997. Harris, Kenneth M. Emersonian Self-Reliance and Self-Deception Theory. Philosophy and Literature 15.2 (Oct. 1991): 286-94 Lane, Charles â€Å"Brook Farm.† The Dial, January 1844 Peabody, Elizabeth Palmer â€Å"Plan of the West Roxbury Community.† The Dial, January 1842. Thoreau, Henry David â€Å"Walden, or Life in the Woods.† (1854) Research Papers on The Social Experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden - English EssayAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceGenetic EngineeringAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaDefinition of Export QuotasPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtCapital Punishment

Book review of Tuesdays with Morrie

Book review of Tuesdays with Morrie The novel Tuesdays with Morrie brought up many interesting feelings and new ideals on the bereavement of death and dying. This short book shows us many things. One of the most important is how to live life and love people. It also teaches us that each day should be lived to the fullest, regardless of the situation. This true story captures the compassion and wisdom of a man who only knew good in his heart.There are many different background questions approached in this book. Mitch Albom covers a lot of material on a few short and sweet pages. I think the main question that the book asks is how to live life. The author shows his life in hectic panic as he as been hurt everywhere except work, therefore he devotes all his time to his work until he sees an old college professor and mentor on Ted Kaupel, and he rethinks his adult philosophy.Mitch's Dum-AssMitch visits his college mentor, who has fallen ill with Lou Gehrig's disease, and it becomes a weekly visit and the last class the ret ired professor teaches before he died. When Mitch visits his teacher he was unprepared for what the dying man was about to teach him. Unknown to Mitch his "coach" was about to prime him on his greatest life lesson. The last fourteen weeks of Morrie's life Mitch met with him every Tuesday to learn and understand all the wisdoms of life that were in Morrie. The weekly routine consisted of lunch and lecture. Even when Morrie could no longer eat the food that Mitch brought, Mitch continued to bring it. Mitch Albom attended many classes taught by Morrie Schwartz during his years at Brandeis University, but he does not attempt to learn the meaning of life until he is in...

Evaluate the importance of women disciples in Mark Essay

Evaluate the importance of women disciples in Mark - Essay Example In the Gospel of Mark, women are presented as the ones who faithfully remained with Jesus Christ during His passion till His death3. In the Gospel of Mark we read the following â€Å"There were also women working on a far off; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome; Who also, when he was I Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him; and many other women who came up with him unto Jerusalem’’4 . In the Gospel of Mark therefore, women disciples are contrasted with the male disciples who ran away during the passion of Jesus Christ. Even Simon peter, who had early promised Jesus Christ that he would never abandon him, eventually abandoned Jesus Christ. Women therefore are presented in the Gospel of Mark as faithful disciples, who are ready to endure all manner of sufferings for the sake of their faith. Again, as we have seen in the above quotation, the women who remained faithfully with Jesus Christ during his passion had been with Jesus Christ, throughout his ministry, ministering to him. This fact shows that women disciples were quite important in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Besides enduring sufferings and remaining faithfully with Jesus Christ during his passion, women disciples also discovered, as it were, Jesus’ suffering messiahship before the male disciple. On this view, the feminist Bible scholar Elisabeth Fiorenza in her book, A Feminine Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins, states that it was a woman who recognized Jesus’ suffering messiahship, and in a prophetic sign-action, the woman anointed Jesus for his burial, while some of the male disciples of Jesus Christ reprimanded her5. The women disciples in the book of Mark, therefore, are presented as having a clear knowledge of the mission of Jesus Christ as a suffering Messiah. In the Gospel of Mark, in the healing miracles of Jesus Christ, women are portrayed as a model of Jesus Christ’s

Lucas Cranachs Virgin and Child Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lucas Cranachs Virgin and Child Painting - Essay Example The painting The Virgin and Child is one of his enduring masterpieces because it â€Å"demonstrates the hallmarks of the Northern European style† (Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation). The Virgin and Child is marked for its â€Å"meticulous craftsmanship of colors and the precise execution of details which are signs of perfection common to Cranach’s workshop† (Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation) , the austere image of the Virgin characterized by her asymmetrical humble eyes typified it as a product of his studio where he substitute the workshop’s paintings for his own, thus making the quality uneven. Just like most painters, Cranach’s paintings also evolved and his paintings for Frederick the Wise was the product of various experiments until he adopted his formal painting style when he was appointed as court painter to the Electors of Saxony at Wittenberg. His style which characterized the Virgin and the Child was Cranach’s attempt to also adapt to suit the demands of the Saxon Court (Bruce a). Technically, the painting The Virgin and Child are one of the many paintings of Cranach about the Madonna and Child. And just like the other paintings about the Madonna and Child, it is marked by the careful selection of colors where the figure â€Å"popped out† from its background due to the contrast of colors and chiaroscuro where the background appeared to be â€Å"lighter† than the foreground. In addition to contrasting light and dark colors, the combination of marked cold and warm colors in the figure emphasized a strong â€Å"character† on the figure where the red became prominently noticeable because it was a â€Å"warm color† contrasted with a â€Å"cold color† blue. The red, which also has the symbolism of the Passion’s, was emphasized for religiosity and aesthetic value as it became distinct when it was juxtaposed by the cerulean blue and deep green color of the Virgin’s garment.