I am a teenager free essay sample

I am a teenager. I am ignorant, illiterate and irresponsible. I lie, cheat, steal and hate for no apparent reason. I am rude, inconsiderate and, to all appearances, completely lost. I have never known failure, loss or despair. I never talk to my parents about my life, and would never suffer being seen with them in public. I dont know the value of a dollar and am under the impression that money is cleverly disguised as foliage. I drive 90 miles an hour and cause wrecks, discord and trouble wherever I travel. I know nothing of events, current or past. I am superficial, loud and obnoxious. I am viewed with haughty disapproval as a person who drinks, smokes and parties at every opportunity.I am a teenager. I am a stereotype. I have been cast unfairly in the role of an imprudent person who knows nothing, is inherently cruel, and always thinking of myself. We will write a custom essay sample on I am a teenager or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I am the bane of a society of whom many have never read Tolstoy, Dickens, Bronte, Nietzsche or Rousseau. I am dismissed by many of the generation who fear the day when I become an adult, because then the world will surely fall to pieces. When people look at me, they evaluate through lenses tinted with suspicion, mistrust and doubt.Some will never know that I am compassionate, humble and patriotic. I am an athlete, singer, artist and comedian. I am a daughter, sister, student and friend. I laugh and cry. I speak out and I brood. I love, dislike, and show indifference. I will be the next Nobel Prize winner, best-selling author, life-saving surgeon, president, or beloved teacher. I have lofty dreams and the ambition to make them reality. I have the determination and self-discipline to see every goal surpassed. I will go to college not just to party and have fun, but to pull myself one step closer to the destination I so greatly desire. Through kind words, intelligent conversation and common courtesy I will change the misconception of youth.One day, one person at a time, I will show those who judge that they are wrong. When I am an adult there will be a new collection of disrespectful, reckless, hateful youth. Maybe, just maybe, when I look at them, I will see through the labels and see the promise of a future generation. For now, I am simply and proudly myself. I am faithful, loving and honest. I am inquisitive, intelligent and sincere. I am a leader, follower and teacher. I am a teenager.

The Meanings of Like

The Meanings of Like The Meanings of â€Å"Like† The Meanings of â€Å"Like† By Mark Nichol What’s not to like about like? It’s a versatile word, but one easily misused and abused. Like is a preposition: â€Å"He is like me in that regard†; â€Å"Like him, I fail to see the humor.† Take care to use me and us (and, in the third person, them), rather than I and we (and they) in association with it. Like is also frequently employed as a conjunction: â€Å"Like I told you before, we’re running out of boxes†; â€Å"Like we’ve seen before, it depends on the situation†; â€Å"It looks like it’s going to rain.† However, this usage, once common, fell out of favor long ago, and it’s still considered a colloquialism that is out of place in formal writing. In each of these examples, as is the better choice. In addition, like is employed as a comparative term (â€Å"I’ve seen something like that before†) and is often seen as a substitute for â€Å"as if.† (â€Å"She looked like she might cry at any moment.†) The word has overtaken the more formal and, as explained below, slightly different usage â€Å"such as† to make comparisons: â€Å"I prefer more dynamic sports like soccer,† rather than â€Å"I prefer more dynamic sports such as soccer.† The argument against considering like and â€Å"such as† interchangeable is that â€Å"such as† suggests inclusion (soccer is one of the sports the writer prefers), whereas like implies exclusion (soccer is representative of the type of sport the writer prefers but is not one of them). However, the indiscriminate appearance of either usage and many writers, myself included, have used both in the same piece of content is ubiquitous, and the interchangeability is unlikely to change. Over the last few decades, the word has persisted as a filler, especially among young people (â€Å"I was, like, totally confused†), or again, especially among younger members of the population as a conversational substitute for said (â€Å"And he was like, ‘Go for it’†). I admit without embarrassment that although I am not young, I freely employ like in both usages when I speak. In writing, I would use them only for humorous effect. The first usage is adverbial, similar to colloquial usage like (I mean, â€Å"such as†) â€Å"It’s true, like enough† (as a substitute for likely). Other adverbial uses are as an alternative to altogether or rather (â€Å"All this time, I was calm, like†) or to about or nearly: â€Å"It’s more like a hundred dollars,† â€Å"It took, like, four hours.† (The latter usage is likely the inspiration for the use of like as an interjection.) Like serves as a noun: â€Å"I’ve never met his like since†; â€Å"I have no patience with her like.† A similar usage is â€Å"the likes of†: â€Å"I hope we’ve seen the last of the likes of him.† (The sense for the latter usage, and the one previous to that, is often pejorative.) Recently, too, it has acquired the meaning of â€Å"something one likes,† such as a social-networking Web page. And, of course, it functions as a verb, meaning â€Å"To choose or prefer,† â€Å"to enjoy, or to thrive,† â€Å"to regard,† or â€Å"to want.† 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. Programme3 Types of Headings20 Tips to Improve your Writing Productivity

Voodoo Secrets

Voodoo Secrets Voodoo as a religion has its roots in traditional African religions. It original name is Vodu, but that paved way for the more widespread name; Voodoo. Other names referring to it include â€Å"Voudou, Vaudau, Voudoux, or Vaudaux† (Tallant 9). Captured slaves from West Africa carried its essential ideology into Haiti, then to America.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Voodoo Secrets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The practice of Voodoo involves, â€Å"complicated rituals and symbols† (Riguad 7). It involves the worship of spiritual deities, with priests called papa loa, which means â€Å"father of the spirits† (Felix 21), and priestesses acting as intermediaries between the spiritual world, and humanity. Some of them also operate as oracles, revealing spiritual mysteries to those who seek their services. The term Voodoo also describes a charm that has supernatural powers known as juju. A dherents believe that it acts as a protective force over them. They also use it to mete out revenge on their enemies. Voodoo therefore refers to an entire religious system and to certain specific aspects of its practice. Voodoo picked pace from the practices of a snake cult in Haiti during the slave trade period. The cult came from West Africa and spread with slave trade, in the Americas and to Haiti. As new slave communities grew in the Americas, different religious identities amalgamated into a unified faith as the slave communities tried to forge a common belief system to unify them in their new locales. Felix says, â€Å"Voodoo became the intermingling of essential attributes of all the religions of the different African tribes to which poorly assimilated elements of Catholicism were added† (20). Voodoo got its form in Haiti, which was an important station during slave trade. Missionary efforts among the slaves saw them incorporate elements of Catholicism in practice of t he Voodoo religion. In the process, some Voodoo spirits replaced catholic saints because of close relationships between their roles. Currently, it is common to find prayers offered to Mary and other Catholic elements such as the Lord’s Prayer and the sign of the cross forming part of the Voodoo liturgy. In fact, many Voodoo adherents are staunch Catholics. In America, Voodoo practice first took place in New Orleans before spreading to other states. This was because of the role New Orleans played in slave trade.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Voodoo belief system builds on the idea of an all-powerful impersonal Supreme Being responsible for creation of the entire universe, but who does not get involved in day-to-day running characterized by the affairs of men. The adherents worship lesser deities known as Loa who are animistic spirits. The initia l practice of Voodoo revolved around slave communities that sought to retain the vital link with their ancestral heritage. Present followers include descendants of these slaves spread throughout the Americas. In addition, tourists all over the world visit Voodoo priests and priestesses in America and Haiti to obtain special charms and amulets for all manner of purposes.  Its practice involves praying, dancing, and ritualistic expressions. It is important to distinguish between faithful adherents who actually believe in power of Voodoo, and those who participate in Voodoo recreational purposes. The use of dolls in Voodoo is the enduring image of the faith system though this is only a piece of the entire system. This view, propagated by Hollywood horror movies, depicts Voodoo priests as spiritual powerhouses using the dolls to control the outcome of an individual’s activities. There are a number of opponents to Voodoo who believe it is evil. Official catholic faith rejects Vo odoo as demonic and considers use of saints in the Voodoo liturgy as syncretism. The question of whether Voodoo is fact or fiction is hard to answer sufficiently using a scientific approach. It does not lend itself to purely scientific investigation to determine its efficacy. This is true for all faith-based systems. Evidence given by practicing Voodoo adherents does not meet criteria for objective study because they are likely to associate ordinary outcomes to their faith. It is difficult to dissociate outcomes of Voodoo mediated occurrences from random chance. The Placebo effect also applies to Voodoo. Someone may actually experience a favorable outcome because of participation in Voodoo rituals based on their belief in the efficacy of the service received. Taking a healing portion from a Voodoo priest may result in better physical health. We can therefore conclude that Voodoo is effective to the extent that such outcomes portray a positive relationship to Voodoo practice. Voodoo has had many tangible consequences in the world. The most notable was the drive towards independence by Haiti, which begun in earnest during a Voodoo festival, where all the participants took an oath to fight for independence. Consequently, Haiti became the first predominantly Negro nation to attain independence. Riguad also attest to some of the effects of voodoo practice when he says, â€Å"a curious moral consequence of the slave trade was the exaltation of the African religion by an increase of faith in the Voodoo divinities† (12). Berry identifies one of the mystifying occurrences of Voodoo when he says, â€Å"One of the most spectacular features of Voodoo is ritual possession trance, in which saints (loa) enter into and â€Å"possess† the practitioner, who can either be a believer (with no special psychological problem), a patient, or a priest/doctor who seeks to heal†. This shows that Voodoo is not without its share of paranormal occurrences that science cannot fully explain.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Voodoo Secrets specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Berry, John, et al. Cross-cultural psychology: research and applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Print. Felix, Emmanuel. Understanding Haitian Voodoo. USA: Xulon Press, 2009. Print Riguad, Milo. Secrets of voodoo. New York: Lights Books, 1985. Print. Tallant, Robert. Voodoo in New Orleans. Louisiana: Pelican Publishing, 1983. Print.

Ethical issues in Financial Companies Lending practices Research Paper

Ethical issues in Financial Companies Lending practices - Research Paper Example The overall wheel of development of humanity is almost entirely hinged on the decisions, policies, strategies, and plans of financial institutions. However, as these institutions continue to grow in relevance so does the problems of mankind. The almost direct relationship between the growth of financial institutions and the level of humanitarian crises and predicaments in different times and places underlie some fundamental truths of their complicity in these situations. The dual potential of the lending institutions to create both good and evil in same measure has placed these institutions under scrutiny by analysis’s and rights watchdogs for suspected complicity in the geopolitical, and environmental dilemma that have been witnessed in modern times (Weiss, 2005). Some of the crises that have dominated the global stage since the second half of the twentieth century include the spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic, global warming resulting from the green gas emissions, mechanization of the labor market which has led to job losses, wars and violent conflicts, several forms of environmental degradation, among other many situations. The process of creation of these situations has been made possible by the willful involvement of human beings working within structural organizations that spend millions of dollars to create these situations. The source of these money has been chiefly through lending from financial institutions. These institutions have knowingly given loans to questionable organizations even amid protests from activists regarding the ethical ends of the borrower’s missions. Moreover, these same lending institutions have sought every opportunity to merge, link up, or buy stakes in some of the organizations with disastrous missions around the globe. The bottom line of profits has often blinded the lending institutions from the horrible missions

Cocktail presentation design report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cocktail presentation design report - Assignment Example Although the contents of the presentation were all designed from scratch, the built-in presentation wizard was used to see if any suitable template exists. A template designed for introducing a new product was deemed to be suitable so it was used for the overall background and style with modifications. This template had horizontal stripes which matched the way the cocktail mixtures have been depicted. The steps followed in using the wizard are shown in the figure below. Figure 1: The steps followed in using the presentation wizard In step 3 of the wizard, the basic slide transition effect was selected as Comb Horizontal which again was considered to be suitable because it matched both the cocktail depictions and the horizontally striped background. The speed was set as normal. This setting was applied to all the slides and all the slides except the ones showing the cocktails individually retained this setting. During step 4, the main title and the presenters name were entered. In ste p 5, the content pages suggested by the wizard were deselected because they were related to introducing a new product whereas I only used the background and style from this template. The cover or title slide of the presentation is shown below. Figure 2: Screenshot of the title slide of the presentation The presentation was then given an outline and ordering for the slides as shown in the table below. The initial duration of each slide is also stated in the third column and these timings were set according to the length of the time required to view or read the contents of each slide. The glasses sound effect was used for the main slide transitions besides the horizontal combing effect. Table 1: Organisation of the slides in the presentation Slide # Content Initial set duration (s) 1 Title slide showing the 4 parts 4 2 Shows the different cocktails 4 3 Relaxing Blue Hawaiian 2 4 Refreshing Daiquiri 2 5 Delicious Pina Colada 2 6 Tropical Mai Tai 2 7 Fruity Bahama Mama 2 8 Original Marg arita 2 9 Cooling Rum Runner 2 10 Creamy White Russian 2 11 Shows the different cocktails 2 12 Common ingredients 6 13 Glasses used for serving I 6 14 Glasses used for serving II 6 15 Preparation times (Ready in) 6 16 Closing slide 4 It can be seen from the above outline that the presentation covers all four of the main ideas about the eight popular cocktails, i.e. (1) origin, (2) ingredients, (3) type of glass used and (4) preparation time which are introduced at the beginning in the first slide. Later, background music was also added to the presentation to give an impression of being in a place where cocktails are being served as far as possible. Also the same blind effect was used for all the transitions set at a duration of 2 seconds and the sound effect was removed so that the background music could be heard instead. Each slide was also made to display for the same duration of 5 seconds. The different cocktails are first shown together (in slide 2) as shown below, and then indi vidually while being enlarged. Slides 3 to 10 have been made to behave as sub-slides by appearing between two slides both showing the complete range of cocktails. That is, to reinforce that this displying of the cocktails individually is a momentary divergence, the same picture of different cocktails in slide 11 appears as in slide 2. The flags above each cocktail show the origin of that cocktail and the preparation time is also marked inside a black circle besides each glass. Figure 3: Screenshot of the Different Cocktails slide The presentation then gives information on the common ingredients in slide 12. This information has been displayed in a table format as shown in the screenshot below because it makes it

Unit 4 Market for Health Insurance and Competition Essay

Unit 4 Market for Health Insurance and Competition - Essay Example by Congressional Budget Office, the health market challenges the federal and state governments as health care premiums continue to take an upward trend. More to these, health care costs seem to exceed the growth of American income, thus making it very expensive to afford health care in America. Consequent to these, fewer individuals get to enroll for the service, following the high cost involved. These factors compel the government to take measures that regulate the operation of the health market, thus ensuring that the insurance companies do not exercise their market power in a manner that can harm consumers, as well as the economy. Such measures include the evaluation of insurers who undertake mergers and acquisitions, to ensure that monopolies do not rule the health sector. The medical loss ratio refers to a statistical measurement of the fraction of the total premium revenue from health plans that get to be devoted to clinical services. In other words, the MLR relates to the portion of the premium revenue from health insurance plans paid to settle medical claims. Therefore, this ratio does not serve as a measure of the quality of care provided as premiums paid and expenditures incurred do not indicate the quality of care being given to individuals. Other measures, such as patient satisfaction surveys, and severity-adjusted clinical outcomes, provide better measures for gauging health performance. Consequently, the MLR should not be used to measure health performance, as it would lead to biased results (Austin, 43). Risk-adjusted premiums help in determining the expected treatment cost that an insured person would incur, if they were to fall ill. Higher rates exist for elderly individuals, compared to the younger population (Feldstein, 245). This ensures that insurance providers do not choose to insure healthier patients, and leave out the sick patients. Consequent to this, individuals who need health care most get to access insurance, and effective

The Issue of Remorse on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Research Paper

The Issue of Remorse on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Research Paper Example Various studies were conducted about the novel and they discuss the symbols, imageries, issues and parallelisms prevailing in The Scarlet Letter. The critical analysis of the novel would start with a brief biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne and also the significant issues faced by the United States of America in its early years would be analyzed in connection to the story. The main focus is on the issue of remorse faced by the main characters of the novel. Nathaniel Hawthorne came from a famous family living in Salem, Massachusetts. His relatives took care of him when his father died in a voyage. He studied at Bowdoin College together with some famous personalities in literature and politics like Horatio Bridge who became a writer, Jonathan Ciley who became a senator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who became a poet, and Franklin Pierce who became a president of the United States. The personalities mentioned helped Hawthorne to get a public sector job. Afterwards he started as a writer when his works imitate the style of Sir Walter Scott and was considered to be his early writing training. The Transcendentalist Movement of Ralph Waldo Emerson influenced Hawthorne by investing in the Utopian community. The Trancendentalist belief rejects formalism as they promote individualism because humans according to them are more than just sensory realm. Individualism and symbolism became prominent in Hawthorne’s later works especially in The S carlet Letter wherein the Transcendentalist ideals clashed against the ideals of the Puritans. The Custom House was written by Hawthorne as a prologue to The Scarlet Letter and also as an autobiographical essay. His published work became possible through the help of his friends. The Scarlet Letter became famous across time since morality, spirituality and identity of the Americans were affected by the Puritans. During the time of Hawthorne, adultery was considered as a taboo because of prevailing rigidity and formality of culture. The novel became popular to people from all ages across time (University of Wisconsin Milwaukee). The Scarlet Letter made its author a famous writer. After seeing the relevance of the novel to the life and time of Hawthorne, going deeper into the summary would link the history to the story. Spirituality, morality and Puritan influence on the early America were reflected in The Scarlet Letter. The novel went against the norms and showed how the dreaded beha vior and beliefs would be turned from weakness into strength. The story started from a prologue that could be considered as a standalone essay. The essay revealed how the novel was written as the narrator mirrored Hawthorne himself. The narrator worked as a surveyor in the customhouse and he found certain documents bundled and contained a piece of cloth shaped into an A. Since the narrator was careless and lost some important documents, he made a story out of the two-hundred-year-old manuscript made by a past surveyor. His creative thinking produced The Scarlet Letter  and the story opened in a Puritan settlement at Boston during the early years of USA. The scarlet letter â€Å"A† labeled on the chest of the protagonist named Hester Prynne symbolized her crime as viewed by the townspeople. She walked out of a prison cell together with her baby named Pearl. She arrived at Boston when her old and scholarly husband sent her there. Her husband was lost in the voyage and was ass umed to be dead. Because of loneliness, Hester engaged in an affair that led to the birth of Pearl. Afterwards the town elders put Hester Prynne to a public confession to reveal the father of Pearl. She did not reveal the name of