Reading response LN 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading response LN 3 - Essay Example If the speaker possesses semantic prowess then they can automatically depict irony and humor in a phrase. Pragmatically, humor may be described as differing from other means of communication as its major purpose lies on amusing its audience. It is evident that humor is proactive as it forms a major part of communication. This results from the fact that people can cooperate to tell jokes. It is through inferences and implicatures as Attardo (2001) indicates that irony is created. This fact validates the fact that irony is pragmatic. Yet another interesting fact is the verity that irony is pragmatic. Attardo (2001) indicates that it is extremely fallacious to view irony as merely a processing of texts and thrusting aside the original meanings. Evidently, the ironical interpretations of irony can be understood immediately even without focusing on the literal meaning (Attardo, 2001). With this in perspective, it is worth validating the verity that irony is pragmatic. Even in statements that are forced to be ironical, the meanings are immediately deduced. However, it is validated to question on what needs to be termed as ironical and what is not ironical. It is also important to inquire what aspect of irony can be described as contextual inappropriate. Is it when the irony does not relay the intended meaning and create general implicature? The author also focuses on the reaction of humor and irony an attempt to assess the various responses that emanate from the same (Attardo, 2001). This aspect is very intriguing as not all persons will appreciate humor and irony. Some persons will choose to ignore, other will laugh while others will continue the humor or irony in question. It is this verity that validates the author’s choice of topic. Humor and irony interrelate but the same is not detected by all persons. The reactions that are displayed

Enron collapse A look back Essay Example for Free

Enron collapse A look back Essay Enron was formed as a result of merging with another company and it became a successful corporate. The joy of the business owners is to see how it grows fast and to attract more investors. There are rules and regulation that governs the corporate financial report that is open for inspection by potential investors (Folger, 2011). The audit of these financial reports should disclose the accurate financial state of the company and this should be made known to the stakeholders of the company. The stakeholders of a company play an important role in progress of the business and the going concern of the company (Sterling, 2002). The company of Enron did not manage its debts and therefore looked for means of hiding the truth from its stakeholders so as to continue making profit. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   The aim of a business is to make profit and be able to pay the debts of the creditors and also attract investors who are interested in the business. Most investor relay on the financial statement to determine whether to invest or not to invest (Folger, 2011). The Enron Company was a big company that was famous and successful before its fall. The corporate attracted many investors since they financial report showed how the business was growing at high rate (Bauer, 2009). However the corporate management did not disclose the true and fair view of the financial reports. The financial report of a company should not mislead the shareholders or its members. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Moreover, in the Enron scandal there were some cases in which it showed misconduct of its financial reporting since the corporate did not display true and fair financial accountings to its stakeholders. The corporate used financial fabrication and mark- market accounting to hide its actual debts and real financial situation (Folger, 2011). These reports made the investor believe that the corporate was making profit while it was making losses in real sense. It is also a form of fraud to stakeholders since it cannot meet all its debts and in case of winding up majority of the investors and shareholder would suffer greatly. The Enron scandal was deemed to be great since it had huge debts to settle and its assets could not settle these debts. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Indeed, financial misconduct affects a large group of stakeholder and leaves a great mark that cannot be erased (Sterling, 2002). For example the shareholders of Enron corporate were highly affected and suffered a loss of billions that were not recovered since the corporate went bankrupt and the assets of the business were also false in existence. The investors also suffered greatly from these financial misconduct, they lost their resources. In addition, the employees suffered greatly by losing billions of pension benefits due to the misconduct of financial reports which led to the bankruptcy of the Enron therefore could no longer pay them (Folger, 2011). Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   The financial statement of a company is very important to the investors, it gives an over view of the stability of the business and its ability to pay debts. The Enron corporate failed to disclose true and fair view financial statements by hiding its real financial reports and the investors were misled and also due to many investments made by the company lead to its bankruptcy (Sterling, 2002). The purpose of accurate financial reports is to help the investors and also the company to know to what extent they should contract or invest in other businesses. It also helps in managing of the company’s debt thus making profit but the Enron was only interested in making a lot of profits that led to their down fall. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  Ethics are rules that govern every business and its members on how to conduct their daily roles in the company (Brady, Dunn, 1995). In other words, the managers of this corporate owe their loyalty to its stakeholders and their interest ought to be the interest of the business (Bauer, 2009). In deontology of the Enron corporate, the management had a duty and obligations to display the true statement of finance and also to operate the business in the interest of the stakeholders and not their interest. As the leaders they ought to make sure that the going concern of the business is kept and the assets of the company are secured. In addition, the duty of the Enron managers was to disclose the true and fair view of financial reports (Bauer, 2009). Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  On other hand, utilitarian is a form ethic that is used to show the positive side of the organization, for example by disclosing the false statement to stakeholders thus blinding them of the real situation (Folger, 2011). The Enron leaders used different methods to conceal the truth about its debts and faked the profits. They made the business look attractive and therefore more investors invested in the business. At the end, the ethics rules were violated and the leaders had a role to play .Enron had a role to disclose the truth which could have rescued the company (Bauer, 2009). If at the beginning, the company revealed the truth it would not have ended bankrupt and the employees would have secured their jobs. Finally, the company had a duty to disclose the true financial statements and also save the company from falling and the scandals would have been avoided. The companies should put into practice the ethics governing the corporates. Therefore, to pre vent any future happenings such as the past frauds in the company, there has been an enhanced regulation as well as oversight in the company (Folger, 2011). References Bauer, A. (2009). The Enron scandal and the Sarbanes-Oxley-Act. München: GRIN Verlag. Brady, F. N., Dunn, C. P. (1995). Business meta-ethics: An analysis of two theories. Business Ethics Quarterly, 385-398. Folger, J. (2011). The Enron collapse: A look back. Investopedia, December 1. Retrieved October 25, 2014, at http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1211/the-enron-collapse-a-look-back.aspx Sterling, T. F. (2002). The Enron scandal. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Source document

The Womens Ordination Movement Theology Religion Essay

The Womens Ordination Movement Theology Religion Essay The question of whether or not women should be ordained set apart for religious leadership and/or to administrate certain religious rites has been present within Christian and Jewish groups since early in U.S. history. Women are regularly ordained within some religious groups. Others restrict ordination to men. Others continue to debate the question. Though U.S. Protestants did not first ordain women until the 1800s, women had for a long time prior to that been religious leaders both in their churches and in the public square. Perhaps one of the most famous examples of this is found in the story of Anne Hutchinson, who in the 1630s in Massachusetts challenged male authorities by holding meetings with women to discuss her pastors sermons. Her actions led to a trial, a conviction, and banishment to Rhode Island. While many women during this era exercised religious leadership, it was not until the mid-1800s that a woman was formally ordained to Christian leadership. Congregationalist Antoinette Brown was ordained in 1853 when she was called to become pastor of a church in New York. Unitarian Universalist leader, Olympia Brown, was ordained about a decade later, in 1863, and AME Zion minister, Mary Jane Small, was ordained in 1898. These ordinations of women and others that followed are indicative of significant changes that occurred in the mid-1800s and early 1900s in the roles of women in religious and public life. These changes were not without controversy as exemplified by the contentious debates that emerged as some groups supported and others vehemently opposed the ordination of women. The theologies and/or polities of some Christian groups and denominations afforded women early access to ordination. For example, the Quakers insistence that all people are equal before God provided support for those who sought gender equity in churches and society; as a result, though Quakers did not formally ordain anyone to ministry in favor of recording ministers, they did acknowledge women as authoritative preachers. The group known as the Shakers that emerged in the 18th century not only sprung up under leadership of a woman, Ann Lee, but also believed that Jesus would return to earth as a woman. Northern Baptists (later known as American Baptists) likewise demonstrated early support of women as preachers by supporting the ordination of Edith Hill in 1897, setting the stage for a continuation of the practice within that Baptist group. Also, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many Holiness and Pentecostal groups regularly ordained women. In addition to these pioneers in the movement are other traditions, including Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and the United Church of Christ, who in the twentieth century engendered and then formalized support for the ordination women. These traditions often faced inner conflicts over the question of ordaining women. In the late 1960s, for example, three Lutheran bodies (the Lutheran Church in America, the American Lutheran Church, and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod), held a consultation on the ordination of women but were unable to reach a consensus. Both the Lutheran Church in America and the American Lutheran Church eventually approved the ordination of women. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod experienced significant upheaval over the issue and over other issues having to do with scriptural authority and interpretation. The conflict resulted in the formation of a new denomination, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, for med in 1987 by a merger of the Lutheran Church in America, the American Lutheran Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, from its inception ordained both women and men. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod continues to limit ordination to men. Other Christian groups, for example, many Baptists and the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, have consistently opposed the ordination of women. Many Baptist groups and congregations also deny women ordination, though Baptist polity allows for each local church to determine its own belief and practice. In 1964, Addie Davis became the first Southern Baptist woman to be ordained. In the early 1980s, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) passed a resolution stating that offices requiring ordination are restricted to men. Supporters of this resolution point to sections of a denominational statement of beliefs, The Baptist Faith and Message, that states the following: [The churchs] scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture (The Baptist Faith and Message, 2000). While this is an official SBC stance, neither denominational resolutions nor Baptist Fait h and Message statements are binding upon local congregations. Thus, decisions about ordaining women finally reside with each SBC church. Groups who oppose womens ordination do so primarily on the basis of their interpretations of biblical texts. Arguments include, generally, the perspectives that the New Testament does not report the existence of any women pastors, that pastors who represent the people before God should, like Christ, be male, that New Testament guidelines for church order do not include instructions that specify women, and that some New Testament texts forbid women to be pastors or have roles of authority over men (i.e. I Timothy 2:11-12). Those who support womens ordination also voice arguments based on biblical interpretation. For example, evidence exist in Old and New Testament texts of times when women exercised leadership over both males and females; and Paul stated clearly in Galatians 3:27-28 a theology of gender equity (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus). A number of biblical scholars and theologians, including feminist scholars, have emphasized biblical examples of womens leadership and gender equity. Some Hebrew Bible scholars argue on the basis of their reading of Genesis 1 and 2 that both genders are created equally in Gods image. Protestant supporters include in their arguments the traditional Protestant emphasis on the priesthood of all believers. The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have witnessed a resurgence of the debate over womens ordination. By the end of the twentieth century, many Protestant and Jewish groups accepted women in the role of pastoral leader or rabbi. Some groups, however, continued to oppose womens ordination and for some of those groups the debate has intensified. The 2000 revision of the Baptist Faith and Message, cited above, has reignited and intensified the debate amongst Baptists as proponents of ordination argue that the 2000 language about women leaders is anti-woman and opponents insist that the revision only underscores a biblical mandate that while women and men are of equal value, the role of pastor is restricted to men. The 1963 Baptist Faith and Message, which the 2000 version revises, does not include a statement limiting the pastoral office to men. Moderate Baptist groups such as the Alliance of Baptists, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the American Baptist Churches , U.S.A. take a more proactive and supportive stance toward ordaining women. In recent decades, the debate has also intensified within the Roman Catholic tradition. Throughout the 1970s, Roman Catholics debated whether or not the priesthood should be open to women. A final ruling on this question was published in the Vaticans 1976 Declaration on the Question of the Admission Women to the Ministerial Priesthood; the Declaration stated that the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith judges it necessary to recall that the Church, in fidelity to the example of the Lord, does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination. Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, support nevertheless grew for the ordination of women to the Roman Catholic priesthood. Early in the 1990s, Vatican leaders began to take actions they hoped would quiet public support for womens ordination. These actions included pronouncements against ordaining women as well as disciplinary actions against individuals who advocated openly for womens ordination. Pope John Paul II issued a statement in 1994 underscoring the teaching of the 1976 Declaration and further stating that the teaching was not open to debate. The 1990s also saw debate sparked within the ranks of those Roman Catholics who supported womens ordination. Notably, feminist biblical scholar Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza argued at a 1995 Womens Ordination Conference that women should aim not for ordination but rather for a discipleship of equals that resisted the overwhelming patriarchy of the Roman Catholic Church (Schussler Fiorenza, 1983). Others at the conference maintained a stance in favor of womens ordination. In the initial decades of the twenty-first century, the debate over womens ordination continues within the Roman Catholic Church. The issue of womens ordination has also stirred controversy within Jewish communities. The question was first posed in 1889 by Mary M. Cohen in Jewish Exponent: Could not our women be ministers? (Nadell, 1988, 1). In 1972, many years after the publication of this question, the Sally Jane Priesand became the first female rabbi within Reform Judaism in the U.S. Amy Eilberg in 1985 became the first woman received into the rabbinate within Conservative Judaism. To date, no women have become rabbis within Orthodox Judaism, though debate over the question continues within that Jewish sector. Other religious groups in the U.S. also debate what roles women can hold. For example, a controversy currently exists among Muslims over to what extent women can act as imams; most agree that while women can lead a gathering of women in prayer, women cannot lead a mixed gender group in prayer. Jehovahs Witnesses consider all persons ordained upon public baptism. Women are commonly appointed as full time ministers in order to evangelize or to serve as missionaries. However, the roles of deacon and elder as well as the authority to perform baptisms, funerals or weddings are restricted to male Witnesses. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does not ordain women but the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints adopted the practice in 1984. Several organizations have emerged over time to support women clergy. One of the earliest was the Womans Ministerial Conference, founded in 1893 in Boston, Massachusetts. The International Association of Women Preachers was founded in 1919 by M. Madeline Southard, a Methodist minister from Kansas. Both of these groups supported women who believed they had a call to preach and advocated publicly for women in religious leadership. The Women Church movement, which began in the U.S. in the 1970s primarily to support Roman Catholic women who sought ordination, has kept alive ecumenical dialogue about the ordination of women as well as about other ecclesial and societal issues that impact the lives of women. Jill Crainshaw See also Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Feminism, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Southern Baptist Convention, Women-Church Movement. Sources Keller, Rosemary Skinner, and Rosemary Radford Ruether, eds. Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006. Keller, Rosemary Skinner, and Rosemary Radford Ruether, eds. In Our Own Voices: Four Centuries of Womens Religious Writing. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1995. Nadall, Pamela. Women Who Would Be Rabbis: A History of Womens Ordination, 1889-1995. Boston: Beacon Press, 1988. Reid, Daniel G., ed. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1990. Schussler Fiorenza, Elisabeth. Discipleship of Equals: A Critical Feminist Ekklesialogy of Liberation. New York: Crossroad Publishing Co., 1983.

The Debate Over the Glen Canyon Dam Essay -- Nature Environmental Essa

The Debate Over the Glen Canyon Dam Over the years Glen Canyon Dam has been the spark for hundreds of debates, rallies, and protests. These debates have been going on for almost forty years now. The fact is that the dam created a huge lake when it was built, this is what bothers environmentalists. This lake is called Lake Powell and thousands of people depend on its tourists for income. The lake also filled up a canyon called Glen Canyon, some people say it was the most beautiful place on earth. The anti-dam side of the debate has its basis in the fact that Lake Powell is currently covering Glen Canyon. It was very remote so few people got to witness its splendor. This is probably the reason the dam was built in the first place, ignorance. The lake supports a small city called Page, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of people who vacation there. The people who live in or around page and the people who use the lake for recreation are the people who like the dam and they hold up the pro-dam side of the debate. The argument is: why should we drain Lake Powell when thousands upon thousands of people enjoy it each year compared to the few hundred if that that might have ventured into Glen Canyon if it were still there. Also people argue that the rock formations, plant life, and even streams and rivers of the old Glen Canyon have long since been destroyed and it will never be the same even if we were to drain the lake. This Paper will describe and analyze three articles pertaining to the ongoing debate for and against Glen Canyon Dam. Two of these articles were found in the 1999 edition of A Sense of Place, and the third was downloaded off a site on the Internet (http://www.glencanyon.net/club.htm). These articles wi... ...ion that the proposal to drain Lake Powell is not a very good one " First off two Club members in page, AZ quit the club over the Lake Powell proposal" (www.glencanyon.net/club). The writer thinks that the board is wrong to propose such an idea "Lake Powell violated the club's policy that major decisions should start at the ground and work their way up" (www.glencanyon.net/club). The author seems to want to clear guilt of the proposal from the club members. The author's point of view seems to be of someone who is involved in the Sierra Club organization itself, whether the author is or isn't a member they have something to do with the organization. The author is in a protective mode, "The Board (of the Sierra Club) pulled this idea out of thin air" (www.glencanyon.net/club) trying to state the fact that not all members are in favor of the plan to drain the lake.

Brief Literary Analysis Edgar Allen Poe

15 November 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Literary Analysis Edgar Allan Poe is often regarded as the most skilled American poet and short story writer, and it is no wonder because every literary work created by Poe is written with such proficiency, that even readers today are awe-struck. In Poe’s short stories and poems, one will find the same few themes in his works, such as women, the color red and a variety of horror themes, however one theme that is very repetitive is his employment of death. This theme is used in many novels today, and is also a popular theme in books, television shows and videogames. Read also Edgar Allan Poe DrugsIn fact, since the 1800s, people have become increasingly appealed by death. Death was one of Poe’s favorite themes, and is a big reason why Poe’s literary works are still read today. In Poe’s short story â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, the theme of death often brought up, such as when the fatal â€Å"red death† sickness was described: when contracted, its host would feel â€Å"sharp pains, and sudden dizziness† (1), and its host would have â€Å"profuse bleeding of the pores† (1). The red death was a widespread disease, but Prince Prospero’s castle was safe from the red death because the disease couldn’t get past the abbey gates.In his happy mood, the Prince organized a ball, this ball was not an ordinary ball, but it was a masquerade, in which the guests would wear masks and costumes. This story ends in an extremely violent manner, in which every masquerader succumbs to the red death. The theme of this masquerade was gruesome; many masqueraders wore very graphic outfits, which foreshadow the horrible end of this story. Another one of Poe’s works, â€Å"Annabel Lee†, was actually based on his wife, Virgiania Eliza Clemm Poe, and in the the poem, Annabel is killed by the angels above that were jealous of the love between Annabel and Poe.So one night, at the peak of their jealousy, the sent out a cloud â€Å"Chilling and killing† (4. 6) Poe’s Annabel Lee. The theme of death is very obvious in that Annabel Lee dies in the poem, and the main character is filled with an infinite sadness, that he even sleeps by the grave. What’s ironic about this poem is the fact that Annabel dies from a chilly wind, and Virginia, in her last stage of consumption, dies cold, and Poe, so poor, was unable to afford a blanket for her, a simple luxury that would have brightened her mood just a bit. The Fall of the House of Usher† is a unique short st ory in that it was one of the first â€Å"haunted house† stories of it’s time. This story was about a man who was invited by his friend, Roderick Usher, to cheer Usher up. The main character soon arrives at the Usher manor, which once was beautiful, now is an old run-down mansion. The only two Usher family members that are still alive are the twins, Roderick and Madeline, and both of them suffer from peculiar diseases, Roderick suffers from a â€Å"morbid acuteness of the senses† (3) and Madeline seemingly suffers form a type of immunodeficiency, in which she gets deathly ill often.The first appearance of the theme of death is when Roderick states Madeline as â€Å"dead† and subsequently buries Madeline prematurely. Roderick is aware of this, and near the end of the story, Madeline breaks out of her coffin and â€Å"with a low moaning cry, fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother,† (10) killing Roderick, another appearance of death. At th e very end, the manor disappears, symbolizing the death of the Usher bloodline. The theme of death is apparent in this short story, so this theme is not only a coincidence. Many of Poe’s stories include death, and â€Å"The Black Cat† is no exception.This story is one of his more brutal stories in that the main character first hung his favorite cat, Pluto, and then â€Å"buried the axe† (4) in his wife’s head. The final death is that of the main character, when he is sentenced to hang for his atrocious deed of murder. This theme of death is proved as a common theme now, as it is in at least four of Poe’s literary works, and these stories aren’t the only ones that include the theme of death. Death is not a happy event. A funeral is usually a time of sadness, and there is depressing atmosphere that is fueled by this sadness.Poe recreates this atmosphere in many of his works in the mood of the story or poem. For example, in â€Å"The Fall of t he House of Usher† this depressing mood is heightened when the reader becomes aware that the only remaining Ushers alive are Roderick and Madeline. Another instance of heightened mood is in â€Å"The Black Cat† when Pluto is brutally executed by the main character. This mood is even evident in â€Å"Annabel Lee† when Poe writes â€Å"A wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my beautiful Annabel Lee† (4. 25-26). Poe is a master at creating this theme, as he effectively depresses the reader with the depressing mood of death.Poe is also proficient at symbolizing death. The symbolism of death takes many different forms in Poe’s works ranging from very simple symbols to rather complex ones. An example is the clock in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† in which the clock chimed every hour with a â€Å"dull, heavy, monotonous clang† (2). A clock is a symbol of death because it constantly reminds the limited life span of a h uman being. A rather blunt symbol of death is a coffin, like the one Madeline Usher broke out of in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher. † The reason a coffin is a symbol of death is because a corpse is put in a coffin prior to the burial of the body.The color black is also a symbol of death, which is the color of the velvet tapestries, hung in the seventh room in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† which is the room Prince Prospero and his fellow masqueraders are killed. In many of Poe’s works, the story takes place in an old house, or castle, the reason behind this is that an older house usually means it has survived several generations, which can also be related to death, because a generation is defined as a group of people born at approximately the same time, and since a human being has a defined life span, the end of a generation is when the group of people die.The old Usher manor has survived several generations of the Usher family, and it is also the plac e where several of the Usher family members are buried. At the end, it is the resting place of Madeline and Roderick. Ultimately, the house mysteriously disappears when Madeline and Roderick die. Another old building is Prince Prospero’s castle in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, and that also has seen many generations of mankind, but it also sees the death of Prospero and his friends when the Red Death sneaks into the masquerade and swiftly kills them all.A very large amount of Poe’s works take place at night, rarely does one of Poe’s works take place in the daytime. The night has always held superstition for mankind because it is first of all, a time when humans sleep, and aren’t very active, and second of all, the human eye cannot see in the dark well. As stated before, rarely does one of Poe’s works take place in the day, in fact, the four works referenced all take place at night. One may wonder why many of Poe’s works were vio lent, gloomy, and why many of his stories included a lot of death.The explanation is because Poe had a very depressing life. His father was an alcoholic that left after Poe was a year old and eventually died of alcoholism. His mother cared for Poe until she died of consumption. After Poe’s mom had died, Francis Allan adopted Poe and Francis sent him to a peculiar school in England. What made this school peculiar was how the taught math and physical education. Math was taught using dates on tombstones, while physical education was taught by digging graves. This school could be a possible influence on Poe’s works, because he got to do graveyard work.Later, when he grew older, Poe had taken a romantic interest in his friend’s (his friend’s name was Richard) mother. Sadly, Richard’s mother developed a tumor, and died. Soon after Poe had finished college, Francis Allan died of consumption, and she was the only reason John Allan hadn’t evicted Poe yet, so once Francis died, Poe was evicted. After this event, Poe found a new romantic interest, in his adopted sister, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe. Poe married her when he was twenty-six years old. Unfortunately, Virginia also died from consumption. Now it can be seen why Poe wrote so much about death, because he was surrounded by it.Poe’s life was a short-lived and very unfortunate one. Many of his loved ones died from either consumption or other causes, and Poe was always poor. Poe became an alcoholic, just like his father, and he died at age forty. There was no rest for Poe, so most of his feelings went into his poetry and short stories, and that was what made him a successful writer. In the time Poe lived, there was common a terrible disease called consumption, or more commonly known today as Tuberculosis. This disease would attack the victim’s lungs, and slowly kill the victim.The common symptom of consumption is coughing up blood, but there are other symptoms such as a fever, chest pains, a cough with increasing mucus and a nightly sweat. This disease is could have been a big influence on Poe’s writing, because this disease killed many of Poe’s beloved and in a rather violent manner. Another thing people of Poe’s time were scared of was being buried alive, so much that devices that rung bells were attached to coffins so in the event someone was buried alive, person in the coffin could ring the bell and be rescued from their earthly prison.This fear was so great, that Poe had the idea to put it into one of his stories â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† in which Madeline Usher was buried before she was dead, by Roderick Usher. This fear had an apparent influence on Poe’s literature, and people loved the thrill of reading Poe’s â€Å"tales of terror. † In â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† Poe accomplishes several points, that death is unavoidable; Prince Prospero could not escape the i nevitable Red Death disease by simply hiding in his Abbey until it went away. Poe also states that death is an eternal law. If there is a beginning, there is an end, and life is no exception.Even time dies alongside the masqueraders, for time, one of humanity’s fears, will cease to exist as well. These points are surprisingly true, for each thing that has a beginning comes to an end, no exceptions. Poe blends morals and lessons into a brutal story of a man who tried to evade death, but he was foolish, for no mortal can escape death. Science states that everything was created, and everything will be destroyed, in due time, so this eternal law of death that Poe creates is so incredibly accurate to science, that Poe was a genius to secretly incorporate this law into a short story.Edgar Allan Poe is perhaps one of the greatest American writers of all time. His short stories and poems are still read by the world, and for good reason, what makes his stories so good are his well-wri tten story plots, and his themes of death, blood and gore which still ones that even people today can enjoy and be thrilled by. Poe had a depressing life, and it is unfortunate that he lived only forty years, who knows what else could have been produced.

How to Prevent a Shark Attack

How to Prevent a Shark Attack Even though youre more likely to die from a lightning strike, alligator attack or on a bicycle than from a shark attack, sharks do sometimes bite humans. In this article, you can learn about the actual risk of a shark attack, and how to avoid one.​ The International Shark Attack File The International Shark Attack  File  was developed in the late 1950s to compile information on shark attacks. Sharks attacks may be provoked or unprovoked. According to the International Shark Attack File, provoked attacks are those that happen when a person initiates contact with a shark (e.g., bites occurring to a fisherman removing a shark from a hook, a bite to a diver that has touched a shark). Unprovoked attacks are those that occur in the sharks natural habitat when a human has not initiated contact. Some of these may be if the shark mistakes a human for prey. Over the years, records of unprovoked attacks have increased - in 2015, there were 98 unprovoked shark attacks (6 fatal), which is the highest on record. This doesnt mean sharks are attacking more often. It  is more a function of increased human population and activity in the water (visiting the beach, increase in participation in scuba, paddle boarding, surfing activities, etc.), and the ease of reporting shark bites. Given the large increase in human population and ocean use over the years, the rate of shark attacks is decreasing. The top 3 attacking shark species were the white, tiger and bull sharks. Where Do Shark Attacks Occur? Just because youre swimming in the ocean doesnt mean you may be attacked by a shark. In many areas, large sharks dont come close to shore. The regions with the highest percentage of shark attacks were Florida, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Hawaii, and California. These are also regions where lots of people visit the beaches and participate in water activities. According to  The Shark Handbook, most shark bites occur to swimmers, followed by surfers and divers, but the majority of these bites are minor flesh wounds or abrasions. Ways to Prevent Shark Attacks There are many ways (most of them common-sense) that you can avoid a shark attack. Below is a list of what not to do if youll be swimming in waters where sharks might be present, and techniques for getting away alive if a shark attack really does happen. How to Avoid a Shark Attack: Dont swim alone.Dont swim during dark or twilight hours.Dont swim with shiny jewelry.Dont swim if you have an open wound.Dont swim too far offshore.Ladies: dont swim if youre menstruating.Dont splash excessively or make erratic movements.Keep pets out of the water.Dont swim in areas where there are sewage (for other obvious reasons!) or pinnipeds that are hauled-out. Both areas can attract sharks.Dont swim in areas being used by fishermen, as their bait could attract sharks.Dont push your luck - never harass a shark. Get out of the water if one is spotted and never attempt to grab or touch it. What to Do If Youre Attacked: Lets hope youve followed safety advice and successfully avoided an attack. But what do you do if you suspect a sharks in the area or you are being attacked? If you feel something brush against you, get out of the water. According to an article from National Geographic, many shark bite victims dont feel any pain. And sharks may strike more than once.If you are attacked, the number one rule  is do whatever it takes to get away. Possibilities include yelling underwater, blowing bubbles, and punching the sharks nose, eye or gills and then leaving the area before the shark strikes again. Protecting Sharks Although shark attacks are a horrific topic, in reality, many more sharks are killed by humans each year. Healthy shark populations are crucial to maintaining balance in the ocean, and sharks need our protection. References and Additional Information: Burgess, George H. 2011. ISAF Statistics on Attacking Species of Shark. (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed January 30, 2012.Burgess, George H. 2009. ISAF 2008 Worldwide Shark Attack Summary (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed February 5, 2010.Burgess, George H. 1998. Just for Kids: How to Avoid a Shark Attack Reprinted with permission from The Kids How to Do (Almost) Everything Guide, Monday Morning Books, Palo Alto, California. Accessed February 5, 2010.ISAF. 2009. International Shark Attack File. (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed February 5, 2010.Skomal, G. 2008. The Shark Handbook. Cider Mill Press Book Publishers: Kennebunkport, ME. 278pp.