Sunday, January 26, 2020

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks â€Å"A Walk to Remember â€Å" Nicholas Sparks, one of the New York Time Best Selling Author wrote his third novel entitled A Walk to Remember. It had been published in the year 1999 of October under Warner Books. The book is about the story of a 57 year old guy, and how he found his greatest love back when his seventeen. He tells how this love changes him in a way he didnt think he should be. The novel is written dedicated to his family, especially to his sister Danielle Sparks Lewis who become his inspiration in writing the novel. The story is fictional but some scenes are based on real life situation. He applied the experience of its own sister. Synopsis: The story is about a guy named Landon Carter, who is at the age of 57. It’s about how his life changes back when he was seventeen. He was Landon a reclusive guy, but everything changes when he asked Jamie Sullivan to be his date on their school party. Jamie is a good girl. She always carries a bible and always wore her ugly sweater. They are totally different but love is really great. The day he came to ask Jamie, he didnt know that it will be the start of something new. Something he didnt look forward to happen. On how he fall in love with someone named Jamie Sullivan. Reaction: The first time Ive got interested about A Walk to Remember is when Im in my third year of high school. I always read stories in wattpad and the author always mention it. They said that it was a great movie which inspired them to write their own stories. That time I didnt know it was a novel because they always mentioned it as a movie. I got a chance to watch it during my senior high, indeed it was great. Now, I needed to critic its book. At first, I didnt want to read it because I already know the flow of the story. Whats the use right? But as Ive read the book, I realized that I was so wrong. The movie is truly different from the book. Yes, it has the same concept but the flows of the scenes are entirely different. There are also some scenes that are informational which wasnt shown in the movie. Reading the novel is better than watching its film. You only need to imagine that youre on the story, and imagine everything that is happening. I was astounded on how this novel makes me feel the same emotion when I watch its movie. I even think Ive shown more emotion now that I read it. It feels like it was all brand new. I can still remember this quotation from the book, â€Å"Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other peoples sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and endure whatever comes. This has been my favorite line from the novel. That wasnt a simple quotation, it has a deeper meaning. It gives as an idea on what we need to do with our life. We must know the real purpose why we are living here, in this place. We are not here to focus on ourselves but for us to be part of the others life. To give them happiness, hope, and wisdom is our role in this world. A Walk to Remember wants us to remind that everything has its own purposes. Our life is always on God’s hand. You just need to have faith in him and surrender everything to him. For sure, everything will takes place. This story show how great can love is. Nothing is impossible that even miracle do come true. Conclusion: A remarkable book had been written again by Nicholas Sparks. He really knows how to touch our hearts. He has showed us the essence of life. On how powerful what we call love, that it can even do some miracle. This novel is a must read one. It has a theme that everyone can relate with. Film Review â€Å"Dead Poet Society† Dead Poets Society is a film directed by Peter Weir. This drama film was shown during 1989 starring Robin Williams. The story shows on how a teacher can live a great impact to his students. And how can he change the perception of his students. He also tells his student on why they need to seize the day. Characters: Protagonist Robin Williams as Mr. John Keating Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry Josh Charles as Knox Overstreet Dylan Kussman as Richard Cameron Allelon Ruggiero as Steven Meeks James Waterston as Gerard Pitts Gale Hansen as Charlie Dalton Antagonist Norman Lloyd as Gale Nolan Kurtwood Smith as Mr. Perry Synopsis: The story started during the time 1959. There is this guy named Todd Anderson who will take his senior high at Walton Academy. Walton Academy is a school for elite which offer prep boarding. Fortunately, his roommate is one of the most promising students at their school. Neil Perry became his roommate and the friend of Neil accepted him in their group. They are Calm Knox, Richard Cameron, Steven Meeks, Gerard Pitts, and Charlie Dalton. At the first day of their class, they were surprised by Mr. John Keating. He is their new teacher in English which is an alumnus of Walton. This educator has a different way of teaching his student. While having their lesson, he asked his students to stand on the desk, he even let them walk in a courtyard with their own way. Keating also instruct them to reap out the pages of their book in poetry. He was the one who motivated the boys to see the world in a different perspective and seize every day of their life. Reaction: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. The Latin term for this is carpe diem means seize the day. An extraordinary life to be with, an abundant life. A movie that turns some of my perceptions upside down. Not a simply film but a wake-up call for everyone. A call for makeover. I adore Dead Poets Society for the reason that beyond the appearance is the thought of passion and a purpose driven life. It thought me that achieving all of my goals in life is not just the center of everything because if there is a great things surely there will also be greater and greatest things in life. Invisible by naked eyes but clearly seen by the heart. Just what Mr. Keating said, Yes indeed it is a battle of war and the casualties could be our hearts and souls. I was amazed at every scene because it was my first experience watching a film wherein my focus is not on the characters but what they want to import. I was also caught by this question, What will your verse be? Really, I meditate these words and asked myself if what verse I can contribute to this play. To learn from the experience of the past, to forget what is behind and to savor every moment. Poetry is more than poetry, beyond them is the life. One of the lessons I learn is that we do have different voices and I must strive to find my own voice. Maybe some people find the Dead Poets Society film a weird one but for me as I focus my attention on it, thousands of my emotions is on slide and I cant explain it through words but all I can express is that it is splendid. We must seize every step we take. In our final moments we all realize what life is all about. Dont wait until youre on your deathbed to figure out what matters most. To look things in different way, it’s not really a risk but an adventure and maybe by trying the things we thought is silly can be the better one. Stop acting and show who we really are and what the desires of our hearts are. We can go anywhere and can do anything and were not trapped in this life. Conclusion: I have watched many films but this one is something different. Tough I may say that the quality of the movie is not that good, maybe because it has been shown long time ago, but the message they want to convey is clear. It is something we need to remember and apply in our daily life. It was so interesting, touching, and knowledgeable. As a future mentor, we must really watch this kind of movie. This movie will help educator to understand his/her students. It will give us idea on how to handle and how to have a good relationship with your students. Someday, when I become a teacher, I will try my best to be Mr. John Keating to my class.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

More Work for Mother

It was in the nineteenth century when a new adulation of women came to be developed.   More popularly known as the Victorian Age, it was during this era when the sacredness of the hearth and home has been born.   It is a philosophy that has been endorsed with intricacies and complications from the year 1830 until 1860 (Payne NP). Technology has caused an improvement in our standard of living.   While it claims to make our lives easier, it doesn’t always appear to be a time saving device.   â€Å"The creation of electric appliances has reduced the amount of work children and husbands do around the house.†Ã‚   Wives, on their end consume the same amount of time doing the household chores because the help they use to receive has been included in the elimination that gave way to the advent of technological advances (Cowan 102 – 217). The functionalist interpretation of the recent history of the family has been discussed.  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Industrialization was a participant in the ‘backward search for femininity' because some of women's roles in the household were being replaced by technology; women were searching for new ways of being a woman within the home.†Ã‚   Some theories would have it that the advent of home appliances has caused wives to leave their homes and find their niche in the outside world.   Technology has been the causal agent to the entrance of women into the workforce outside the portals of their own homes (Ibid, par. 2). Running a family means learning new things every single day.   It’s like learning earth science and geography.   It doesn’t end when you tie the knot.   Instead, it just reminds you that you have just advanced to graduate – level studies.   Just when you think you’ve mastered it, it changes itself a bit and as a result, you have re- learn it.   After all, family life is a lifestyle.   Old habit dies hard indeed that though there has been a transition from the hearth to the microwave, wives remained domesticated just the same.   Times have passed and things have changed but you still find yourself doing the same things with just a little twist or two.   For there will always be days when it feels like you’re struggling through remedial math. Works Cited Cowan, R. More Work for Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hearth to the Microwave. New York: Basic Books, 1983. Payne, Jennifer. â€Å"The Nineteenth Century â€Å"Cult of the Lady.† 24 August 2008. Jennifer Payne’s History. Retrieved January 28, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/7032/cultoflady.html. â€Å"Why Labor Saving Devices Don't Save Labor: The History of Household Technology.† 23   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   February 2005. Pamela E. Mack History 323. Retrieved January 25, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/PamMack/lec323/household.htm.      

Friday, January 10, 2020

Burts Bees Essay

A while back in 2007, Burts Bee’s was bought out by Clorox for $913 million. In buying Burts Bee’s Clorox is promising to go green. This was Clorox’s start in buying out other green companies to help them achieve their goal in going completely green. Mr. Shavitz and Ms. Quimby the original owners of Burt’s Bees had a huge fall out that began in the late 1990’s which has been going on ever since. (1) The reason that Clorox was willing to pay almost $1 Billion for Burts Bee’s because they see a big opportunity in the market to make their products green. The Burt’s Bess is really into the whole giving back to the community, and always helping. A few events they have done for the community is Urban Gardening when they teamed up with NEEM, to help make Durham, North Carolina greener, and help them plant more community gardens. Another event that they have done is help create green homes in North Carolina. As I was looking on the Burt’s Bees website on their most frequently asked questions someone asked how they can receive donations, and the answer the company gave threw me aback. â€Å"At this time, Burt’s Bees is not currently providing product or financial donations. We remain committed to supporting local community organizations committed to The Greater Good† (2) Personally in reading this I feel like if they want to help create that customer satisfaction, they should be willing to help everyone go green and not just the community. Since the buyout according to Clorox, their natural care products already account for over $6 billion in sales and is growing at a fast rate. The sales are climbing to a yearly rate of around 9%. As for the stalk holder Clorox states, they rose from $1. 69, 2. 8%. to $62. 69. This was a huge boost for the stockholders, and for people who wanted to buy into the stalk. As of 25th 2013, the stalks are at $83. 25. (3) This was also helping Clorox’s public relations by helping them get well known. Clorox does a whole bunch of press releases to help show that they have turned green. They also do press releases when they win an award or do contests for people to enter. When you go on the Clorox website they give you three options to choose from, Press Releases, Media Resources, and Press contacts. Since working together with Burt’s Bee’s, Clorox is also trying to get more involved in the community which they never used to do. On their website they state, â€Å"Clorox knows that it can’t do it alone and actively seeks partners and other affiliations to help us become a more sustainable company. Clorox also cares. In addition to our work to make Clorox a more sustainable company, we strive to make a positive eco impact beyond Clorox. † (4) Clorox donates nearly $1 million dollars to environmental causes. Some of things they do to help the community is they donate products to the Save the Frogs, and Save the California Oaks. They also have their own foundations to help Keep America Beautiful.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Profile of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding

Born April 24, 1882, at Moffat, Scotland, Hugh Dowding was the son of a schoolmaster. Attending St. Ninians Preparatory School as a boy, he continued his education at Winchester College at age 15. After two years of further schooling, Dowding elected to pursue a military career and began classes at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in September 1899. Graduating the following year, he was commissioned as a subaltern and posted to the Royal Garrison Artillery. Sent to Gibraltar, he subsequently saw service in Ceylon and Hong Kong. In 1904, Dowding was assigned to the No. 7 Mountain Artillery Battery in India. Learning to Fly Returning to Britain, he was accepted for the Royal Staff College and began classes in January 1912. In his spare time, he quickly became fascinated by flying and aircraft. Visiting the Aero Club at Brooklands, he was able to convince them to give him flying lessons on credit. A quick learner, he soon received his flying certificate. With this in hand, he applied to the Royal Flying Corps to become a pilot. The request was approved and he joined the RFC in December 1913. With the outbreak of ​World War I in August 1914, Dowding saw service with Nos. 6 and 9 Squadrons. Dowding in World War I Seeing service at the front, Dowding showed a deep interest in wireless telegraphy which led him to return to Britain in April 1915 to form the Wireless Experimental Establishment at Brooklands. That summer, he was given command of No. 16 Squadron and returned to the fighting until posted to the 7th Wing at Farnborough in early 1916. In July, he was assigned to lead 9th (Headquarters) Wing in France. Taking part in the Battle of the Somme, Dowding clashed with the commander of the RFC, Major General Hugh Trenchard, over the need to rest pilots at the front. This dispute soured their relationship and saw Dowding reassigned to the Southern Training Brigade. Though promoted to brigadier general in 1917, his conflict with Trenchard ensured that he did not return to France. Instead, Dowding moved through various administrative posts for the remainder of the war. In 1918, he moved to the newly created Royal Air Force and in the years after the war led No. 16 and No. 1 Groups. Moving into staff assignments, he was sent to the Middle East in 1924 as the chief staff officer for the RAF Iraq Command. Promoted to air vice marshal in 1929, he joined the Air Council a year later. Building the Defenses On the Air Council, Dowding served as Air Member for Supply and Research and later Air Member for Research and Development (1935). In these positions, he proved instrumental in modernizing Britains aerial defenses. Encouraging the design of advanced fighter aircraft, he also supported the development of new Radio Direction Finding equipment. His efforts ultimately led to the design and production of the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire. Having been promoted to air marshal in 1933, Dowding was selected to lead the newly formed Fighter Command in 1936. Though overlooked for the position of Chief of the Air Staff in 1937, Dowding worked tirelessly to improve his command. Promoted to air chief marshal in 1937, Dowding developed the Dowding System which integrated several air defense components into one apparatus. This saw the uniting of radar, ground observers, raid plotting, and radio control of aircraft. These disparate components were tied together through a protected telephone network that was administered through his headquarters at RAF Bentley Priory. In addition, to better control his aircraft, he divided the command into four groups to cover all of Britain. These consisted of Air Vice Marshal Sir Quintin Brands 10 Group (Wales and the West Country), Air Vice Marshal Keith Parks 11 Group (Southeastern England), Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallorys 12 Group (Midland East Anglia), and Air Vice Marshal Richard Sauls 13 Group (Northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland). Though scheduled to retire in June 1939, Dowding was asked to remain in his post until March 1940 due to the deteriorating international situation. His retirement was subsequently postponed until July and then October. As a result, Dowding remained at Fighter Command as World War II began. The Battle of Britain With the outbreak of World War II, Dowding worked with Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Cyril Newall to ensure that Britains defenses were not weakened in order to support campaigns on the Continent. Stunned by RAF fighter losses during the Battle of France, Dowding warned the War Cabinet of the dire consequences should it continue. With defeat on the Continent, Dowding worked closely with Park to ensure that air superiority was maintained during the Dunkirk Evacuation. As the German invasion loomed, Dowding, known as Stuffy to his men, was viewed as a steady but distant leader. As the Battle of Britain began in the summer of 1940, Dowding worked to ensure adequate aircraft and resources were available to his men. The brunt of the fighting was carried by Parks 11 Group and by Leigh-Mallorys 12 Group. Though badly stretched during the course of the fighting, Dowdings integrated system proved effective and at no point did he commit more than fifty percent of his aircraft to the battle zone. During the course of the fighting, a debate emerged between Park and Leigh-Mallory regarding tactics. While Park favored intercepting raids with individual squadrons and subjecting them to continued attack, Leigh-Mallory advocated for massed attacks by Big Wings consisting of at least three squadrons. The thought behind the Big Wing was that a larger number of fighters would increase enemy losses while minimizing RAF casualties. Opponents pointed out that it took longer for Big Wings to form and increased the danger of fighters being caught on the ground refueling. Dowding proved unable to resolve the differences between his commanders, as he preferred Parks methods while the Air Ministry favored the Big Wing approach. Dowding was also criticized during the battle by Vice Marshal William Sholto Douglas, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, and Leigh-Mallory for being too cautious. Both men felt that Fighter Command should be intercepting raids before they reached Britain. Dowding dismissed this approach as he believed it would increase losses in aircrew. By fighting over Britain, downed RAF pilots could be quickly returned to their squadrons rather than lost at sea. Though Dowdings approach and tactics proved correct for achieving victory, he was increasingly seen as uncooperative and difficult by his superiors. With the replacement of Newell with Air Chief Marshal Charles Portal, and with an aged Trenchard lobbying behind the scenes, Dowding was removed from Fighter Command in November 1940, shortly after winning the battle. Later Career Awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath for his role in the battle, Dowding was effectively sidelined for the rest of his career due to his outspoken and forthright manner. After conducting an aircraft purchasing mission to the United States, he returned to Britain and conducted an economic study on RAF manpower before retiring in July 1942. In 1943, he was created First Baron Dowding of Bentley Priory for his service to the nation. In his later years, he became actively engaged in spiritualism and increasingly bitter regarding his treatment by the RAF. Largely living away from the service, he did serve as the president of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association. Dowding died at Tunbridge Wells on February 15, 1970, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Sources Royal Air Force Museum: Hugh DowdingWorld War II Database: Hugh DowdingRAFWeb: Hugh Dowding