The Content Review of the Website - As You Sow Article

The Content Review of the Website - As You Sow - Article Example The author is credible enough given the method in which the information has been compiled and represented given also that this is a registered charity. Moreover, this information has been derived from official sources so this lends greater credibility to it. The information represented on this page is only partially complete as it covers public limited companies in large part. However, the accuracy of the information is not contestable as the author has included references to his source of information. The author has presented the perspectives of his organization on corporate social responsibility using properly cited official sources including reports and conference proceedings. References to the information are pervasive throughout the document and the author has made it a point to bolster his arguments by presenting references before advancing his argument. The document and the website are both updated given the state of the issues listed. In addition, the website displays current issues from 2012 in its menu which also points to the fact that the website is regularly updated. The current page on corporate social responsibility addresses the issue from a variety of perspectives. The author first defines corporate social responsibility and then relates corporate social responsibility to sustainability. This is followed by a discussion of socially responsible investors and corporate social responsibility. Finally, the author relates global reporting guidelines for corporate social responsibility and the document ends with a link for guides to corporate social responsibility reports and resources.

Bipolar Disorder in Islam Essay Example for Free

Bipolar Disorder in Islam Essay If your pancreas couldn’t produce insulin, you wouldn’t have much trouble accepting the deficiency and then taking the necessary meds or treatment. Well, think of your brain in the same way. Right now your mind is not in balance. It is missing certain chemicals that control your mood. And you are simply taking meds to fix the balance of chemicals. Blame no one for the Bipolar. It’s not your fault that you got sick. As Randy Pausch says, We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. You are simply being tested with this illness. Some people have high cholesterol, some have diabetes and some have a missing leg. It’s all a test from Allah. And no one is spared from it. This test is here to bring out the best in us. Accept Bipolar as one of your tests from Allah. This will distance you from the disorder and make you see it for what really is: an illness. Once you separate yourself from the illness, you will start to detach yourself from the illness. . Being sent to the hospital doesn’t mean no one cares for you; it doesn’t mean you have failed. A hospitalization can often be the best thing during a severe mania episode. , look at the hyper sexuality objectively. See it as part of the disorder and not as your personality. Look for the good in it. As one Prophet passed the donkey’s carcass, all his companions commented on its ugliness. But he praised it for its white teeth. During depression, your   brain is low on the hormone that makes you feel good. That is why you are feeling down. It has nothing to do with what kind of a Muslim you are and how much you pray or don’t pray You must see depression as a disease, with a biological cause that can be treated and not a character flaw. That is 80% of your work: distancing yourself from the depression. Then you can love yourself for who you are and work on treating the depression. 1) Pray on time. 2) Take meds on time. 3) Sleep, exercise and eat healthy. Meds do 20% of the work and exercise is a big part of the other 80%. It’s not all about losing pounds. Jogging or swimming or lifting weights keeps you sane. So don’t follow a workout routine that makes you go insane. Yes Allah will run to you but you have to walk to Him first. Your family, doctors and the meds can only do so much. The rest is in your hands. I will leave you with one question: How will your Bipolar bring you closer to Allah?

Charles Fraziers Use of Music in Cold Mountain Essay -- Charles Frazi

Charles Frazier's Use of Music in Cold Mountain The American Civil War was a bitter, grief-filled conflict with oddly musical overtones. A Southern soldier, Alexander Hunter, recalled that â€Å"There was music in plenty,† (Lawrence 169) just as Charles Frazier’s character Stobrod in Cold Mountain remarks that â€Å"there was so much music back then† (407). While both the Union and the Confederacy placed great import on music, Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier focuses primarily on the Southern perspective of the war, in all of its aspects. Spiritual music gave soldiers hope, gave them something cheerful to listen to after their days of slogging through the grime of human remains, as Inman discovers during his journey. Songs of homecoming and perseverance also strengthened the women, children, and parents left behind, waiting with fearful hopes for the return of their loved ones. Ada’s continual reference to â€Å"Wayfaring Stranger† illustrates this point beautifully. Finally, the musical natures of both armies created a bond that otherwise would not have been possible, forming brief alliances among enemies. The impact of music during this period of American history was so great that General Robert E. Lee was heard to say â€Å"I don’t believe we can have an army without music† (Wiley qtd. in Waller and Edgington 147). Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain exemplifies this statement, interweaving music throughout the struggles of Ada and Inman, using it as a tool to express emotion and to give a common thread to the broken culture that was the American South. The dissonant harmonies of Civil War-era music both complemented and contrasted itself, creating new forms from old ones and forging bonds where there had been nothing. Hope was a rare p... ...ow Music Shaped the Confederacy, 1861- 1865. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole, 2000. netLibrary, U of Denver Penrose Library. 15 April 2004 . â€Å"Aura Lea.† Music of the War Between the States. 24 April 2004 Frazier, Charles. Cold Mountain. New York: Vintage, 1998. Hill, Lois. â€Å"Lorena.† Poems and Songs of the American Civil War. 23 April 2004 . P. Wilson, Keith. Campfires of Freedom: The Camp Life of Black Soldiers During the Civil War. Kent: Kent State U P, 2002. S.A., R. â€Å"God Save the South!† Ballads of the North and South in the Civil War. Comp. Walbrook D. Swank Colonel, USAF RET. Shippensburg: Burd Street P, 1996. 66. W. Sears, Stephen. To The Gates of Richmond. New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1992. Waller, Lynn, and William P. Edgington. â€Å"Using Songs to Help Teach the Civil War.† Social Studies 92.4 (2001): 147- 150.

Elizabethan society Essay

At the end of the novel there can be seen to be a change of attitude of society towards Grenouille. Due to his amazing gift, Grenouille is able to create a scent that powerfully manipulates human emotion through preserving the aroma of the 25 virgin girls. At Grenouille’s execution he reveals this scent and the whole town is overwhelmed by emotion. It is at this point in time that the townsfolk admire Grenouille’s gift and because of their state of delirium, disregard Grenouille’s crimes. It is here when Grenouille can be seen to be accepted into society. However, regardless of this Grenouille still perceives himself as an outsider. Grenouille believes that he is not loved for himself but for the perfume he created, he states; â€Å"I have always found gratification in hatred, in hating and being hated, not love. † He then decides to return to Paris upon finding that the satisfaction that he initially felt has transformed itself into self-hatred and disgust. In comparison to Othello the novel Perfume can be seen to be both similar and different in their representations of the Outsider. Like Grenouille, Othello is seen as an outsider because of his background. He is outcaste because of his race and his differing values due to past experiences. Grenouille can be seen to reflect this idea, as he is an outsider initially because of his background that challenges the norm of society at the time the novel was set. Another similarity that can be made between these two texts is that the perception of the outsider is perceived from society and also from within the outsider itself. Othello, even though quite underestimating at times, believes that he is inferior to the Venetians, he states; â€Å"Happily for I am black and do not possess the soft parts of conversation chamberers have†. Grenouille also perceives himself as an outsider and is aware of the unwelcoming presence he bestows upon others. The fact that Grenouille devotes his life to creating a scent that will make him accepted and valued in society shows how he is aware if this. Another likeness between Othello and Grenouille is that both characters share a differing attitude to women that makes them outsiders in society. They are both somewhat oblivious to women as a sexual commodity, or do not show the affiliation to what would be expected of them. Othello shows an unusually lack of affection or infatuation towards his wife Desdemona. Othello has just been married to a young, and beautiful woman but does not seem to be besotted with her at all. This can be compared to Grenouille’s differing attitude to women. Although Grenouille does not have a rightful relationship towards the women he comes across, he is still obsessed with them, unlike Othello. The way Grenouille expresses this obsession or feeling, however, is still different to what would be expected of most adolescent men. Grenouille is not attracted physically to the women but is enthralled by them because of their scent. Grenouille can also be compared to Iago in the play Othello, as both are dismissive towards the values and ideologies of their context. Loyalty, love, reputation and honesty were all values of great importance in Elizabethan society. Iago’s actions, however, derive from hate, vengeance and deceit. Yet Iago is still considered an insider in Venice and only chooses to disregard the values of society. Grenouille on the other hand is completely isolated from society and struggles for any kind of acceptance. His brutal actions that go against the values of 18th century France may be partially influenced by the fact that he was not introduced to the morals of society in the first place, due to this isolation. Grenouille, having seen no human affection or experienced any of the values we inherit from human interaction such as love and compassion, find it difficult to distinguish right from wrong in his actions. Another text that has enhanced my understanding of how the concept of the outsider can be portrayed is the short film â€Å"The Story of Bubbleboy†. The film was produced in 2006 for the annual Australian tropfest short film festival. It was directed by Sean Ashcroft, produced by Kristy Fransen and stars Andrew Supanz. â€Å"The Story of Bubbleboy† is a film about a man named â€Å"Bubbleboy† who is trapped in the past and redeemed by the future. Bubbleboy is a sad outsider who lives alone due to a fanatic phobia of pointed and sharp objects. He is so afraid that he results to wrapping everything, including himself, in bubble-wrap. He never ventures from his house because the outside world is too terrifying and he cannot comprehend his fears. The film tells the story of his self-imposed exile from the world and how one day, driven by dwindling supplies he ventures out. Bubbleboy, while growing more confident as his adventure draws to an end, is ironically stabbed in an ally way. However, having been stripped from his protective bubbles in his last moments, Bubbleboy finds salvation and feels connected with the world. Because of Bubbleboy’s fear and self imposed isolation, he is regarded as an outsider by society. He completely avoids human contact and is scorned by the community. Bubbleboy longs for belonging but cannot comprehend his fears. A particular scene in the novel that conveys this idea is the beginning segment where we are introduced to Bubbleboy’s way of life and how it differs greatly from that of society. Here, filming techniques are used to show that Bubbleboy is an outsider. A flashing mirage of everyday â€Å"pointy† items is shown while a narrator explains Bubbleboy’s situation. There is then a long shot of Bubbleboy wrapped from head to toe in bubble-wrap huddling in a corner of his home. This initiates the idea that he is definitely an outsider and is uncomfortable with his surroundings. Close-ups are used to show the trepidation on Bubbleboy’s face to emphasize this point. A panning shot is then used to show how every household item has been covered in bubble-wrap, emphasizing the intensity of the problem. A birds eye view is also used here of Bubbleboy moving uncomfortably through his home; this suggests that he is a victim and is clearly suffering from his phobia. To show how Bubbleboy’s fears cause him to be perceived as an outsider by the community is the use of dramatic contrast between the outside world and his own. A view from the inside of the house looking out into the street brings a striking contrast of lively colors. When this is compared to the insides of Bubbleboy’s house, which is mostly colored in grays, the fact that he is an outsider is emphasized. Two young girls ride past the house and stop mocking Bubbleboy’s strange appearance from the window. Bubble boy then shuts his curtain and disappears. The use of the window here also symbolizes the physical barrier between himself and society. Contrast is used in a further scene in the film when illustrating the differences of Bubbleboy’s lifestyle to that of people his own age. Here, Bubbleboy is seen looking longingly into the window of a house where a lively and entertaining dinner party is taking place. A camera angle is used to show how Bubbleboy is looking up into the scene creating a sense of his inferiority and isolation. There are then a series of flashing images back and forth between the vibrant and colorful party life, with Bubbleboy’s lonesome isolation, again reinforcing this idea. When Bubbleboy finally faces his fears and leaves the house, more techniques are used to show how new and trepidating this is for him due to his experience as an outsider. For example when he opens the door into the outside world, a blinding and foggy light is emitted suggesting the unknown. Once outside the house, Bubbleboy again contrasts greatly with his surroundings as his general appearance is confronting and obviously very odd. Close-ups are used to show the looks of mockery and confusion on the towns people’s faces to convey this idea. The attitudes’ towards Bubbleboy as an outsider may be seen to change towards the end of the film. When he is ironically stabbed on his way home from his healing journey his is stripped of his bubble-wrap protection. It is here when society can accept him as his true self is revealed. This is shown by a woman rushing to the aid of injured Bubbleboy, truly concerned for his wellbeing. Bubbleboy’s perceptions of himself as an outsider can also be seen to change. A narrator’s voice is used to explain that at that point, Bubbleboy finds salvation, and for the first time feels connected to the world once outside his shell. There are not many similarities to the play Othello as the short film is such a vastly different text. Though it is clear that both characters; Bubbleboy and Othello are perceived as outsiders by society. However, it is Othello’s unforeseen and irrational actions that confirm his status as an outsider. While it is Bubbleboy’s out of the ordinary actions that enable him to be accepted into society. Also, Bubbleboy is portrayed to be a victim of the imposing views of society, as he is a lonely and lost character, but on the other hand Othello victimizes society itself when he undergoes the actions that make him an outsider. Evidently, the three texts; â€Å"Othello†, â€Å"Perfume† and â€Å"The Story of Bubbleboy† have all increased my understanding of the outsider as they illustrate a vast use of techniques and concepts that make a person an outsider in society.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

After his mother dies giving birth to him on the day of victory in World War I in 1918, Benjamin is taken by his father, Thomas Button (Jason Flemyng), and deposited on the doorstep of a home for the elderly. That is fitting since the infant looks like an 80-year-old man with sagging skin, cataracts, and wrinkles all over is body. Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), an African-American attendant at the place, finds him. She immediately decides that baby who is â€Å"as ugly as an old pot† is a child of God who must be cared for, no matter how difficult that may be. And so Benjamin (Brad Pitt) the man-child grows up in the presence of elders who share their stories with him and accept him as one of their own; they are all outsiders in a country where youth is worshipped and the elderly are viewed as obsolete. Benjamin starts out in a wheelchair and proves himself to be a great listener: everyone wants to tell him what they've been through in life. A man with a poor memory points out again and again that he was struck by lightening seven different times. â€Å"God keeps reminding me I'm lucky to be alive. A wealthy woman who keeps to herself teaches him to play the piano. A gregarious visitor, an African bushman (Rampai Mohadi), takes a fancy to the man-boy and introduces him the joys of sex in a bordello. At the age of 12, Benjamin looks about 70. He meets Daisy (Elle Fanning), the granddaughter of one of the residents at the home. They become instant friends and forge a bond which will last for a long time. In fact, Benjamin's story is shown i n flashbacks as Daisy lies near death's door in New Orleans at the time of Katrina. As the winds howl outside, her 40-year-old daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond) reads to her from a diary filled with pictures and postcards about this strange man who played such a major role in her life. At age 17, Benjamin is much younger and stronger. He leaves New Orleans for life aboard a tugboat that is piloted by Mike (Jared Harris), a colorful character with tattoos and a love of liquor. He travels to many cities and in Murmansk encounters Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), who is intrigued by his mysteriousness. Although married, she begins a brief affair with Benjamin and introduces him to the pleasures of caviar, night-time dialogue, and sex. Benjamin also tastes the rush of adrenalin in war when he and the tugboat crew take on a Nazi U-boat that has just sunk a troop transport in World War II. Many of his shipmates are killed in the clash. Benjamin returns to New Orleans in 1945 and encounters his father, a rich entrepreneur who runs a button business. He is a lonely old man who is dying and wants to reconnect with the boy he ditched years ago. Instead of showing anger or seeking revenge, Benjamin treats him with kindly compassion for he has come to realize that death is a tender moment that must be treated with respect and dignity. Daisy (Cate Blanchett) is now a renowned dancer in New York who stops by for a visit. She has read his postcards from around the world and still feels they are soulmates. She tries to seduce him, but he is not ready for the changes that he sees in her. But after he inherits his father's estate, he travels to New York to be with her. But now she is too caught up in the drama and excitement of her career and artist friends. There is more to their relationship as new twists and turns bring them together again as Benjamin grows younger and more handsome. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the best films of the year with its complex story, idiosyncratic characters, and treatment of the themes of love, time, aging, youth, change, death, and the impermanence of life. David Fincher directs this soulful movie with a marvelous attention to detail and pacing. The secret to the film's powerful impact is the terrific screenplay by Eric Roth who wrote Forrest Gump, a 1994 movie that was also a picaresque tale about a strange outsider and his wild adventures. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald that has been substantially changed for the screen. Another plus is the melodic and impressive music by Alexandre Desplat. What does Benjamin learn from his odd condition that makes him grow younger instead of older? What are the lessons of his adventures that take him around the world and back home again? At one point, he says: â€Å"You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. You can make the best or the worst of it. † Benjamin always keeps an open mind and uses each encounter as an opportunity to soften his heart. He makes the best of bad situations and does not allow them to bring him down. He demonstrates an equanimity that enables him to handle failure and success, defeat and victory, with calm. One of his favorite mantras is â€Å"You never know what's coming for you. † It is best to see everything as a mystery that does not need to be solved or explained away. Just live in the present moment and savor what presents itself to you. A sense of wonder is a trademark of Benjamin's personality. As a man-child in the home for the elderly, he listens to the house breathing. As a child-man he savors the start of the day looking out over the water just like his father did. Benjamin learns how to let go and not to cling to anyone: â€Å"We're meant to lose the people we love. How else will we know how much they meant to us? † From start to finish, this character tries to be himself, accepting his flaws and celebrating his strengths as a human being: â€Å"It's never too late or too early to be whoever you want to be. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button reminds us that the best thing we can do is make the most of our journey and be thankful for the people we meet along the way. It's all gift. Benjamin embodies the zest for life described in one of our favorite quotations by Diane Ackerman: â€Å"The great affair, the love affair with life, is to live as variously as possible, to groom one's curiosity like a high-spirited thoroughbred, climb aboard, and gallop over the thick, sunstruck hills every day. . . It began as mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between. â€Å"

Moral Truth in Emotivism and the Social Convention Theory essays

Moral Truth in Emotivism and the Social Convention Theory essays Ethical theory aspies to an articulation of the principles and motivations underlying our intuitive moral judgements. A sufficient theory must, therefore, account for the character of morality as we view it. We regard morality as aspiring to truth, and our intuition dictates that our moral judgements are at least sometimes true. We speak of morality as involving some degree of universality within the whole of humanity or within society. Philosopher Gilbert Harman presents emotivism as a potential theory and rejects it as an insufficient account of our sense of moral truth. He presents the social convention theory as a feasible alternative, but his proposal does not satisfy the criteria on which emotivism is rejected. Emotivism asserts that moral judgements express emotions, attitudes, feelings, favor, and values. They are expressions of, not about, approval or disapproval. For example, emotivism does not say thatX is wrong? meansI disapprove of X.? The first statement expresses disapproval. The second is about the speaker's disapproval. Moral judgements, according to emotivism, are manifestations of emotion rather than expressions of cognitive states like beliefs. Emotivism accounts for the passion of moral responses, explaining moral disagreements as differences in attitude, rather than differences in belief. Moral judgements cannot be explained in assigning characteristics to actions as in the sentence,To hit Sally is wrong because to hit Sally is to cause suffering.? This is of the formX is wrong because X has characteristics C.? Emotivism claims that it is always an open question as to whether or not X is wrong. The descriptive phraseX has characteristics C? lacks the force of emotion. This assertion seems to deny the existence of universal values. Despite such evidence to the contrary, emotivism does not eliminate the possibility of universal values. Perhaps some basic values are congenital. The assumption...

Slavery, the Civil War Reconstruction

Slavery, the Civil War Reconstruction The American history is defined by different factors, which may include slavery, the civil war, and the reconstruction among others. Eric Foner, in his book ‘Slavery, The Civil War Reconstruction’ presents a clear discussion of how these factors have influenced America over time. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Slavery, the Civil War Reconstruction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social movements have also contributed in inspiring the American history in the past 20 years by shuttering the â€Å"consensus† vision that dominated historical writing. Civil rights movement is suggested to be at the center of social change in post World War II America. In civil war era, emancipation and slavery were some of the central issues. In addition to this, the blacks shaped the era’s history by being active agents. Slavery According to the author, historians suggest that early U.S. slavery was situa ted in a transatlantic system. This was due to the link that United States had with Africa and the Caribbean. Despite the inauguration of the first president, a vigorous slave trade continued for twenty years. However, the languages and the cultural forms of the African slaves remained vibrant and sustained by infusion of the new people arriving in the United States. In addition, Intellectual Privacy was sustained by the ability of the slaves to speak languages the owners did not understand; while tribal identities were also sustained by speaking these different languages (Foner, 45) The legal basics of slavery were lost in the 1780s in the North due to the phrase â€Å"all men are born free and equal† which was interpreted by a Massachusetts court as simply outlawing slavery (Foner 43) Civil War John Shy describes civil war as â€Å"a social process of political education† (Foner 48). According to the author, the war began as a mass resistance of the crowd but later shifted to armed forces. Market revolution, which was crucial to the American lives contributed to new components of consciousness, politics and social life, which in turn brought about Civil War. The author also notes that in Lincoln’s second inaugural address, he insinuated that slavery was the cause of the civil war, although some historians differ with this (Foner, 91)Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reconstruction A large number of freed black men learn to read and write in the army before becoming articulate political leaders during the Reconstruction era (Foner, 93). Former slaves were thrust into a no-man’s land which was between freedom and slavery by the end of reconstruction. This in turn was considered a mockery of the idea of equal citizenship (Foner, 102). Moreover, majority of the blacks in the reconstruction period supported the Republican Party , which is said to have won their royalty during that period (Foner, 111) Conclusion The three factors that have been discussed above were some of the main pillars that shaped the American history. Social change in the American history was brought about due to the efforts of civil rights movements. The Republicans were considered to be antislavery thus contributing to their liking by the black community. Moreover, the northern society of America was opposed to slavery in contradiction to their southern counterparts that still held on to slavery. Foner, Eric. Slavery, the Civil War Reconstruction. Philadelphia: TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1997.