Hitler's table talk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hitler's table talk - Essay Example The book â€Å"Hitler's Table Talk† by Cameron et al. containing private talks by Hitler between 1941 and 1944 reveals important details about Hitler’s personality. This essay discusses Hitler’s personality as the main contributing factor to the actions of Hitler by drawing reference to the book, â€Å"Hitler's Table Talk†, as well as other secondary sources. Among the various factors that contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War were activities of one leader Adolf Hitler of Germany. In fact, most of the blame for the outbreak of the war rests on his activities as well as ideologies. As the world went through the Second World War, most people Germans included, hated their dictatorial leader. When the war broke out, other factors contributed to its growth and development to a fully blown war. One of the biggest contributing factors to the actions of Hitler was his personality (Encyclopedia of World Biography web). Although the world knew Hitler a s a dictator, he was a religious man, who strongly believed in religion. Little literature exists about this man’s religious affiliations and beliefs. However, Cameron et al reveals that Hitler not only engaged in different talks about religion, but was also a believer in Christianity. He believed that it was only with the help of the Orthodox priest that it was possible to do something on Russia. As such, this shows that he had strong respect for Christianity (Zalampas 6). Further, his agreement that the priest played a big role in uniting the Russians reveals his undisputable respect for the Christians. Although it is not clear whether himself was Christian or not, this recognition of the Christians in the society significantly contributed to the development and shaping of his personality  (Giblin 66-70). He even believed in the existence of God, who makes the natural laws throughout the universe. In his description about the nature of God, he agreed that he was mighty an d bigger (Cameron et al 3). He even agreed that the Jesuits would play a significant role in the winning of the war against the soviets. Hitler was a philosopher who believed in his philosophies and those of other people. Before he started engaging in talks with other allied nations, he held the philosophy that only war could solve the problems that the world was facing then. Even before the war broke up, Hitler was aware that his activities would spark another war, with much intensity than the first intensity (Hitler 46-50). This was actually his main intention and target. Subsequently, he took his time in developing strong ties with different leaders in order to win their trust. He even developed philosophies such as the philosophy of fear intimidation. He did not see the use of his goods competing with cheap goods from the English region. Rather, he believed that Germany should have controlled the world trade since it had a more superior military then most of the countries involv ed in the international trade (Cameron et al 9). He believed that despite the differences that existed between Germany and England, the war would unite the two countries, making them friends (Cameron et al 12). Hitler from a tender age was a highly ambitious person, who dedicated his time and efforts in pursuing his dreams. Since a young age, Hitler was a passionate artist who loved painting and drawing. He even used the concept of art in the war against England, as he observed the culture of the English

Headlines have made board diversity one of the key issues in corporate Essay

Headlines have made board diversity one of the key issues in corporate governance today, analyse the composition of the board of - Essay Example The move was prompted by the fact that although organizations sought to include women in non-executive appointments, there were little or no improvements in having women in executive posts (Treanor 2013). According to Neville and Treanor (2012), although the number of women in non-executive positions is on the rise, there is a stubbornly low number in senior management. Although some organizations have heeded to the call to have about 40% of the boardroom seats held by women, Norway which is ranked first has achieved about 35% non-executive directors after the government ordered firms to include women through quotas. In the United States, there are only 20 of the 500 S&P leading companies being led by women chief executives. Despite leading in the high number of women executives, the United States is not governed by quotas unlike European countries where board quotas have seen few female senior leaders and few chief executives. Joecks, Pull & Vetter (2012) highlight that despite the increase in the percentage of women in the workforce over years; there is a lag in the presentation of women in boardrooms as female directors. In addition, Joecks, Pull & Vetter (2012) note that the presentation of women in boardrooms fall behind in Europe owing to imposition of women quotas for countries like Norway, Netherlands, and France among others. The issue of inconsiderate female presentation in boardrooms is not just an issue without a cause. Joecks, Pull & Vetter (2012) reveal that fostering high female presentation in boardrooms is associated with either negative firm performance or positive performance. According to Treanor (2013), most companies have either a male-dominated boards or are all-male boards. The move to seclude women has long been attributed to the fact that males have had the right skills and attributes which could not be found in their female counterparts (Howard, 2013). However, time has changed this rule owing to the fact that more women have taken up education and have the potential to take up executive roles in organizations and promote high performance. Howard argues that organizational management should not be treated as one-size-fits –all and hence the need to consider diversity in the boardroom and more so gender diversity (2013). In addition, companies are needed to do away with governance regimes that do not meet the needs of the market, and changing times (Treanor 2013). Owing the seriousness of the issue, Treanor (2013), reveals that organizations are required to follow Lord Davies proposal in 2011 February which required that all companies to allocate 25% or a quarter of the boardroom seats to women. According to Joecks, Pull & Vetter (2012), the issues of women being underrepresented in boards is not only an issue in Germany but also internationally. According to Adams, Gray and Nowland (2013), the attainment of gender diversity in boardrooms has been a hard task especially where organizations have been left t o voluntarily handle executive appointments. This is because, most organizations have always considered appointing male executives at the expense of women. In this regard, women have faced unfairness and inequality in such appointments thereby remaining disadvantaged. This meant that, female directors have had discrimination and no efforts had changed such culture in organizations. Recently, the issue of boardroom gender diversity is of great focus and has seen countries impose gender quotas with the aim of improving firm performance

Comparison Of Windows Unix And Linux Computer Science Essay

Comparison Of Windows Unix And Linux Computer Science Essay In this term paper study of different OS are done. To know which is better the features , pros and cons are compared. Also the reliability of each OS is consider for this study. Since OS is the most important program of a computer, therefore the study of good software is also plays an important role. WHAT IS OPERATING SYSTEM: An operating system is a main program that is designed to run other programs on a computer. A computers operating system is its most important program. It is considered to the backbone of a computer, which manages both software and hardware. Operating systems are made for everything from the control and allocation of memory to get input from external devices and display output to computer screen. They also manage files on computer hard drives and peripherals. The operating systems acts as the human guide to interact with the computer hardware. They are responsible for linking application programs with the hardware, thus achieving an easy user access to the computers. Figure : Operating System terminology; TYPES OF OS: Real-time Operating System: It is a multitasking operating system that used to executing real-time applications. Real-time operating systems often use special scheduling algorithms so that they can achieve a better behavior. The main object of real-time operating systems is their quick response to events. Multi-user: The operating systems of this type allow a multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. Time-sharing system can be classified as multi-user systems as they enable a multiple user access to a computer through the sharing of time. Multi-tasking and Single-tasking Operating Systems: When a single program is allowed to run at a time, the system is called a single-tasking system, while in case the operating system allows the execution of multiple tasks at one time, it is classified as a multi-tasking operating system. Multi-tasking can be of two types namely, pre-emptive or co-operative. Distributed Operating System: An operating system that manages a group of independent computers and makes them appear to be a single computer is known as a distributed operating system. Embedded System: The operating systems designed for being used in embedded computer systems are known as embedded operating systems. They are designed to operate on small machines like PDAs with less autonomy. DIFFERENT OPERATING SYSTEMS: WINDOWS: Windows is a personal computers operating system from Microsoft corporation that, together comes with some commonly used applications. Windows has become a standard for common users in most organizations as well as in most homes. Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Windows has approximately 91% of the market share of the client operating systems. The most recent client version of Windows is Windows 7; the most recent server version is Windows Server 2008 R2; the most recent mobile OS version is Windows Phone 7. UNIX: Unix is a computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of ATT employees at Bell Labs. Todays UNIX system is split into number of branches, developed over time by ATT as well as various commercial vendors and other organizations. UNIX was created to provide a multiuser, multitasking system for users. The object behind the design of UNIX was to provide simple, yet powerful utilities that could be pieced together in a flexible manner to perform a wide variety of tasks. Unix is a family of multi-user operating systems. Unix has a very strong security and model and relatively simple design, making it popular and fairly easy to implement. Many operating systems are either based on or modeled after the first Unix systems, such as Linux, Solaris, or Mac OS X. The UNIX operating system comprises three parts: The kernel, the standard utility programs, and the system configuration files. LINUX Linux is a Unix based operating system that was designed to provide personal computer users a free or very low-cost operating system comparable to traditional and usually more expensive Unix systems. Linux has a reputation as a very efficient and fast-performing operating system. Linux is a remarkably complete operating system, including a graphical user interface, an X Window System, TCP/IP, and other components usually found in a traditional systems. Unlike Windows and other proprietary systems, Linux is free and publicly open and modifiable by contributors. Because it conforms to the Portable Operating System Interface standard user and programming interfaces, developers can write programs that can be ported to other operating systems. The development of Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed, both commercially and non-commercially, by anyone under licenses such as the GNU General Public License. FEATURES OF UNIX The UNIX Operating System is available on systems with a large range of computing power, from microcomputers to mainframes, and on different manufactures machines. No other operating system can make this possible. We see the reasons of popularity and success of UNIX. The reasons are the following: Portability: The system is designed in high-level language making it easier to read, understand, change and, therefore move to other machines. The code can be changed and complied on a new machine. Machine-independence: The System hides the machine architecture from the user, making it easier to write applications that can run on micros and mainframes. Multi-User Operations: UNIX is a multi-user system designed to support a group of users simultaneously. The system allows for the sharing of processing power and peripheral resources, white at the same time providing excellent security features. Hierarchical File System: UNIX uses a hierarchical file structure to store information. This structure has flexible in grouping information in a way that reflects its natural state. It allows for easy maintenance and efficient implementation. UNIX shell: UNIX has a simple user interface called the shell that has the power to provide the services that the user wants. It protects the user from having to know the hardware details. Utilities: UNIX has over 200 utility programs for various functions. New utilities can be built effortlessly by combining existing utilities. FEATURES OF LINUX Linux has the following features as an outstanding operating system which is strong in security and networking. Multitasking Several programs can run at the same time since it provides number of consoles at the same time. Multiuser Several users can use to the same machine at the same time There is no need to have separate user licenses for different users. Multiplatform: Linux can runs on many different CPUs, that means it supports multiprocessor machine as well as single processor system. Multithreading Linux has native kernel support for multiple independent threads of control within a single process memory space to provide better performance. Crash proof Linux has the feature of memory protection between processes, so that one program cant bring the whole system down. Virtual memory: Virtual memory uses paging for disk to a separate partition or a file with the possibility of adding more swapping areas during runtime . Memory pool Linux has a unified memory pool for the programs run by user and disk cache, so that all free memory can be used for caching, and the cache can be reduced when running large programs. Open source: Free and Open source code for all: All source code of Linux is available, including the whole kernel and all drivers for all the users . Also, all of it is freely distributable. Plenty of commercial programs are being provided for Linux without source, but everything that has been free, including the entire base operating system, is still free. Networking Linux performs well with TCP/IP networking, including ftp, telnet, NFS, etc. FEATURS OF WINDOWS Microsoft was the first to introduce the idea of an operating system which was named as Windows in as an attachment to the MS-DOS in reply to the increasing curiosity in Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). Microsoft Windows in the end started to monitor the world market of the personal computers, going far ahead of Mac OS, which was the leader before its era. Microsoft has designed and marketed the Windows operating system as a collection of several operating systems. Windows is the most known OS to a lay man. It is trustworthy in the users point of view. First to introduce plug and play rule. UNIX VS LINUX. 1.Most common difference: UNIX is propriety system while Linux is an Open Source system. 2. Technical: In UNIX Development is targeted toward specific users and platform. Linux development is diverse. Linux standard base was formed to remove this problem but it wasnt of much help. UNIX maintains consistency and ease of access between different versions. UNIX has a published standard that they follow for their customer. Linux have inconsistencies between versions and no strict standards for tools, environment and functionality. In UNIX developers of the OS are bounded by standard for development while in Linux developers are free and have no restriction. In UNIX commands, tool and utilities etc are hardly vary over versions. Hence it is easy to administrate to update their skills. Moreover tools can be used on new edition of OS without a large body of testing. In Linux commands, tools and utilities may change over time and with the distributions. 3. Hardware : UNIX was coded for some specific hardware platforms. Linux was designed to be as compatible as possible. It can run on dozens of Architecture and support numerous I/O devices other external devices. Linux has limitless Supported devices are. 4. Kernel ; UNIX kernel is not freely available. Linux kernel is freely available. UNIX patches are available with highly tested. Linux patches are not highly tested as UNIX patches. 5. Updates and Bugs : Every OS, including UNIX and Linux, suffers from vulnerabilities and bugs that have to be patched, fixed and updated. But Linux enjoys a clear advantage over UNIX in this category. Linux bugs tend to die an early death, because the OS undergoes an incredible amount of scrutiny in the global open-source community UNIX VS. WINDOWS Stability: UNIX systems are more stable than windows. There are many factors to support this fact but to name just a big ones: UNIX handles high server loads better than Windows and UNIX machines seldom require reboots while Windows is frequently need them. Servers running on UNIX enjoy extremely high up-time and high reliability. Performance: While there is some doubt which operating system performs better, in our view both perform comparably in low-stress conditions. However UNIX servers under high load are strong than Windows. Compatibility: Web sites designed and programmed to be host under a UNIX-based web server can easily be hosted on a Windows server, whereas the reverse is not always true. This makes the programming for UNIX sites the better choice. Security :Unix has greater built-in security and permissions features than Windows. Until about the year 2000, i.e., before the launch of Microsoft Windows XP, Windows was considerably weaker in security as compared to Unix systems but today, it is really difficult to compare the two on this basis. Windows XP service pack 2 introduced various tools in areas such as emails, web browsing, memory, networking and even the kernel of the OS. The newer versions of Microsoft Windows that have recently been launched such as Windows Vista and Windows Seven, lay too much emphasis on security. They are far much secure than their elder versions. They have built in feasibility for permissions similar to UNIX which prohibits malicious programs from taking over the control of the system resources without user permission. LINUX vs WINDOWS Price The majority of Linux distributions are available for free or at a much lower price than Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Windows can cost between $50.00 $150.00 US dollars per each licensed copy. Ease Although the majority of Linux have improved in ease of use, Windows is still much easier to use for new computer users. Microsoft has made several changes that have made it a much easier to use operating system. It is still Easier than Linux. Reliability The majority of Linux variants are more reliable and can often run for months and years without needing to be rebooted. Although Microsoft Windows has made great advancements in reliability over the last few versions of Windows, it still behind the reliability of Linux. Softwares Linux has a large variety of software programs and utilities. However, Windows has a much larger selection of available software. Because of the large amount of Microsoft Windows users, there is a much larger selection of available software programs for windows. Hardware Hardware manufacturers have made great advancements in hardware support for Linux. Today Linux will support most hardware devices. However, most companies still do not offer drivers or support for their hardware in Linux. Because of the amount of windows users and the broader driver support, windows has larger support for hardware devices. Security Linux is and always been a very secure operating system. Although it still can be attacked. When compared to Windows, it much more secure. Although Microsoft has made changes over the years with security on their operating system, their operating system continues to be the most vulnerable to viruses and other attacks because of the large users. Open Source Many of the Linux programs are open source and enable users to modify the code however they desire. Microsoft is not open source and the majority of windows programs are not open source. Support Although it may be more difficult for users to familiar with all Linux distribution, there are vast amounts of online help, available books, and support is available for Linux. Windows includes vast amount of available online documentation as well as books on each of the versions of Windows. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: In this case study of which is better windows, Unix or Linux. From all the studies it was concluded that from the point of view of a lay user windows is still better for its ease of access. For the stability the UNIX is best among all. For the security feature the LINUX is best among all because of its large community. I conclude that windows is best for the personal use and for the new user , because it is widely used and easy to use. Moreover drivers and support fir the windows is largely and easily available. It also support GUI which helps user to interact easily with the OS. For commercial use LINUX is best to use. Because Linux is very stable and secure than windows ever. So for the large industries where the data is very important thing Linux is most secure OS to be used. Its true that UNIX is more stable than Linux and also compatible, but Unix is rarely used these days. Therefore Linux is still better and secure to use for commercial use.

Hypertext and Literary Study Essays -- Literature Education English Te

Hypertext and Literary Study Hypertextual fiction (hyperfiction) and other hypertext applications are making their way into the literature courses where, Professor Larry Friedlander says, â€Å"learning has basically meant the study of texts,† in the form of the â€Å"printed word† (257). And these newer works, inseparable from their contemporary technologies, offer the possibility of a very different type of literary study than the one most English majors experience in traditional literature courses. Print and book technology perpetuate and validate linear experience, thought, and narratives, which buttresses a hierarchical educational structure that shapes the roles of writers, readers, teachers, and students. Challenging our trust in the order and logic of linear narratives, linear cause-and-effect thought processes, the authority of the individual author, and our common dependence on the stability of the printed text, hyperfiction requires the interaction of the reader to decide the story, i ncorporates multimedia elements, and promotes associative thought processes. Whereas the print tradition supports the power of the author over the text, the text over the reader, and the teacher over the student—as the interlocutor to the domain of literary discourse and study—hypertext fiction empowers student interpretations, even requires them, distributing authority among the author, reader, teacher, and student. To understand how print technology precipitates specific social consequences for the structure of literary study, we must consider the print tradition as part of a culture in which ideological and political choices have been made that effect learning and thinking. In other words, we must situate print in its social context, ... ...rt Moulthrop’s Hypertext Novel Victory Garden.† Contemporary Literature 41, No. 4 (Winter 2000): 642-60. Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Sonnets.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 1, 6 ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1993. Slatin, John. â€Å"Reading Hypertext: Order and Coherence in a New Medium.† Hypermedia and Literary Studies. Edited by George P. Landow and Paul Delaney. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1994. Swiss, Thomas. â€Å"Electronic Literature: Discourses, Communities, Traditions.† Memory Bytes: History, Technology, and Digital Culture. Edited by Lauren Rabinovitz and Abraham Geil. Durham: Duke UP, 2004. Vielstimmig, Myka. â€Å"Petals on a Wet Black Bough: Textuality, Collaboration, and the New Essay.† Passions, Pedagogies, and the 21st Century Technologies. Edited by Gail Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe. Logan: Utah State UP, 1999.

The Significance Of The Philadelphia Convention

Despite its comparatively condensed existence, America has swiftly scaled the summit of world power. This could not have been accomplished without the written constitution that was drawn up at the legendary Philadelphia convention. The convention was a secretive gathering, which brought together representatives of twelve of the thirteen states for the â€Å"sole and express purpose of revising the articles of confederation†. It began in May 1787, having been proposed the previous year at an assembly in which five states took part. Fifty-five state representatives took part, although there were rarely more than thirty-five at any one session. It was held in the State House at Philadelphia; â€Å"the city of brotherly love†, an appropriate location for the establishment of the new America. The delegates worked in small groups, six days a week, five to six hours a day, under the experienced gaze of presiding officer George Washington. After four months of exhausting talks, the delegates emerged having drawn up a completely rewritten constitution that now required ratification from nine states to come into effect. Removal of British rule had left America without an effective government. Although the articles of confederation had been devised to replace the British government in America, they were â€Å"nothing more than a treaty of amity, of commerce and of alliance between independent and sovereign states. It was soon apparent that the articles were unable to adequately overcome the problems that arose. Many leading figures became anxious over this issue and the need for reconsideration ensued. The convention acknowledged this and allowed the opportunity for the most prominent figures in America to rectify the predicament. In early post-independent America, many unforeseen difficulties had occurred. Disputes over trade routes and in particular war debt repayment had materialised due to separate state government. Between 1785 and 1786 seven states had issued paper money, which quickly became worthless, to repay their debts. In certain states, creditors were even compelled to accept the paper money. The central government had to rely on state generosity for its funds and authority, and a unanimous vote if key decisions were to be passed, which did not function satisfactorily due to self-interest. This rendered America as a mere collection of isolated states, vulnerable to attack by natives or rival colonists. The disjointed effort of states to solve their individual problems was becoming worryingly uncoordinated. The short-term trigger of Shays†s rebellion embodied these flaws. Massachusetts had raised taxes to repay its debts, and this hit the poor (who were already struggling in the aftermath of the war of independence) hard. Daniel Shays†s, a discontented war veteran turned farmer, led a mob consisting of over one thousand equally dissatisfied farmers in an assault on the Springfield armoury. Although easy put down, the incident had caused widespread concern over America†s weaknesses, resulting in the necessity for the convention and the changes it would incur. America†s problems in the mid 1780†³s stemmed from an inadequate central government. Due to a lack of control over states and individuals, congress was incapable to regulate America†s economy sufficiently, neither was it empowered to effectively defend not only its territory but also the rights of the individual. Thus the convention was significant as it intended to address the causes of these problems, not the symptoms. Thomas Jefferson, though absent from the convention serving as an envoy to France, played his part. He famously assigned the description â€Å"an assembly of demi-gods† to the gathering. Although this may not have been entirely appropriate, the delegates were certainly formidable; among their number such legends as Franklin, Hamilton, Madison and Washington were to be found. The extensive reputations and abilities of these men are tribute to the importance and prominence of the convention. The collective qualities of the convention also included diversity; there were federalists and anti-federalists, speakers and listeners, idealists and realists. Most of the delegates were comparatively young like James Madison; the average age was forty-four, but there remained ample room for experience in the form of Benjamin Franklin among others. George Washington played a substantial role at the convention. Being revered Commander-in-Chief of the victorious American army during the war of independence augmented his already impressive national stature. He commanded colossal respect over his fellow Americans, demonstrated by his immediate and unanimous election as presiding officer at the convention. He applied this influence wisely, quickly settling disputes and safeguarding America†s best interests while maintaining the atmosphere of goodwill. As a fledgling nation, divided into states and possessing only a loose political system, America was in need of a formal and comprehensive but flexible and durable document under which it was to be run. The convention recognised this fact and accordingly created the Constitution of the United States. The constitution compromised the authority of state and federal governments; for every branch of federal government there was a corresponding arm of each states† government. The constitution also handed supreme power to the central government; the right of individual states to make treaties, coin money, declare war or maintain an army and it required approval from the federal government over regulation of trade. Federal law took precedence, and congress now had sufficient power over taxes, defence, commerce and legislation. The supreme federal court also had the power to overrule the decisions made by state judiciaries, although states still retained everyday management of their legal systems. Although the federal government now had supreme power and authority over important areas such as defence, it was generally perceived that the states would be predominant in organising and managing themselves, albeit under the supervision of the federal government. It was also necessary to compromise over the issue of state representation. To satisfy both larger and smaller states, the house of representatives was to be based upon a system of proportional representation while each state would be equally represented in the senate. These concessions were acceptable to both small states such as New Jersey and larger states like Virginia and thus one of the most frequently debated issues of the convention was settled. The constitution created a sufficiently robust federal government that was now able to rectify the previous difficulties over taxes, debts, security, law and the economy. Although the American system was now comparatively democratic, it was not excessively so; only one-in-six adult males could vote so the fears of democracy arriving too abruptly were allayed. Both state and federal governments were to be deftly balanced. Each branch of government was responsible for regulating the others and could never possess a dominance of authority. For example, the president could make most key decisions, but could be overruled by the senate if the vote was adequate. He possessed much authority but due to the democratic method by which he was elected, it was unlikely that he would abuse it and congress were able to remove him if it proved necessary. Thus the constitution was also engineered to avoid its abuse and ensure that no section of America†s government could grow too powerful. America†s future as a viable nation hung in the balance following its political severance from Britain. Its governmental system was previously untried and thus susceptible to defects. The situation in the North American continent was potentially a very difficult one. There were huge expanses of land mainly to the east still under contention from Indians, the French and the Spanish. Europe was undergoing a great many changes; consequently America†s links with Europe would possibly be compromised. Thus America needed a strong position with which to confront forthcoming problems, and the new constitution provided this.

Hills Like White Elephants Essay

Hills Like White Elephants tells the story of a woman, Jig, and a man known only as the American, sitting in a train station. Though the story is brief, it has much to say. When reading the story for the first time its full effect doesn’t set in. By taking a closer look and rereading the story, a bigger situation is revealed other than what seems to be a dull conversation. Jig is pregnant and the American man is pressuring her into having an abortion. The little details in the story, some which may slip by you, symbolize the man and woman’s situation. The story takes place in a train station in Spain. The whole story is set around Jig and the American man waiting on the train to arrive. But it isn’t really the train they are waiting on, its answers. They are stuck at a crossroad like a train. Which direction to go? Which train tracks to go down? In other words which path do they choose for their future? Should she keep the baby or should she give in to the man’s pressuring. At the end of the story the American man â€Å"looked up the tracks but could not see the train. † That could be interpreted as the man not seeing what his future holds. It also means that he doesn’t know when the couple’s answers will come and be solved if they ever are. Although the train symbolizes the choice in a path it also symbolizes time. â€Å"the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes†. Time moves quickly through the story because what seems to be a short conversation takes up most of the time they had before the train was to arrive. By the end of the story there is only 5 minutes until the train comes. The train like Jig and the man’s life is moving rather quickly. The train suggests that they don’t have much time to decide on what they’re going to do about the baby. Jig compares the hills that surround the train station to white elephants. â€Å"They look like white elephants she said. † In response the man says â€Å"I’ve never seen one. † In which she replies â€Å"No, you wouldn’t have. † In this case white elephants symbolize a situation that is unavoidable. Like in the phrase â€Å"the elephant in the room†, the elephant is big and almost impossible to avoid. Jig and the man’s situation is an elephant in the room. No matter how hard they try to dodge their problem, it’s always going to be there. The lines quoted above also suggest that Jig feels that the man never had to deal with something as substantial as this life changing decision. When reading a piece of literature some things may seem to slip by us. For example when reading Hills Like White Elephants the waitress puts the drinks down on felt pads. When reading it’s for the first time, the felt pads are just coasters and the drink is just a drink. But when rereading the short story the felt pads represent more, they symbolize an intake of feelings, thoughts and personal opinions. And what seems to be a simple alcoholic drink can be interpreted as bottled up emotions. â€Å"The woman brought out two glasses of beer and two felt pads. She put the felt pads and the beer glasses on the table and looked at the man and the girl. † A coasters purpose is to catch the drips of water that condensates from cold beverages. In this case the drips that came from the cold beer can represent all the emotions that Jig and the man were feeling about their situation that were finally released during their conversation. All those emotions and thought were captured and soaked up by the felt pad. By the end â€Å"the woman came out through the curtains with two glasses of beer and put them down on the damp felt pads. † The felt pad represents how Jig and the American man intake each others feelings. The felt pads are damp in the end because so many emotions were taken in. The bead curtains separate the man and Jig from the bar and its main purpose is â€Å"to keep out flies. † The bead curtains are transparent meaning that both Jig and the man are able to see through them. The bead curtain symbolizes a problem that both Jig and the American man can see but are unable to reach a solution to. They can’t reach a solution because of a barrier which is also represented by the curtains. The barrier separates Jig and the man. â€Å"The girl looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads. † This seems to be Jigs way of trying to understand the man view; she takes hold of the barrier but doesn’t quite go through. Although Hills Like White Elephants seems like a shorts story with not much to it, when reread numerous times, the story becomes much more. The little details that aren’t very noticeable when read the first time become the backbone of what the story is truly about. The symbols in the story suggest meanings that are larger than itself. The story of what’s thought to be a mundane conversation between a man and woman turns out to be a conversation about a life changing situation.

Email Matters

Email Matters Email Matters Email Matters By Maeve Maddox The ease of dashing off an email is both a convenience and a deadly snare. Emails are not as public as a Twitter tweet, but can lead to grief for the unwary. We’ve all heard the horror stories of the jokester who says something outrageous intended for the eyes of a friend, and then hits the â€Å"Reply All† button by mistake. Because there’s always the chance that an email might go astray, the best practice is what I call the â€Å"Klingon rule†: Don’t say anything in an email that you don’t want a third party to read. (I think it was General Chang in StarTrek VI who said he never uttered anything he wouldn’t want to be overheard. Klingons are always under surveillance.) One way to avoid embarrassing situations with clients or employers is to make a habit of treating every email with care, even the ones you dash off to your friends. Human frailty being what it is, there’s probably no way to avoid saying or typing something stupid at some time or another, but a few tips can save some embarrassment. Common courtesy is the key to writing an email that won’t come back to bite you. Courtesy when writing an email means considering such things as the fact that not everyone can read tiny type or understand texting abbreviations. Depending upon the recipient, sloppy English or attempts at humor can prove deal breakers. In these tippy-toe times of political correctness, it doesn’t take much to offend some people. No one, however, is likely to take offence at standard usage and conventional formatting. Email Address A snappy email handle may amuse your friends, but if you use your account for business as well as social correspondence, you may want to avoid choosing a handle like redhotpapa or partygirl. As the first thing the recipient sees, it can affect the spirit in which the message is received. Subject Line Put something meaningful in the subject line. Be as specific as possible, even for your friends. Instead of â€Å"Hi† or â€Å"Hello,† type something that refers to the message. No one enjoys having to sort through hundreds of emails in order to double check one of them. Font Leave the fancy script and colored text for homemade greeting cards. Choose an easy-to-read font and a dark font color. Dark blue is all right, but black is better. Red is the hardest color to read. Big is better than small. Use a minimum of 12-point. Upper- and Lower-case Use lowercase type with capitals where capitals are called for. Lowercase is easier to read than all caps, but don’t go to extremes and omit capitals altogether. Friends may not mind, but a business colleague may interpret lack of capitalization as evidence of lack of education or energy. Spelling Spell correctly. Use conventional abbreviations. Save texting code for texting. Punctuation It’s easy enough to misinterpret a written message. Reread what you have written before hitting Send. See if the addition of a comma or other punctuation might make your meaning clearer. Salutation Begin your email with the recipient’s name. For a friend or associate, the first name is the obvious salutation. Otherwise, use the full name. I don’t often see â€Å"Dear So-and-So† in electronic correspondence; beginning with the name alone is sufficient. Close The way you end your email will depend upon your relationship with the recipient and the nature of the email. If you are reporting bad news or responding to it, you’re not going to close by writing â€Å"Cheers† or â€Å"Have a nice day.† Here are some options: Best, Best regards, Best wishes, Cheers, Cordially, Kindest regards, I remain yours truly, Regards, Sincerely, Take care, Thanks again, Warmest regards, Yours. If you have asked someone to do something time-consuming for you, your close can be even longer: Thanks for your time and consideration. 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 Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"50 Idioms About Roads and PathsCharles's Pen and Jesus' Name