THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE Essays - EastWest Schism,

THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE On Tuesday, May 29 1453 the last bastion on Christianity in the East, Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Turks led by Sultan Mehmet ( also called Mahomet ). This ended the 1100 year reign of the Byzantium Empire and gave the Ottomans a new capital. One of the most famous churches in history, the Church of Holy Wisdom ( also known as the Hagia Sophia ) was converted into a Mosque. The Turks used a revolutionary weapon in the siege - the cannon. Though the cannon had been in Europe for over a century, this was one of the first times they were used effectively. The Turkish army would not have been able to capture Constantinople had they not had the great cannon with them, had the Byzantinians not been so isolated from the West and had the Turkish soldiers not been so devoted. The cannon was essential in the capture of Constantinople. The walls of the city were massive, and had repulsed invaders since 330 A.D. It would have taken the Turks a lot longer to breech the walls if they did not have the great cannon, and aid from the West would have arrived. The cannon had a long range, and it was used to block access to Constantinople by sea. The very presence of the cannon was very demoralizing for the defenders of the city, "Once more the bells of the churches rang to sound the alarm, but the noise was drowned out by the roar from the great cannon," " the reverberations could be heard for a hundred stadia after it fired."Imagine standing on a wall having cannon balls weighing 12 hundredweight booming towards you. The isolation from the West, the preoccupation of the Western powers with other issues and the clash of the Eastern and Western variations of Christianity helped lead to the fall of Constantinople. The people of Byzantine Empire had some disdain for Western Christianity, and did not want to form a union of churches with the West. The pope (Pius II) was not anxious to send reinforcements until he felt that a true union of the churches had been achieved. Most of the other European powers had their own problems to deal with, and while they wanted to help the citizens of Constantinople they were either to far away (Russia, which became a major Christian center after the fall of Constantinople) or had their own problems to deal with.(there was a revolt in Rome in January 1453) The absolute devotion of the Turkish soldiers to their Sultan and to their God helped Mehmet capture the city. The troops of the sultan were fiercely loyal, especially the fearsome Janissaries,( Christian youths taken from captured villages, and trained for seven years. They were fanatical Muslims and fiercely loyal to the Sultan.) The soldiers believed that God would have a special place in Paradise for those who died attacking the city. "They shall conquer Qostantiniya." "Glory be to the Prince and to the army that achieve it."The sultan offered a fantastic prize to the first man inside the city, this, added to the belief that the soldiers had, that those to fall in battle would rise to Paradise, and the men they killed would be their servants there, had each man whipped into a fanatical fervor, willing to rush the walls, ignoring the Christian missiles. This allowed the Turks to capture the city very quickly, before the West would decided to send aid. As you can see, the three main factors that led the Turks to capture Constantinople were, the devotion of their troops, the isolation of the City ( both physically and spiritually ) and their innovative use of the cannon, a new weapon. This shows us that new weapons have a great power to change the world ( Airplanes, Tanks and Nuclear Missiles all have ) and that fanaticism is a grave danger that society as a whole must try to stop. If men are willing to die to establish fundamentalist states and theocracies how are we to stop them?

Madama Butterfly

Madama Butterfly Madama Butterfly When asked to go view a live performance there were no doubts in my mind that I would go see Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The story of Cio-cio-san, the eternally faithful heroine, is one of the most wrenching and well known in all of opera. A young geisha is so blinded by hope for a better life that she does not see the truth about the man she loves until it is far too late. There is more to this story than we often see. The culture conflict between the East and West is just beneath the surface. In 1900, Japan was discovering the West, both the arrogance and the promise, for the first time. During that time, hundreds of Japanese women married American servicemen and immigrated to America. Countless others suffered the cruel fate of Madama Butterfly.Act one takes place in Japan in the early twentieth century.Pinkerton Academy, Derry, N.H.

Food Borne Diseases Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food Borne Diseases - Lab Report Example It should be noted that even though meat differs in terms of composition and mode of production, the infestation from microorganisms occurs in a similar manner. Meat which has gone bad is characterized by the odor of the gas it produces and an irritating taste. Raw ham is infested by microorganisms which include gram-negative bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts. After the ham was pasteurized, the number of the bacteria reduced. High-care treatment causes preference towards the lactic acid bacteria and enterobacteriaceae. After slicing and covering, the refrigerated ham harbors cornobacteria, leuconostocs, and thermosphacta. What Are The Concentrations Of Microorganisms In Ready-To-Eat Luncheon Meat? In ready to eat tumbled meat that has not been preserved or treated, the bacterial concentration is 4.8 log (cfu g (-1)). After the high care treatment, however, the concentration decreases to 2 log (cfu g (-1)). The concentration after packing and decreasing fall significantly as the microorganisms are inactivated and they do not reproduce any more. In case there is no preservation, the meat reaches the spoilage point after a short time. What Concentration Of Bacteria Can Be Consumed Without Causing Illness? As highlighted in the above mentioned case, the concentration of bacteria that have not gone past the spoilage point is safe for consumption. ... Refrigeration causes inactivation of microorganisms. However, after the temperatures are raised, the microorganisms grow faster. How Is Food Poisoning Defined? Food poisoning is defined as flu like illness typically characterized by vomiting and diarrhea. It is caused by ingestion of contaminated food. The food contains mainly monocytogens, Vibrio vulnificus, and Norwalk virus. The following is a brief overview on how each of the above named microorganisms causes food poisoning. The Norwalk virus is responsible for more than two thirds of food poisoning that happens in the world. They are the fastest spreading microorganisms in contaminated food. They contaminate the whole tainted food in a day or two and causes stomach upsets if consumed (Food 2009). The leading cause of bacterial food poisoning is Campylobacter jejuni. They usually affect undercooked contaminated poultry meat. A drop of soup from such poultry meat is enough to make a grown adult sick. In 2 to5 days, the symptoms start kicking in with cramping of the abdomen, diarrhea, and vomiting. In such a case, however, the diarrhea is bloody and the victim suffers a fever. Though salmonella does not cause a lot of food poisoning, most of food related deaths in the world are caused by the bacteria. These deaths, however, affect old people with a weak immune system. An expectant mother is, however, in danger from the salmonella because of the risk associated with pregnancy due to compromised immunity and can lead to stillbirth (Food 2009). How does storage affect meat quality and safety? All meat should be stored below 400 F to preven t the development of bacterial pathogens on its surface. This is usually how meat is stored. Chilling is the most advantageous method of storing meat.

President Barack Obama Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

President Barack Obama - Research Paper Example Obama achieved national attention during his time as a senator. Encouraged by his popularity and determination to excel, Obama ran for the Democratic Presidential Candidacy for the 2008 presidential election and won the party nomination beating Hilary Rodham Clinton. He went on to win the presidential election and sworn in as president on 20th January, 2009. Later in the year Obama also achieved the honor of being the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate of 2009 (Gormley). As a patriot and loyalist countryman, Obama had a very lucid vision about his country which he wanted his fellow countrymen to adopt; the vision of unity, accord and common good (Price). In his address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 he said: There’s not a liberal America or a conservative America, there’s United States of America. There’s not a Black America and White America and Latino America and Asian America, there’s United States of America. We are one people, all of us pledgin g allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. Obama had to face a lot of challenges soon after assuming the office of the President of the United States most significant of which were the dwindling economy and effectual exit from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform, Consumer Protection Act and the Budget Control Act are some of the most important legislative measures taken by the Obama administration which are being deemed as very effective and successful for solving issues related to worsening economic conditions and social welfare. Obama achieved remarkable success in foreign policy in the form of the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after a successful military operation in a mountain town in Pakistan, the ouster of undemocratic and tyrant government of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and the success of strategic exit of forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the process which is still underway. Gaining confidence from the success of his domestic and foreign policies, Obama declared his intensions for re-election in the 2012 Presidential Elections (Horn). Obama was born in Hawaii to parents of ethnically diverse descent; his father was an African from Kenya while his mother was of Irish descent. Obama had to struggle to understand his multiracial origin during his childhood. To further complicate things, after getting divorced his mother remarried an Indonesian student and had to move to Indonesia when Suharto, a military leader of Indonesia called back all Indonesian students from foreign universities, that is why Obama spent his early childhood in Indonesia and owing to this he is very popular in Indonesia. Obama came back to US and started living with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii where he attended high school. Being brought up in a multiracial culture was not very easy for Obama to understand as a child because multiracial background was not very common in the US at that time however it helped him having an expansive vision he practiced in his political life and enabled him to develop the quality of understanding the aspirations of people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds (Hill). Being an African American

Problems of Moral and Social Values Essay Example for Free

Problems of Moral and Social Values Essay â€Å"According to the Greatest Happiness Principle, as above explained, the ultimate end, with reference to and for the sake of which all other things are desirable (whether we are considering our own good or that of other people), is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible in enjoyments, both in point of quantity and quality; the test of quality, and the rule for measuring it against quantity, being the preference felt by those who in their opportunities of experience, to which must be added their habits of self-consciousness and self-observation, are best furnished with the means of comparison. This, being, according to the utilitarian opinion, the end of human action, is necessarily also the standard of morality; which may accordingly be defined, the rules and precepts for human conduct, by the observance of which an existence such as has been described might be, to the greatest extent possible, secured to all mankind; and not to them only, but, so far as the nature of things admits, to the whole sentient creation†¦ (Mill, 1863)†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The quotation seemed to imply the thesis made by John Stuart Mill in Chapter 2 of his work Utilitarianism. As he explained the argument of the utilitarians, it was unintelligible for the opponents of the Theory of Utilitarianism to suppose that the principle that they advocate promote the concept of pleasure or that of happiness. The debate on the issue of quality and quantity as the indicator of the greatest utility was described by Mill as nothing but an interpretation of an irrational being. The end of the human conduct implied the standard of morality (Mill, 1863) thus it was meaningless to say that a person withheld his pursuit of happiness or pleasure for the promotion of the greatest utility. In this point, Mill contended that the greatest utility was indeed the same thing which gives the greatest happiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As consistently highlighted by the utilitarians, promotion of pleasure and aversion from pain were the only things that a man must take as his ultimate ends. In this way, what satisfied him or gave him happiness was the very thing that gave him the best utility. However, this argument was mistakenly interpreted by the adversaries of the Utilitarian principle by saying that not all men necessarily have the same regard to different objects of pleasure – meaning, their degree or intensity of being satisfied varied. Thus, the adversaries claimed, that the greatest utility for the greatest quantity was not practicable given that one may saw one thing as more valuable than other things while others saw these things as more important than the other one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mill attempted to correct this way of looking at the utilitarian principle by, again, applying the most notable comparison between swine or beast and man. Man was higher than the former since man had superior mental faculties which allowed him to judge rationally. He was not easily satisfied by less pleasurable things as how swine and beast would do. Man possessed â€Å"pride† and, much, â€Å"has sense of dignity (Mill, 1863).† He could not stand the case that his pleasures were as low or the same as the swine or beast. Hence, in some way, all men had the same faculties to judge between the lesser and the greater pleasure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To support this, Mill insisted the role that the â€Å"habits of self-consciousness and self-observation (Mill, 1863)† played. Having the ability to observe, compare, and analyze the way things were presented to him, man could give his judgments on the issue raised earlier. There could be a case that a man would tend to be inclined with lesser pleasures than being in tuned with the greater pleasures but still at some point, man knew which of the pleasures weighs than the other. It was just his moral judgment was weaker and more prone to go before the bodily pleasures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mill furthered that this human ability to arrive at moral judgment could be compare with health. Mind and body comprised man. Both required the latter to pursue fuels that would maintain the stability of the two components. Nevertheless, to become healthy, man must be able to realize that the needs of the soul or the mind were far greater than needs of the body. Thus, man could only become healthy if he had successfully done this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a result, all men, who all had rational abilities to judge whether one thing had greater value than the other, would not say that the other thing possessed the greater value. This opened the idea that all men recognized things of greater value. They were indeed being urged by their body to choose the lesser pleasures but as a moral agent, they would easily be satisfied by those meager pleasures. Hence they would concur with the common good which offered the greatest good.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mill’s last argument to support the theory of Utility as the appropriate standard of morality talked about the perceived impossibility to perform pure altruistic acts. Sacrificing one’s single happiness did not necessarily mean that his or her happiness was outweighed by others’ happiness. It only implied that he or she recognized that only by letting go of his or her personal interests that he or she could have achieved the greater happiness possible. And this greater happiness would not only benefit the majority but also himself or herself. Individual happiness then as Mill suggested, was not really neglected or taken for granted but was indeed reinforced by the attainment of the greater good for the greater number (which included the moral agent himself).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To reflect on the arguments raised by Mill, it was true that what made a pleasurable thing pleasurable was the amount of happiness one may get from it or the opportunity to prevent the existence of pain. Everyone would agree with such definition (except in the cases of a masochist which considered the feeling of pain as pleasurable). And since men has the power to make moral judgment which made him not to choose the lesser form of pleasures, his choice must have always on the level as how other rational beings would have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being with the choice of other rational beings, a moral agent would then recognize the need to uphold this choice for the achievement or maintenance of the greatest utility or the greatest happiness. Thus, he learned to put aside his lesser concerns to be able to prepare himself to do more elevated efforts for the betterment of mankind. Yet, this did not make him absolutely selfless. Whatever his efforts done even if these may appear for the benefit of other people, still he or she would receive something in return. And that explained his quest for the greatest utility. Reference: Mill, J.S. (1863). Utilitarianism. Aspen Publishers.

The Theme of Darkness in Conrads Heart of Darkness Essays -- Heart Da

The Theme of Darkness in Conrad's Heart of Darkness Works Cited Not Included It has been said that although Conrad may not have been 'the greatest novelist, he was certainly the greatest artist every to write a novel';. I feel that this is an apt description of Conrad's writing style in Heart of Darkness (1902), as he paints many verbal pictures by using expressive words and many figurative descriptions of places and people. An extensive use of words relating to colour, is evident throughout the novella. The idea of darkness (and light) is emphasized from the title of the novella, and continues to play an important role throughout in the story . My opinion is that Conrad felt that using 'darkness'; as a recurring theme throughout the story would be an effective tool because of the many connotations of darkness. Darkness can, for example, represents evil, the unknown, mystery, sadness or fear. Also important is the way darkness and light can be used to represent two opposite emotions or concepts. Light vs. dark can, for example, represent good vs. evil, the civilized vs. the uncivilized, illusion vs. reality or assumption vs. fact. We know from the start of the novella that the darkness that Conrad refers to is symbolic, because, while the silent narrator aboard The Nellie comments on the many lights emanating from the shore, the lighthouse, the other boats and the setting sun, Marlowe comments that they themselves are in 'one of the dark places of the earth';. Therefore we know that Marlowe has his own opinion and explanation of what the darkness is, and if we assume that this story is autobiographical, and Marlowe is a mouthpiece for Conrad, then this explanation actually indicates Conrad's personal views on what the darkness is. Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe attacked Heart of Darkness as racist. He felt that Conrad used the darkness to symbolise the negative character of Africa, and objected to the novel as a manifestation of 'white racism over Africa'; (Achebe, 1975). I do not agree with this view of the novella as a purely racist piece of literature. I feel that, although Conrad did live in a time when some forms of racial prejudice were so commonplace that they seemed almost natural, he wrote the novella essentially as 'an expose of imperialist rapacity and violence'; (Cedric Watts). Several times throughout the novella he refers to co... ...ces to light when describing her appearance indicates that her civilisation is part of her. As the room grows darker, they delve deeper and deeper into the truth. Eventually, Marlowe lies to her about Kurtz's last words because he feels that she would never have been able to deal with the truth, that 'it would have been too dark, too dark altogether';. Conrad wrote the novella Heart of Darkness because through his story he shows how two sides of the world could be as different as white and black. Africa was dark ? much more natural and closer to the moment of creation than the West, which had tried to progress by creating it's own light ? religion, social beliefs and technology. Marlowe's journey led him to Kurtz, who existed at the very heart of darkness because he had succumbed to it's conquering power, and, in Western terms, regressed to the level of the natives in the land. He shows his belief in the triumph of darkness over light by using the word 'darkness'; it in the title of the book. This shows that he believes that the way the Western World existed in the time of the writing of the novella was very unstable, and would only sink further into darkness as time passed.

Success of a Paint Company: Berger Paints

In 1971 Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited has started its journey in Bangladesh. The shareholders were Jenson & Nicholson (J & N), Duncan Macneil & Co. Limited and Dada Group. Duncan Macneil subsequently sold their shares to the majority shareholder J & N Group. The Dada Group’s share ultimately vested with the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh after the independence of the country in 1971. The name of the company was changed from J & N (Bangladesh) Limited to Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited on January 1, 1980. Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited (BPBL) is stated to be the market leader in Bangladesh and has a wide range of products such as Decorative Paints, Industrial Paints, Marine Paints, Color Bank, Textured Coatings, Heat Resistant Paints, Roofing Compounds, Wood Solutions, and Wood Adhesives. It gives a comprehensive and sustainable painting solution and providing the best customer service through Home Decor. BPBL’s corporate strategy is to build larger market share through providing quality and speedy service. It’s primary focus is to strengthen its current position by providing value added customer service. BPBL is committed to get highest consumer satisfaction. The main objective of this report is to gain overall practical knowledge about the internal communication techniques of Berger Paint Bangladesh Ltd. and corporate success evaluation and also recommend on the basis of business communication. Aim and Rational of the project: The objective of this project is to gain overall practical knowledge about the organization and analyze the communication techniques developed by the company. To be more specific, this project contains the following subjects: †¢Historical background of Berger Paint Bangladesh Ltd.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Organizational structure †¢BPBL’s internal communication structure †¢Tools used in the existing communication system †¢Positive aspects of the system being used and recommendations for improvement Significance of the Study: The significance of the study can be explained in many ways. From this project we will learn about the business communication practices followed by Berger Paint Bangladesh Ltd, the market leader in paint industry of Bangladesh. It will help us to enhance our knowledge about the relationship between different departments, how they communicate with each other and organizational environment. Methodology: The report will be based on both primary and secondary data. †¢Primary Data: It is obvious that the research will require a lot of primary data. Face-to-face interviews will be conducted with the manager of the BPBL. We have planed to supply them questionnaire to be filled out as well as read them out whenever needed and explain if any clarification is required. †¢Secondary Data: For secondary resources, we will use the web site of BPBL, product profile, and relevant journals by Berger Paint Bangladesh Ltd. For the organization part of the report, a lot of secondary resources will also be used. †¢Data Collection Method: We have decided to conduct personal interviews as data collection method. The questionnaire will be structured and includes both open and close-ended questions. †¢Questionnaire: For the survey purpose, we will prepare questionnaire which meet the objective of the project. It will include different issues and important factors regarding internal communication techniques. For the questionnaire we will use simple, direct and familiar words, so that the respondents understand it easily. †¢Data collection: We will conduct Face-to-face interviews with the manager of BPBL to collect the data. We will also collect the necessary data from company website, magazine etc. †¢Report Format: The report will contain mainly two parts. The organizational part shall give the idea about Berger Paint Bangladesh Ltd.’s historical background and Organizational structure. And the project part shall contain BPBL’s internal communication structure, tools used in the existing communication system, positive aspects of the system being used and recommendations for improvement and conclusion. Limitation of the Study: The collection of primary data is always a difficult thing because it is hard to ensure the authenticity of the data. Managers of the company may hide some information for the confidentiality. Time is also a limitation as we have to interview the manager, analyze the data and prepare project at a very short time. Despite of these limitations we will try our best to collect accurate and useful data through the survey so that we can generate quality results from the data analysis and give recommendation where it is necessary.