United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local 1099 v. Southwest Ohio Essay

United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local 1099 v. Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, 163 F.3d 341; Rita Miller V. Clinton County, 544 F.3d 542 - Essay Example enged SORTA’s decision to reject the planned wrap-around advertisement, which they (SORTA) termed as aesthetically unpleasant and too controversial. Among SORTA’s commercial ventures is the sale of advertising space on the buses and bus shelters it owns. However, UFCWU’s proposed wrap-up advertisement, which portrayed protesting union workers fleeing from the police and boarding a bus belonging to SORTA was rejected. In its ruling, the district court concluded that UFCWU was favored by the balance of equities and, therefore, granted the preliminary injunctive relief (Moore 1). Case number 07-2105, Rita Miller, Plaintiff, vs. Clinton County; Honorable Richard Saxton, Appellant, was argued from May 13 2008 and decided on October 1 2008. The civil rights action was brought against Richard Saxton, the Court of Common Pleas’ President Judge, by Clinton County’s former probation officer, Rita Miller. It was asserted by Rita Miller that Richard Saxton violated her right to free speech (First Amendment) and right to due process (Fourteenth Amendment) by firing her after she wrote him a complaint letter claiming hostility and intimidation from her supervisor. Miller appealed against Saxton’s decision to fire her, and a district court permitted the wrongful termination case to proceed. However, the case was dismissed by a federal appeals court, effectively reversing the ruling made by the district judge. Miller had alleged that her supervisor had acted unprofessionally by stating the probationers were a scum and did not merit the money spent on them by the probation office. In his move to dismiss the claims, Saxton wanted to be granted a summary judgment motion and alleged to be immune to suit. In the UFCWU v. SORTA appeal case, the court stated that a preliminary injunction aims to avert irreparable injury and uphold a court’s capacity to deliver significant decisions based on merit in reference to Canal Authority of State of Florida v. Callaway, 489 F.2d

Significant Health Issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Significant Health Issue - Research Paper Example Different studies have shown that depression should be recognized as crucial issue by the practitioners. The major signs and symptoms of depression are losing interest, loss or change in the appetite, lack of interest in daily activities, change in sleep patterns. In a depressed state one may also feel low levels of energy and feeling of exertion even after having rest. If depression is not treated in a proper way it can result in physical sickness, isolation or in worst cases may lead a person to commit suicide (Styron, 1990). By dealing with the hurdles and utilizing a straightforward 20 questions Geriatric Depression Scale, diagnosis and cure can be performed with ease. The reports by NIH show that the symptoms of depression are represented by about 15 to 20% of the people who are over 60 to 65 years in age. Major and minor depression varies in rates from 5% to 30% from primary to long term setting. It has been shown that only 15 % of the old people receive the proper treatment fo r depression according to American Psychiatric Association (2002). The mortality rates in the old aged people due to depression are much higher as compared to the ones who are not suffering from it. The barriers for depression diagnosis by the patients and the practitioner are given as follows: By The Patient: †¢ Issues regarding perceptions or disgrace associated with psychological sickness †¢ Fear about condemnation by relatives †¢ Economic concerns related to expenditure of treatment †¢ Information and aptitude to identify symptoms of depression †¢ Anxiety concerned with other therapeutic occurrences like chronic sickness The Practitioner †¢ Unwillingness to pay attention †¢ Conviction that depression is a usual factor of growing old †¢ Non- familiarity or identification of symptoms †¢ Other medical situation is given priority Predominance of Elder Depression It has been found by extensive research that almost 25 to 30% of the elderly population shows symptoms of depression in one way or the other. The prevalence of depression in older women is two times more as compared to men of the same age. The depression in late life can lead to serious complications leading towards increased mortality and morbidity, higher costs of health care and prolonged stay at the hospitals. It has been estimated that 65% of older people having some mental problem want unmet psychological health services (Huisani, 2004). As the American people have longer life span, the disease and disability can not be avoided with the advancing age. It has been estimated that 55% or people at age 65 or older have some sort of disability and 35% are having severe disabilities. Therefore more than seven million elderly persons need some sort of help in order to perform daily activities of life like bathing, eating, cooking, travelling etc. All the above problems increase to further extent when the person moves to the age of 80+. Consequently, almost 20 % of the US adults are engaged in providing extraordinary care to their elderly relatives especially parents. These adults are at the same time involved in the brought up of their own children and also do jobs outside their home. So they are having a sort of double burden on them. Theoretically "Individuals involved in providing care to aging relatives and raising kids simultaneously at are known as the sandwich

Globalization Impact on Public Administration Essay

Globalization Impact on Public Administration - Essay Example Globalization is referred to the phenomenon of converting the local markets into global markets. More specifically, it can also be explained as an initiative to encourage the domestic business players to emerge with the outlook of a global competitor (Globalization-Bowne Global Translation, 2011). It is in this context that globalization has played an effective role to speed up the significance of democracy in public administrations. Democracy, in turn, strongly influenced sociable relations between different nations leading towards a positive impact of globalization on the public administrations practices. It is worth mentioning that implementing democracy to ensure legitimate governance in public services is highly essential in this context. Currently, the public officials are concentrating on the implementation of the democratic governance in their respective administrations which enhances the role of democracy in the system. Thus, because of the interdependent relationship existi ng between public administration and democracy, it is quite likely that the practices of this concept will differ from one nation to the other on the basis of the democratic divergences (Gonzalez, 2004). For instance, public administration practices of United States of America have been claimed as different from that of other countries. According to the experts, the private sectors in US follow a modified and reframed law, sophisticated organizational theory, effective political science and economic implications. It is because of these factors that the public administration in US is quite different from other nations (Riggs, 2000). The public administration of US also possesses certain distinctive features. Among these the most significant feature is that the public administration practices consider a veil between the politics and their administration in order to create and ensure effective and clean governance. In US, the public officials do not allow the political issues to affect the internal atmosphere of the organization; whereas, the tendency differs in certain other nations which may include both developed and developing countries. This significantly assists the public organizations in US to achieve its goal with limited political influence and other similar hurdles. Thus, the US public officials can be observed to approach with an inductive thinking for the betterment of the system (Sezen, 2000). Globalization plays a key role in framing legal constraints and also tends to direct legal practices and modifications in the existing forms through restructuring and expansion. Furthermore, the functions of national legislation have been observed to decline. Simultaneously, the international commercial arbitration centers earned increasing importance after the elimination of transnational commercial disputes. These were the effects of the legal restraints over globalization. Moreover, these effects took place due to the increasing importance of privatization in the jurisdiction of the US. These effects are measured on the basis of increase in the number of commercial arbitration centers. On the contrary, the US practiced a unique jurisdiction for public administration. This in turn diminished the dependency of public administrations on the administrative laws and thus the role played by these laws was also altered (Sezen, 2000). In the similar context, public officials tend to be highly influenced by the cultural bases which again are reflected in their public administra

The Future of Oil Article Analysis

The Future of Oil Article Analysis Analyzing the Logic of an Article Student Name: Jennifer R. Thomas Article Number and Name: Article 26 Its Still the One by Daniel Yergin Work Cite: Jackson, Robert M. Global issues 13/14 (1st ed.). Date: 2-23-2017 BACKGROUND What qualifications does the author have for writing an article on this subject? (This may also apply to quotes within the article.) Daniel Yergin received a Pulitzer Prize for The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power, published in an updated edition this year. He is chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates. (p.113, Jackson) Yergin is the founder of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, (CERA), a member of the National Petroleum Council and a Global Energy Expert. Hes a graduate of Yale University with a BA and Cambridge University with a PH. D and has two honorary degrees, one from The University of Houston and the other from the University of Missouri. http://www.cnbc.com/daniel-yergin/ Chair of a task force for the U.S. Department of Energy, (p. 111, Jackson) When and where was the article first published? Does this affect its credibility? The article was published by the Foreign Policy in September/October 2009, pages 90, 92-95. Foreign Policy is a very reputable resource and Daniel Yergin has a very extensive background and knowledge about the Oil industry, however, the article is not a recent as most valuables resources are or that I would like to base my conclusions off of. I would have to say that the information provided by Daniel Yergin is credible but would like to see updated information to verify/confirm this article. ARTICLE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION Describe the main purpose, what conclusions the author drew, and what assumptions the author made in this article. The purpose of the article is to give a perspective of the future of Oil globally and the impact Oil will make on regions globally. Volatility impacts many people, not just those in the oil market and worldwide. The article explains how the oil industry has changed over the years due to such things as technology, climate change, how it is used and how much is used. What is the authors point of view for this article? (What other points of view are there? Cushing Oklahomas oil allows them to play a role in the price of oil. Oil trading is a financial asset but unstable. Oil prices over the years have fluctuated from a high dollar to a very low dollar per barrel rate, with prices varying from $147.27, $59.87, $32.40 and as low as $10.00/barrel. Big oil industries have grown and control over eighty percent of the oil industry, while the smaller ones have disappeared. Oil get sold and traded to be turned into gasoline jet fuel, diesel, home heating oil and more. The demand for oil has changed, how we use it, how much we use and technology can change the energy portfolio as well. The oil industry has changed in that if offers pension funds, endowments, and hedge funder and includes money managers to assist with the finances attached to the oil industry. Oil use will increase as energy demands increase in the up and coming years. The increase in oil demand has impacted the pricing of oil. The increasing demand has also caused tension betwe en countries such as China and the U.S. and Britain and Germany due to scarcity. China has secured future oil by giving loans to those countries that are oil producers. The conflict between China and the U.S. is not just about oil but includes coal to where they both are the largest consumers of coal and the largest resources of coal as well. Climate change also impacts the future of oil which gives an additional reason to drive down the demands for oil. Technology needs to be used to find an alternative for oil use. Ideas of alternatives are electric cars, advanced biofuels, solar systems, new building designs, massive investment in wind, integrating electric cars with the electricity industry, and a revolution in the internal combustion engine. (p. 112, Jackson) The Government has taken an increasing interest, giving incentives and subsidies that will drive technical change. Decrease demands and becoming more energy efficient has been a focus of the United States and has been doin g well. Resources do however show that there is enough oil to keep up with the demands for years to come but restricted access, tax systems, civil conflict, geopolitics, rising costs for exploration and production and uncertainties about demand could interfere with oils reaching consumers. The final conclusion is that the oil market is not constant and that many things change the supply and demand of oil and the price of oil, the oil industry is unstable. List new terms introduced and define them. You may also include any important information that was presented in this paper. Volatility- Liability to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse. www.dictionary.com Somnolent- sleepy, drowsy, tired, lethargic, sluggish. www.dictionary.com WTL-West Texas Intermediate (p. 110, Jackson) Hedgers- A person who builds or repairs hedges (any barrier or boundary, a row of bushes or small trees planted close together, especially when forming a fence or boundary www.dictionary.com Speculators- the financial players. (p. 110, Jackson) Supermajors- a term applied to the six largest Oil companies in the world. www.oilprices.org Paper Barrels- an oil cargo that is sold and traded on the open market, but not actually shipped. www.wisegeek.com Muskier-as an odor www.dictionary.com Wherewithal- that with which to do something; means or supplies for the purpose or need, especially money. www.dictionary.com Were any propaganda techniques used in an attempt to influence readers? Explain. (See explanations at the end of this document.) I found this article to have very little if any propaganda. The article was based on statistics and was pretty matter of fact. One attention grabber for me were the highlighted statistics throughout the article, such as the bold and underlining of the cost of oil per barrel on page 111 and the on page 112 on the number of barrels the world demand rose. These would be a form of bandwagon propaganda. Page 110 also described the Oklahoma sun as hot, sweet crude oil, could be described as a form of propaganda. Other propaganda was the use of big name oil companies that people are familiar such as Exxon Mobile and Chevron and other not so big but still familiar like Amoco and ARCO. CRITICAL THINKING ARTICLE-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS * Refer to the weekly folder for the questions you are required to answer. The questions are located in the Critical Thinking section at the end of each article. Question # Answer 1 The age of oil is changing because the government is giving subsidies and incentives that will drive technology change and help decrease the demands for oil. Climate change also impacts the change in the new era. In addition to climate change and technology, there are now more players in the oil industry like financial managers, investors, hedgers funds and more. 2 The demand for oil is changing in that the demands are decreasing, take the example of the United States who are twice as energy efficient as they were in the 70s, electric cars are gaining more attention, advancement if biofuel, solar systems that are now being given attention as well as the wind. The government is giving more attention to energy efficient ways to improve the economy and reduce the demand for oil. 3 The U.S. and China relationship is one that not only deals with competing over oil but they also compete over coal as well. They are the largest resource of both. They have the same interest new technology solutions for the emissions released when coal is burned. 4 Article 3 is complemented by Yergins article, article 26 because both are making the point that the challenge of reducing consumption of fuel/oil is a difficult challenge and will involve many competitors, better technology and the involvement of the government. ADDITIONAL NOTES OR OBSERVATIONS This article was interesting because I did not realize how much the United States and China were in competition over oil and coal. I am old enough to remember some of the fluctuation in the changing of gas prices. I also find the information of this article very useful because of recent debate that a group of co-workers and I were having over climate change, energy efficient cars and biofuels. A team member was looking at purchasing an energy efficient car, which we found the team was divided as to for or against the talk of climate change and its existence. PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES Bad (or Sad) Names The use of words, phrases, or expressions with negative connotations. Examples: slob, prude, moron, embarrassing Glad Names The use of words or phrases with positive, pleasant connotations. Examples: warm, lovely, delicious, lemony fragrance Testimonials The recommendation or endorsement by prominent and/or influential people. Example: Professional baseball star Derek Jeters advertisements for a credit card Transfer The use of names, phrases, or symbols to influence acceptance. Example: Using a movie stars photograph on the cover of a magazine to get people to buy it Just Plain Folks The use of dress, behavior, or other devices in an attempt to identify a product or person with ordinary people. Example: Photographs of the President of the United States eating spaghetti or chopping wood Card Stacking The presentation of only that information or those arguments most favorable to a particular point of view. Example: Making a list of all the advantages of buying a new car without making a similar list of all of the disadvantages Bandwagon The use of the fear of being different to influence behavior. Example: Twenty million people jog for their health. Shouldnt you? A 10-STEP PROCESS FOR ANALYZING AN ARGUMENT by Brian W. Carver After you have read the passage carefully, distinguishing between purported facts and opinions, answer the following questions thoroughly. What is the authors conclusion? What premises does the author provide to support this conclusion? What assumptions (unstated premises) are required for the authors argument to be valid? Do the premises seem uncontroversially true? If not, explain. Do the assumptions seem uncontroversially true? If not, explain. Are all terms in the argument adequately defined? If not, explain. Are there other facts, not discussed, that would be helpful to know in evaluating the argument? If so, explain. Does the author appeal to emotion or use words designed to influence our response? (e.g., discounts, hedges, assurances, repetition, etc.) If so, explain. Is your well-crafted version of the argument valid? That is, suppose the premises and assumptions are true, regardless of their actual truth or falsity. Ask yourself, given their truth, does the conclusion have to follow? (If so the argument is valid, if not, it is invalid.) If a clear valid/invalid answer is difficult, explain why. In your opinion, is your well-crafted version of the argument sound? That is, does it both have a valid form and have all true premises and assumptions? (If so, it is sound, if not, it is unsound.) Explain your answer. Retrieved from https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~brianwc/courses/thinking/2002fall/analyze.html

Sacrifice and Cadaver Donation :: Religion Death Dying Essays

Sacrifice and Cadaver Donation Though the practice of sacrifice is most commonly associated with devotional practices for specific religions, religious ceremony is not the sole arena for sacrificial rituals. In fact, sacrifice can be used loosely to describe any number of profane activities. Parents make sacrifices for their children; students often sacrifice fun for academic success, and athletes sacrifice social freedom and body comfort for their sport. Yet these examples of profane sacrifice are only related to religious sacrifice distantly, the definition of sacrifice must be stretched quite a bit in order for these secular compromises to be equated with the ritual offerings and practices of religious sacrifice. However, there is one secular institution that incorporates a practice of sacrifice that is very similar to devotional religious sacrifice. In their book on the nature and function of sacrifice, Henri Hubert and Marcel Mauss define sacrifice as â€Å"religious act which, through consecration of the victim, modifies the condition of the moral person who accomplishes it or that of certain objects with which he is concerned.† [i] Though this definition presupposes that sacrifice is specifically a religious act, the use of cadavers for education can be applied to Hubert and Mauss’s definition and explication of sacrifice. The practice of donation and dissection of human cadavers for education shares characteristics such as the presence of a sacrifier, sacrifice, and sacrificer, all of whom participate in a ritual that allows each participant to experience a modified condition as a result of participating in this ritual. In this way, bodily donation and dissection for educat ion is sacrifice. Ritual Donation, Preparation, and Dissection There are essentially two different methods by which an individual can come to be donated as a cadaver for research or for educational dissection. [ii] Either an individual can volunteer their own body for donation, or the family of the deceased can donate a body post hmortem. In either case, there is a strict procedure that is followed in the United States of America, which includes the legal procedure of relinquishing a body, and continues through the embalming, dissecting, and cremating of the cadaver. The two methods of donation, either by the individual or by their family, are accompanied by the same legal protocol to ensure the cadaver will be used for its intended purpose and its remains will be returned to the family. This protocol goes as follows: Who Can Donate Any competent person 18 years of age or over may donate their body for medical education and research. Sacrifice and Cadaver Donation :: Religion Death Dying Essays Sacrifice and Cadaver Donation Though the practice of sacrifice is most commonly associated with devotional practices for specific religions, religious ceremony is not the sole arena for sacrificial rituals. In fact, sacrifice can be used loosely to describe any number of profane activities. Parents make sacrifices for their children; students often sacrifice fun for academic success, and athletes sacrifice social freedom and body comfort for their sport. Yet these examples of profane sacrifice are only related to religious sacrifice distantly, the definition of sacrifice must be stretched quite a bit in order for these secular compromises to be equated with the ritual offerings and practices of religious sacrifice. However, there is one secular institution that incorporates a practice of sacrifice that is very similar to devotional religious sacrifice. In their book on the nature and function of sacrifice, Henri Hubert and Marcel Mauss define sacrifice as â€Å"religious act which, through consecration of the victim, modifies the condition of the moral person who accomplishes it or that of certain objects with which he is concerned.† [i] Though this definition presupposes that sacrifice is specifically a religious act, the use of cadavers for education can be applied to Hubert and Mauss’s definition and explication of sacrifice. The practice of donation and dissection of human cadavers for education shares characteristics such as the presence of a sacrifier, sacrifice, and sacrificer, all of whom participate in a ritual that allows each participant to experience a modified condition as a result of participating in this ritual. In this way, bodily donation and dissection for educat ion is sacrifice. Ritual Donation, Preparation, and Dissection There are essentially two different methods by which an individual can come to be donated as a cadaver for research or for educational dissection. [ii] Either an individual can volunteer their own body for donation, or the family of the deceased can donate a body post hmortem. In either case, there is a strict procedure that is followed in the United States of America, which includes the legal procedure of relinquishing a body, and continues through the embalming, dissecting, and cremating of the cadaver. The two methods of donation, either by the individual or by their family, are accompanied by the same legal protocol to ensure the cadaver will be used for its intended purpose and its remains will be returned to the family. This protocol goes as follows: Who Can Donate Any competent person 18 years of age or over may donate their body for medical education and research.

Othello: Religious Motifs Essay

Othello: Religious Motifs BY Cherrry678 Relationships in which people allow themselves to be manipulated through their weaknesses are truly flawed and have a great potential for failure. These relationships can become tainted by Jealousy and rumours nurtured by deceitful individuals. Such is the situation in Shakespeare’s Othello, which depicts the tragic downfall of an apparently perfect relationship. Shakespeare uses images of heaven in the beginning of the play to emphasize the seemingly flawless love between Othello and Desdemona. Furthermore, as the play progresses, the Juxtaposition etween heaven and hell is used to represent the manipulative powers of Iago over Othello revealing the weaknesses of Desdemona and Othello’s relationship. As a result, the twisted heaven and hell imagery used near the end of Othello reflects the eventual break down of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage. Thus, in Shakespeare’s Othello, the connotation of the religious motifs throughout are used to develop the idea that even the most loving couples have their flaws leaving them vulnerable to the destructive powers of Jealousy brought on by the manipulative influences of others, resulting in suspicion and ultimately betrayal. The seemingly perfect love between Othello and Desdemona is initially emphasized by Shakespeare’s use of heavenly images. Through images of heaven, Othello’s passionate love for Desdemona is revealed. After being accused by Brabantio of using enchantments to win over his daughter’s love, Othello swears against it assuring their love is true: And till she come, as truly as to heaven I do confess the vices of my blood, So Justly to your grave ears I’ll present How did I thrive in this fair ladys love, And she in mine (1. 3. 122-126). Othello swears on heaven that his love for Desdemona and her love for him is not a esult of witchcraft, but the result of an honest love for one another. The image of heaven is used to emphasize that Othello believes that the love between him and Desdemona is as pure as heaven itself. To call their love heavenly shows an exaggerated passion between the two further emphasizing the appearance of their perfect union. Similarly, Desdemona feels that the love between her and Othello is destined to be, and through Shakespeare’s use of divine imagery this point is emphasized. Upon arriving in Cyprus, Desdemona and Othello are reunited for the first time since their Journey: â€Å"The heavens forbid/ But that our loves and comforts hould increase/ Even as our days do grow†(2. 1. 190-192). For Desdemona to pray that nothing come between them and their eternal happiness shows a great deal of passion. Furthermore, to believe that their love will only die if they die highlights the certainty in which Desdemona feels that their love is more than Just a coincidence, but rather fate itself. The intensity of Desdemona’s feelings for Othello adds to the idea that their marriage is ideal. Moreover, images of the soul illustrate Desdemona’s love and her willingness to risk her entire being to be with Othello. When confronted bout her love for Othello, Desdemona reveals that [her] heart’s subdued/ Even to the very quality of [her] lord. [She] saw Othello’s visage in his mind, Did [she her] soul and fortunes consecrate (1. . 250-254). â€Å"From the beginning, Desdemona has viewed love as a risk and challenge. She has violently uprooted herself from her father’s protection and the conventional expectations of Venetian society†¦ â€Å"(Thomas Neely 96). Desdemona believes that a life full of risks and unknown dangers is worth living if she is by Othe llo’s side. This complete devotion of body and soul reveals Desdemona’s feelings of loyalty towards Othello. The rendering of her soul; her whole entire being, wholly to Othello emphasizes the impeccable love between the two of them. Thus, through heavenly images the apparently perfect union between Desdemona and Othello is portrayed throughout the first scenes of the play. Despite the apparent perfect relationship between Othello and Desdemona, the flaws within their marriage are revealed through lagds manipulative powers as illustrated by the Juxtaposition of heaven and hell. Shakespeare uses lagds character to bring about the doubt in Othello and Desdemona’s perfect heavenly love through mages of hell. During his first soliloquy, part of lagds plan is revealed: â€Å"l have’t! It is engender’d! Hell and night/ Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light†(l . . 392-393). Desdemona and Othello’s relationship is represented as the good in the world; the light. For their relationship is that of perfection, they both love and trust each other with a deep passion. However, Iago is the opposite of this heavenly light and with him comes hell and corruption. When the c haracters meet, the sense of perfection is lost and human faults come into play. Furthermore, the Juxtaposition f heaven and hell illustrates that Iago is the tempter in Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. After giving Cassio advice on how to approach Othello regarding his job, Iago reveals his true plan: Divinity of hell! When devils will the blackest sins put on, They do suggest at first with heavenly shows, AS I do now (2. 3. 321-324). By comparing himself to a devil that appears innocent, Iago is revealing his ability to deceive those around him with a fapde of kindness. â€Å"To interpret Iago as a devil in turn implies Iago is more than that: a fiend whose fiendishness remains unproven in [the] play†¦ (Christofides 19). Furthermore, the contrast of the heaven and hell further highlights the Machiavellian nature of Iago that allows him to manipulate those around him without feeling remorse. Consequently, Iago tricks Othello into believing he is an honest man, thus, giving him the ability to manipulate Othello. Moreover, there is a lack of trust between Othello and Desdemona which is made evident through comparisons to the devil. Clearly, Othello is suspicious of something when he accuses Desdemona’s hand of being â€Å"hot, hot, and moist† and require[ing] a sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer, uch castigation, exercise devout; For here’s a young and sweating devil here that commonly rebels (3. 4. 34-39). By accusing Desdemona of having a moist hand, a symbol of amorous nature, he is accusing her of being unfaithful. Othello believes that Desdemona is a devil who needs to repent for the crimes she has committed against him. However, Othello has no proof that she has done any harm; he is simply accusing her based on lies told to absence of trust within their marriage. As a result, perverse images of heaven are used to show that lagds trickery has caused Othello to give up on those he loves. While Iago fills Othello’s head with lies of Desdemona and Cassio together, Othello comes to the conclusion that â€Å"†¦ is true†¦. [and] [a]ll [Othellds] fond love thus doles] [he] blow to heaven. ‘ ‘Tis gone†(3. 3. 444-446). By believing what Iago says to be the truth in such a brash manner, a lack of confidence in Othello is revealed. This lack of confidence causes Othello to doubt other aspects of his life such as his relationship with Desdemona allowing Iago to further manipulate Othello. Therefore, Iago has the power to make Othello believe that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him thus, ausing Othello to lose all hope in his marriage. This loss of love is reflected through Othello’s loss of religion. Therefore, lagds manipulative influences expose the true weaknesses within Othello and Desdemona’s relationship which is reflected through contrasting images of the divine and damned. Furthermore, due to their marriage’s weaknesses, the eventual breakdown of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is reflected through twisted heaven and hell imagery. Through the ironic use of divine images it is shown that when he is overcome by Jealousy, Othello’s sense of Justice becomes twisted. When confronted by Emilia, Othello gives reason as to why he killed Desdemona: Cassio did top her. Ask they husband else. O, I were damn’d beneath all depth in hell But what I did proceed upon Just grounds -ro this extremity (5. 2. 136-139). Othello’s sense of morality is corrupted; he believes that he is Justified in killing Desdemona because of her betrayal. â€Å"Here, Othello Judges on behalf of God†¦ but, of course, the audience knows Desdemona has been misjudged, that the sword of justice should rightly 21) for Desdemona is innocent. Othello has been tricked by Iago into believing that he has the authority to choose what is right nd wrong. He then uses this authority misguidedly, resulting in the breakdown of his character and eventually his relationship with Desdemona. Additionally, the ironic reference to damnation further depicts Just how twisted his morality is; for he believes that what he did was truly Just. Moreover, Shakespeare illustrates the contrast between Othello’s assumed morality and his true crime by once more using images of heaven and hell. After Desdemona is dead, her virtuous nature is compared to Othello’s: â€Å"O, the more angel she,] And you the blacker devil! â€Å"(5. 2. 130-131). Othello lacks confidence within himself due to his differences, hich is emphasized through the use of a racial comment. However, these differences had meant nothing in the beginning, for the love between him and Desdemona was too strong. Consequently, Othello lets these differences get to him allowing Iago to manipulate him into losing the morality and honour he first possessed, reducing him to evil; a devil in comparison to Desdemona. Resulting in the further breakdown of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. Ultimately, as a result of distrust and Jealousy Othello betrays Desdemona, as is depicted through the use of religious images. Emilia reveals to Othello the true tragedy of his crime: â€Å"This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven/ Than thou wast worthy her†(5. 2. 160-161). Othello so overcome by Jealousy and anger is no longer associated with heavenly his entire marriage to Desdemona and ultimately leading to his betrayal of her. However, since Desdemona is still associated with heavenly images, it emphasizes her loyalty which in contrast further underlines Othello’s flaws and the tragedy of his betrayal. Thus, through twisted images of heaven and hell Othello’s betrayal of Desdemona and its consequential ruin of their relationship is portrayed. The shift from positive to negative connotation of the religious motif throughout Othello is used to develop the idea that even the most loving couples can have their flaws manipulated by others allowing them to be overcome by Jealousy, resulting in a lack of trust and ultimately betrayal. In the beginning, heavenly images are used to illustrate an almost perfect love between Othello and Desdemona. Later, near the middle of Othello, the playwright uses contrasting images of heaven and hell to represent lagds manipulative powers over Othello revealing the flaws within Othello nd Desdemona’s relationship. Thus, the ironic use of heaven and hell imagery near the end of the play mirrors the tragic breakdown of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage. Since relationships are not perfect they can become easily tainted when left to the deceitful will of others. For when people allow their weaknesses to rule over their lives true tragedy ensues. It is up to those individuals to decide whether or not to let the lies brought about by others to affect them or not. This is the decision that ultimately determines the strength of a relationship, not the number of flaws within it.

Steps to Success

1. Books are concentrated sources of wisdom. The more books you read, the more wisdom you expose yourself to. What are some books you can start reading to enrich yourself? Some books I’ve read and found useful are Think and Grow Rich, Who Moved My Cheese, 7 Habits, The Science of Getting Rich and Living the 80/20 Way. I’ve heard positive reviews for The Tipping Point, Outliers and The Difference Maker, so I’ll be checking them out soon. 2. Learn a new language. As a Singaporean Chinese, my main languages are English, Mandarin and Hokkien (a Chinese dialect). Out of interest, I took up language courses in the past few years such as Japanese and Bahasa Indonesian. I realized learning a language is a whole new skill altogether and the process of acquainting with a new language and culture is a totally a mind-opening experience. 3. Pick up a new hobby. Beyond just your usual favorite hobbies, is there something new you can pick up? Any new sport you can learn? Examples are fencing, golf, rock climbing, football, canoeing, or ice skating. Your new hobby can also be a recreational hobby. For example, pottery, Italian cooking, dancing, wine appreciation, web design, etc. Learning something new requires you to stretch yourself in different aspects, whether physically, mentally or emotionally. 4. Take up a new course. Is there any new course you can join? Courses are a great way to gain new knowledge and skills. It doesn’t have to be a long-term course – seminars or workshops serve their purpose too. I’ve been to a few workshops and they have helped me gain new insights which I had not considered before. 5. Create an inspirational room. Your environment sets the mood and tone for you. If you are living in an inspirational environment, you are going to be inspired every day. In the past, I didn’t like my room at all because I thought it was messy and dull. A few years ago, I decided this was the end of it – I started on a â€Å"Mega Room Revamp† project and overhauled my room. The end result? A room I totally relish being in and inspires me to be at my peak every day. 6. Overcome your fears. All of us have fears. Fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, fear of risk†¦ All our fears keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing. Recognize that your fears reflect areas where you can grow. I always think of fears as the compass for growth. If I have a fear about something, it represents something I’ve yet to address, and addressing it helps me to grow. 7. Level up your skills. If you have played video games before especially RPGs, you’ll know the concept of leveling up – gaining experience so you can be better and stronger. As a blogger, I’m constantly leveling up my writing skills. As a speaker, I’m constantly leveling up my public engagement abilities. What skills can you level up? 8. Wake up early. Waking up early (say, 5-6am) has been acknowledged by many (Anthony Robbins, Robin Sharma, among other self-help gurus) to improve your productivity and your quality of life. I feel it’s because when you wake up early, your mindset is already set to continue the momentum and proactively live out the day. Seth recently wrote a waking up early series which you should check out to help cultivate this habit. 9. Have a weekly exercise routine. A better you starts with being in better physical shape. I personally make it a point to jog at least 3 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time. You may want to mix it up with jogging, gym lessons and swimming for variation. 10. Start your life handbook. A life handbook is an idea I started 3 years ago. Basically, it’s a book which contains the essentials on how you can live your life to the fullest, such as your purpose, your values and goals. Sort of like your manual for your life. I started my life handbook since 2007 and it’s been a crucial enabler in my progress. 11. Write a letter to your future self. What do you see yourself as 5 years from now? Will you be the same? Different? What kind of person will you be? Write a letter to your future self – 1 year from now will be a good start – and seal it. Make a date in your calendar to open it 1 year from now. Then start working to become the person you want to open that letter. 12. Get out of your comfort zone. Real growth comes with hard work and sweat. Being too comfortable doesn’t help us grow – it makes us stagnate. What is your comfort zone? Do you stay in most of the time? Do you keep to your own space when out with other people? Shake your routine up. Do something different. By exposing yourself to a new context, you’re literally growing as you learn to act in new circumstances. 3. Put someone up to a challenge. Competition is one of the best ways to grow. Set a challenge (weight loss, exercise, financial challenge, etc) and compete with an interested friend to see who achieves the target first. Through the process, both of you will gain more than if you were to set off on the target alone. 14. Identify your blind spots. Scientifically, blind spots refer to areas our eyes are not capable of seeing. In personal development terms, blind spots are things about ourselves we are unaware of. Discovering our blind spots help us discover our areas of improvement. One exercise I use to discover my blind spots is to identify all the things/events/people that trigger me in a day – trigger meaning making me feel annoyed/weird/affected. These represent my blind spots. It’s always fun to do the exercise because I discover new things about myself, even if I may already think I know my own blind spots (but then they wouldn’t be blind spots would they? ). After that, I work on steps to address them. 15. Ask for feedback. As much as we try to improve, we will always have blind spots. Asking for feedback gives us an additional perspective. Some people to approach will be friends, family, colleagues, boss, or even acquaintances, since they will have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively. 16. Stay focused with to-do lists. I start my day with a list of tasks I want to complete and this helps make me stay focused. In comparison, the days when I don’t do this end up being extremely unproductive. For example, part of my to-do list for today is to write a guest post at LifeHack. Org, and this is why I’m writing this now! Since my work requires me to use my computer all the time, I use Free Sticky Notes to manage my to-do lists. It’s really simple to use and it’s a freeware, so I recommend you check it out. 17. Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). I’m a big fan of setting BHAGs. BHAGs stretch you beyond your normal capacity since they are big and audacious – you wouldn’t think of attempting them normally. What are BHAGs you can embark on, which you’ll feel absolutely on top of the world once you complete them? Set them and start working on them. 18. Acknowledge your flaws. Everyone has flaws. What’s most important is to understand them, acknowledge them, and address them. What do you think are your flaws? What are the flaws you can work on now? How do you want to address them? 19. Get into action. The best way to learn and improve is to take action. What is something you have been meaning to do? How can you take action on it immediately? Waiting doesn’t get anything done. Taking action gives you immediate results to learn from. 20. Learn from people who inspire you. Think about people you admire. People who inspire you. These people reflect certain qualities you want to have for yourself too. What are the qualities in them you want to have for yourself? How can you acquire these qualities? 21. Quit a bad habit. Are there any bad habits you can lose? Oversleeping? Not exercising? Being late? Slouching? Nail biting? Smoking? Here’s some help on how you can quit a bad habit. 22. Cultivate a new habit. Some good new habits to cultivate include reading books (#1), waking up early (#8), exercising (#9), reading a new personal development article a day (#40) and meditating. Is there any other new habit you can cultivate to improve yourself? 23. Avoid negative people. As Jim Rohn says, â€Å"You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with†. Wherever we go, there are bound to be negative people. Don’t spend too much of your time around them if you feel they drag you down. 24. Learn to deal with difficult people. There are times when there are difficult people you can’t avoid, such as at your workplace, or when the person is part of your inner circle of contacts. Learn how to deal with them. These people management skills will go a long way in working with people in the future. 25. Learn from your friends. Everyone has amazing qualities in them. It’s up to how we want to tap into them. With all the friends who surround you, they are going to have things you can learn from. Try thinking of a good friend right now. Think about just one quality they have which you want to adopt. How can you learn from them and adopt this skill for yourself? Speak to them if you need to – for sure, they will be more than happy to help! 26. Start a journal. Journaling is a great way to gain better self-awareness. It’s a self-reflection process. As you write, clarify your thought process and read what you wrote from a third person’s perspective, you gain more insights about yourself. Your journal can be private or an online blog. I use my personal development blog as a personal journal too and I’ve learned a lot about myself through the past year of blogging. 27. Start a blog about personal development. To help others grow, you need to first be walking the talk. There are expectations of you, both from yourself and from others, which you have to uphold. I run The Personal Excellence Blog, where I share my personal journey and insights on how to live a better life. Readers look toward my articles to improve themselves, which enforces to me that I need to keep improving, for myself and for the people I’m reaching out to. 28. Get a mentor or coach. There’s no faster way to improve than to have someone work with you on your goals. Many of my clients approach me to coach them in their goals and they achieve significantly more results than if they had worked alone. 29. Reduce the time you spend on chat programs. I realized having chat programs open at default result in a lot of wasted time. This time can be much better spent on other activities. The days when I don’t get on chat, I get a lot more done. I usually disable the auto start-up option in the chat programs and launch them when I do want to chat and really have the time for it. 0. Learn chess (or any strategy game). I found chess is a terrific game to learn strategy and hone your brainpower. Not only do you have fun, you also get to exercise your analytical skills. You can also learn strategy from other board games or computer games, such as Othello, Chinese Chess, WarCraft, and so on. 31. Stop watching TV. I’ve not been watc hing TV for pretty much 4 years and it’s been a very liberating experience. I realized most of the programs and advertisements on mainstream TV are usually of a lower consciousness and not very empowering. In return, the time I’ve freed up from not watching TV is now constructively used for other purposes, such as connecting with close friends, doing work I enjoy, exercising, etc. 32. Start a 30-day challenge. Set a goal and give yourself 30 days to achieve this. Your goal can be to stick with a new habit or something you’ve always wanted to do but have not. 30 days is just enough time to strategize, plan, get into action, review and nail the goal. 33. Meditate. Meditation helps to calm you and be more conscious. I also realized that during the nights when I meditate (before I sleep), I need lesser sleep. The clutter clearing process is very liberating. 34. Join Toastmasters (Learn public speaking). Interestingly, public speaking is the #1 fear in the world, with #2 being death. After I started public speaking as a personal development speaker/trainer, I’ve learned a lot about how to communicate better, present myself and engage people. Toastmasters is an international organization that trains people in public speaking. Check out the Toastmaster clubs nearest to you here. 35. Befriend top people in their fields. These people have achieved their results because they have the right attitudes, skill sets and know-how. How better to learn than from the people who have been there and done that? Gain new insights from them on how you can improve and achieve the same results for yourself. 36. Let go of the past. Is there any grievance or unhappiness from the past which you have been holding on? If so, it’s time to let it go. Holding on to them prevents you from moving on and becoming a better person. Break away from the past, forgive yourself, and move on. Just recently, I finally moved on from a past heartbreak of 5 years ago. The effect was liberating and very empowering, and I have never been happier. 37. Start a business venture. Is there anything you have an interest in? Why not turn it into a venture and make money while learning at the same time? Starting a new venture requires you to be learn business management skills, develop business acumen and have a competitive edge. The process of starting and developing my personal development business has equipped me with many skills, such as self-discipline, leadership, organization and management. 38. Show kindness to people around you. You can never be too kind to someone. In fact, most of us don’t show enough kindness to people around us. Being kind helps us to cultivate other qualities such as compassion, patience, and love. As you get back to your day after reading this article later on, start exuding more kindness to the people around you, and see how they react. Not only that, notice how you feel as you behave kindly to others. Chances are, you will feel even better than yourself. 39. Reach out to the people who hate you. If you ever stand for something, you are going to get haters. It’s easy to hate the people who hate us. It’s much more challenging to love them back. Being able to forgive, let go and show love to these people requires magnanimity and an open heart. Is there anyone who dislikes or hates you in your life? If so, reach out to them. Show them love. Seek a resolution and get closure on past grievances. Even if they refuses to reciprocate, love them all the same. It’s much more liberating than to hate them back. 40. Take a break. Have you been working too hard? Self-improvement is also about recognizing our need to take a break to walk the longer mile ahead. You can’t be driving a car if it has no petrol. Take some time off for yourself every week. Relax, rejuvenate and charge yourself up for what’s up ahead. 41. Read at least 1 personal development article a day. Some of my readers make it a point to read at least one personal development article every day, which I think is a great habit. There are many terrific personal development blogs out there, some of which you can check here. 42. Commit to your personal growth. I can be writing list articles with 10 ways, 25 ways, 42 ways or even 1,000 ways to improve yourself, but if you’ve no intention to commit to your personal growth, it doesn’t matter what I write. Nothing is going to get through. We are responsible for our personal growth – not anyone else. Not your mom, your dad, your friend, me or LifeHack. Make the decision to commit to your personal growth and embrace yourself to a life-long journey of growth and change. Kick off your growth by picking a few of the steps above and working on them. The results may not be immediate, but I promise you that as long as you keep to it, you’ll start seeing positive changes in yourself and your life. hk