Benjamin Franklin Essay

I. INTRODUCTION Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston as the son of a candle maker. From humble beginnings, he grew into a renowned figure of American history. â€Å"He became famous for being a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, a musician, and an economist†. Today, Americans recognize him for being one of our Founding Fathers and a prominent citizen of the city of Philadelphia. In his autobiography, Franklin shows that he desired self-improvement and in pursuit of this goal focused on improvements of four different types: intellectual, moral, business, and social. II. BODY Franklin’s intellectual improvements were numerous. As a child, he had a thirst for knowledge. He exhibited a readiness to learn and read at an early age, and while in school, he rose to the head of his class and then skipped a grade. After Franklin’s father pointed out that he had a poor manner of writing, Franklin resolved to improve not only his manner of writing but also his arrangement of thoughts in his written work. His ambition was to become a good English writer. In his young age, he also was intent on improving his language and when he got older he taught himself French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. He used the library as a means of improvement by constant study of one to two hours per day here. Franklin went to great lengths to achieve moral improvement. As a young man, Franklin developed a plan regulating his future conduct in life that he adhered to even in his old age. He wrote a list of moral characters that he would like to possess such as temperance, fr ugality, and humility. He had thirteen categories in all that he wrote down in a book to carry with him. He had a separate column for each day of the week. He would pull out the book and mark which virtues he felt he had committed a fault in that day so that he may examine them and improve upon them. During the course of this practice, Franklin said that he found himself fuller of faults than he would have thought, but he had the satisfaction of seeing those faults diminish. His actions also showed that he strove for moral perfection. He thought excessive drinking was a detestable habit and abstained from doing so when his coworkers drank all day long. He spent no time in taverns, playing games, or displaying antics of any kind. He also believed in the importance of frugality and did his best to save money on housing. During the eighteen months he lived in London, he worked hard and spent little on himself except for the occasional play or book. It was his practice of frugality that lead to his wealth and distinction later in life. Benjamin Franklin had a Quaker friend that pointed out that he thought that Franklin had a problem with pride and so Franklin endeavored to be more humble. He attributed his humility, or sometimes his appearance of humility, with allowing him to hold so much weight with his fellow citizens. Franklin also strove for truth, sincerity, and integrity in all of his business dealings. Not only did Franklin improve intellectually and morally but he also made improvements in business. In little time after becoming an apprentice to his brother, he exhibited great proficiency in the printing business. He was able to take a failing newspaper and make it profitable by developing a better type and better print which led to an increase in the number of subscribers. He made a mold to be used in printing houses to combat the problem of equipment deficiencies. He also made a copper press to print paper money. He filled the spaces in Poor Richard’s Almanac with proverbial sentences for the benefit of its readers. Similarly, he made use of newspapers to communicate instruction. Franklin also contributed greatly to social improvements in his day. He formed a club of mutual improvement called JUNTO. He started the Philadelphia public library which was an institution that was imitated by other towns. He laid the ground work for a more effective city watch and started the first fire company. He established a Philosophical Society in Pennsylvania and also an academy that grew into the University of Pennsylvania. He invented a more efficient and economical stove known as the Franklin stove. He helped in the establishing of a hospital in Philadelphia and also in streets being paved. Franklin was generally successful in his attempts at self-improvement, excelling from an early age. He attempted to be the best person he could be and genuinely desired to help others. He convinced coworkers to stop drinking and spend their money of food instead and also loaned money to them. He loaned money to his friends, Collins and Ralph, even though they took advantage of him and never repaid their debts. He recognized that Keimer was only using him to train his workers and then was going to fire him, yet Franklin still cheerfully put Keimer’s printing house in order. Franklin was also always eager to help young beginners. He further demonstrated that he was not a self-promoter when he had a chance for a better business deal but declined because of the obligations he felt he had with his current partners. III. CONCLUSION Franklin has long been revered as one of the great figures of American history. As a Founding Father, he was instrumental in the early days of shaping the American government. Throughout his lifetime, he strove for improvement in intellectual, moral, business, and social areas and was successful in his attempts in each of these areas. He was a benevolent individual who desired to help others, and he authored his autobiography in the hope that posterity would follow his example and reap the same benefits References Benjamin Franklin: Glimpses of the Man. 1994. The Franklin Institute Science Museum. http://www.fi.edu/franklin/ (accessed June 4, 2012). Franklin, Benjamin. 1909. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Ed. Charles W. Eliot. New York: P F Collier & Son Company.

Sarah Emma Edmonds - Woman Who Fought in the Civil War

Sarah Emma Edmonds - Woman Who Fought in the Civil War Known for:  serving in the Civil War by disguising herself as a man; writing a post-Civil War book about her wartime experiences Dates:  - Sarah Emma Edmonds was born Edmonson or Edmondson in New Brunswick, Canada in December 1841. Her father was Isaac Edmon(d)son and her mother Elizabeth Leepers.   Early Life Sarah grew up working in the fields with her family and was usually wearing boys’ clothing doing so.  She left home to avoid a marriage instigated by her father.  Eventually, she began dressing as a man, selling Bibles, and calling herself Franklin Thompson.  She moved to Flint, Michigan as part of her job, and there she decided to join Company F of the Second Michigan Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, still as Franklin Thompson. During the War She successfully evading detection as a woman for a year, though some fellow soldiers seem to have suspected. She participated in the Battle of Blackburns Ford, First Bull Run/Manassas, the Peninsular Campaign, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Sometimes, she served in the capacity of a nurse, and sometimes more actively in the campaign.  According to her memoirs, she sometimes served as a spy, disguised as a woman (Bridget OShea), a boy, a black woman or a black man. She may have made 11 trips behind Confederate lines.  At Antietam, treating one soldier, she realized that it was another woman in disguise, and agreed to bury the soldier so that none would discover her real identity. She deserted in Lebanon in April 1863. There’s been some speculation that her desertion was to join James Reid, another soldier who left, giving as a reason that his wife was sick. After deserting, she worked - as Sarah Edmonds - as a nurse for the U.S. Christian Commission. Edmonds published her version of her service - with many embellishments - in 1865 as  Nurse and Spy in the Union Army. She donated proceeds from her book to societies founded to help veterans of the war. Life After the War At Harpers Ferry, while nursing, she had met Linus Seelye, and they married in 1867, first living in Cleveland, later moving around to other states including Michigan, Louisiana, Illinois, and Texas. Their three children died young and they adopted two sons. In 1882 she began to petition for a pension as a veteran, asking for assistance in her pursuit from many who had served in the army with her. She was granted one in 1884 under her new married name, Sarah E. E. Seelye, including back pay and including removing the designation of deserter from Franklin Thomas’ records. She moved to Texas, where she was admitted into the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic), the only woman to be admitted. Sarah died a few years later in Texas on September 5, 1898. We know of Sarah Emma Edmonds primarily through her own book, through records assembled to defend her pension claim, and through diaries of two men with whom she served. Bibliography Civil War Battle from the Perspective of a Nurse - S. Emma Edmonds  - an excerpt from Edmonds 1865 memoir telling the story of the Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (also called 1st Manassas)Moss, Marissa.  Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero.  Ages 9-12.Sequin, Marilyn.  Where Duty Calls: The Story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, Soldier and Spy in the Union Army.  Young Adult Fiction.Reil, Seymour.  Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy.  Ages 9-12.Edmonds, S. Emma.  Nurse and Spy in the Union Army: Comprising the Adventures and Experiences of a Woman in Hospitals, Camps and Battle-Fields.  1865.

Free Essays on Fed EX

Literatures 1. The new economy requires innovation to gaining competitive advantage When we talk about the new economy, we're talking about a world in which people work with their brains instead of their hands; a world in which communications technology creates global competition - not just for running shoes and laptop computers, but also for bank loans and other services that can't be packed into a crate and shipped; a world in which innovation is more important than mass production; a world in which investment buys new concepts or the means to create them, rather than new machines; a world in which rapid change is a constant; a world at least as different from what came before it as the industrial age was from its agricultural predecessor; a world so different its emergence can only be described as a revolution. The Characteristics of the new economy include:  · Significant levels of technological innovation, investing in innovative activities with new product/services or developments in existing product/services continually coming on stream;  · Schumpeterian competition  · High fixed costs in relation to variable costs  · Fixed costs often sunk costs  · Potentially long lived assets  · High levels of uncertainty over the size and longevity of the market for any given product or service  · Multiple products/services manifesting economies of scope as well as economies of scale.  · Some degree of vertical integration for at least some firms in the industry  · Investment in innovative products, and  · Subsequent pricing strategy (product life cycle pricing) . The primary challenges are:  · Accelerating rates of change  · Increasing levels of competition  · The globalization of business competition  · Rapid technological change  · Amore diverse work force  · Resource shortage  · The transition from an industry to a knowledge-based society  · Unstable market and economic condition  · Increasing demands of const... Free Essays on Fed EX Free Essays on Fed EX Literatures 1. The new economy requires innovation to gaining competitive advantage When we talk about the new economy, we're talking about a world in which people work with their brains instead of their hands; a world in which communications technology creates global competition - not just for running shoes and laptop computers, but also for bank loans and other services that can't be packed into a crate and shipped; a world in which innovation is more important than mass production; a world in which investment buys new concepts or the means to create them, rather than new machines; a world in which rapid change is a constant; a world at least as different from what came before it as the industrial age was from its agricultural predecessor; a world so different its emergence can only be described as a revolution. The Characteristics of the new economy include:  · Significant levels of technological innovation, investing in innovative activities with new product/services or developments in existing product/services continually coming on stream;  · Schumpeterian competition  · High fixed costs in relation to variable costs  · Fixed costs often sunk costs  · Potentially long lived assets  · High levels of uncertainty over the size and longevity of the market for any given product or service  · Multiple products/services manifesting economies of scope as well as economies of scale.  · Some degree of vertical integration for at least some firms in the industry  · Investment in innovative products, and  · Subsequent pricing strategy (product life cycle pricing) . The primary challenges are:  · Accelerating rates of change  · Increasing levels of competition  · The globalization of business competition  · Rapid technological change  · Amore diverse work force  · Resource shortage  · The transition from an industry to a knowledge-based society  · Unstable market and economic condition  · Increasing demands of const...

Ideas for Teaching Life Skills in School

Ideas for Teaching Life Skills in School Functional life skills are skills that we acquire in order to live a better, more fulfilling life. They enable us to exist happily in our families, and in the societies in which we are born. For more typical learners, functional life skills are  often directed at the goal of finding and keeping a job. Examples of typical functional life skills topics for curricula are preparing for job interviews, learning how to dress professionally, and how to determine living expenses. But occupational skills are not the only area of life skills that can be taught in schools. Kinds of Life Skills The three major life skills areas are daily living, personal and social skills, and occupational skills. Daily living skills range from cooking and cleaning to managing a personal budget. They are the skills necessary for supporting a family and running a household. Personal and social skills help nurture the relationships that students will have outside of school: in the workplace, in the community, and the relationships they will have with themselves. Occupational skills, as discussed, are focused on finding and keeping employment. Why Are Life Skills Important? The key element in most of these curricula is a transition, preparing students to eventually become responsible young adults. For the special ed student, transition goals may be more modest, but these students also benefit from a life skills curriculum- perhaps even more so than typical learners. 70-80% of disabled adults are unemployed after graduating from high school when with a head start, many can join the mainstream of society. The list below is intended to provide teachers with great programming ideas to support responsibility and life skills training for all students. In the Classroom Help with taking down or putting up bulletin boards.Care for plants or pets.Organize materials such as pencils, books, crayons, etc.Hand out completed assignments.Distribute newsletters or other materials.Help with checklists for money for trips, food, or permissions forms.Clean chalk- or whiteboards and brushes. In the Gym Help with any setup.Prepare the gym space for assemblies.Help to keep the gyms storage room organized. Throughout the School Pick up and deliver audio/visual equipment to classrooms.Help in the library by returning books to shelves and repairing damaged books.Wipe down computer monitors and shut them down each day.Clean the computer keyboards with slightly damp paintbrushes.Distribute the attendance records back to classes for the morning.Help keep the teachers lounge tidy. Help in the Office Bring mail and newsletters to the staff mailboxes or deliver to each of the classrooms.Help photocopy materials and count them into their piles as per need.Collate photocopied materials.Alphabetize any files that need sorting. Supporting the Custodian Help with regular school maintenance: sweeping, floor polishing, shoveling, window cleaning, dusting, and any outdoor maintenance. For the Teacher Everyone needs life skills for daily, personal functioning. However, some students will require repetition, redundancy, review and regular reinforcement to become successful. Dont take anything for granted.Teach, model, let the student try, support and reinforce the skill.Reinforcing may be required on each new day the child performs the skill required.Be patient, understanding and persevere.

Walmart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Walmart - Essay Example Additionally, the shop also maintains its current clients. For that reason, in a retail shop such as Nice N Easy, broader merchandise selection contributes to 3.4 percent increase in sales. The store manager says that it has a high rate of customer inflow due to the strategy (Soverinsky 96). The broad merchandise selection elevates the number of sales; thus, leading to growth in the shop. With an increase in the number of products for sale, which also target a diverse range of customers, sales levels increase in the firm. Instead of targeting a specific section of the market population, a retailer with more products targets different people with different needs. Therefore, the number of sales increases in the firm leading to growth. For example, in Nice N Easy the number of sales increased by 3.4 percent, as a result of applying the strategy (Soverinsky 96). Broader merchandise selection acts as a form of advertisement. Advertisement and promotion of products is an essential aspect of marketing, which aids in growth of the firm. When a consumer enters to purchase a specific item, another product may attract them. When a customer identifies that a certain product exists in the same shop, there is a likelihood that he or she returns to the same shop to purchase that item or items. At Nice N Easy, regular customers come in to purchase different items due to the fact that they realize they can get that product in the same shop (Soverinsky 96). In conclusion, Walmart needs to broaden its selection of merchandise in order to increase sales, number of customers and also create product promotion. That way, the US discount unit can target a large number of customers enhancing company

Psychology and Child Psychiatry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychology and Child Psychiatry - Essay Example The manner, in which the parent and the child relate, influences the outcome behavior of that particular child in his/her adulthood life. Furthermore, attachment theory looks at how this relationship in the early life affects both the mental and emotional aspects of children in their adulthood. In relation to criminal justice, attachment theory evaluates both the prosocial and antisocial behavior of children and their effects to the social norms and control. Poor attachment between the child and the parent results in antisocial behaviors manifesting itself within the child such as imitating public figures and peers that supplement the child-parent relationship. Attachment theory asserts that a good relationship between the child and their parent may lead to better emotional development and mental well-being. However, parent-child attachment has its implications if not well established. It may lead to children acquiring attributes and traits that do not conform to the social norms, such as, getting involved in criminal. Secure child-parent attachment results to the child developing sense of self-control and positive attributes. Contrary to that, insecure child-parent attachment may result to the adulthood life of that child to face difficulty in conforming to the social control and norms of the society. Weakened child-parent relationship may lead to increased crime related activities since the children. Parent-child bond is a crucial determinant to the overall relationship of that child with the social norms. It has been examined that weaker bond results to unaccepted practices later on. This is evident whereby a child raised up by aggressive and abusive parents, develops a negative behavior towards life. He/she may be characterized violence and aggression to others. Additionally, this child may seek refuge in oneself for comfort, love and affection denied to him/her by the parent(s)

Choosing the right personal to work with the elderly and handicap in Essay

Choosing the right personal to work with the elderly and handicap in Assisted Living Facilities - Essay Example It is for this reason that the processes that go into the selection of people to take up the task of taking care of the elderly and handicap in our various care homes and institutions need to be done with a very high level of precision, effectiveness and mastery. The process must never be done with the aim of just filling up vacancies. If this happens, square pegs shall be used to fill round holes and this will cause a lot of inconvenience. Research has shown that the effect of wrong placement into vacancies for personal to work with the elderly and handicap results in a lot of repelling effect and creates a viscous cycle. For instance the personal become prone to high levels of employee turnover because they find themselves unfitting to the task. The elderly and handicap also become affected in the sense that they become deprived from the basic care and support that they need and this may affect their health and longevity. Administrators and managers of various home cares also suffe r the consequences of employee turnover. 1.1 Problem Statement There is the specific need for the selection of personal to the position of elderly and handicap care givers to be well scrutinized, structured and monitored. The problem at hand therefore has to do with effective recruitment and selection for care givers to take up the social responsibility of taking care of the elderly and handicap. In the opinion of the researcher, a well managed recruitment and selection exercise for personal as care givers would need to improved health and general longevity for the elderly and handicap in society and make such people more useful to society. It is for this need that the present problem is very important to be studied. 1.2 Rationale for the Research The present study will seek to eliminate all forms of incompetence and ineptitude in the social work department, especially those that has to do with the care of the elderly and handicap. The rationale that was used to determine the import ance of this study was inspired by recent reports on the impact that knowledge, skills and experience has on care giving for the elderly and handicap. In recent times, reports have been made of how the need to create employment has resulted in the recruitment of graduates into care homes when those graduates actually studied nothing about that field in school (Altman, 2001).). These researches have also outlined the dying consequences of such acts. It is with the need to eliminate all these inadequacies that the researcher finds the current research very useful and important to undertake. By every indication, such as research would not just benefit the inmates of care homes who will be assured of the best of care from competent professionals but the society in general shall benefit because these elderly and handicap shall become very useful integrated members of society. 1.3 Statement of the Research Objectives There is a general aim of improving recruitment and selection of persona l to work with the elderly and handicap. To achieve this general aim however, it is important that certain specific objectives be set. The achievement of these specific objectives would constitute the eventual achievement of the research aim. The objectives are: 1. To identify specific inappropriate practices that go on as far as the recruitment and