Looking for Alibrandi essays

Looking for Alibrandi essays Josephine Alibrandi is a 17 year old girl and knows what she wants in her life, but things dont always turn out the way you want them to and thats what Josie soon learns. Josies life is about to be turn up side down. Josie has 3 best friends, Anna, Lee and Sera, they have been friends for five years. (All through high school) They met because when every one was picking their friends they were the only one left one the playground. Josie was voted for vice captain of her school and her worst enemy Ivy was voted captain. Poison Ivy (thats what Josie and her friend call her) and Carley (the second worst enemy) are the two most popular girls in the school and they are the richest, snobbiest and rudest as well. Josie never thought that she would ever meet her dad, but she was wrong. One day when she was about to leave her Nonas house he showed up to talk to her Nona. (Her Nona not knowing that he was Josies dad) Josie knew who he was straight away because of his name, she thought he would be tall and skinny, but he was short, built up and hansom. All Josie really wanted to do was have a big argue with him, but they never did have one. After a while Josies dad (Michael Andretti) gave Josie a job as his assistant, he is a barrister and thats what Josie wants to be. Josies Nona is an old woman from Italy and was forced to come to Australia by her husband in the 1930s. Her name is Katier Alibrandi, when she first got to Australia she hated it, no one spoke Italian and she had to live in the outback, one of the only people she saw Markus Sandford. He didnt speak any Italian but they sort of under stood each other, he tort Katier to speak English and they became best of friends. All this time her husband was off some ware else working. Josie liked the sound of Markus until she found out that he cheated with Nona Katier and that was how ...

Any artist from 1940-1970 and write about it Essay

Any artist from 1940-1970 and write about it - Essay Example This essay looks into some of the famous works of John Lennon and how they impacted on society in his time. In spite of the fact that he was a rich, influential and famous celebrity, he got out of his cocoon to become a peace activist who used his music to preach about peace and love. Most celebrities during this period failed to use music to spread peace that was much required during this time. John Lennon used his celebrity status to share his ideas on how he felt the world ought to have been (Hayden 7). All that he aspired to do was to spread the peace campaign across the globe and that is all that he dedicated his time to. His passion and talent appealed to numerous peace activists during this time to support his course. One of his notable songs ‘Imagine’ became the anthem for the socialist movement during this time. This song reached the highest number of people and appealed to activists world over. The song topped popular music charts during this period (Smith and Timothy 17). The song was catchy and contained a powerful message of peace. The lyrics stated â€Å"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say that Im a dreamer, but Im not the only one. I hope someday youll join us and the world will be as one† (Hayden 43).This song meant that if it all peace could be achieved, it had to start with our imagination. The artist was confident of the fact that he was not alone in his peace campaign and if others joined in, his imagination would eventually become a reality. The song was calling upon all people around the globe to come together and establish a world that if fit for everyone to live in, one that does not focus on religious and racial differences. He envisioned world without war or ownership of private property (Hayden 33). The song emphasized on the fact that we should share the world in the spirit of brotherhood. In fact, some people wondered

The Connection between Bush and the Royal Saudi Family Essay

The Connection between Bush and the Royal Saudi Family - Essay Example (Sirota, Harvey, & Legum, 2004, np) That in and of itself was note worthy enough, but when coupled with the events surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks suddenly everything took on new meaning. It all began in the 1968 when Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard. He is introduced to and got acquainted with Jim Bath, a former Air Force pilot and the future mediator between Bush and the royal families in Saudi. Years later, Salem Bin Laden, older brother Osama bin Laden, would enter into a trust agreement with Jim Bath, whereby Bath acted as the bin Laden family's representative in North America, investing money in various business ventures. And as if by chance, the same Laden in 1978 invested more than 1 Billion dollars in a Texas based Oil Company called Arbusto - not so surprisingly a Bush venture. Thus began the legacy which has spanned nearly forty years to date. During this same time period George H. W. Bush was climbing his way up the political ladder. In 1976 he was named director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). As luck would have it for the Bush family, during his tenure as CIA Director, the senior Bush arranged training for the Saudi Royal Family's security force. This act sealed the association between the two families. During this time while still with the CIA, George H. W. Bush "privatized various CIA assets, with Bath considered one of the beneficiaries because of his involvement in the aircraft business." (Saudi, 2003, pp. 1) During 1980 the senior Bush was on the Primary Election ballot for the Presidency. He lost to Ronald Regan, but in a show of party unity Bush became Reagan's Vice-presidential running mate. In 1988 Bush ran for election and won. As early as 1991 there had been links place between the Bush and Saudi Royal Family, but its significance would not be truly felt for another 10 years. During 1991 Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), a Mid-Eastern bank financed in part by Khalid Bin Mahfouz, who is closely tied to both the bin Laden and the Royal Family, was arrested for withdrawing huge sums of money from the bank prior to its being seized by the U. S. Government for money laundering and other fiscal illegalities. Instead of facing jail time, however, he was levied hefty fines which he paid. 1991 also saw the beginning of the first Gulf War. Bush ordered the military attack to expel Saddam Hussein and his forces from Kuwait in order to ensure the oil pipelines remained open. The decision to enter Kuwait was also discussed with the Saudi government and they urged Bush to use U. S. military forces to expel Hussein. Having the U. S. involved in the first Gulf War was in the Saudi's best interest. They didn't have to launch a military attack against a Middle East neighbor, and, further, if Hussein had been left unchecked he could have very well also invaded Saudi Arabia. The first Gulf War was very short lived and in a matter of just a few days Kuwait had been liberated. There was much debate by the American public at this time as to whether the President should have 'kept going' at that point and remove Hussein from power. However, under advice of his military strategists and political advisors, the military was ordered out of the country. Bush senior was not re-elected in 1992 and many people felt it was due

Drunk Driving Essay Example for Free

Drunk Driving Essay People that get in trouble for driving under the influence should have their licenses revoked forever. They put innocent people’s lives in danger for their own enjoyment. They also put their own lives in danger. Hundred and thousands of people die every year due to drunk driving incidents. Sometimes the people causing these tragedies, get the privilege to drive on our streets again. Does this sound right? Should we really risk other people’s lives just so this person is allowed to drive again? I don’t think so. Why should these people be rewarded with their licenses after putting innocent people’s lives in danger? Why should these people have the ability to drive on the streets? Driving is a privilege, that can and should be taken away. There were 11,773 deaths caused by drunk drivers in 2008. 32% of all car accidents in the U.S. are caused by drinking and driving. .216 children under the age of fourteen were killed in 2008 because of people getting behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. It is only the right thing to do, to take away the licenses from these people forever. They have lost their privilege and should not have it given back to them. A few years ago, on my aunt and uncles wedding day, my aunt was killed. They were on their way to their honey moon when they were hit straight on by a drunk driver. She died instantly. It was traumatizing for my uncle, the rest of my family, and all of my aunts friends. They lady that hit them is currently in jail, and will be for another twelve years. She will have her license revoked forever. The way it should be. But will that really keep her off the streets when she gets out of prison? We don’t know. Drunk driving is wrong and unacceptable. It is selfish and careless, and should not be treated with ease. People caught doing this should be punished severely.

Prescription narcotics Essay -- essays research papers

The Need for Restrictions â€Å"Why there should be stricter regulations on the availability of prescription narcotics† Despite efforts to decrease the number of deaths and overdoses related to narcotic medications, such as OxyContin, and minimize the number of people illegally obtaining them, the measures that the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) in specific are taking are not enough. The literal definition of a narcotic is a drug that produces numbness or stupor; often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction. Narcotics are normally prescription medications that are given to patients to help ease the constant pain cause by cancer or other long term illnesses. â€Å"When one in 10 high school senior’s reports abusing prescription painkillers, the DEA is obligated to protect our children and the public safety† says Karen P. Tandy administrator of the DEA(1). Tandy is saying that when the abuse of prescription pain medication is taking over that many students the DEA must step in for the sake of future generations. There is a long process that not many average Americans know about that all pharmaceutical products, especially addictive medications have to go through before they reach home medicine cabinets. This process is called â€Å"Diversion†. It is an important chain like process that the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) have been using for years to look at where highly addictive drugs, like OxyContin, go and who they come into contact with. From the pharmaceutical company that literally make the product, to the drug wholesalers that sell the product, and then into the hands of doctors and pharmacies who prescri be and distribute the medications. The purpose of diversion is to take the information and look for certain situations where drugs were lost, stolen, or illegally distributed and give proper punishment to those people. The problem of abusing prescription narcotics became noticeably out of control in the 1990’s. The problem lies in the fact that it is 2005 and the numbers of overdoses and deaths have been and are still rising at astonishing rates. An argument however, that many people have about advancing restrictions on OxyContin and other schedule 2 narcotics is that the needed process that one might have to go through in order to properly obtain the drug would be an ‘invasion of privacy.† Some believe that reportin... ...rs†¦the number of patients in motor vehicle crashes who are ‘methadone impaired,’† says John H. Burton, MD Medical Director for Maine Emergency Medical Services.(3) To think that the problem of abusing any kind of drug would just disappear with one solution is naive and absurdly optimistic. However, to think that all the DEA is doing right now to prevent harmfully addictive and destructive medications is enough is plain ignorant. The DEA has made substantial progress toward making OxyContin and other prescribed narcotics less available for abusers. But first hand accounts and shocking statistics prove that these measures are clearly not enough. It is true and will always be true that free will is a legitimate part of this equation. The abuse of any kind of drug is almost guaranteed to be present at all times no matter how hard the government tries. If a person wants it they will have it. The fact also remains that people with addictions cannot control themselves or their addictions, that’s why it is called an addiction. Therefore making it the partial obligation of the DEA and the government to not only recognize this desperate need for r estrictions but do something more about it.

British Philosophy

The European Philosophy that was witnessed in the early to late seventeenth century is generally regarded as the period of enlightenment when the reaction of the empiricists replaced the Rationalists of the early seventeenth century Europe. Introduction The word philosophy has its origins from the Greek language, which means â€Å"love for wisdom†. When first used the word used to integrate all forms of love for education. It is only recently that it started being used to refer to a â€Å"special branch of inquiry† which is distinct from other sciences.(Conway, A. 122) The British philosophy is part of the Western philosophy that was in rise during the seventeenth century Europe that was characterized by a peculiar mode of living called â€Å"bourgeois society†. (John S. 237) The mode of living was also characterized by various forms of thinking that distinctly reflected the existent living lifestyles. The lifestyle and the thinking there-in is what gave rise to what is ailing the whole of humanity today.It gave rise to modern-day capitalism or what was referred to as the ‘bourgeois society. † (Conway, A. 123) Open social environment that existed in the pre-Revolutionary England heralded the beginnings of the British philosophy. During this period the social conditions were greatly influenced by various Empiricists from Britain who included Thomas Hobbes and Francis Bacon and later John Locke who played a significant role during the Restoration Period.The development of Bourgeois thinking in Britain was greatly influenced by the growth of natural science which saw the likes of Isaac Newton the father of modern physics (1642-1727) being one of the most prominent natural scientists from Britain, influenced its growth prior to the nineteenth century before the growth of the industrial revolution. (John S. 235) British Empire is generally credited with the development of a bourgeois revolution and was the first to â€Å"make an ind ustrial revolution.† This being the case the British rather than facing the challenges of working through theory saw the need to â€Å"accumulate material for theory to work upon instead. †(J. H. Muirhead 88) To achieve the revolution, the British realized the only way to challenge the existent of the feudal wisdom that was characteristic amongst the ruling class and achieve political and economic freedom, the only way out was via exploration, science technological advancement, industrial growth and profiteering. (Julian B & Jeremy S 69)The British bourgeois is strongly interrelated with the Empiricist philosophy of the seventeenth century and because it is credited with the great changes that were accomplished by the industrial revolution in Europe, it has the tendency to distrust all other theories and instead, depend so much on accumulated observation and experience. (Francois D L 23) Because of this reason the British have not featured prominently amongst the great names in the philosophy history. â€Å"British philosophy has not traditionally taken much of an interest in the lives of its great figures †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"(Julian B & Jeremy S 70) The only notable British philosophers are Alan Turing and Bertrand Russell who were Mathematicians others include Adela Pankhurst Juliet Mitchell and Sheila Rowbothan who were British feminists. Conclusion British philosophy therefore did not churn out great philosophers as witnessed in other parts of Europe. Nevertheless, it is credited for the development of modern day capitalism that started of during the period of the Enlightenment paving way to the Industrial revolution.Works Cited Conway, Anne: The Principles of the most ancient and modern philosophy. Loptson. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1982. P122-123 Francois De Larrard: British Philosophy in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Thoemmes Press, 1992 p23-45 J. H. Muirhead: Contemporary British Philosophy: 1953 p 88 John Stuart Brown: British Philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment: Arnold Publishers. 2003 p234-237 Julian Baggini, Jeremy Stangroom: New British Philosophy: The Interviews: Routledge (1 May 2002) p69-70

How to Recognize a Legitimate College Honor Society

Phi Beta Kappa, the first honor society, was established in 1776. Since then, dozens - if not hundreds - of other college honor societies have been established, covering all academic fields, and also specific fields, such as the natural sciences, English, engineering, business, and political science. According to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), â€Å"honor societies exist primarily to recognize the attainment of scholarship of a superior quality.† In addition, the CAS notes â€Å"a few societies recognize the development of leadership qualities and commitment to service and excellence in research in addition to a strong scholarship record.† However, with so many organizations, students might not be able to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent college honor societies.   Legit or Not? One way to evaluate the legitimacy of an honor society is to look at its history. â€Å"Legitimate honor societies have a long history and legacy that is easily recognizable,† according to Hannah Breaux, who is the communications director for Phi Kappa Phi. The honor society was founded at the University of Maine in 1897. Breaux tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"Today, we have chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines, and have initiated over 1.5 million members since our founding.† According to C. Allen Powell, executive director and co-founder of the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS), â€Å"Students should find out if the organization is a registered, non-profit, educational organization or not.† This information should be prominently displayed on the society’s website. â€Å"For-profit honor societies should usually be avoided and tend to promise more services and benefits than they deliver,† Powell warns. The organization’s structure should also be evaluated. Powell says students should determine, â€Å"Is it a school/college chapter-based organization or not?  Must a candidate be recommended by the school for membership, or can they join directly without school documentation?† High academic achievement is usually another requirement. For example, eligibility for Phi Kappa Phi requires juniors to be ranked in the top 7.5% of their class, and seniors and graduate students must be ranked in the top 10% of their class. The members of the National Technical Honor Society may be in high school, tech college, or college; however, all students need to have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.   Powell also thinks it is a good idea to ask for references.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A list of member schools and colleges should be found on the organization’s website – go to those member school web sites and get references.† Faculty members can also provide guidance.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Students who have concerns about the legitimacy of an honor society should also consider talking to an advisor or faculty member on campus,† Breaux suggests. â€Å"Faculty and staff can serve as a great resource in helping a student determine whether or not a particular honor society’s invitation is credible or not.† Certification status is another way to evaluate an honor society. Steve Loflin, past president of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and CEO founder of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, says, â€Å"Most institutions value ACHS certification as the best way to know the honor society meets high standards.† Loflin warns that some organizations aren’t true honor societies. â€Å"Some of these student organizations are masquerading as honor societies, meaning they use ‘honor society’ as a hook, but they are for-profit companies and do not have academic criteria or standards that would meet the ACHS guidelines for certified honor societies.† For students considering an invitation, Loflin says, â€Å"Recognize that non-certified groups are potentially not transparent about their business practices and can’t deliver the prestige, tradition and value of certified honor society membership.†Ã‚  The ACHS provides a checklist that students can use to evaluate the legitimacy of a non-certified honor society. To Join or Not to Join?   What are the benefits of joining a college honor society? Why should students consider accepting an invitation? â€Å"In addition to the academic recognition, joining an honor society can provide a number of benefits and resources that extend beyond a student’s academic career and into their professional lives,† Breaux says. â€Å"At Phi Kappa Phi, we like to say that membership is more than a line on a rà ©sumà ©,† Breaux adds, noting some of the membership benefits as follows: â€Å"The ability to apply for a number of awards and grants valued at $1.4 million each biennium; our extensive award programs provide everything from $15,000 Fellowships for graduate school to $500 Love of Learning Awards for continuing education and professional development.† Also, Breaux says the honor society provides networking, career resources, and exclusive discounts from over 25 corporate partners. â€Å"We also offer leadership opportunities and much more as part of active membership in the Society,† Breaux says. Increasingly, employers say they want applicants with soft skills, and honor societies provide opportunities to develop these in-demand traits. We also wanted to get the perspective of someone who is a member of a college honor society. Darius Williams-McKenzie of Penn State-Altoona is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society for First-Year College Students. â€Å"Alpha Lambda Delta has impacted my life tremendously,† Williams-McKenzie says. â€Å"Ever since my induction into the honor society, I have been more confident in my academics and in my leadership.† According to the National Association of College and Universities, potential employers place a premium on career readiness among job applicants. While some college honor societies are only open to juniors and seniors, he believes it’s important to be in an honor society as a freshman. â€Å"Being recognized by your colleagues as a freshman because of your academic achievements instills a confidence in you that you can build upon in your collegiate future.† When students do their homework, membership in an honor society can be quite beneficial. â€Å"Joining an established, respected honor society can be a good investment, since colleges, universities, and company recruiters look for evidence of achievement in the applicant’s documentation,† explains Powell. However, he ultimately advises students to ask themselves, â€Å"What is the cost of membership; are their services and benefits reasonable; and will they boost my profile and help in my career pursuits?