The Polis vs Modern American Democracy Essay Example

The Polis vs Modern American Democracy Essay Name PS 201 – 03 10/19/2012 The Polis and the â€Å"Just City† vs. Modern American Democracy It is common to refer to the Greek city-state as the Greek polis and in order to understand ancient Greece one must have an understanding of what the polis was to the Greeks. First, let’s consider the physical characteristics and dimensions of the Greek polis. The single most striking feature of a Greek polis is its small size. It can be easy to overlook this fact because the classical sense of the word polis is dominated by the thought of Athens, which was very atypical in its population size, over 300,000 people. It was thought that the ideal polis should only be about 5,000 households, and that each citizen should know each other by sight. Politics, a word that is derived from the Greek word polis, was of a face-to-face variety in these small communities. Although there was variation in details from polis to polis, there were some standard physical features of the polis which one could expect to find. The polis had a place of citizen assembly. These public places were most often located on a defendable high ground of the community, which served as a place of refuge in time of attack. We will write a custom essay sample on The Polis vs Modern American Democracy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Polis vs Modern American Democracy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Polis vs Modern American Democracy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The polis would typically have a marketplace, which was the center of communal life. Here, the adult male citizen lived most of his life, engaging in informal public conversations, informing himself on matters of the state. The polis also had a religious center for public worship; most every polis had its temple to the protecting god of the political community. And all poleis shared the same political characteristics of citizen participation in public life. There was no desire to retreat from the world of public affairs; in men’s minds, the private life did not yet exist. In the polis, the individual was interested in not only his affairs, but also the affairs of the state. Even those who were mostly occupied by their businesses were well informed on general politics. The communal alignment of the ancient Greeks may be the most difficult feature of the Greek mind to grasp. Especially for a citizen of a large modern nation in which few people actually participate in the political process. It was this distinctive way of life, the active participation on the part of the individual citizen in all aspects of these small Greek communities that is most striking. Only adult male citizens participated in open public debate in the polis; here the individual could have had a real impact on state policy. The polis demanded a great deal from its citizens: service in public office, attendance at political gatherings, appearances at religious events and military service. To be a democratic citizen was priceless for the adult Greek male Greek, and the polis was the path through which it was realized. In distinct opposition of theories, Plato, in his â€Å"Just City,† searches for justice within the individual and what makes a person â€Å"just. By comparing his sense of what is just at a political level and what is just at a psychological level, Plato suggests four virtues that will make an individual person just. The virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance and justice are common to both a just person and the fictional Just City. This theoretical city has the pre-determined virtue of being just. Plato does this in order to understand what just ice is for the individual because Plato thinks that a just man will be like a just city and vice versa. In the Just City, Plato creates three classes: the producers, the auxiliaries and the rulers. Each class has a certain virtue it has to display to fulfill the Just City pre-requisites. The rulers are required to exhibit wisdom so that â€Å"a whole city established according to nature would be wise because of the smallest class and part in it, namely the governing or ruling one. And, to this class, belongs a share of the knowledge that alone among all the other kinds of knowledge is to be called wisdom† (122). The wisdom enjoyed by the rulers would be used to ensure that the city has good judgment. The auxiliaries, or soldiers, of the Just City would be educated in order to absorb the laws in the finest possible way, â€Å"so that their belief about what they should fear and all the rest would become so fast that even such extremely effective detergents such as pleasure, pain, fear and desire wouldn’t wash it out† (124). Their ability to remain focused is the virtue of courage, which Plato concludes will lead to justice within the city. The final class of the Just City, the producers, will exhibit the virtues of temperance and justice, along with the other two classes, so the city will be just. Plato thinks that temperance and justice is crucial because it ties all the classes together. The idea of harmony is crucial to Plato’s definition of justice, as justice to him means each part of society works together in the best way possible, with each part of society content to play out its particular role. As Plato explains: â€Å"Justice, I think, is exactly what we said must be established throughout the city when we were founding it†¦ that everyone must practice one of the occupations in the city for which he is naturally best suited† (128). Once Plato found justice within the larger setting of the Just City, he sought to transfer it back into the human soul, which he identified as having more than one single driving force. Plato based this assumption on the ability of a person to be indecisive about his actions, such as drinking, when something inside them forbid them to do it, though the desire lingered. This indecisiveness can be transformed into internal conflicts between more than one part of the soul. Plato concludes: â€Å"†¦that they are two, and different from one another. We’ll call the part of the soul with which it calculates the rational part and the part with which it lusts, hungers, thirsts and gets excited by other appetites the irrational appetitive part, companion of certain indulgences and pleasures† (137). Plato then identifies a third part of the soul, the spirit, which is used to create emotions. Originally, it was felt that this part might not actually be separate from the appetitive aspect of the soul, but when the appetitive part is fighting it is, in effect, waging a civil war against the rational part within the soul. In this scenario, a person could get angry and reprimand himself, in effect having the spirited part of the soul united with the rational part of the soul. From his analysis of the three classes, Plato uses his conclusions of the Just City as a metaphor to transfer their virtues to the individual, in order to discover justice within the soul. His statement that â€Å"we are pretty much agreed that the same number and the same kinds of classes as are in the city are also in the soul of each individual† confirms the relationship between the Just City and the individual (140). It is obvious to Plato that the rational part of the soul should rule, as the rulers in the city do, because they both exhibit the virtue of wisdom and can both exercise precaution on behalf of the entire soul. Similarly, just as the auxiliaries assist the rulers in maintaining justice within the city, the spirited part of the soul will use emotions in order to maintain order and harmony within the soul, which is justice. These two parts of the soul will be able to control its appetitive part, which ay, through its greedy desire for money, attempt to overthrow its particular role and rule over the body and eventually the classes that it is not naturally suited to rule over (141). Consequently, justice in the individual and justice in the city would be overturned leading to chaos and war. The rulers and auxiliaries, together known as the guardians, exist in order to control and direct the producers who are the majority of the population, as the rational and spirited parts of the soul rule the desires of the individual. Plato concludes that justice in the individual is similar to justice within the city, where a person â€Å"puts himself in order, is his own friend, and harmonizes the three parts of himself like three limiting notes in a musical scale† (142). In the Just City, justice is obtained by the three parts of society, each fulfilling their role as best they can, and displaying the same four virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. This leads to a harmony between the parts, the best possible combination, which is described as justice by Plato both within the city and within the soul. This should be obvious; after all, a city is made up of many just individuals. The Greek city-state, or polis, is not where we would first be inclined to look for connections between modern democratic design and practical success. The polis demonstrates a lot of intolerant characteristics, including the exclusion of women from citizenship, the prevalence of slavery and low levels of technology. But on closer inspection, we have much to learn from ancient Greek democracies. Despite the slavery and exclusively male citizenship, which were present in both more and less successful cases throughout history, the Greek democracies provide as close a model as we can get to a modern comparative political examination. On the contrary, while the track record of ruling individuals, or classes, is somewhat spotty, the concept of a ruling elite finds a strong proponent in the philosopher Plato. While recognizing the fundamental flaw in humankind, Plato believes in the appointment of one supreme guardian, the philosopher king or queen, an individual, who with the proper education was competent enough to decide on policies. Plato believes that the philosopher king is honorable since his only desire is knowledge, his thirst for knowledge prevailing over anything else. Plato’s arguments, made so long ago, resonate in the current world in much the same way as they did when they first appeared. Times of crisis remind us of the need for ongoing review of the assumptions we make regarding the best way to govern and the best way to manage those resources available to us. Plato provides one view of the best forms of government, and consequently, offers some insight into the issues under review today. A weakness of Plato’s vision is that it requires exceptionally high standards for the moral nature of human beings. In this view, Plato puts a great deal of emphasis on the soul as rational and assumes that people, who choose occupations based on their desires, will be just. According to Plato’s mantra, given that people are following the desires of their rational soul, they must be behaving in a just manner. Another weakness of this creed is that it puts too much power in the hands of a selected few; it is dangerous to allow so few to govern so many. Without the checks and balances seen in a democratic society, a tyrannical environment can be fostered. In contrast, a weakness of democracy is that the masses are given the ability to govern the country. As a group, they are susceptible to a â€Å"group think† mentality; voting based on the collective mentality rather than individual principles. Economic gain is central in a capitalist society and will influence people’s decision making. The group may vote based on emotions rather than thought. Also, a large number of people may be unable to focus on one agenda since different people have different standards, agendas and motivations. In modern America, it is best that all people participate in their society’s government. In spite of Plato’s arguments for the Just City, placing the reins of democracy in the hands of the masses is safer than relegating power to only a few. Plato was correct in requiring that leaders be informed, and equally correct in believing that the uninformed masses are less likely to make good decisions; but the way to address this is not to exclude people. Rather, as part of the political process, people should be educated about all of the parts of the process, as well as about the candidates, their policies and political ideologies. In addition to education about the candidates and the process, the population requires a more general education in order to allow it to follow its desires. As in The Republic, allowing people to perform jobs which best suit their desires would give each individual a stake in the welfare of the nation overall, allowing for a more resourceful use of labor and a motivation for all members of civilization to work for the collective good of the whole. The greatest contribution of Plato to our modern understanding of appropriate governance may be the emphasis the philosopher placed on the power of knowledge and wisdom. Some investment in those qualities might allow for a better-informed voter and a more reasonable form of government where the democratic model is blended with an understanding of economic necessity and the realities of human nature. Perhaps, what has become most apparent from the current US crisis is that some sense of collective good, as well as a sense of collective responsibility, must be incorporated into the notion of democracy. Works Cited Plato. The Republic of Plato. Trans. Francis MacDonald Cornford. London: Oxford University Press, 1977. Print.

Battle of Chickamauga - American Civil War - William Rosecrans - Braxton Bragg

Battle of Chickamauga - American Civil War - William Rosecrans - Braxton Bragg Battle of Chickmauga - Conflict: The Battle of Chickamauga was fought during the American Civil War. Battle of Chickamauga - Dates: The Army of the Cumberland and Army of Tennessee battled on September 18-20, 1863. Armies Commanders at Chickamauga: Union Major General William Rosecrans56,965 men Confederate General Braxton BraggLieutenant General James Longstreet70,000 men Battle of Chickamauga - Background: Through the summer of 1863, Major General William S. Rosecrans, commanding the Union Army of the Cumberland, conducted a skillful campaign of maneuver in Tennessee. Dubbed the Tullahoma Campaign, Rosecrans was able to repeatedly force General Braxton Braggs Army of Tennessee to retreat until it reached its base at Chattanooga. Under orders to capture the valuable transportation hub, Rosecrans did not wish to directly assault the citys fortifications. Instead, utilizing the railroad network to the west, he began moving south in an effort to sever Braggs supply lines. Pinning Bragg in place with a diversion at Chattanooga, Rosecrans army completed crossing the Tennessee River on September 4. Advancing, Rosecrans encountered rough terrain and poor roads. This forced his four corps to take separate routes. In the weeks prior to Rosecrans movement, Confederate authorities had grown concerned about the defense of Chattanooga. As a result, Bragg was reinforced by troops from Mississippi and the bulk of Lieutenant General James Longstreets corps from the Army of Northern Virginia. Reinforced, Bragg abandoned Chattanooga on September 6, and moved south to attack Rosecrans dispersed columns. This allowed Major General Thomas L. Crittendens XXI Corps to occupy the city as part of its advance. Aware that Bragg was in the field, Rosecrans ordered his forces to concentrate to prevent them from being defeated in detail. On September 18, Bragg sought to attack XXI Corps near Chickamauga Creek. This effort was frustrated by Union cavalry and mounted infantry led by Colonels Robert Minty and John T. Wilder. Battle of Chickamauga - Fighting Begins: Alerted to this fighting, Rosecrans ordered Major General George H. Thomas XIV Corps and Major General Alexander McCooks XX Corps to support Crittenden. Arriving on the morning of September 19, Thomas men took a position north of XXI Corps. Believing that he only had cavalry on his front, Thomas ordered a series attacks. These encountered the infantry of Major Generals John Bell Hood, Hiram Walker, and Benjamin Cheatham. The fighting raged through the afternoon as Rosecrans and Bragg committed more troops to the fray. As McCooks men arrived, they were placed in the Union center between XIV and XXI Corps. As the day wore on, Braggs numerical advantage began to tell and Union forces were slowly pushed back towards the LaFayette Road. As darkness fell, Rosecrans tightened his lines and prepared defensive positions. On the Confederate side, Bragg was reinforced by the arrival of Longstreet who was given command of the left wing of the army. Braggs plan for the 20th called for successive attacks from north to south. The battle recommenced around 9:30 AM when Lieutenant General Daniel H. Hills corps attacked Thomas position. Battle of Chickamauga - Disaster Ensues: Beating back the attack, Thomas called for Major General James S. Negleys division which was supposed to be in reserve. Due to an error, Negleys men had been put in the line. As his men shifted north, Brigadier General Thomas Woods division took their place. For the next two hours Rosecrans men repeatedly defeated the Confederate attacks. Around 11:30, Rosecrans, not knowing the precise locations of this units, erred and issued orders for Wood to shift position. This opened a gaping hole in the Union center. Alerted to this, McCook began moving the divisions of Major General Philip Sheridan and Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis to plug the gap. As these men were moving forward, Longstreet launched his assault on the Union center. Exploiting the hole in the Union line, his men were able to strike the moving Union columns in the flank. In short order, the Union center and right broke and began fleeing the field, carrying Rosecrans with them. Sheridans division made a stand on Lytle Hill, but was forced to withdraw by Longstreet and a flood of retreating Union soldiers. Battle of Chickamauga - The Rock of Chickamauga With the army falling back, Thomas men held firm. Consolidating his lines on Horseshoe Ridge and Snodgrass Hill, Thomas defeated a series of Confederate assaults. Farther north, the commander of the Reserve Corps, Major General Gordon Granger, dispatched a division to Thomas aid. Arriving on the field they helped block an attempt by Longstreet to envelop Thomas right. Holding until nightfall, Thomas withdrew under the cover of darkness. His stubborn defense earned him the nickname The Rock of Chickamauga. Having incurred heavy casualties, Bragg elected not to pursue Rosecrans broken army. Aftermath of the Battle of Chickamauga The fighting at Chickamauga cost the Army of the Cumberland 1,657 killed, 9,756 wounded, and 4,757 captured/missing. Bragg losses were heavier and numbered 2,312 killed, 14,674 wounded, and 1,468 captured/missing. Retreating back to Chattanooga, Rosecrans and his army were soon besieged in the city by Bragg. Shattered by his defeat, Rosecrans ceased be an effective leader and was replaced by Thomas on October 19, 1863. The siege of the city was broken in October following the arrival of the commander of the Military Division of the Mississippi, Major General Ulysses S. Grant, and Braggs army shattered the following month at the Battle of Chattanooga. Selected Sources CWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle of ChickamaugaNational Park Service: Battle of ChickamaugaBattle of Chickamauga

Acc 230 Final Starbucks Financial Analysis Paper

Starbucks Financial Analysis Author Axia College of University of Phoenix Starbucks Financial Analysis Starbucks Coffee originated in 1971 as a coffee and tea cafe opening in a small neighborhood of Seattle, Washington (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). Starbucks continued its service for Seattle residents for a decade when the new director of retail operations and marketing, Howard Shultz, decided to make some beneficial changes to the company. After two years of employment Howard Shultz decided to expand Starbucks outside of the Seattle area. In 1987 Starbucks was entering in the coffee market and the few numbers of Starbucks were now becoming a corporation (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). Fast forwarding to current times, Starbucks is now located across America and has branched out into international territory. Starbucks now ranges from selling coffees, teas, food, and coffee accessories to having its name brand coffees being sold in grocery stores. Statement of Earnings Starbucks Corporations 2009 fiscal year ended on September 28, 2009 (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). In comparison with the 2008 Statement of Earnings, Starbucks Corporation has experienced an increase in net earnings totaling $390 million in 2009 (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). This is still significantly lower than the 2007 net earnings of $672 million dropping $360 million over the course of one year. The company was however able to increase the cost of goods sold. Compared to the 2008 gross profit margin when Starbucks experienced a large increase, in 2009 Starbucks experienced a decline by 2. 25% (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). In the 2009 fiscal year the Statement of Earnings depicts a depreciation and amortization expenses decreased and operating income and operating margin decrease. The decrease in sales which Starbucks reported in 2008 is cause for the decrease in operating income and operating margin in the 2009 fiscal year. Since the 2008 fiscal year, 2009 has brought on a 4% decrease in the net profit margin for Starbucks (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). Balance Sheet In the 2009 fiscal year, Starbucks Corporation states a slight decrease in ash on hand though the net receivables show an increase. A comparison of the 2008 and 2009 inventory depicts a decline in 2009 that suggests Starbucks Corporation is not making inventory purchases prior to selling the current on-hand inventory. The current economic struggles have forced Starbucks Corporation to make some adjustments in the financial strengths of the company and close some coffee shops throughout the 2009 fiscal year, appearing as a decrease to the current assets of Starbucks Corporations. The decrease in the current assets and fixed assets of Starbucks Corporation the total assets for the 2009 fiscal year have increased by $300 million (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). Statement of Cash Flow The Statement of Cash Flow for the 2009 fiscal year depicts a $70 million decrease in cash flow (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). Starbucks Corporation did however increase its invested cash flow by $115 million in 2009 (Starbucks Corporation, 2010). An analysis of the Statement of Cash Flow for the 2009 fiscal year of Starbucks Corporation shows that Starbucks Corporation has been attempting to reduce its current operating expenses and cash flow. Ratio Comparisons Within the coffee industry Starbucks Corporations has grown from a small shop to a leading coffee distributor, proving to have financial strength and determination to continue growth. With the weakening economy the continued success of Starbucks Corporation is being threatened by the high cost of coffee and the decreased spending of consumers. Coffee is now being purchased based on cost, not quality. The financial strengths of Starbucks Corporation is being tested against its limits with the decline in premium coffee sales while Starbucks continues to push to stay on top of competition. Compared to competition in the coffee market Starbucks is displaying a higher debt to equity ratio of 0. 15 compared to the industry at 0. 13. Starbucks Corporation and the coffee industry competition remain similar at a 1. 5 current ratio for Starbucks and a 1. current ratio for the industry (MSN Money Market, 2010). The quick ratio within the coffee industry currently sits at 1. 3 while Starbucks Corporation holds strong at a 1. 2 quick ratio (MSN Money Central, 2010). Starbucks Corporation depicts a leverage ratio in comparison to the competition showing a 1. 7 leverage ratio for both Starbucks and the industry (MSN Money Central, 2010). Starbucks Corporation is also remaining steady with a lower than industry book value to share ratio o f 4. 95 compared to 6. 33 (MSN Money Central, 2010). Industry Comparison An industry analysis can provide Starbucks with a view on the competitive advantages the company has over companies with similar products. Through the analysis, Starbucks can develop an effective strategic plan. The benefits of the industry analysis include knowing â€Å"the underlying forces at work in the industry; the overall attractiveness of the industry, and the critical factors that determine the company’s success within the industry† (Encyclopedia for Business, 2010). A United States competitor of Starbucks is Peet’s Coffee and Tea. In 2010, Peet’s reported gross revenue of $168,494, drastically lower than that of Starbucks. Starbuck’s has the advantage of more locations and a lower per store operating cost of 63. 86 compared to Peet’s at 121. 83 per store. Starbuck’s has managed to run each Starbucks location at a fraction of the cost for Peet’s Coffee and Tea. Based on this information, it is apparent that Starbucks has a competitive advantage over Peet’s Coffee and Tea and continues to be a strong competitor in the industry. In conclusion, Starbucks Corporation has managed to remain financially strong regardless of the slight impact the struggling economy has had on the corporation. Success over competition remains to be on top and the current inventions of new and unique coffee, tea, and Starbucks environments has continued to result in the success of Starbucks Coffee not seen by other competitors. The growth and strengthening of the current economic situation will allow Starbucks Corporation to expand the financial growth and strengths of the company and continue to remain at the top of the market regardless of the lower cost and quality coffee sold by the competition. Starbucks Corporation offers unique goods and services which allows the company to remain ahead of the market. References Encyclopedia for Business. (2010). Industry Analysis. Retrieved from http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/small/Inc-Mail/Industry-Analysis. html MSN Money Central. (2010). Starbucks Corporation: Key Ratios. Retrieved on November 11, 2010 from http://moneycentral. msn. com/investor/invsub/results/compare. asp? Page=FinancialConditionSymbol=SBUX Starbucks Corporation. (2010). Fiscal 2009 Annual Report. Retrieved from http://media. corporate-ir. net/media_files/irol/99/99518/SBUX_AR. pdf Yahoo Finance. (2010). Peet’s Coffee Tea, Inc. Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=PEET+Income+Statementannual

Article review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Article review - Essay Example Despite the fact, that some movies have used the popular genre of the popular culture they did not sell very much. The novel Red Storm Rising and other works of Tom Clancy have sold greatly. Clancy’s novel is the context of thriller style. They have historical lessons and use images and symbols to represent the idea behind the novel. The genre thriller that Clancy used has flourished over time and have best explained the crisis of the civilization during that century. The foundation for modern thriller was laid down by Joseph Conrad, John Bunchan and Eskrine Childers. Walter (4) examines the work of the three writers and places them as those of modern thriller. Authors like Eric Ambler rose up and started writing real literature instead of the mere spy tales. They involved moral characteristic in their tales and they used the heroic formula to develop the theme in their story. The Americans had become fond of the British tales, but when writers like Mickey Spillane did a book in American style it sold much. The United State became become domestic communism, and they read more of these books. Walter present works of the writer and movies that have sold due to their thriller genre. The Red Storm Rising is one of those books that see the writer winning the award and selling a number of volumes. Walter says that the thriller style of doing movies and writing stories has seen many books sell even in America. Walter presents quite a number of works that have been done. He presents Reagan the administrator is represented in Clacy’s text like a cult of national security. Walter analyzes the book Red Storm Arising. The use of popular character Clancy novel makes them sell. Reagan popularity makes Clancy novel sell. Clancy uses immensely powerful themes that involve the Americans culture. This success is seen by the popularity that they have. We are able to admire Clancy heroes and these keeps us to want to read more

Finanical Planning Final Study Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finanical Planning Final - Case Study Example Moreover, in most cases budget building opt for simplicity where budget construction relies on simple tools like excel spreadsheets, software programs and the manual way of pen and paper (Hussey, pp123-167). The sole objective of budgetary control is to map out whether there is need to redirect your finances towards selected priorities or rather dreams you consider important. Budget making always tends towards a goal such as buying a home, trip vacation, the budget helps one finds out the discipline he needs to squirrel away finance within a certain time limit. Personnel ought to reflect on a goal to be accomplished and resolve to make it come true. Majority of the populace have no clear idea on the amount of money they spend on dining out, gifts, clothing, travel and other personal care (Hussey, pp123-167). Always track such kind of expenses in specific ways and come find out actual monthly allocations for every category Susan works at Wal-mart as a cashier on the day shift (38 hours a week @ $12 hour 38 hours is full-time and Susan recently received a $0.50 per hour raise). Susan files her taxes under filing status Head of Household Medical insurance is pre-tax and covers Susan and the children 10% per month Susan considers that this is most important expense each month (Maynard, pp167-223). She will not eliminate or reduce this $82000 and 26 years remaining; 5.25% interest; original balance $87,000. Current appraised value $88,000 For Jeffrey will need to pay this until age six of balance $2200 with credit limit of $3000 and 12.6% APR with a balance of $16,000 Standard payment plan; 6.8% APR. All Direct loans of -$10,000 subsidized and $6000 unsubsidized Susan shops mainly at Aldi and buys off-brand food Susan drives a paid for 2000 Ford Escort with 92,000 miles on it. She wants to become an elementary school teacher. She has 18 credits to finish up. She did all previous credits at Columbia College in Elementary Education. Operating income in households

The Praying Mantis Essay -- essays research papers

The Praying Mantis (Mantis Religiosa) Contents Introduction Classes First Things First Key Features Basic Features Diet & Combat Style Reproduction Growth & Development Self-Defense Cultural Significance Praying Mantis Kung-Fu INTRODUCTION "Praying Mantis" is the name commonly used in English speaking countries to refer to a large, much elongated, slow-moving insect with fore legs fitted for seizing and holding insect prey. The name, "Praying Mantis" more properly refers to the specific Mantid species Mantis Religiosa or the European Mantis, but typically is used more generally to refer to any of the mantid family. The name is derived from the prayer-like position in which the insect holds its long, jointed front legs while at rest or waiting for prey. It is also called the "preying" mantis because of its predatory nature. CLASSES Many questions have risen regarding the praying mantis. Such questions include how many different species there are in the animal kingdom. Estimates range from 1500 to 2200 different mantid species WORLDWIDE. The most common figure given, though, is about 1800. The ways the Mantid's are classified in the Animal Kingdom. There is agreement that the collection of mantid species make up the Mantidae family of insects. The Mantidae family, in turn, is part of the order/suborder Mantodea that includes a variety of mantid-like species. But the existing literature does not reflect a clear consensus about what insect order Mantodea belong in. Some have placed Mantodea in the Dictyoptera Order-with the roaches. Others place Mantodea in the Orthoptera Order-with crickets and grasshoppers. Finally, some believe that Mantodea constitute their own independent order of insects. There seems to be an emerging consensus around this position. FIRST THINGS FIRST The Mantis Religiosa was first named such and classified by the inventor of the modern system of biological taxonomy Carolus Linnaeus. The three common species of mantids in North America are the European mantis (Mantis religiosa), the Chinese mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis), and the Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) distinguishing features of these three species: Size The Chinese mantis is the largest of the three, reaching lengths of three to five inches. The European mantis, however, is a little sm... ...s while striving for food and existence did not reveal us its secrets, we would never develop this new style." The abbot replied: "You are right! In order to perpetuate the memory of the source, we shall call this style "The Gates of Praying Mantis" (Tang Lang Men). Wang Lang and the abbot developed twelve characters - guiding principles of the praying mantis fighting technique: zhan (contacting), nian (sticking), bang (linking), tie (pressing), lai (intruding), jiao (provoking), shun (moving along), song (sending), ti (lifting), na (grabbing), feng (blocking), bi (locking). Also they developed formal sets of praying mantis technique, such as: Beng bu (crushing step), Lan jie (obstruction), Ba zhou (eight elbows), Mei hua lu (plum blossom technique) and Bai yuan tou tao (white ape steals the peach). However, this new style for a long time was a privilege of the taoist monks of the Lao Shan taoist religious community and it was kept as a part of the secret taoist doctrine and closed to lay people. Wang Lang, for the rest of his days, lived in the taoist temple practicing self cultivation, developing Praying Mantis boxing and following the way of the Tao..."

Why We Form Relationships

Why We Form Relationships Corbin Smith Estrella Mountain Community College There are many reasons as to why we form relationships with a person. Appearance is one of those reasons. Most people claim that a person’s personality is the main reason why we get into a relationship with them and not by the way they look which is really not true. There has to be some type of attraction towards their appearance because the way they look is extremely important in the early stages of a relationship.Even if your appearance isn’t considered beautiful by societal standards, people will find you attractive if you’re just ordinary-looking with an amazing personality that fits the other persons needs. Attractive beauty may open doors to a relationship but it takes way more than just being attractive to keep a relationship going. Forming relationships is the ultimate way to gaining attraction and love towards a certain person that you might want to be with for the rest of your li fe. Forming relationships is a skill that not many people consider to be important but it’s a skill that most people want so they can find their lifelong partner.My understanding of this skill is that we all have used it at some point in our lives to form relationship, whether if it’s just a friendship or more than that. Like I said before, appearance is one of the main things that jumpstart a relationship but it won’t be the only trait that’ll keep a bond going. Similarity, complementary, competence, disclosure, proximity, and rewards are all factors in how relationship is formed. I’ve used this skill plenty of times because I’m a person who loves to make new friends and meet new people every single day.Whenever I get the chance to meet someone new, whether if I’m attracted to them or not, I try not to miss the opportunity. I met a girl in the beginning of this semester who is just the most gorgeous girl I’ve seen at this scho ol so far. I had to take an opportunity to get to know this girl and fortunately, she gave me the light of day and now we both are really good friends. Not only does she look beautiful, we both have many of the same similarities such as music taste, fashion sense, and other amazing things. When I met her, I used her appearance to draw me to her and from then on, it was the similarities and complementarities.By me using this skill, there have also been several consequences. I’ve been shot down by many girls many times because of me being too confident and by trying to get to know them way too fast. Unfortunately this skill doesn’t always work to our advantage but it doesn’t hurt to try it. Like the old saying goes, â€Å"You’ll never know for yourself until you try. † I live by that saying because you can’t live your life in fear of getting rejected by people you’re attracted to. Just take the chance and run with it. The reason why thi s skill doesn’t work all the time is because of the mindset of the person that you’re attracted to.Is that person already in a relationship? Is that person not looking for a relationship even though they are single? Is the person you’re attracted to not attracted to you back? There are many reasons as to why the negative effects might take place. Overall, never skip out on an opportunity to possibly engage in a lifelong friendship or relationship. You’ll never know the outcome until you try. â€Å"For communication to have meaning it must have a life. It must transcend ‘you’ and ‘me’ and become ‘us. ’ In a small way we then grow out of our old selves and become something new. † – Hugh Prather