All Souls: A Family Story From Southie Essay

A national bestseller, All Souls: A Family Story From Southie (Beacon Press, September 1999), won an American Book Award and a New England Literary Lights Award, as well as the Myers Outstanding Book Award administered by the Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights in North America. With All Souls MacDonald writes a gripping memoir about his life growing up in the Old Colony housing projects in South Boston, a predominantly white Irish Catholic neighborhood. He writes about the crime, drugs and violence in his neighborhood in the years following Boston’s busing riots, and of his brothers and sisters, many of whom fell prey to drugs, crime, and suicide. The book introduces his mother, Helen King (Ma), a feisty woman who raised her ten children while living in the projects. (An eleventh child died in infancy.) Additionally, the book often mentions Whitey Bulger, a gangster and FBI informant in Southie, who brought the drug trade into the neighborhood, contributing to the deaths of hundreds of young people due to suicides, murders, and overdoses. Despite all that is bad, MacDonald writes about how proud and loyal the residents were to be from Southie, excluding MacDonald himself who admits in the book he told those he met that he was from Dorchester and how some of the best elements of the neighborhood have been wiped out along with the worst due to gentrification. Michael Patrick MacDonald (born March 9, 1966) is an Irish-American[1] activist against crime and violence and author of his memoir, All Souls: A Family Story From Southie. Since being involved in activism, he helped to start Boston’s gun-buyback program, founded the South Boston Vigil Group, which works with survivor families and young people in Boston’s anti-violence movement. MacDonald was the recipient of the 1999 Daily Points of Light Award,which honors those who connect Americans through community service. Michael had been awarded an Anne Cox Chambers Fellowship at the MacDowell Colony, a Bellagio Center Fellowship through the Rockefeller Foundation, and residencies at Blue Mountain Center and Djerassi Artist Residency Program. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, and devotes all of his time to writing and public speaking on topics ranging from â€Å"Race and Class in America† to â€Å"Trauma, Healing, and Social Change.† MacDonald is Writer in Residence at Northeastern University in Boston.

Nutrition Essay

Shakton Andrews March 27, 2012 4. 07 Movie Matinee Shakton Carbohydrate was chatting happily with a jar of paprika in the pantry when someone started calling her name. The voice got closer and soon, two hands appeared on the shelf. Whose head popped up above them but that of Norman Nutrition! â€Å"There you are, Shakton! † he said with a smile. â€Å"Hi there, Norman! † Shakton replied. â€Å"Listen, Shakton, we have a big problem— the Jones family isn’t eating right. They’re only eating donuts, candy, chips, and sodas. We have to do something! I’m calling on all the food groups to help me out.We’re going to show them how to eat healthy again. † â€Å"Of course I’ll help. We need to teach the Jones to eat properly or else they’ll be sick and overweight,† Shakton answered. â€Å"Good! Remember, meet me at the dining room table at supper time with three friends,† Norman said. Then he waved and jumped o ff the shelf to tell the other food groups about the Jones’ problem. â€Å"Bye, Paprika! Duty calls! † Shakton said, waving to his friend before jumping off the shelf like Norman. As Shakton floated down to the floor, he thought about who he should bring to the dining room with him. The Jones kids are fun and like to play. I should bring some friends that are fun! † And with that, Shakton headed to the kitchen. â€Å"Corn has lots of carbs; my friend Corn on the Cob would be perfect for the Jones kids! † Shakton decided, and made his way to the refrigerator. Opening the door was a challenge too big for little Shakton, so he had the family dog, Oscar, help her. With his teeth, he pulled on the towel Mrs. Jones kept tied to the refrigerator door handle. The towel stretched for a second, and then the door opened with a whoosh of cool air.How to open the drawer where Corn on the Cob lived was a harder problem to solve. Eventually, though, Oscar and Shakton fig ured it out. Oscar held Shakton carefully in his mouth while he grabbed hold of the drawer handle. Then, he pulled and the drawer slid open with a squeak. â€Å"Thanks, Oscar,† Shakton called as the dog trotted off. â€Å"Hey, Shakton, is that you? † Corn on the Cob asked from where she sat at the back of the drawer. â€Å"Yep, that’s me! † Shakton answered, jumping down into the drawer. Corn on the Cob ran over and gave her a hug. â€Å"I need your help,† Shakton began, returning his friend’s hug. Of course, anything! † And so Shakton explained the Jones’ problem. When he finished Corn on the Cob gasped in horror. â€Å"Oh, Shakton, that’s awful! What do you need me to do? † she asked. â€Å"I need you to come with me to the dining room table to show that it can be fun to eat good foods. We have to be there by supper time, and I still have to pick up to other friends. † â€Å"Let’s go, then! What ar e we waiting for? † Corn on the Cob exclaimed. As Shakton and Corn on the Cob climbed out of the drawer, Shakton asked his friend who else they should bring along to the dining room.Corn on the Cob paused on the edge of the drawer, thinking, before jumping down onto the floor where Shakton waited. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Jones might not be interested in fun foods like me at their age†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Corn on the Cob said sadly. â€Å"What about BlueBerry? He’s a bit more suited to their fruity pallet,† Shakton suggested. â€Å"Good idea,† Corn on the Cob agreed. Shakton and Corn on the Cob had to ask some of the other inhabitants of the fridge where BlueBerry lived, but eventually they found out where he usually stayed. It was a small drawer on the very top shelf on the Pantry Door.From where they stood on the bottom shelf, Shakton and Corn on the Cob looked way, way up to see where he lived. â€Å"How are we ever going to get up there? † Corn on the Cob f retted. â€Å"We’ll figure out a way. After all, I’m not in charge of the Protein food group for nothing! † Shakton encouraged. â€Å"Let’s think for a minute and see if we come up with anything,† Corn on the Cob suggested. Shakton agreed, and together they sat with legs crossed, chins resting on one hand, thinking hard. â€Å"I know! † Corn on the Cob suddenly yelled. â€Å"Let’s ask Spaghetti for help! â€Å"What a good idea,† Shakton said, and so they went over to the drawer where Mrs. Jones kept all the leftovers. The Leftover Drawer was a dark and scary place. Meatloaf and Lima Beans were not always the very nicest sort of foods, and it was hard to find your way around this drawer. Some foods got lost here, and never saw the light of day again until Mrs. Jones did her once-every-2-months-cleaning-of-the-refrigerator. However, Spaghetti was a new arrival to this drawer, having only been served for the first time 2 days ago . Luckily for Shakton and Corn on the Cob, that meant she lived near the front of the drawer.After several minutes, they found her. She was sleeping soundly in a large, noodle-y mass under a blanket of tomato sauce with her pet meatballs at her side. Shakton had a terrible time trying to wake Spaghetti up. He and Corn on the Cob tried poking Spaghetti, shouting, clapping their hands, and loudly singing in squeaky, off-key voices. Finally, their efforts were rewarded and Spaghetti woke up. Then Shakton and Corn on the Cob had to sit and catch their breath for minute before asking for help. â€Å"We need your help, Spaghetti,† Shakton began. â€Å"Yeah, we’re trying to get to the top of the Door to visit BlueBerry.But it’s too high up for us and there’s no way to climb up by ourselves,† Corn on the Cob continued. â€Å"Can you help us get up to the Top Shelf so we can climb across to the drawer on the door where BlueBerry lives? † Shakton fini shed. Spaghetti thought for a moment before answering, â€Å"Sure, I’ll help, but I never do something for nothing. While you’re up there in the Door, will you give a message to my friend Grated Parmesan for me? † â€Å"Yes, if you’ll just help us up there! † Shakton agreed. â€Å"All right, it’s a deal,† Spaghetti said. â€Å"Tell Parmesan hat she and I are supposed to be served for dinner tonight, so she had better not make any plans and be out partying in the very back of the refrigerator like last time! † The three of them made their way out of the creepy, shadowy leftover-drawer and Spaghetti began making a plan: â€Å"I’ll reach up to the next shelf and you’ll climb up along my arm,† she said. Her noodle arms were very, very long, and she would have no problem reaching way up to the next shelf. Shakton and Corn on the Cob nodded and Spaghetti continued, â€Å"Then I’ll pull myself up and weâ⠂¬â„¢ll do the same thing over again.I’m not entirely sure how you’ll get over onto the door, but I can at least take you as far as the Top Shelf. † â€Å"Thank you for helping us at least that much! † Shakton said gratefully. He really meant what he said. The three carried out their plan without a single thing going wrong, and eventually they reached the Top Shelf. â€Å"Here, I must leave you,† Spaghetti said sadly. Shakton gave her new friend a hug. â€Å"Thank you again for helping us. I don’t know how we would have made it up here without you! † â€Å"You’re welcome, Shakton. Good luck on your mission! † Spaghetti said, then began to go back down to the Leftover Drawer.A kindly tall, skinny cardboard pint of cream was more than willing to lean over and let Shakton and Corn on the Cob climb up his back to reach the Door. They had to quickly deliver Spaghetti’s message to Grated Parmesan, then they were on their way again. Finally, the two reached BlueBerry’s home. He was more than willing to come along— in fact, he was quite honored to be chosen as a representative of the Carbohydrate group. â€Å"Wait, there’s only Corn on the Cob and I†¦ doesn’t that mean you still need to get one more food? † he suddenly asked as they slid down the refrigerator door handle and onto the floor. You’re right,† Shakton realized. He looked at his friends, thinking about whom else he should bring along. He smacked her fist onto her palm, shouting, â€Å"I know! Let’s go get Ants on a Log! † Corn on the cob and BlueBerry looked at each other, puzzled. â€Å"Who’s that? † they asked at the same time. â€Å"Oh, you’ve probably never heard of him. He’s new to the Kitchen. Anyway, he’s on a plate on the counter, beside the sink. † Shakton, BlueBerry, and Corn on the Cob, scurried across the floor, very car eful not to disturb the sleeping cat as they went by. They were all very glad that Mrs.Jones had been interrupted a while ago while sweeping the floors, because the broom was leaning up against the counter. It was pretty easy to climb up the broom handle and onto the counter after all that Shakton and Corn on the Cob went through to get to BlueBerry. When they had all climbed up the broom handle, they hurried over to the white plate sitting there a foot away. The Ants on a Log family were all lying around on the plate, chatting with each other. They all looked exactly alike! Shakton ran over ahead of the other two. â€Å"Hello! I’m Shakton Carbohydrate,† she said.All six of them turned and looked at her. â€Å"Hello,† they all said at once. They looked very friendly. Shakton quickly told them about the Jones’ eating problems (for the third time that day) and asked them if one of them would come with her to the dining room table at supper time. â€Å"Oh, yes. Allan will go with you! † one of them said cheerfully. â€Å"Thank you! † Shakton exclaimed gratefully. He looked quickly over her shoulder at the large clock on the wall. Oh no! It was almost 6:30! They had only five minutes to get to the dining room table. Would they make it in time? We have to hurry,† Shakton shouted. â€Å"Let’s go! † They all slid down the broom handle and ran across the kitchen. It was a very big kitchen, and they couldn’t run very fast on their short little legs. There was only two minutes left when they finally reached the dining room. They hurried over to the table, and then struggled to climb up one of its legs. At long last, they all made it up onto the tabletop. They sat down tiredly, panting to get their breath back. â€Å"Shakton, you made it! Good job! † Norman Nutrition called from the middle of the table, where he sat beside the salt shaker. I knew I could count on you. † Shakton was very ple ased when she saw many of her friends there beside Norman. Penelope Protein was there with her 3 representatives, along with Frances Fat, Phil Fiber, and Wally Water. Of course, the Jones family was there, too. They listened while Norman Nutrition explained that they were here to help them eat better so they could be healthier. Then, the leaders of each of the food groups took turns talking about their jobs. When it was Shakton’s turn he said: â€Å"My job in maintaining your bodies is to help build gain energy so you can run, jump, and play.I brought three friends with me. Corn has lots of carbs, but Corn on the Cob is more fun than other kinds, don’t you think? BlueBerry can be very fruity, and he’s all about carbs! Ants on a Log gets his carbs from the Peanut Butter he’s made with. † After everyone had gotten a turn to talk, Norman turned to the Jones. â€Å"After what you’ve learned, will you promise to eat better foods? † he aske d. They all nodded. Shakton was tired that night, but very happy that the mission was a success. He knew if the Jones ate properly, they would live very happy lives.

Tromp Loeil &the Interior (Renaissance) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Tromp Loeil &the Interior (Renaissance) - Essay Example Their creation was art and architecture whose sole motive was to deceive the eye on the reality of a painting. This was to be known as Trompe l’oeil, which in French is literally â€Å"to deceive the eye† (Damisch, 1984)1. This trompe l’oeil paintings and architecture have existed since then and are a crucial part of modern art and architecture. Trompe l’oeil is a style of art that was developed and popularized in the Renaissance era (Kristeller, 1965)2. The main technique used by these ancient artists was using perspective manipulations to achieve paintings that were self-reflective. The second crucial technique was in using art to develop deception through double wonderment (Damisch, 1984)3. The principle of double wonderment focused on two perspectives. The first perspective was to make the viewers of these images whether the paintings were real. Second wonder aroused by the painting was the question of just how the artist achieved such an effect The us e of oils was another prominent technique used in the renaissance paintings. Oils enhanced representation of distance using a gradation of tones. Light colored oils were used in the foreground picture flame. One of the main techniques of trompe l’oeil was linear perspective. This was a means of representing far away objects to scale with the close objects. Shading was also an indispensable technique for trompe l’oeil. ... Artists in the Renaissance era used techniques in painting that created a perception of depth. To achieve depth they had to employ a three dimensional perspective. One of the main techniques used by these artists was to overlap objects. When an object is drawn in front of another and overlapping it, the first object appears to be in front. In the Renaissance paintings, overlapping was the strongest indication of distance, and as objects are overridden continually, the perceived distance increases. Another technique used in the trompe l’oeil interiors of the renaissance era was use of diminishing scale. Objects were drawn into scale of size using this technique. Where two objects of the known same size are drawn one bigger than the other one, the bigger image is perceived to be closer. This was used extensively in the renaissance era especially with the Trompe l’oeil interiors (Tzonis, 1986)5. The artists in the renaissance era also used technique of diagonal lines to ac hieve diminishing scale. Where lines are drawn to narrow as they go further away, they create an illusion of depth. This is perhaps the most used technique in the Trompe l’oeil paintings. Diagonal lines were painted as they moved towards each other creating a perception of depth and diminishing scale. Another technique was the use of colors. A common assumption in art and architecture is that people see bright colors as being close. Such colors such as red and yellow are deemed to be close. The most commonly application of this technique in the renaissance was in drawing and painting of landscapes. For landscapes, to achieve depth, blue is used to haze far away objects giving an illusion of

Anthropology Test Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Anthropology Test - Assignment Example Question 2 Social stratification refers to the way in which society categorizes and arranges people according to specific features and factors. The unfair distribution and division of labor in a society that practice farming, has a direct effect on Social Stratification. Women are more prejudiced as they tasked with performing the majority of the work (Podolefsky et al, 2011) Part B Question 1 Immediate returns foragers believed in sharing in that hoarding were prohibited. They divided meat equally, breastfeed each other’s babies and moreover depended on each other for survival they had little privacy amongst themselves. The farming society practices opposite as each is entitled to what each rip after planting and every farmer carries his own burden. (Podolefsky et al, 2011) The pre agricultural period provided for sharing and ensured a social structure of human beings . the introduction of faming meant that the indigenous social nature of humans was changed to rather an individual context in which it affected the way of life including human sexuality(Podolefsky et al, 2011) Question 2 The author describes how culture and human differ in terms of ideologies in that the way of thinking while considering the human aspect is different form culture. As was the case for the aborigines where there eating culture prompted the Englishman to think they where starving and on the other hand the indigenous people considered them lazy and fat. The differences occur to the background origin of each set of groups.

An Introduction to Entrepreneurship Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

An Introduction to Entrepreneurship - Coursework Example Understanding the different aspects which are a part of the entrepreneurial behaviors and expectations defines the associations and roles that pertain to business with the individual. Skills, Abilities and Behaviors The generalized concept of being an entrepreneur is based on working independently while moving into business endeavors. However, the business ventures which are created differ from other forms of business. The first difference is noted with an enterprise, which is created through a board of directors or sector of leaders with a hierarchical expectation that is established. While this particular venture may have been established by an entrepreneur, it is expected that the team collaboration and hierarchy separates the individual behaviors from the group modifications which take place. The intrapreneur is another form of leadership which many attribute to the same concept. While there are several similar skills in terms of leadership, this differs because the position is u sually based on management as opposed to starting a new venture without the use of a corporation or other entity. The entrepreneur is then defined as one which differs because of the independent nature and the characteristics of leadership used for innovation and creativity outside of other types of business ventures (Ucbasaran, Westhead, Wright, 2009: p. 99). The main difference in character with entrepreneurs is what leads to the different skills, abilities and behaviors among these business leaders. There are five known personal characteristics which create a difference between entrepreneurs and other types of leaders. This includes being open to experience, being conscious and aware of surroundings, being flexible, being agreeable and carrying a vision based on these determinants. The concept that is associated with these skills is reflective of the psychological expectations that lead to leadership skills, innovation and the ability to create and portray different ideologies in relation to the surrounding environment (Zhao, Seibert, 2006: p. 259). These psychological behaviors then lead to expectations of skills and abilities. Creativity, capability to find opportunities and performing several tasks are some of the skills expected. Entrepreneurs are known for switching skills easily while a business grows while moving in between positions and working with initiatives while creating the necessary ventures (Silva, 2007: p. 118). Creative Thinking The ability to work with leadership skills, behaviors that initiate new ventures and skills that are able to move between various positions then leads to the concepts of creative thinking which are developed by entrepreneurs. The structure that is developed with entrepreneurs is based on the intention of an individual first. This is what initiates the endeavor and allows the entrepreneur to grow, either in response to the environment or because of a vision that is related to the entrepreneur. This is combined with creative thinking to lead to the initiative of the new idea and to find ways to construct the idea into a reality. The creative thinking is furthered by evaluating the business idea to define the probability of success as well as looking into solutions that will help to launch the business into a successful endeavor. The personality of the

Qatar Islamic Insurance Company Research Proposal

Qatar Islamic Insurance Company - Research Proposal Example Price/ Earnings Ratio: The P/E ratio determine the amount investors are willing to pay for every Qatari Riyal. The P/E ratio of the company and that of the industry are 16.67 and 20.14, which shows that company’s earnings per QAR with respect to rest of the industry is QAR 3.47 higher. Hence, the company has sufficient prospect of growth.Price/ Book value: This ratio represents a comparative measurement and relationship between market price of the stock and its book value. Essentially, it represents the proportion of company’s net assets that is accessible to the shareholders with respect to aggregate sale value of its stock. The benchmark for P/B ratio is 1 and any stock value less than that expresses undervaluation. The P/B ratio of the company and that of the industry shows that both the stocks are overvalued, while that of the industry is higher. The P/B ratio of the company illustrates that in case of solvency of Qatar Islamic Insurance Company, the stock will be v alued at 3.84 times of net asset value of the company (Alexander 105-150).Price/ Cash flow ratio: It represents the stock price with respect to cash flow per share. The P/CF ratio is an important indicator of the valuation of stock. While a single-digit value is considered as under-valuation, high values shows potential over valuation. The respective P/CF ratios for QIIC and the industry are 38.17 and 63.79. This implies that both have the propensity towards over valuation. Dividend yield can be defined as return on investment per share.

How were World War I and World War II truly world wars Essay

How were World War I and World War II truly world wars - Essay Example These to countries had massive control in the affairs of different countries and they used their power to influence much of the political happenings in these countries. The major players of the wars put all their industrial, economic and person capabilities on the war. This impacted heavily on the economies of the countries involved in the wars (p.21). Most of these countries were major world powers and their economies affected the economic situations in other countries. When the economy slumped during the two wars, all countries in the world were affected in one way or another, even when they were not directly involved in the war. The two world wars also changed the face of social relations of different people from different countries (p.26). Each of the opposing sides had allies who fought against the allies of another opposing group, thus creating tension where there were not supposed to be tensions. Reference Dowswell, P., Brocklehurst, R. and Brook, H. 2007. The Two world Wars: An introduction to the first and second world wars. New York: Educational Publishers.