Americans Need More Vacation Time :: Argumentative Essays

â€Å"I really need a vacation!† Is there a more common phrase in the workplace in America today? I’m sure all of us had uttered that phrase at least once in the last 12 months. Americans are so vacation-deprived, then why is it that almost a third of the American working adults are giving up some earned vacation this year, and when they do go on vacation they still do some work by checking in with office communications, according to a Harris Interactive vacation-related poll? The following table below indicates that the U.S. ranks 10th in term of average number of vacation days around the world per year, with the average of just 13 days per year compared to the United Kingdom’s 28, and Italy’s 42 days per year. Even the average worker in Japan – where the term karoshi, which means â€Å"death by overwork†, was coined gets five weeks of annual paid vacation. Average Number of Vacation Days Around the World Per Year Italy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  42 days France  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  37 days Germany  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  35 days Brazil  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  34 days United Kingdom  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  28 days Canada  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  26 days Korea  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25 days Japan  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  25 days U.S.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13 days Source: World Tourism Organization (WTO). We like to think that we’ve got the world’s highest standard of living with the per capita GDP of $37,800, 3rd highest in the world , and yet, we are the only industrialized nation that refuses to mandate vacation for workers in the private sector. And if you think we are making the most of those precious few days that we get, you couldn’t be more wrong. According to a study conducted in May 2004 by Harris Interactive, the average American planned not to use three of his or her vacation days this year, up from two days last year. The study also found that nearly 40 percent American said they had canceled or postponed vacations due to work. So what’s the matter with us?

Moby Dick Essay

Melville’s Moby Dick is widely recognized as one of the most complex and brilliant allegorical novels in American literature. As an allegory, the events, places, people and conflicts depicted in the novel represent not only the obvious surface-level elements of the novel, but stand as indications of the novel’s philosophical and metaphysical themes. The allegory of Moby Dick involves an examination into the nature of reality and also into the nature of good and evil, as defined for Melville partially by America’s Puritan heritage. Melville wanted to portray the essence of evil in a symbol, which was the whale, Moby Dick. When Ahab says â€Å"All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks,† (Melville) he is echoing the allegorical construction of the novel in which each thing, such as the whale, Moby Dick, is merely a â€Å"pasteboard mask† (Melville) which hides the true essence beneath, an â€Å"unknown but still reasoning thing† (Melville) which â€Å"puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask† (Melville). For Ahab, the white whale is the mask which disguises truth and the revelation of the nature of reality. In this sense, the white whale becomes a symbol for whatever it is that holds mankind back from the perception of absolute reality. Ahab emphatically reveals his Platonic beliefs when he says â€Å"If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall? To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me. Sometimes I think there`s naught beyond. † (Melville) In this sense, the whale represents oblivion, the â€Å"naught beyond† which in Ahab’s mind is plainly associated with death. It is toward the heart of the nature of reality that Ahab strikes with his blood-sealed harpoon, not merely a fish in the ocean. For Ahab the white whale represented both ultimate reality and the wall which separates man from ultimate reality. Ahab’s view of nature and reality is that the visible world and all of the events, people, and actions in it are indicators of deeper, more profound, metaphysical ideas and experiences: when he hunts the white whale which represents evil and oblivion, he is hunting the absolute nature of evil, not merely one of its beasts. The intense hate that Ahab feels for the white whale helps to distinguish Ahab’s view of reality as presented in the novel form the vision of reality Melvile was trying to establish by way of the allegory of the novel. While Ahab believes the white whale to be the symbol of evil, Melville’s depiction of evil through the allegorical structure of Moby Dick is shown, ironically, through Ahab himself and not through the symbol of the whale. Instead, for Melville, the whale symbol indicated the cosmic universe and was exhaustively related through his use of cetological detail and science. In this way, Ahab’s obsession and hate are shown to be a tragic flaw along the lines of some of Shakespeare’s heroes, after whom Ahab’s dialogue explaining his motives for hunting Moby Dick are clearly derived. As Ishmael gains a closer, more intimate apprehension of whales, the development of his character and spiritual insight are correspondingly elevated. The more detailed are the cetological experiences and catalogues, the more wholly expressive and self-possessed and sure becomes Ishmael. Still deeper correspondences between the cetological material and Melville’s narrative form are established in Ishmael’s descriptions of the whales â€Å"blubber† and â€Å"skin† which he posits as being indistinguishable. This is reflected in the narrative structure of â€Å"Moby Dick† where it is equally as difficult to apprehend where the â€Å"skin† (overt theme and storyline) of the novel ends and the â€Å"blubber† (cetological and whaling discourses and catalogues) begin. Melville makes it perfectly clear that the â€Å"blubber† is an as indispensable part of his novel as it is for the whale’s body. â€Å"For the whale is indeed wrapt up in his blubber as in a real blanket or counterpane; or, still better, an Indian poncho slipt over his head;† (Melville) therefore, too, is the expository material, the â€Å"blubber† of the novel wrapped around its central, allegorical aspects. The detailed cetological aspects of â€Å"Moby Dick† may, indeed, prevent the reader from an easy, and immediate grasp of the novel’s â€Å"meaning† or even its astounding climax. Just as the whale’s hump is believed by Ishmael to conceal the whale’s â€Å"true brain† while the more easily accessed â€Å"brain† know to whalers is merely a know of nerves, the secret â€Å"core† of â€Å"Moby Dick† can only be pursued with patience and close, deep â€Å"cutting†due to the organic and harmonious nature of its narrative form. By keeping in mind the previously discussed aspects of the relationship between â€Å"Moby Dick’s† comprehensive cetological materials and their symbolic relationship to the novel itself, its form and themes, Ishmael, while discoursing on the desirability of whale meat as fit food for humans, offers an ironic gesture toward the novel’s probable audiences. â€Å"But what further depreciates the whale as a civilized dish, is his exceeding richness. He is the great prize ox of the sea, too fat to be delicately good† (Melville).

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Essay - 623 Words

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document that was written by the United Nations in 1948 spelling out the rights that each human should be entitled to. The declaration initially describes general human rights in the preamble then describes in each specific right in thirty additional articles. After reading the universal declaration, I found that the central points are described in the preamble and throughout the various articles. The declaration addresses points such as the right to happiness, unjust persecution, torturing or enslavement, the right to nationality, social security and the right to take part in government. The declaration also states that everyone should be given equal rights. The declaration was†¦show more content†¦I do not think that this part of Article 25 is relevant at all in todays world. This is a difficult conflict to resolve in a world with 7+ billion people when too many politicians are involved. The people are the ones who suffer when political indecision results in a lack of aid in situations outlined by this article. In an ideal world, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be upheld and every human would be protected by the verses in this document. However, we do not live in an ideal world and many of these issues are more complicated than a document can explain. It is up to the current and next generation of humans to uphold these articles and move forward when needed. We live in an ever-changing world with countless variables. We have wars, terrorists, debt, famine and genocide. I would like to believe that this document is relevantShow MoreRelatedThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1728 Words   |  7 Pagespeople. Culture can impede progress and leave women, minorities and other sub-sects of a society without the basic human rights that they deserve. Clinging too close to culture can be dangerous. The Foundations of a Universal Declaration The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was drafted shortly after the United Nations was established in 1945. The aim of the Declaration was to ensure that an atrocity such as the mass killings of Jews and other minorities in Nazi Germany would never happenRead MoreThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights1131 Words   |  5 PagesHuman rights are moral principles that set out specific standards of human behavior, and are normally ensured as lawful rights in both national and global law. They are acknowledged to be inalienable, since anybody is characteristically qualified for it essentially on the grounds that they are individuals. Whatever our nationality, sex, shade, religion, dialect, or ethnic source is, we are all just as qualified for our rights without separation or discrimination. All human rights are resolute andRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Essay1368 Words   |  6 Pages The Universal Declaration of Human rights was adopted in the UN gene ral assembly by the 10th December 1948. This is the first time that the world recognized that everyone had the right to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom from fear and want, and many other rights. International human rights come along way; before there was no rights. The idea of having rights that led to the development of international human rights takes time. There are benchmarks developments in internationalRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesA human right is an ethical choice and moral belief belonging to all humans regardless of traits, status, location, color, gender, or belief system. Making the connection to a universal law, the United Nations Rights High Commissioner explains these rights are, â€Å"guaranteed by law† and protected as â€Å"fundamental freedoms† (OHCHR, 2016). The Cambridge Dictionary defines privilege as â€Å"an advantage that only one person or group of people has† listing examples such as having a high social position or wealthRead MoreUniversal Declaration Of Human Rights1263 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a doctrine created to ensure a mutual standard of treatment amongst all humans, every person deserves an equal set of life standards. According to Article 18 of this 30 Article document, â€Å"everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teachingRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1417 Words   |  6 PagesImplemented in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) delineates the basic rights and freedoms entitled to all humans. The freedom of speech and the right to express beliefs freely is a universal human right protected by Article 19 of the UDHR. It declares that â€Å"everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression† and can â€Å"hold opinions without interference†. The regional agreements of Iran, China and Bahrain are in accordance with the Universal Declaration and are fully dedicatedRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights892 Words   |  4 PagesHuman rigths is an essential component of a tolerant and individually satisfied society. They are created to defend people’s dignity, equality and liberty. However, for thousands of years people lived with no garanteed rights, until 1948, when United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But is the Universal Declaration of Human Rigths really universal to all states and humans living in them? I am going to argue if Human Rights should or should not be unically adapted to differentRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights875 Words   |  4 PagesI feel that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) does have a western bias. Many people look to US for guidance, but not many other nations copy our way of life. States can sign treaties, but they cannot be reassured that the other nation will keep its word. The US and the UN should maybe not be engaging in promoting western society, but they should be engaging in promoting the protection of human rights. The UN UDHR fought for minimal rights in 1948 by identifying three types of generationsRead MoreThe Universal Declaration Of Human Rights1485 Words   |  6 Pages1003236982 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states â€Å"that human rights are held by all persons equally and universally forever† –hence, they are universal held. This is due to them being the exact same for all human beings anywhere in the world. One cannot acquire human rights because of where they come from, but because they are a member of the human race. Nobody can lose those human rights, nor can they be taken away for whatever the reason may be. Together, we have the right to express ourselvesRead MoreThe Declaration Of Universal Human Rights869 Words   |  4 PagesGeneral Assembly (UNGA) set forth a declaration of universal human rights. The goal was to set a common standard of rights based on â€Å"recognition of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.† It was meant to become the perfect social contract but unfortunately was not upheld even by the signatory nations themselves. Many critics now looking b ack have cited the overreaching ideals as the downfall of the declaration but yet many have responded saying it

Global Health Challenges Of The United States - 963 Words

One global health challenge is the deficit in the amount of health professionals globally. Crisp and Chen (2014) acknowledge that the faltering amount of health professionals are being stressed by â€Å"demographic changes, epidemiologic shifts, and redistribution of the disability burden†. Worldwide, anyone is capable of suffering from global warming or diseases. Becoming a health professional requires knowledge of many ailments and diseases and in order to assess this information, they need to attend school. With how interconnected science and technology has become, health professionals are now traveling for the enterprise. Their patients are also traveling for medical treatment. Twenty-five percent of doctors in the United States are from overseas. Medical tourism to countries such as Thailand and Singapore are increasing at twenty percent per year. The education of a health professional varies from region to region. The schooling of most health professionals varies country to country. In the United States, it’s four years of university and then another four years of medical school. In the UK, the regimen is between five to six years of post-high school education. The number of doctors in the world is 9.2 million, nurses are 18.1 million. The US has 4% of the world’s doctors and 17% of the world’s nurses. Future projections estimate that by 2020, that there will be an insufficient amount of doctors and nurses and will get even worse by 2025. Countries such as India, China,Show MoreRelatedGlobal Health Policy Efforts Is The Right Of All Humans On The Planet Essay960 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal Health Policy Efforts The right of all humans on the planet is to have access to health, education, and environmental sustainability. In September of 2000, world leaders adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration, which committed world leaders to eight millennium development goals that address poverty, hunger, disease, and lack of adequate shelter (Millennium Project, 2006). Centers around the world focus on global development in alignment with the Millennium Goals by improving healthRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Vaccination On United States Citizens Essay1330 Words   |  6 Pagesvaccines have drastically increased longevity for United States citizens. Today, citizens live almost twice as long as they did a century ago. Lifespan is a rough indicator of a population’s overall health. This is possible because of the successful elimination of many formally lethal illnesses. In the United States, vaccinations have provided immunization from many health threats. However, new threatening illnes ses have emerged. United States health organizations collaborate with international entitiesRead MoreChallenges of International Relations966 Words   |  4 Pagesfirst. Are states obsolete? For almost four hundred years, the territorial state has been the primary player in world politics. To achieve state sovereignty has been the main goal of most nationalistic separatist movements. In some points of view, the territorial state is in very good health. It is still needed to provide military security, give people identity, raise taxes, and provide for the needy. Although, as global trends put pressure on nations for the transformation of politics, states becomeRead MoreClimate Change And National Security1295 Words   |  6 PagesTopic: Climate Change and National Security For centuries the United States Military has addressed the many challenges of national security, from fighting for the foundation of America in the Revolutionary war, to the containment of terrorism and Islamic extremism in recent years, but now global climate change presents a new and very different type of challenge to national security. The stability of the world’s climate that has enabled human civilizations to grow and flourish over the last five thousandRead MoreThe Four Major Threats to the Global Community and the Planet1332 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Global Threats Introduction Mr. President, as I see it, there are four major threats to the global community and the planet that should be of immediate and utmost concern, and they are: a) Environmental challenges (global climate change and the environmental degradation that will result from the warming of the planet); b) Global Security / Terrorism (the unpredictable and undisciplined application of military power due to the changing nature of nations and states, e.g., terrorism, weapons of massRead MoreSchool Related Gender Based Violence1151 Words   |  5 PagesRecent developments: Each child has the privilege to education and the advantages it brings. In the developing world, a training can change a youngster s life and help to break the cycle of poverty. In recent decades, global development efforts have focused on enrolling all children in primary school. Today, the test is to guarantee that kids can stay in school and advantage from a quality education. A major barrier to the achievement of quality education is the existence of gender-based violenceRead MoreCause and Effect of Chronic Disease and Its Impact in the United States1186 Words   |  5 PagesCause and effect of chronic disease and its impact in the United States ********* **** Techniques 1 – Week 3 ****** ****** – Student ID: ******* Instructor: ******* ***** April 18, 2010 The United States is experiencing an unsustainable disease burden; 130 million people today suffer from chronic diseases, taking a tremendous toll on individuals, families, and communities. In addition to lives lost and quality of life lost, we are also a nation in crisis, an economic crisis. We spend overRead MoreThe Role Of A Manager For Any Capacity At A Business904 Words   |  4 Pages There are many challenges when playing the role of a manager in any capacity at a business. Managers need to be able to make informed decisions that can have financial or personnel impacts, they need to fully understand and implement all organizational policies, and they need to manage and drive employee performance. Managers are in a state of perpetual assessment. Performing these tasks in one country and one culture is challenging enough, but from an ethical point of view, there is a prettyRead MoreObesity : A Major Health Challenge1319 Words   |  6 Pagesis a major health challenge in the United States. The World Obesity Federation reports obesity has become a major growing health problem since infectious diseases and nutrient deficiencies began to fade in the first half of the 20th century (WOF, 2015, para 1). Obesity is one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare today. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention report more than one-third of adults in the United States are obese and childhood obesity is at 17 percent. Health informationRead MoreMariah Miller. Professor Fandel. Eng 105. 5 May 2017. Global1613 Words   |  7 PagesProfessor Fandel ENG 105 5 May 2017 Global Warming Spring is upon us and summer is fast approaching; the weather in Iowa is unpredictable as usual. A few weeks ago, it was unseasonably warm, for the sake of comfort I switched the heat off and the air conditioner on; not your typical April, or is it? Based on scientific research I believe the explanation for the bizarre weather patterns are caused by climate changes that are the result of global warming. What is global warming? It is when the earth s

`` Harrison Bergeron `` By Kurt Vonnegut - 1875 Words

The year 2081, and everybody was finally equal in every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else† (Vonnegut 864). In the futuristic short story, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. illustrates a government implemented law of equality forced upon a society. Vonnegut a social commentator utilizes satirical events in the story to illustrate irrational thoughts and ideas from society. Satire is a special form of literature that seeks to expose foolish ideas and customs in a society. Satire does not lecture; instead, it exaggerates a part of society and lets the readers decide what to do about it, if anything. Most of the time,†¦show more content†¦The Slaughterhouse-Five was a satirical masterpiece claiming to be his greatest achievement. Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people s stupidity or vice s, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues the last of Vonnegut achievements was his novel Timequake and collection of essays A Man without a Country. He later died due to a fall on the steps of his home in New York on April 11, 2007. â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is one of Vonnegut’s most significant stories. It was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1961 and was later republished as part of the short-story collection Welcome to the Monkey House in1968 (Parr).Set in a dystopian America; it is often interpreted as a sweltering appraisal of strict governments. A dystopian setting often depicts characters that think technology and/or big government are trustworthy and will always protect them or save them. A dystopian society is also one that has lost ascetics of a culture, including art, music, drama, athletics, and/or creative expression. The settings in dystopian novels or stories are always bleak, oppres sive and offer no hope or individual freedoms for the masses. Individuals and even entire family units are sometimes distracted by technology, and they have sometimes fallen prey to a consumer mindset.

Its the most controversial case in modern America Essay Example For Students

Its the most controversial case in modern America Essay Jfkn history. Did Lee Harvey Oswald kill John Kennedy by himself, or did a conspiracy do it? And if a conspiracy did it, did the conspiracy include Oswald? If you are like most Americans, you believe that a conspiracy killed Kennedy. And if you are like most Americans, you have heard a vast number of bogus factoids about the case. Lee Harvey Oswald is at the center of the assassination, regardless of whether you consider him the lone gunman, a coconspirator who was also a patsy, or totally innocent. If you believe what the conspiracy books say the Warren Commission believed about the Single Bullet Theory, you would have to conclude the commissioners and staff of the commission were a bunch of fools. Conspiracy authors always show Connally seated directly in front of Kennedy, at the same height, and facing forward. The doctors who performed the autopsy, and the Warren Commission which had to reach conclusions based on the medical evidence, blundered in substantial ways. These blunders can be presented as evidence of some sinister conspiracy, rather than then result of haste and an excessive concern for the feelings of the Kennedy family. Those who argue the case for conspiracy in the JFK Assassination, frequently do so from the perspective that when JFK was killed, a great symbol of Progressive liberalism was snuffed out, and with his death, the hopes of revolutionary progressive reform in American society was snuffed out as well. Always, JFK is seen as one who would have been at home with the radicals of the late 1960s who marched against the war in Vietnam and demanded an end to the Cold War, and who argued for more action on social justice issues of civil rights and poverty.

The Lottery Analysis Essay Example For Students

The Lottery Analysis Essay The Lottery According to anthropologist, William A. Haviland, ritual is the means by which the social bonds of a group are reinforced and tensions relieved. Shirley Jacksons short story, The Lottery, vividly illustrates the ease with which the individual in societytolerates and even participates in acts that if undertaken singly would be considered reprehensible. The authors skillful use of setting, mood and foreshadowing, brings to life this story of an otherwise idyllic community who, to the last child, participate in an annual ritual of sacrifice. The Lottery begins in a setting that embodies light, warmth and community spirit. We will write a custom essay on The Lottery Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now All the citizens are gathered in the village square, complete with children playing as the adults observe the daily, mundane conventions of small talk and the teens grouped by sex, nervously observe each other. When the purpose of the gathering is revealed, the setting heightens the contrast of such an unusual event occurring in a traditional small town. The mood of the story at first seems almost festive. Then in small, but telling glimpses we are told that the men are smiling rather than laughing at the jokes, and the conversation among the bystanders turns to murmurs as the town official, Mr. Summers arrived in the square, carrying the black box. Then the good-natured folk keep their distance and Mr. Summers must ask for help.There seemed to be a resigned air among the citizens. The narrator recounts a partial history ofrituals involving the black box, complete with rumors of chants, recitals, stances, dim memories of the way the lottery used to be conducted. The reminiscing serves as a reminder to the villagers of the way things are and the way they have always been. The sheer weight of generations of villagers following the lottery tradition is felt. The mood of the people shifts from amicability, to false bravado, to relief and finally nervous release as they fulfill the obligation of stoning the victim. Even little Davy Hutchinson is handed a pebble to wield against his mother.