Friday, December 27, 2019

Animal Culture And Its Effects On Human Culture - 1777 Words

Animal culture is studied through comparative studies between populations and locations, field observations, and laboratory experiments. It is important to be critical in evaluating the results of these studies because behaviors in artificial situations or captivity will be different than in the wild. Animals are likely to act differently when they are not in their natural environment. Behaviors will vary and the long lasting effects of the behaviors may not be visible (Lalaland, 2003). Evidence of non-human culture has been found in animals such as songbirds, whales, dolphins, primates, and ants. Non-human behaviors are seen as encompassing culture if they â€Å"meet certain conditions: the behavior must be practiced by multiple members of†¦show more content†¦Another important aspect about the cultural evidence is it was first observed in 1952 and eight generations later, in 2008, was still being observed in the wild monkeys. The monkeys on this island ‘develop beh avioral differences as a result of social learning rather than genetic variation’ (Matsuzawa, 2008: R588). The next study regarding primates was seen in 2010 while observing wild chimpanzees in Uganda, with cultural differences between two populations in different areas. The chimpanzees displayed different ways of utilizing tools around them to retrieve honey within the fallen logs around them. The Kibale Forest chimps used sticks while the Budongo Forest chimps utilized leaves sponges that were made from chewed leaves. To study the differences, researchers provided the monkeys with a task to retrieve honey out of an apparatus. Each group resorted to behaviors that they had been familiar with in the beginning, those from Kibale using sticks and Budongo resorting to leave sponges (Cell Press, 2010). Klause Zuberhuler (Cell Press, 2010) from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland noted that the reason for the differences in tools ‘was that chimpanzees resorted to pre existing cultural knowledge in trying to solve the novel task’ and that ‘culture helped them in dealing with this novel problem.’ The behaviors were specific to each population that they developed through socialShow MoreRelatedHumans’ Moral Obligation to Preserve Endangered Species1508 Words   |  7 PagesHumans’ Moral Obligation to Preserve Endangered Species Many species that exists today are becoming endangered to extinction. In the past era where humans did not exist, extinction occurred due to natural causes. On this present time however, extinction of species are threatened by humans’ existence. Humans are the only moral agent; in which, it has the intellectual capacity that animals and plants do not have. Thus, humans are powerful and dominate over any species. Many practices that humansRead MoreEcological Anthropology And Cultural Ecologist799 Words   |  4 PagesEcological Anthropology is the study of how humans cope with problems in their environment such as survival, reproduction, development, longevity or spatial positions of people (Moran, 2008). Ecological Anthropologist and Cultural Ecologist do not ascribe to environmental determinism instead they view the relationship between humans and the environment as more possibilistic, explaining that the â€Å"process† may result in alternative behaviors (Reitz and Wing, 2008; 14). The Historical Ecological perspectiveRead MoreCosmetic History And Facts About The Cosmetic Industry1731 Words   |  7 PagesThe cosmetic industry has become such an integral part of the human culture that it often goes on without notice. In the vast and various cultures across our planet cosmetics are used for multitudes of reasons from religious expression, camouflage for soldiers in combat, Hollywood sets, to getting ready for a date. In our culture the use of makeup is almost a rite of passage into young adulthood for young girls and their mothers. The one question that almost no one ask when they open the make-upRead MoreIs Art Important For Human Evolution?901 Words   |  4 PagesArt is crucial to human evolution because it is both a medium of expression that allows humans to evolve and is also key evidence of human evolution. The development and evolution of the human conscious has a direct correlation to the art created from each time period and has allowed researchers to interpret it, using it as a gateway into early human life. Art acts as a window into the minds and lifestyles of our ancestors. It has influenced the development, evolution, and the process of naturalRead MoreMusic Is a Unique Expression of the Human Condition1750 Words   |  7 PagesMusic is a unique expression of the human condition Music is an extremely important part of human life and has been part of human life for thousands of years. Music can be linked with many different art forms such as art and language; these too are distinct expressions of humans. This particular expression has survived and outlived ancient languages and could possibly be older than any form of language we know. It also serves the same purpose as language, to convey meaning. Music is a way of bringingRead MoreEssay on Animal Rights1148 Words   |  5 Pagesthere has a been an on going heated debate on whether experiments on animals for the benefit of medical and scientific research is ethical. Whether it is or isnt, most people believe that some form of cost-benefit test should be performed to determine if the action is right. The costs include: animal pain, distress and death where the benefits include the collection of new knowledge or the development of new medical therapies for humans. Looking into these different aspects of the experimentation, thereRead MoreAnimal Imagery In Fairy Tales1478 Words   |  6 Pages Historiographical Essay Over time, historians have interpreted the use of animal imagery in western folk and fairy tales as a means for providing entertainment and moral lessons to western society. However, many historians have different ideas about how animal imagery and stereotypes actually affect a society besides keeping away from wolves and bears and such. Dr. Jack Zipes, a professor of German and comparative literature, promotes in his paper, What Makes a Repulsive Frog So Appealing:Read MoreIs Animal Testing Bad or Good? 1196 Words   |  5 Pagessafe for human use. How? Animal testing. Since nearly 500 BC, research and testing on living animals for human purpose has introduced hundreds of new medicinal and cosmetic advances for the human race. While some may see the advantages, others see the concept as just completely inhumane and unnecessary. Why is there such a big divide? The reason, simply, is because of the lack of education on the issue. Being one of the most controversial issues in America today, many people believe animal testingRead MoreOur Physical And Ecological Environment That Shapes Our Society And Culture1184 Words   |  5 PagesIn this paper, I will argue between our physical and ecological environment that shapes our society and culture. First of all, we already have a firm scientific basis by which to assess the effect it has on the development of biology. For example, Darwinian science makes it clear that environment provides the driving force over long periods of time, longer than recorded of human cultural history. Darwin’s legendary Galapagos finches, with their beaks each adapted to the differing food sources onRead MoreHuman Primates, Humans, And Humans1679 Words   |  7 PagesHumans evolve from apelike ancestors approximately five million years ago. Most closely related to us are our non-human primates such as African great apes, chimpanzees and gorillas. Scientific studies reveal that more similar traits are being share by human and our non-human primates compared to other animals. As human evolve from our apelike ancestors, changes in our DNA differentiate ourselves from our non-human primate. Even though we evolve from our non-human ancestors and share similar anatomical

Thursday, December 19, 2019

My Family And Family Life - 2777 Words

With the power of hindsight I have come to understand the effect that my family and family life has had on the person I was, on the person I am, and on the person I hope to eventually become. On the day of my birth, I was welcomed into that proverbial, â€Å"†¦it takes a village to raise a child†. I had two parents that loved me. Maternal grandparents that ensured that I knew the love of the Holy Trinity. Neighbors who looked after me. Close family friends that I would end up calling â€Å"Aunt† and Uncle†, while calling their children â€Å"Cousin†, though there was no blood relation. Unfortunately, my paternal grandparents had passed away before my birth, and yet family members on my father’s side were also considered to be a part of my â€Å"village†. As the first born boy, to the youngest daughter in the family, I was spoiled and coddled, especially by my grandparents. They lived about an hour away, so we were always making trips to visit and they in turn would make reciprocal trips. There were certain things that were expected and understood when you visited â€Å"Granny and Grandpa†. The most important thing, however, was that Sunday morning breakfast would be ready before Sunday school and Sunday Church service. I grew up knowing and loving the Lord in a Baptist faith primarily because of my grandparents. That is not to say that my parents were not practicing Christians, because they were, it just seems that my grandparents set the tone with respect to my religious upbringing. MyShow MoreRelatedMy Life With A Family869 Words   |  4 PagesEveryone can receive a family that loves and cares for them. I remember dreaming about what a forever family would be like. My parents were never around and most of the time I was left to take care of myself. The state took me from my parents when I was five years old. I have since lived with over ten different families. I never believed that I would be adopted and loved by a family. All in one day I received a new mom and dad, a new family, and a new home. The day I was adopted I had to go toRead MoreMy Family And My Life980 Words   |  4 Pagesbeen fifteen years since my parents and my brother Jack adopted me. I was only two then, but now i’m seventeen. I love my life, I have a happy, loving family, I live in a nice house on a farm in Maine, my brother Jack is my bestfriend but I also have other friends, and I have a boyfriend named Justin. I guess you could say my life is perfect. Expect there’s more to me than you think. I’m adopted and even though I love my life there is still a part of me that wants to find my birth parents and knowRead MoreMy Life With My Family852 Words   |  4 PagesVirginia and raised in Suffolk, Virginia; my life has been spent in both country and city. Even though I was schooled in Suffolk, majority of my family had settled in Wakefield, Virginia; which the place I always recognized as home. I was brought up by my parents and with two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother . Together, in combination with my ridiculous amount of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, we had grown up to be one big, happy family that still loves each other dearly. AlthoughRead MoreMy Life Of My Family988 Words   |  4 PagesI would be the first out of my family to graduate college and I was the first to graduate high school out of 3 generations. My father was a Marine for 10 years, he choose a different path instead of going to college or finishing high school. He joined the war overseas to serve his country and I am proud of him. He always told me to never join any branch because he saw a future for me that he wanted me to invest in an education and better myself in everything I do. My brothers and sister choose horribleRead MoreMy Family And My Life1318 Words   |  6 Pages When I was 8, my family and I lived in small house in the city town. Our life was a little bit hard, everyone in the family is always busy, my mom went to work most of the time and my dad, too. My sister and me we both have school during the day and tutoring class after school. Sometimes, I only see my mom twice a week even though she is home everyday at midnight because of her busy work. My dad is in charged of taking me to school and picking me up after tutoring class, but he also have his jobRead MoreMy Family : My Life1303 Words   |  6 Pageswill never get a boyfriend dressing like that.† I rolled my eyes, Emma could be so annoying at times, when will she realize basketball is my passion, my life. Emma was almost always wearing a dress Emma was short and she had long, flowing blond hair and brown eyes, she also had skin as white as the moon. I on the other hand had long black dreads, and blue eyes. My Mom was white and my Dad is black making me bi-racial. I was also extr emely tall. My Dad was the one who introduced me to basketball, he worksRead MoreMy Family And My Life950 Words   |  4 PagesI was born in Mexico, and raised in a Christian environment, where some of my uncles and aunts are pastors, and most of my family members serve at church. I am the youngest of two brothers and a sister. My mom used to take us to church since I remember. She also used to read us Bible stories to teach us values such as service, perseverance, discipline, faith, hope, love, kindness, honesty and humility. Mom always taught us that with hard work accompanied by perseverance, we could do all things weRead MoreMy Life Of My Family1055 Words   |  5 PagesI had something great in my life occur, surprisingly. One day when I was sitting at our home in the kitchen, I started to think about marriage. I felt that I was about the right age to become married. My grandparents were siblings and married, while my parents were siblings and married. I felt then that it might be a good idea to get married then to one of my sisters. The reason this happened was because it made the land stay in our family’s ownership. Both of my sisters were definitely beautifulRead MoreMy Family And My Life1118 Words   |  5 Pages On January 17, 2016, my family and myself travelled about two hours to a small town called Yantis in east Texas. The elder s of our family would always get together multiple times a year to catch up and see each other since they were getting to an age where they can’t depend on themselves being here on this Earth. Out of the seven or eight senior members of the family, two or three had already passed by this time. Our Uncle Charles was not looking good either, over the past few months he went fromRead MoreMy Life With My Family999 Words   |  4 PagesMy life with my family has been a never ending rollercoaster that I want to get off of. For as long as I could remember, my mother and father have had the same ongoing problem. When I was younger I never understood what was going on. I was only a little girl who loved her parents with everything she had. It would always confuse me how I had other brothers and sisters that weren t my mom’s children. I would always ask questions about the kids that would come over and call my dad, dad. I would constantly

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Business Economics Perfect Market Structure

Question: Discuss about the Business Economics for Perfect Market Structure. Answer: 1. The companies invest on the product differentiation with the expectation of improving the quality and minimizing product cost. It is difficult for a company to remain in the competition without involvement in the product differentiation activities. Generally, the reason behind an appropriate expenditure on product differentiation is to enhance the market share and achieve the economic growth. Along with this, the purpose of this is also discovering the new materials and manufacturing techniques that bring down costs. The use of a new technology in the product directly leads to reduce the cost of the production and it also improves the profit of the firm (Christopher, 2016). Research and development (RD) process is an important aspect in the product differentiation process. In this, it does not matter that the firm is related to which market structure. The term product differentiation is related to the marketing of the product that represents the differences between different products. Differentiation process makes a product more attractive through the focusing on its unique qualities. A successful product differentiation provides a competitive advantage to the firms with a high customer base. It also allows the company to leads in the market with high price. For example, a chocolate business may differentiate its products from other brands in terms of test and quality (Estampe, et al., 2013). But, a car manufacturer may differentiate its products with focusing on cost saving and fuel efficient. A perfect market structure focuses the differentiation strategy through the improvement in the quality and designs of the product that enables to achieve competitive advantage in the market without reducing its price. In the perfect competition, it is possible that differentiation strategy may imitate by the competitor because, it includes a large number of the supplier in the market (Bustinza, et al., 2013). Along with this, the business is uncertain and dynamic activity. One product does not run for a long period. After some time, the latest model takes the place of them. In the perfect market competition, the once-off expenditure on product differentiation is significant in term of the achieving economic profit in the future. The situation of the profit can be seen only in the short run. It is because, after the sometimes, the differentiation strategy is adopted by the competitors and the opportunities of the profit are divided to all (Hines, 2014). In economic term, the successful product differentiation process is inconsistent with the situation of the market. It demands of the product remains according to the latest feature in the products. On the other hand, in the monopoly market structure, product differentiation strategy provides the guarantee of the economic profit in the future. In this, the degree of the competition is very low. So that, chances of product imitate remain minimum. In the monopoly market, there is only one supplier of the particular product and the firm can also be called industry. In this, once-off expenditure on the product differentiation is required a lot of money but along with this, it provides an expectation of the high profit in the future (Baldwin and Scott, 2013). The demand for the product remains high due to the quality of the product is rare. Due to this, in the monopoly market, the supplier has full control on the price, which directly benefit can be seen as good profit in the future (Carraro, et al., 2013). In the context of the oligopoly market structure, a few suppliers are presented in the market for a particular product. In this market structure, once-off expenditure on product differentiation affects the whole the completion in the market. It provides benefits in the monetary terms. Due to a few competitors in the market, the action of a firms product differentiation activities affects the others (Kumar and Siddharthan, 2013). The customer expectation changes with the time moving that companies cannot ignore. A firms obligation is that complete the customer expectation. That is why; companies take the action of the product differentiation to make the better product. It also enables the company to find a way of saving the cost of the production. Once off investment on the production differentiation provides the guarantee in the economic profit in the future but, it is not in the long term because, it is certain that the demand for the particular product always remained nil after som e time (Chung, et al., 2013). Product differentiation is a significant feature of the monopolistic market structure. It ensures both the customer and firm that product is different from another competitors product in the market. It provides better margin opportunities to the firms. A better quality product always offers high-profit margin opportunities compared to low quality and pricing strategy (Shao, 2015). But in this, it is essential that the potential customer should able to pay high amount against to better quality. A good margin makes easy to cover the total cost of the product for the manufacture. Along with this, once-off expenditure on the product differentiation is able to sustain the demand of the product in the market. It is because; the continuous development and appropriate price are able to retain the customers. The product differentiation strategy is better than to reduce the price of the product for attracting the customer because the low price includes the risk of creating the price orientatio n and reducing the goodwill of the product (Davcik and Sharma, 2015). From the above discussion, it can be concluded that it is difficult to judge and analysis the flow of customer expectation in the market but customer expectation can be fulfilled through the product differentiation strategy. It provides opportunities to retain potential customers with the new customers. It is also able to reduce the cost of the production with the development of new techniques and material in the production. It benefit can be seen as profit maximization of the firm. But at the same time, dynamic activities in the business environment affect the demand for every product after some time (Ahlin and Ahlin, 2013). Hence, it can be said that once-off expenditure on the product differentiation provides the guarantee of the economic profit in the future but not for a long time. 2. In labor market structure, employment and wages vary across countries. Decentralized labor markets are set in countries where flexible wages can be noticed such as the United Kingdom, United States. However, Germany, France, and Italy have inflexible wages which put centralized labor markets for these countries (Jorgenson, Gollop, and Fraumeni, 2016). Wage rates for individuals may differ across occupations and industries and within occupations and industries due to various factors namely industrial geographic location, size, unionization, and ownership such as private or government own company. Market imperfection also results in wage differentiation. Along with the knowledge and skills of the employee, performance, and passion is to be considered for setting wages. Single occupational wages can also be dissimilar. As illustrated, earning of 10 percent computer programmers was $17.19 per hour or less in 2004, while total earning was noted $42.07 per hour or more for top 10 percent computer programmers (Ehrenberg, and Smith, 2016). A person who has many years of experience is seen as good, high productivity and skill level of an employee. Experienced and in-demand skill workers earn more in comparison to the lack of experience and skill worker in a similar occupation. Inter-firm differentials include workers different wages in the same area as well as occupation. Some of the factors like labor employed quality differences by different firms, labor market imperfections and equipment efficiency differences and supervision results in wage differences among inter-firm (Holley, Ross, and Wolters, 2016). Technological advancement differences, financial capacity of the firm along with its size and raw material availability, managerial efficiency, transport and power facilities also results in wage differences among firms. Moreover, some of the occupations or employers pay high as compared to other due to differences in educational and training requirements, professional degree, and a certificate is defined as the human capital of the firm. Because education and training limit the labor supply which results in a time-consuming process in order to have accomplished and necessitate skill at a certain level (Forssbaeck, and Oxelheim, 2014). Additionally, regional differences refer to the different working condition of workers in similar occupation at the different geographical region. For instance, employees of central government involved in distributed and remote areas of North Eastern States of India are benefited by Remote Area Allowance as additional remuneration. This wage differential is used as a strategy to serve in particular regions as to attract people (Mann, 2012). Inter-Industry differences refer as working of workers in the similar occupation in the same area with industries differences. The unstable requirement of skill, unionization level, product market nature, industrys development stage and the ability of payment results in these differences. Determining the worker's demand for particular services and product is one of the factors that differentiate wage rates. For example, if highly desirable services are provided by a worker then one will be paid higher as compared to low service providers (De Grauwe, 2016). Sometimes, skills and ability significantly affect wage potential of an individual. For instance, one who is producing best music is preferred more than one who is producing average music. Personal wage differences arise due to various characteristics of a person in the same occupation. Many times, in spite provision of equal pay for equal work, women are paid lesser as compared to men. Employer or industry is another factor responsible for workers wage differences. In addition to this, dominance in market, employer success, business culture, and customers are all some of the cause which influences willing pay power towards its employees (Cosar, Guner, and Tybout, 2016). A less income is paid to commercial wealth manager in comparison of wealth manager working with the organization that only focuses on customers of high net worth. Job performance and success of a person may also responsible for wage differentiation (high or low) in the occupation. As illustrated, successful salesperson of a company can earn $1, 50,000 yearly as compared with a less successful salesperson who only earn $95,000. Besides this, trade unions and their shared bargaining power greatly offset the employer power in an organization to set a desired and markup wages for the employees in comparison to the non-union members (Asplund, 2013). Government intervention includes economic stability, allocation of resources, monopolies regulation, income and wealth distribution, monopolies and oligopolies regulation, and externalities. Government intervention influences greater equality to improve opportunity and outcomes equality in redistribution of wealth as well as income within the society which seems to be fairer for all (Hirsch, Kaufman, and Zelenska, 2015). Intervention can result in the promotion of competition along with monopolies regulations. The growth of monopoly power cannot be seen without government intervention for an economy. Governments intervene can have a combination of social welfare maximization, macro, and social economic factors. If there is no regulation, negative externalities can be practiced by a business which will result in minimized trade, limited innovation, and diminished resources. At the time of inflation, and recession government intervenes by money supply manipulation helps to minimize the impact of economic forces (De Grauwe, 2016). Additionally, employment law for protecting public and to ensure issues related to health for the customers are socio-economic factors taken care by the government. Also, various macroeconomic interventions are implemented to reduce unemployment and recession from the country. Inherited wealth can be practiced by the help of wealth tax as this will help to reduce richest wealth and revenue and will contribute in educating poor people of society which results in positive externality (Moscarini, and Postel-Vinay, 2016). Government intervene takes place in the form of taxation and money to negate the dangerous effects of negative externality in the society. This is for those people who do not bear the full cost in an economical transaction. Large-scale endeavors are anticipated by a government to ensure cost reduction and economies of scale (Ehrenberg, and Smith, 2016). Also, it ensures that development of projects will not result in damaging social costs such as pollution and monopoly for the society. References Ahlin, C. and Ahlin, P.D. (2013). Product differentiation under congestion: Hotelling was right. Economic Inquiry, 51(3), 1750-1763. Asplund, R. (2013). Human Capital Creation in an Economic Perspective. Germany: Springer Science Business Media. Baldwin, W. and Scott, J. (2013). Market structure and technological change. UK: Taylor Francis. Bustinza, F., O., Parry, C. and Vendrell-Herrero, F. (2013). Supply and demand chain management: The effect of adding services to product offerings. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 18(6), 618-629. Carraro, C., Katsoulacos, Y. and Xepapadeas, A. eds. (2013). Environmental policy and market structure. Germany: Springer Science Business Media. Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics supply chain management. UK: Pearson Higher Ed. Chung, H.L., Lin, Y.S. and Hu, J.L. (2013). Bundling strategy and product differentiation. Journal of Economics, 108(3), 207-229. Cosar, A. K., Guner, N., and Tybout, J. (2016). Firm dynamics, job turnover, and wage distributions in an open economy.The American Economic Review,106(3), 625-663. Davcik, N.S. and Sharma, P. (2015). Impact of product differentiation, marketing investments and brand equity on pricing strategies: A brand level investigation. European Journal of Marketing, 49(6), 760-781. De Grauwe, P. (2016).Economics of monetary union. UK: Oxford university press. Ehrenberg, R. G., and Smith, R. S. (2016).Modern labor economics: Theory and public policy. UK: Routledge. Estampe, D., Lamouri, S., Paris, J.L. and Brahim-Djelloul, S. (2013). A framework for analysing supply chain performance evaluation models. International Journal of Production Economics, 142(2), 247-258. Forssbaeck, J., and Oxelheim, L. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Economic and Institutional Transparency. UK: Oxford University Press. Hines, T. (2014). Supply chain strategies: demand driven and customer focused. Routledge. Hirsch, B. T., Kaufman, B. E., and Zelenska, T. (2015). Minimum wage channels of adjustment.Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society,54(2), 199-239. Holley, W., Ross, W., and Wolters, R. (2016). The Labor Relations Process. USA: Cengage Learning. Jorgenson, D., Gollop, F. M., and Fraumeni, B. (2016).Productivity and US economic growth. Netherlands: Elsevier. Kumar, N. and Siddharthan, N.S. (2013). Technology, Market Structure and Internationalization: Issues and Policies for Developing Countries. UK: Routledge. Mann, G. (2012). Our Daily Bread: Wages, Workers, and the Political Economy of the American West. USA: UNC Press Books. Moscarini, G., and Postel-Vinay, F. (2016). Wage posting and business cycles: A quantitative exploration.Review of Economic Dynamics,19, 135-160. Shao, X.F. (2015). Product differentiation design under sequential consumer choice process. International Journal of Production Research, 53(8), 2342-2364.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Highway free essay sample

On the Road just gave me the itch. The itch to abandon the glum ho-hum life set before me for a life on the road, tackling the wondrous world and getting my kicks. I believe author Jack Kerouac would agree that being on the road is more about being a madman for your dreams than actually hitchhiking your way to Frisco and back just to hear some maniacal pianist shake and quiver as he pounds the keys into sawdust in a broken-down saloon off Market Street. It’s the itch that drives you to seek and experiment and explore, whether it’s that crazy world around you or those thick books written by Wolfe and Hemingway you’ve got but never had the courage to tackle. Kerouac and his road buddies traveled up and down the Eastern seaboard, through the Midwest and California to escape their dull lives. Jack and Dean and Carlo Marx just wanted to feel the beat, that jazz they loved so much, and the road beneath them. We will write a custom essay sample on The Highway or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The crazy wild-eyed excitement, the raging energy of Dean Moriarty tears at your soul and makes you want to be like him – even though he’s one tragic cat. Maybe you don’t want to find yourself still on the road when you’re 45 – dying of alcoholism – but you never want to lose that mad-eyed fervor you felt way back when. I can see a life ahead of me, one Kerouac would have been proud of. I can see myself in the back of that old Greyhound bus coming out of Port Authority. I’ve got my battered copy of On the Road in one hand and a one-way ticket in the other. I can see the Hudson River lit by a sad orange dusk from the corner of my eye – it flows polluted, the water swelling and shrinking like the crescendos and decrescendos of some lost jazz musician’s trumpet singing sweet â€Å"EE-yah† and â€Å"EEE-de-lee-yah† into the hollowed-out subways. The bus grumbles and roars onto the dark highway, bound for Chicago, the dividing point of East and West, my past and future. But then if I followed that road I wouldn’t be myself, just another Kerouac wannabe, wishing I were growing up with those young Beats. So I guess I’ll just have to take in Kerouac’s uncontrollable passionate soul and leave out the hitchhike to Frisco, the ragged clothes and nights spent in the back of a flatbed staring up at the big sky of Wyoming. As Kerouac hooted – his eyes nearly popping from their sockets – in the midst of one of his mad conversations with Carlo Marx, â€Å"I had nothing to offer anyone except my own confusion.† I could tell you that Jack was right, but it wouldn’t matter. Kerouac’s confusion is a beautiful confusion that gives you the clarity to do what you never thought possible. One day, I will find myself looking into that dark highway – that endless stretch blanketed by the shadowy unknown – I’ll carry On the Road like a bible and I will know that Kerouac gave me the feverish energy to keep traveling through the night. On the Road is more than a book to me; it’s a muse.