Culture of Cherokee American Indians Essay

Scholars differ on where the Cherokee subculture came from and when they arrived on their traditional lands in the Southeast. The archaeological record of human occupancy of the Southeast goes back to at least 10,000 B. C. (Muller, 1978, p. 283; Canouts and Goodyear, 1985, p. 181), but this does not mean the Cherokees, or even their very distant ancestors, were there that early. Cherokees, as Cherokees, did not exist nearly so far back in time, nor did they necessarily emerge from the first or even from early occupants of the Southeast. The Cherokees as a more or less distinct American Indian people seem to be at the very most only one or two thousand years old. They may have developed from other American Indian peoples already in the Southeast, or they may have migrated there from another region. The Cherokees say they and other human beings were created after plants and animals were made. Plants and animals were told by the creator–the Cherokees do not know who he or she was–to stay awake for seven nights and watch the world. Most could not do so. Of the plants, only the spruce, cedar, pine, holly, and laurel trees were able to watch so long: that is why they are now green all year. Of the animals, only the owl, the panther, and a few others were able to stay awake: that is why they see at night and prey on those who must sleep. Human beings were then created: â€Å"At first there were only a brother and sister until he struck her with a fish and told her to multiply, and so it was. † Seven days afterward the girl had a child; another came seven days later, then another, and so forth, and the human beings â€Å"increased very fast until there was danger that the world could not keep them. Then it was made that a woman should have only one child in a year, and it has been so ever since† (Mooney, 1982, p. 240). The Cherokees do not now know when or how some humans first became Cherokees. Almost certainly they had their origins in an ancient time, distinct from the present, when things were not as they are now. The Cherokees think they may even have emerged from the ground after other human beings were created, for it is said there is another world under the surface, identical except that the seasons are different. According to the Cherokees, â€Å"The streams that come down from the mountains are the trails by which we reach this underworld, and the springs at the heads are the doorways by which we enter it, but to do this one must fast and go to water and have one of the underground people for a guide† ( Mooney, 1982, p. 240). Some scholars have asserted that this is where the name Cherokee came from–given them by their neighbours. The scholars have argued that Cherokee means â€Å"cave people,† for the Cherokees are said to have come from under the ground (Reid, 1970, p. 3) and also lived in a mountainous land full of caves. The eighteenth-century trader James Adair asserted that the name came from the (apparently Cherokee) word chee-ra, meaning (sacred) fire, forming cheera-tahge, or â€Å"men possessed of the divine fire† (Adair, 1930, p. 237). Probably the name is from the Creek chilokee, â€Å"people of a different speech,† as John W. Swanton has stated; perhaps it is the name from which the form Chalaque was derived (Swanton, 1985, p. 49-50). The anthropologist John Witthoft supported this interpretation, based on his work with Eastern Cherokee â€Å"informants†: â€Å"The name came from the Creek, Celokokalke, ‘people of another language’. † He asserted, â€Å"The Creek name by which the Cherokee were first known to Europeans became the general name for them in the Southeast, and was soon accepted even by the Cherokee themselves; names for other tribal groups have come into existence after a similar fashion† (Witthoft, 1947, p. 305). The Cherokees commonly called themselves Tsalagi or, in the plural, Ani-Tsalagi, perhaps â€Å"corrupted† to form the name Cherokee or perhaps derived from the same word as Cherokee. According to James Mooney, their proper name for themselves was Yunwiya or, in the plural, Ani-Yunwiya. It means, more or less, â€Å"the people,† â€Å"the real people,† or â€Å"the principal people† (Mooney, 1982, p. 15). Tradition played an important role in Cherokee clans. It made sure certain elements of a culture from generation to generation were passed down. Such as, the traditional matrilineal Cherokee family structure, which means descent, is traced through the female line (Conley, 2002). The children belonged to the mother and her family clan. There was not any relatedness with the father and he’s family clan. This family structure provided a safe and secure environment for women and children. Also, it meant the man lived in the wife’s house, surrounded by her clan’s people, so he would not dare to abuse her unless he wanted a tribal beating. Women were largely incorporated into the tribes. Not only was she the head of her domain with mutually respected power and authority, she had equal say in the affairs of war and peace. She was also in charge of the household and nourishment of her family. The women were involved in many functions of daily life. It seems as if the women were the tribe, but not for long. Years after the first American contact, European traders living amongst would marry Cherokee women. European traders could not accept that fact of tracing descent through the female line, but slowly the clan system gave into the European style bilateral family, which traced descent through both male and female (Conley, 2002). The Cherokee were not too happy with this movement. It jeopardized the Cherokee’s clan traditional ways of a matrilineal family structure carried on for many centuries. Nevertheless, the Cherokees could do nothing about it. Before the first known contacts, life of the Cherokee nation had grown and thrived for many years in the south-eastern United States in the lower Appalachian Mountains in states such as: Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and parts of Kentucky and Alabama. However, in less than thirty years, after the first recorded contact with outsiders, in particular with Hernado De Soto in his expedition of 1540, the Cherokee Indians reformed their culture. Many adaptations took place which resembled similar American cultures. The Cherokee soon built schools and court systems. This infuriated Andrew Jackson, a supporter of the Indian removal policy. After awhile, George Gist, also known as Sequoyah, established a Cherokee written language, utilizing an ingenious alphabet of 86 characters in 1821 (Ehle, 1925). Soon, this was adopted into Cherokee culture and a newspaper was formed. Again, Andrew Jackson grew more furious. He wanted the Cherokees removed off their lands. In 1830, United States Congress passed an Indian Removal Act pushed by President Andrew Jackson following the recommendation of former President James Monroe in his final address to Congress in 1825 (King, 1979). This act enforced the previous Georgia Compact of 1802, since many were ignoring that removal act. But, many opposed this Indian Removal Act ratified by congress. After debates over this issue, the oppositionist won. However, Andrew Jackson was able to reinforce the act, due to the Treaty of New Echota on Dec. 29, 1875 (Conley, 2002). The signing of the Treaty of New Echota set the stage for the beginning of Cherokee extermination. The treaty signed away the entire remaining tribal territory east of the Mississippi in exchange for five million dollars and the right to occupy lands west of the Mississippi (King, 1979). Major Ridge, John Ridge, Elies Boudinot, and the rest of the Treaty Party doomed the whole Cherokee Nation when they agreed to sign a fraudulent treaty with the federal government, which did not represent the Cherokee Nation as a whole (Martin, 2001). The Ross Party, people who oppose the removal treaty, tried to resist, but nothing else could be done. This removal process started what was to be known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears† or â€Å"Trail where they cried. † This forced migration journey consisted of thirteen groups of consecutive waves led by Cherokee captions that lasted from August 28, 1838 to March 18, 1839 (Conley, 2002). Over the journey many Cherokees died, approximately, four thousand out of sixteen thousand, due to diseases, exposure, or fatigue (Martin, 2001). The history of the Cherokee people is one of defeat and despair. After the first encounters with Americans, the Cherokee Nation was deteriorating. For instance, Cherokee family structures were changing, vast amounts of lands were being ceded to Americans, and Cherokee Indians were forced from their lands. Overtime, this constant chipping away at the Cherokee Nation, lead to the final Indian removal from homelands and the demise of the Cherokee Nation in southeastern United States. References Adair, James. (1930). Adair’s history of the American Indians. Johnson City, Tenn. : Watauga Press. Canouts, Veletta, and Goodyear, Albert C. (1985). Lithic scatters in the South Carolina Piedmont. In Structure and process in southeastern archaeology, ed. Roy S. Dickens Jr. , and H. Trawick Ward, (pp. 180-94). University: University of Alabama Press. Conley, Robert, J. (2002). Cherokee. Portland: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co. pp. 24-5, 44. Ehle, John. (1925). Trail of tears. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. King, Duane, H. (1979). The Cherokee Indian Nation. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press. pp. 16, 129. Martin, Ken. (2001). History of the Cherokee. Retrieved February 13, 2006 from cherokeehistory. com Mooney James. (1982). Myths of the Cherokee and sacred formulas of the Cherokees. Nashville: Charles and Randy Elder. Muller Jon D. (1978). The Southeast. In Ancient Native Americans, ed. Jesse D. Jennings, (pp. 281-325). San Francisco: W. H. Freeman. Reid, John P. (1970). A law of blood: The primitive law of the Cherokee Nation. New York: New York University Press. Swanton, John R. (1985). Final report of the United States De Soto Expedition Commission. Washington, D. C. : Smithsonian Institution Press. Witthoft, John. (1947). Notes on a Cherokee migration story. Communicated by W. N. Fenton. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 37, 304-5.

A Commentary on Plath’s The Surgeon at 2am

Fraught with the stress of depression combined with the pain of a recent miscarriage, Plath was preoccupied with the concept of hospitalisation when writing ‘The Surgeon at 2am'. Taking on the persona of a male surgeon, the controlling role to her more passive role as patient, she explores the concept as the surgeon as master and alludes to a higher power in explaining the apparent magic and complexity of the human body. The title of this poem introduces us to its major subject matter, as is typical of Plath's poetry. The first two lines of the first stanza appear subjective and clinical, introducing us to the idea of the surgeon being a man of science. The line ‘hygienic as heaven' also alludes to death, a commonplace occurrence in any hospital. This is followed through by the reference to the death of the microbes. This also gives an air of control to the poem and allows the reader to understand the controlling role of the surgeon as he performs his work. This stanza also introduces the idea of the surgeon operating as a higher power behind the scenes; ‘a snowfield, frozen and peaceful' explains that he is all alone in his work and that, with the patient being under anaesthetic, he has total control. The metaphor ‘a lump of Chinese white' for the mask of the patient dehumanises him somewhat; the surgeon is left with a body to play with as opposed to a human being. This idea is furthered with the line ‘The soul is another light. : the surgeon deals exclusively with the material and, by the humanisation caused by the mask, hygiene and silence, does not come into contact with the ethereal or profound. As such, this causes contradiction with the previous theme of his higher power, and calls into question the role in which he truly plays within his field of the human body. Is he higher power or merely Santa's proverbial little helper? This first stanza seems, most importantly, to introduce the message that, though the sur geon may be able to perfect the body, he is incapable of coming across the soul. The second stanza further bathetically reduces the surgeon to a craftsman: more specifically a gardener, doing God's dirty work in a human garden. Plath compares organs to ‘tubers and fruit' and their blood to ‘jammy substances', while veins are ‘a mat of roots'. The unnamed ‘assistants' seem to be undergardeners while the narrator does the finest pruning and operating. Although, evidently, the surgeon is familiar with the body, from the line ‘Stenches and colours assail me', he exalts in the beauty of the body and the flawlessness of the organs that he must trim and clip. The last three lines of the stanza complete the sentiment of dirty work as opposed to higher interference. The surgeon is acutely aware of his own incompetence (‘I am so small') and, when faced with the perfection and complexity of the human body, finds his own actions to be clumsy and boorish: ‘I worm and hack' The body with which the surgeon occupies himself becomes not simply a task to be completed, but rather an all-consuming landscape. In the second stanza we are introduced to the garden, perhaps a reference to Eden, while in the third, the surgeon notes sunsets and hot springs. These metaphors also demonstrate the dehumanisation of the body on which he operates. The idea of an all-consuming task also comes through in the line ‘I am up to my elbows in it': this gives the blood and body a more active role and gives almost the impression of it taking control of the surgeon, particularly in the line ‘Still it seeps me up'. The surgeon appears almost reluctant to ‘seal off' the mass of veins and leave the garden, perhaps insinuating that he feels more comfortable in his ‘garden' than in the real world, where people are not merely bodies under a mask of ‘white clay. In the second part of the stanza, the surgeon rhapsodises about the skill of the Romans, showing his respect for logic and discipline. Proclaiming the body to be a ‘Roman thing', he places it on the same pedestal as ‘Aqueducts' and ‘the Baths of Caracella', extolling its capacity for sensible routine (for example, in the pumping of the heart), while, cur iously, paying little attention to its capacity for human emotion. We may perhaps infer from this that Plath felt dehumanised by her surgeons when hospitalised. The enigmatic last line ‘It has shut its mouth on the stone pill of repose' refers perhaps to the body being in an anaesthetised state. The surgeon appears to find this more noble than the real unreposed people he might encounter outside of the theatre. This anaesthetised body, ‘statue'-like, is wheeled off in the fourth stanza, while the surgeon sits back and veritably rubs his hands together with glee. His operating leaves him with the trimmings of the body, perhaps unwanted cuttings and prunings of the aforementioned garden. After the high praise of the Roman body, the ‘set of teeth [†¦ to rattle in a bottle and take home' seem somewhat desacrelised, indicating that the surgeon considers his work to be in removing the bad to leave only the flawless, hence leaving him only with the unnecessary and crude. This furthers our understanding of the surgeon as a man of science who sees things in black and white terms; he deals merely with the necessary and unnecessa ry. Cannibalism is generally seen as high taboo in most societies, and the phrase ‘a pathological salami' seems intent on making the reader wince. This also shows the surgeon's disregard for everything not involved in his making of perfection. The phrase ‘they will swim in vinegar like saints' relics' seems also somewhat tongue in cheek, as the surgeon embraces science over religion. By comparing a salami to relics, he demonstrates the importance he considers them to have. By preferring a body to a person and condemning both religion and the soul, we are left with the impression that the surgeon is indeed a highly clinical and somewhat cold individual. The last line, ‘[†¦ ] clean, pink plastic limb' seems totally without feeling, as the surgeon's job is done and the ‘patient' is finished, as far as he is concerned. The last stanza of the poem reintroduces the underappreciated soul, as the surgeon walks alone through the wards in the middle of the night. By using the words ‘a new soul', we are given the idea that the surgeon has saved them and hence given them a fresh shot at life. Perhaps through the pain that induced surgery, they have undergone a sort of purgatory and hence their soul has been cleansed. Morphia makes reference both to morphine, as in the drug, and Morpheus, the Roman god of sleep and dreams, yet another reference to the Roman age. The surgeon seems puzzled by the after-effects of surgery; that under the ‘gauze sarcophagi' lie individuals, floating on a morphine high. The ‘dawn drafts' which Plath refers to further allow the reader to understand that the patients are, under the effect of morphine, floating inches from the ceiling. Making reference once again to an ancient society, the ‘gauze sarcophagi' give the impression that the patients are, in their present state, neither dead or alive, in this ward where even the ‘night lights' reminds the surgeon of human gore. The poem finishes much as it started, with the surgeon, having played the role of gardener, Historian and scientist, resuming his role of control as a higher being. ‘I am the sun' indicates that the surgeon is the life-giving force in the hospital, most important for the continuation of the patients' lives. This too may refer to deities in ancient societies such as the Aztecs. The last line further cements everything we believe about the surgeon: safe in his position of power and control, he is happy only when the people around him are being bodies, in a ‘shuttered' state, and acknowledging listlessly the power and magic of his work.

Analysing The Grameen Bank Of Bangladesh Economics Essay

Analysing The Grameen Bank Of Bangladesh Economics Essay Grameen Bank (GB) is called the bank of poor people in Bangladesh. It has been established for the welfare of the poor village people of Bangladesh, which becomes a role model of the world of micro credit banking system. At the beginnings of Microcredit, Dr. Muhammed Yunus who is an economist educated in the United States of America, although originally from Bangladesh, introduced the world to the notion of micro-credit in the 1970’s. Counts (1996) said that Muhammed Yunus talked with the poor village people and discover that general local bank never shows interest to provide loan to poor people and does not lend them and they had to borrow money from extortionate moneylenders with high interest rates. As a result, they ended up more-or-less permanently in debt and any money they made went to pay the interest on these high-interest loans. Yunus became conscious at that moment that the poor problems were in some ways no different from anyone else: low interest credit was a nec essity of life. Definition of Micro Credit Auwal (1996): An extremely small loan given to impoverished people to help them become self employed. Also known as â€Å"micro lending.† This small loans extension (microloans) to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These loans especially given to a poor person to enable him or herself to become self employed. Financial services loaned a small amounts of money usually around $50-$150 to poor people as a capital of a small business to start or extend it. The Grameen Bank in Bangladesh has become a model of successful micro loan provider. Principles of Microcredit: General financing or credit. It emphasizes building capacity of a micro-entrepreneur. Employment generation. Trust building. Socioeconomic development. Help the micro entrepreneur on during difficult. Advantage of Microcredit Soeama (2004): Source and cost of funding: â€Å" In order for the Microfinance institutions to loan they need funding too and a stab le microfinance institution might have a competitive advantage of low cost of funds which enables it to provide finance at low cost. Infrastructure set up: Microfinance companies must have a required network and infrastructure to deliver these services. The Grameen Bank of Bangladesh creates and implements this structure in rural village area. Image: MFI’s are many times criticized as money squeezing machines which charge very high cost. Which is not necessarily true considering their cost of funds and risks moreover they have to be sustainable. So here I think having a good name, image and Top management team helps a lot.† Disadvantages of Micro Credit: Although microcredits are the keystone in terms of development in poor countries, it can also have its difficult. Indeed, the disadvantages of microcredits are: Some microcredit institutions are often unpredictable. Refunding problems. Budget depends on subsidises from the government or NGOs. Fig 1: Current Microcredit Network of Grameen Bank History of Grameen Bank: â€Å"The founder of Grameen Bank Muhammad Yunus open up the idea of ‘micro-credit’–minuscule loans to the very poor. The bank currently lends more than $500 million a year with a repayment rate of better than 97 percent. Its Group Savings Funds have assets of $186 million. Grameen Bank operates 1,100 branches in half of Bangladesh’s nearly 80,000 villages. The program has been successfully replicated in dozens of countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Africa, and Bolivia. It has also been applied to inner city and rural poverty in rich nations in North America and Europe.

Create a security policy - Please read instructions Essay - 1

Create a security policy - Please read instructions - Essay Example increasingly important in organizations all over the world since the usage of internet has increased in all organizations and so as the problems that organizations may face if they do not properly monitor web usage of their employees. 1 Rubric Company is an advertising agency that has been in operation for more than 10 years now. As an advertising agency, policies in the organization have been quite lax especially in the case of internet use. Keeping in view, the excessive use of internet and internet related downloads; the management has been brought to consider the importance of responsible web usage. The objective of this policy is thus to ensure that the employees within the organization conduct a responsible behavior in terms of web usage. Responsible web usage policy has become increasingly important in organizations all over the world since the usage of internet has increased in all organizations and so as the problems that organizations may face if they do not properly monitor web usage of their employees. Rubric Company is an advertising agency operating for more than 10 years in Destin, Florida. The company has rapidly expanding its business and has developed a strong presence in the market. It has steadily been gaining clients of all kinds but the main clients of Rubric Company are restaurants in the area that want to advertise their company or want an up gradation on their menu designs. When the owner and CEO of the company, Chad Michaels opened up Rubric Company, he started from a small office in his own home but with his hard work and that of his fellow workers, he was able to quickly expand business. Within a year, Chad Michaels was able to break even on his company. Since Destin is mainly a tourist’s attraction, the company receives various small design jobs throughout the year and especially in the summer. Along with providing design services, the company also provides PR services and content writing services for some of its major clients.

Psychology -The difference of aggressive and submissive behaviours Essay

Psychology -The difference of aggressive and submissive behaviours between chimpanzees and l'hoest monkeys - Essay Example Submissive behaviour on the other hand, can be dangerous for primates who operate in a no-holds-barred â€Å"dog-eat-dog† world. Submissive animals are more likely to hunted, less able to defend themselves and their offspring and more quickly likely to become prey. Is there a biological basis for certain types of behavioural traits in animals? Are some primates more aggressive than others? Animal behaviour has always been addressed by zoologists. Studies from the Colchester zoo have addressed a variety of behavioural traits among primates. In her study entitled, â€Å"The effect of a foraging enrichment on the behaviour of buffy-headed capuchin monkeys†, Amanda Skornia observed primate behaviour for six days and discovered positive behavioural differences in buffy-headed capuchin monkeys following enclosed environmental enrichment (Skornia 2002). In a study of aggression in captive patas monkey, Donna Miller observed the behaviour of this primate following a collective move to a new enclosure. Overall activity and aggressive behaviour was observed following the move but a direct correlation between the actual aggression and the move could not be adequately established (Miller 2002). Although not a primate-specific study, in her insightful analysis of behaviour among lions, Hayley Monaghan looked at different behavioural traits between zoo lions and safari lions (2002). She undertook this study on the effects of captivity and determined that there is a significant difference between activity levels of lions in the zoo and in safari parks. The active behaviour of male and female lions was significantly higher in the zoo than in the safari. As we shall see in the Discussion section of this essay, the Monaghan study, although not directly tied to primate behaviour, will have important implications for future research on behavioral differences between chimpanzees and lHoest primates. The particular behaviours of

Teaching and learning challenges and strategies Essay

Teaching and learning challenges and strategies - Essay Example Diversity is both a challenge and opportunity for a teacher. In a heterogeneous classroom, it is typical to encounter different personalities among children, and alongside with these differences is the challenge for the teacher to encourage them to learn. This difficult task is at times neglected by the teachers, thinking that their primary obligation is to teach, only. However, the real scenario contradicts this notion. Since real teaching cannot be employed without student participation, it is the teacher’s task to set her students in the class, in a way that they are motivated to listen and ready to learn. On the other hand, external and internal factors can hinder this process. Using published case studies, reports, books, and educational research, this paper will discuss the challenges of teachers in deploying effective teaching-learning activities and possible teaching strategies which may relieve the problem. Issues relating to the physical/neurological and social probl ems may cripple a child’s ability to learn; and while there is no common teaching strategy applicable to all learners, it is still the teacher’s task to inculcate learning amidst factors that can serve as an obstacle in fulfilling it, through innovation of the known strategies and its application to different learning situation. Part I: Challenges of Teachers in Employing Effective Learning Physiological and Neurological Factors to Hinder Successful Learning Process The cross-disciplinary approach to the learning environment envisions the utilization of real world situations to solve complex problems is called authentic learning (Lombardi, 2007, p. 2). The role of the teacher in the 21st century plan for authentic learning is generally as a â€Å"facilitator† wherein the traditional discussion type’s purpose is only to give a brief knowledge to the children about an information. The rest of the stages are subject to the exploratory activities of the learn ers (please see figure 3 of appendix C). However, finding relevance to activities in connection with reality may not seem to be an easy task for all types of learners. The proliferation of special education substantiated the tremendous change with regard to the treatment of the so-called â€Å"invisible minority,† otherwise known as the disabled population. The term evolved in the turn of modern thoughts which are undiscriminating to various physical and mental conditions as reference of social productiveness. Nowadays, the disabled are acceptably known as â€Å"special people.† In the matters of education, it has been a continuing challenge for teachers of children with special needs to assist learning, though they have taken the necessary, proper education and training needed. The challenge resides within the maxim of education which mentions about the uniqueness of each learner, much so with the uniqueness of learners belonging to the special group. It is therefore imperative that before contemplating on the professional and moral obligations of the teacher, one must be able to answer the several â€Å"why’s† concerning the situation of these children. In the United Kingdom, there are an estimated 1.5 million people who have learning disabilities (Mencap, n.d.), and they are categorized according to the specific condition they posses. However, a common trait existing regardless of categories is their difficulty of information processing. This difficulty is the reason why they are generally separated from the mainstream learning groups. Common conditions which are directly associated with special education is autism and ADHD, and although it is not considered as a â€Å"learning disability,† dyslexia suffers children and becomes a major problem for teachers, all at the same time. In the case of Autism Because of the lack of information regarding this condition, it is more convenient to define it with the corresponding chara cteristics seen from individuals having this disorder. Rudy (2009) defined autism as one of

Marking Plan for Virgin Group Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marking Plan for Virgin Group Ltd - Essay Example The tool such as Porter Five Forces Model will be useful in assessing the organizational environment along with the discussion of the marketing objectives, core strategies, and the implementations of Marketing Mix decisions of the company. The paper will focus upon one sector of the Virgin Groups and for this purpose; Virgin Atlantic is the segment which is taken into consideration for the environmental audit. Virgin Group Limited The company, Virgin Group Limited, is a venture capital and a conglomerate under the British brand venture capital. A famous business tycoon, Richard Branson, is the founder of this organization (Bloomberg Business Week, n.d.). The company mainly engages in the fields of tourism, broadband, leisure, music, mobile, finance, travel, health, TV, and radio. The business operations of the organization are carried out primarily in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America. The organization also involves in the provision of other consumer services such as rail services, cruise packages, airlines, vacation and the transportation services of passenger motorbike. Moreover, the organization functions in providing the online casino and slots, gym facilities, balloon flights, and racing teams; publishes non-fiction books; technical and home IT support, employee health program, provides cord blood stem cell banking, lifestyle and health management, and NHS services; and offers corporate gift vouchers, and online gaming and video games, as well as wines online. The headquarters of the Virgin Group is at The School House, 50 Brook Green in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (Virgin, 2012). Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Atlantic Airways is one of the largest British long haul international airlines, and operates the services of long haul to more than 30 destinations across the world. It is a private airline which is owned for 49% owned by Singapore Airlines and the Virgin Group owns it for the rest of 51%. At present, the company manage s and operates a fleet of Airbus A340 aircraft and Boeing 747. There are 13 747-400s, 38 aircrafts, and six 19 A340-600s and A340-300s which are operated by Virgin Atlantic. The bases of the airline are at Heathrow airports, London's Gatwick and the Manchester airport. Three categories of travelling are offered to customers by the Virgin Atlantic and they include premium economy, upper class, and economy all which comprise of the in-flight entertainment as well. Business Vision and Mission Every business chalks out a mission that signifies its existence, and the purpose of its functioning. Similarly, the Virgin Groups Limited performs with a vision to make its contribution to the creation of fulfilling and happy lives which are sustainable at the same time. The basic objectives of Virgin Atlantic observe that the company will provide services of superior quality to its customers. It would enable them to travel to the places where they cannot go easily. Moreover, Virgin Atlantic also keeps its profitability as one of the major motives of its business operations. Environmental Analysis There are two types of environments in which a business organization operates. In order to analyze the business environment of the organization, PEST analysis has been utilized as follows: Political Factors In order to deal with the

FLSA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

FLSA - Essay Example me spent by workers after threshold (40) hours in a work-week is "FLSA overtime." This is to be noted here that few jobs may use the word "overtime" otherwise, as for example to describe "extra time worked after the employees normal schedule" or "time worked beyond normal hours in a day†. An organization may pay employees on whatsoever it wishes, keeping in mind that actual pay does not fall below the least standards defined by the FLSA. It is, therefore, allowed for an employer to apply the word "overtime" to mean something else from the actual definition of "overtime" prescribed by FLSA. However, that does not alter the meaning of the word â€Å"overtime† for FLSA principles, and it is important to keep the meaning of "overtime" to its legal definition in deciding the FLSA rights of employees. "Time worked after of normal working schedule" may not equate "time worked after threshold time (40 hours in a work-week)." Only the second is "overtime" under the FLSA rules, an d the FLSA governs only pay due for the overtime as per FLSA (McCarty, 2010). According to the Unites States Department of Labor (DOL), the time spend by employees performing duties that are related to job is termed as â€Å"work –time† and considered as working hours and must be paid, except attendance is beyond regular working hours. Important FLSA regulations on above points are at â€Å"29 CFR 785.11, 785.12, and 785.13†. Note as per FALSA rules all the activities that not benefitting the employer during the overtime should not be considered to pay. The reason for which I feel that Mr. Mike Murphy does not have a right to FLSA claim, because during his job he manages to train himself and stay in shape while he is on duty so that he can proceed to perform the required physical test in order to pursue his duties as a member of SWAT team. The extra overtime that was shown on his time card was outside of and in addition to the allotted time specified by the company, which was not the

The Custom Woodworking Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Custom Woodworking Company - Essay Example First of all, the project went wrong from the initiation phase itself. In fact, in the initiation phase, the idea for the project is to be ‘fully explored and elaborated’ (Baars, 2006, p. 3). In addition, a proper decision regarding the purpose of the project, the parties to be involved, and the base of support to be provided should all be decided. Evidently, the initiation phase had to answer such questions as the purpose of the project, the feasibility of the project, the people to be included in the project, what results are to be obtained, and the possible boundaries of the project. In other words, according to Heyworth (2002, p. 12), the project concept phase requires solid and clear decision-making process. For this purpose, first of all, a project priority list should be made with clearly defined goals of the project. In fact, there is a lack of this understanding of priority in the case of Woody 2000. For example, there is no project priority list. Instead the pr oject is trying to achieve a number of goals at the same time. Firstly, there is the desire to expand the manufacturing process in order to harvest the benefits of the commercial construction in south-western BC. Secondly, the company wanted to solve the problem of falling production efficiency due to less manufacturing space. When the company develops the project concept, it is not clear as to which goal it is trying to get. One can see that this happened because of lack of coordinated leadership. To illustrate, the company management brought too many people to the concept phase, including Bruce Sharpe who wanted to expand business, Miles Faster who wants to increase production efficiency, John Carpenter who wants computer controlled automation, and Kim Cashman and Spencer Moneysworth who want to cut costs. As a result, what happened was a disjoined decision making. It happens because the people in the phase possessed various ideas about what the project should be. In order to solv e the problem, it was necessary for the team to decide what has to be the priority. As a result of all of these, even when the project was approved, it lacked a specific definition as the project was trying to reach various outcomes at the same time. In other words, different members were concerned about different outcomes. In addition, one can see that the estimated cost is $17 million. However, Woody has decided to spend a maximum of $17 million. It is very evident that a project is likely to cost more than the roughly estimated cost. Thus, the decision to spend not more than the roughly estimated amount will cause financial troubles for the project The real objective of the project could have been to expand the manufacturing process in order benefit from the boom in construction. In order to achieve this objective, the company could adopt a number of different strategies. First of all, the company could start another manufacturing unit in a different place. As already seen in the case study, there was a property available at attractive price some fifteen miles away from the head office. It was possible for the company to develop a new production unit without disrupting the existing production unit. Another option for the company was to expand its existing production plant, and thus raise production capacity. However, the best possible solution at this point is to start a new production plant in the new profitable location with all modern

Failing business Essay Example for Free

Failing business Essay Many are quick to remember one’s failure and slow to remember the redeeming moments. My life is no different. I am only human and I too have made my own mistakes in life. Though I sometimes have the tendency to move on from failure and perhaps forget, there are many who are only too quick to remind me of my past. Learning from this, I have vowed to treat each failure as a learning experience; One that makes me stronger and makes me better. This is the lesson that I learned from what some people would consider as one of the most challenging days of my life. I recently discovered that the pursuit of one’s goals is not as easy as it seems. When one looks at all the successful businessmen in the world, it does not seem apparent that they had to undergo many challenges to become successful. Yet as I have learned, there is so much work and effort that is needed to succeed in life. This is how my first business, a commercial cleaning service, became a failure but ultimately a success because I learned a very valuable lesson from it. The plan of the commercial cleaning service was simple. I had intended to take advantage of the lack of cleaning services in my area. I noticed that there were very few cleaning services and if there were any they were either inefficient, too expensive or both. Being a novice entrepreneur, I figured that this was an opportunity that was a guaranteed success; after all, all I had to do was simply offer better service and better prices. This was my first mistake. In making this assumption, I did not consider the fact that the ones who had established themselves before me had probably thought of these same advantages. I was naive to think that only I had the monopoly of great ideas and that others were not able to think as well. This presented the first challenge because I was unprepared for what happened. The initial costing for supplies and capital equipment was way higher than anticipated due to the fact that I was trying to provide quality service. Since I had already made those investments, I had to readjust my computations on Return on Investment and saw that the only way that I would be able to cover the daily expenses was to increase the price. So, instead of providing cheap and good quality service, I was constrained to offer only quality service. This unfortunately paved the way for the next problem which was the fact that I did not have prior experience in this field. While I did consider myself a neat freak, I was certainly out of my league when it came to running a commercial cleaning service. I failed to consider the fact that there are so many variables to consider and that when one has employees one has to ensure that they do their duties satisfactorily. This was no longer just a simple matter of telling people to clean something and making sure it was done properly. It involved going over the shifts and ensuring that every detail was not overlooked. Aside from this, I had to also consider the welfare of the people who were working under me. No matter how motivated I was, I could not seem to convince my employees to have the same passion and conviction. This was lesson number three for me; I learned that employees are never really motivated to perform unless they have a personal stake in the matter. I needed to get them involved on a personal level and believe in offering quality service at a good price. Unfortunately, the only thing they were interested in was clearing their pay and spending their money. Suffice it to say that the business soon failed. I was disheartened by the harsh reality check that happened but I am proud to say that I have learned from this experience. I could have lost much more to learn that valuable lesson. As I look back at that memory, I greet it with a smile knowing that even though it resulted in failure, I would not be the person I am today were it not for that experience. The thing about life is that there is always hope and there are several chances to fail and even more chances to succeed; as long as one has the drive and the passion.

Deposit Mobilisation in Banks

Deposit Mobilisation in Banks Deposit mobilisation is one of the crucial functions of a conventional financialinstitutions or banks to satisfy one of the requirements of a banking business, i.e.sourcing of funds or borrowing money from customers.Continuous and adequate deposit mobilisation would ensure the bank shall be able tosustain its business of lending and investing, thus incurring profit for future growth.Nevertheless, different types of deposits have different and distinct characteristics andfeatures which in consequence impose different risks and costs to the banks. Therefore, inmany cases, deposit mobilisation strategy relies heavily to the banks asset and liabilitymanagement policy.In a relationship between bank and depositors, the rights and duties for both parties varyaccording to the nature of deposit mobilisation. The ability of the bank to fulfil their duties is an important measure of the banks acceptance by the public, or by far as acomparison yardstick with other banks. Deposit mobilisation of a bank and its importance a. Introduction Banks mobilise deposits as their primary source of funds. Having optimaldeposits level, banks shall be able to lend the funds to generate interest onlending. In addition to lending, the deposits fund can be placed in certaininvestments avenues which suits the banks or the deposits objectives.Deposit mobilisation is a continuous function for a bank to ensure the sumtotal of deposits at any time adequate to maintain the current level of lending and investments especially to compensate the withdrawals madeby depositors. Usually, the deposits level is kept slightly or certainpercentages above the lending and investments level to ensure the bank has adequate cash reserves to meet expected withdrawals and alsorecurring withdrawals. The cash reserves are called Liquidity Reserves.Deposits bring costs to the banks, either on the maintenance of thedeposits and its transactions or on the interest payout onto the depositsupon deposit maturity.b. How Bank Mobilises Deposits Bank receives deposits from individuals, organisations and businesses,initially by opening an account with the bank itself. Based on the types of deposits, minimum initial deposits are set together with the rules andregulations governing the accounts.Subsequent deposits can be made into the accounts, except for timedeposits where the amount is fixed until deposit maturity.Depositors maintain deposits with specific banks due to many factors, butin particular trust and confidence with the banks are the major factors.Once these are established, the banks continuously attract depositors anddeposits by providing convenience banking, quality services, excellentbrand association and higher interest payout.However, there are instances where depositors put their money into thebanks mainly for security purposes, i.e. the banks to protect their moneyfrom loss and theft and also warrant the deposits from investment loss. Assuch in Malaysia the government provides guarantee upon deposits placedwi th commercial banks. 59 http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/4mk9wp2tcwe8wo/images/59-b2561607ca.pnghttp://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/4mk9wp2tcwe8wo/images/59-b2561607ca.png Banks are competing against each other to attract deposits and newdepositors. Normally interest payout rates, locations and services are themain attractions to the mass market. However, some banks are going intothe niche markets and thus providing specific attractions to the targetedmarket segment. One example is the pensioners group, where specificproducts are developed with special features which suit their lifestyles.Sometimes banks do promotions with door-gifts, lucky draw, establishsavings clubs, staff get customers programme and else to ensure thedepositors base and deposits keep growing and to instil loyalty to thedepositors.Some deposits products have also grown from a single purpose deposits tocombined purpose products to meet higher expectations from customers.For example, attachment of insurance scheme, combination with debitcard, etc.c. The importance of deposits Deposits are the primary source of funds for a bank, which facilitates theuses of funds (loans and investments). The higher the deposits amount, thebigger the lending and investments portfolio can be maintained by thebanks to sustain its expansion and future growth.The banks must have adequate deposits to meet the lending volumerequired by the public and at the same time maintain extra cash for withdrawals by depositors. The cash reserve is a component of liquidityreserves which measure the ability of the bank to meet its expectedwithdrawals and recurring withdrawals. The withdrawals made from thereserves are oddly-offset against new deposits which the banks shouldcontinuously mobilise. The inability to get sufficient deposits could resultin negative fund situation.The level of deposits growth also indicates the banks performance inrelation to customers satisfaction on interest payout and servicesrendered.d. Deposits as key liquidity indicator Deposits are made mainly in cash, the most liquid asset for banks. Oncewithdrawal requests are made by depositors, banks must immediatelyprovide cash for that particular purpose. As compared to other liquiditycomponents such as short term investments which take time to beconverted into cash, it is rather wise for a bank to simply get moredeposits beyond the withdrawal amount. 60 http://htmlimg4.scribdassets.com/4mk9wp2tcwe8wo/images/60-3465843250.png However, the percentage of the cash reserves must be kept at optimumlevel. Idle cash does not create profit, but in fact, brings additional costs interms of storage and insurance. Therefore, by maintaining cash reserves atoptimal level enables bank to generate maximum profits from lending andinvestment activities.The costs for cash reserves are mainly on the storage and insurance. Thestorage of cash reserves involves the requirement for adequate vaultrooms, cash in-transit security and cash handling at branches. Theinsurance costs are to cover the amount of cash available anytime atbranches or in-transit from loss, fire and theft. It generally covers themaximum cash amount allowed at branches or in-transit

Anti-Japanese Propagnda of WW2 in America Essay -- essays research pap

World War II Anti-Japanese Propaganda   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.† (Declaration of War Against Japan) These words were said by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his declaration of war on Japan on December 8, 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor marked the official entry of the United States involvement in World War II and sparked a barrage of anti-Japanese propaganda. From posters to leaflets, radio messages to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the public of the United States was constantly the center of attention for psychological warfare. Propaganda of the World War II period reflected the American people’s anti-Japanese sentiment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Twenty years after the conclusion of World War I, Germany, Italy, and Japan started an international aggression campaign that would eventually bring the United States into a second global conflict. â€Å"Let’s Put the Axe to the Axis† was a popular wartime propaganda song pushing action toward breaking the Axis’ power (The Enduring Vision 910). The Axis was the name given to the German, Japanese and Italian alliance. The Allied powers were the United States, Great Britain, France, and later, Russia. The Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis, as it is called, formed in 1936-1937, and the Allied countries came together shortly after. The United States did not want to enter the war, and as late as mid-November in 1941, the US felt â€Å"the most essential thing now, from the United States standpoint, is to gain time.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  December 7, 1941, the â€Å"date which will live in infamy,† the United States was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Until December, the Japanese had pursued two courses of action for the current situation. They attempted to get the oil embargo lifted without giving up the territory they wanted, and to prepare for war. On the other side, the US demanded the withdraw of Japanese troops from Indochina and China. All of this became irrelevant by mid-October. Japan’s new premier, General Tojo Hideki secretly set November 29, 1941 as the last day Japan would accept a settlement with the United States without war. Since the deadline was kept secret, it meant war was almost certain. The Japanese felt very confident with their plans for war. The army and navy had proposed to ma... ...ds, throw reason out the window, and follow courses of action we may regret later† (http://newdeal.feri.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Boyer, Clark, Kett, Salisbury, Sitkoff and Woloch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Enduring Vision Second Edition â€Å"Declaration of War Against Japan†, World War II,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Microsoft Encarta   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Encyclopedia Delwiche, Aaron   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www.propagandacritic.com http://orpheus.uscd.edu/speccoll http://web.mit.edu/21h.153j/www The Independent Institute   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www.independent.org Johnson, Paul   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www.auburn.edu/~johnspm/gloss/propaganda.html Merriam-Webster Dictionary National Archives and Records Administration,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/Japanese_relocation.html Pearl Habor, Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Rense, Jeff   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www.rense.com  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thurston, Thomas   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://newdeal.feri.org â€Å"Wartime Propaganda†, Propaganda, Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

The Physics of Basic Antenna Theory and Design :: physics

Long ago there lived a race of cat people who had much the same problems with antennas that we humans have today: bad reception during the last few seconds of a game, continual snow during their favorite part of their favorite movie, and a severe lack of the "magic position" that one is required to hold when covered in tin foil and grasping the antenna. Unfortunately for them, they did not have this web page to reference and therefore they died. This left an opening for humans. Initially, humans could only communicate verbally over short distances, yelling distance that is, stirring in them a desire for long distance communication (very different from a long distance relationship, do not get the two confused, otherwise this site will make absolutely no sense). Okay, so I made that part about the cats up, but seriously, if anyone knows how to get good reception with a younger brother covered in tin foil, let me know......not that I have done it, mind you, I am just wondering. Now, on with the show. The first antenna experiments were conducted by Joseph Henry in 1842 at Princeton University. Henry was successful at "throwing a spark," when he observed that magnetic needles were magnetized by a current induced in a circuit several floors up. In 1885, Thomas Edison patented a communication system the used a type of vertical antenna. Then came James Clerk Maxwell, who in 1864, presented his theory on electromagnetism to the Royal Society, providing the theoretical foundation for antennas. With this discovery, many other scientists began to explore this new frontier and the age of the radio began. Just so you do not end up like this guy, I am going to explain a few terms so the technical discussion is a little easier to follow. (Note: do not actually try to open a window in such a manner, you will most likely throw your shoulder out because mice have relatively low mass and it takes a heck of an arm to get them up to window cracking speed, aka "ludicrous speed" for you Space Balls fans). The terminology is as follows: Technical Stuff Here is the information that goes a little deeper into the theory of how an antenna works. Although this is not a very intellectually intense site, I will warn those viewers on a lunch break or perhaps surfing the net while "between projects," that there are some concepts on this page that use what some people call "math," and other supposedly important "scientific information. The Physics of Basic Antenna Theory and Design :: physics Long ago there lived a race of cat people who had much the same problems with antennas that we humans have today: bad reception during the last few seconds of a game, continual snow during their favorite part of their favorite movie, and a severe lack of the "magic position" that one is required to hold when covered in tin foil and grasping the antenna. Unfortunately for them, they did not have this web page to reference and therefore they died. This left an opening for humans. Initially, humans could only communicate verbally over short distances, yelling distance that is, stirring in them a desire for long distance communication (very different from a long distance relationship, do not get the two confused, otherwise this site will make absolutely no sense). Okay, so I made that part about the cats up, but seriously, if anyone knows how to get good reception with a younger brother covered in tin foil, let me know......not that I have done it, mind you, I am just wondering. Now, on with the show. The first antenna experiments were conducted by Joseph Henry in 1842 at Princeton University. Henry was successful at "throwing a spark," when he observed that magnetic needles were magnetized by a current induced in a circuit several floors up. In 1885, Thomas Edison patented a communication system the used a type of vertical antenna. Then came James Clerk Maxwell, who in 1864, presented his theory on electromagnetism to the Royal Society, providing the theoretical foundation for antennas. With this discovery, many other scientists began to explore this new frontier and the age of the radio began. Just so you do not end up like this guy, I am going to explain a few terms so the technical discussion is a little easier to follow. (Note: do not actually try to open a window in such a manner, you will most likely throw your shoulder out because mice have relatively low mass and it takes a heck of an arm to get them up to window cracking speed, aka "ludicrous speed" for you Space Balls fans). The terminology is as follows: Technical Stuff Here is the information that goes a little deeper into the theory of how an antenna works. Although this is not a very intellectually intense site, I will warn those viewers on a lunch break or perhaps surfing the net while "between projects," that there are some concepts on this page that use what some people call "math," and other supposedly important "scientific information.

Comparing Sexy versus A Temporary Matter in Interpreter of Maladies Ess

Readers are often baffled by the openness of some stories where the ending can go either way they are put into situation where they must imagine or assume how the story does end. Open-ended stories can be found in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies, where few stories of open-endings have an immense impact on the reader by creating a hunger to know what happens next. There is always one very noticeable advantage open-ended stories have over close-ended stories, that is the impact on the reader. The impact that makes the reader think, imagine and creates immaculate suspense as the reader is following the life of the protagonist with utmost anticipation, but all of sudden the story ends and the reader’s first question would be ,â€Å"what becomes of the protagonist?†. Close ended stories have very limited scope for imagination and very little suspense towards the end. There is not as big an impact but the can be a sense of completeness and also the reader may feel relieved that he knows what the protagonist has gone through from the beginning to the end. A story with an open-ending that may be discovered from the book is â€Å"A Temporary Matter†, where the ending is so open that there is a colossal sense of incompleteness, having followed the ordeals of the protagonist and knowing what may be a valid reason for a married couple to fall out of love. The ending does not specify the fate of the marriage which seems to be on the path of falling apart, but the words of the protagonist which is either the saviour of the marriage or the final attempt to keep the marriage together remains unknown in the end. The story with a considerably closed ending that can be found is â€Å"Sexy† where the protagonist has an affair with a married Indian ... ...rves the way for the plot, the theme is the central idea around which a literary piece revolves. Without the theme the plot would be meaningless and there would be nothing for the readers to derive from the literary piece. Without the plot, the theme would be meaningless as there would be nowhere to consign the message the writer intends to give the reader. It can be said that the plot and theme are the two most important literary elements of a literary piece and are inter-dependant. In conclusion, I would like to say that an open-ended story has much more impact and imagery than a close-ended story. An open-ended story lingers about the reader’s thoughts and to some extent dominates the reader’s imagination. The plot and theme are the two most important literary elements in a literary piece and the piece would fail heavily without a good theme or a good plot.

Boys&Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club has opened my eyes to many opportunities. This is a safe place where parents can drop off their children or child when they have to go to work. Every day after school I go the Boys & Girls and I have so many things I could do. Such as playing sports in the gym, and even swim in the indoor swimming pool. The Boys &Girls club has a teen center where I always have someone to talk to like friends, counselors, even staff members.I have been a member of the Boys & Girls club since the third grade. I used to like coming to the club but now I love it even more. The club is where I can study and do my homework. I have many interests I’m involved with such as the torch club, mentoring, and previously in apprentice. These activities help me get involved with the community as I grow up. For example the torch club helps me keep the earth clean by recycling, helping the elderly, and giving food and other items needed by people.The mentoring program helps me improve my learning skills for any subject. They help with homework, tests, quizzes, and have fun with you like a best friend. The club means a lot to me as you can see and I’m pretty sure other kids think the same way. I think I am very lucky to be part of the club. I will always keep the club in my heart because their like my second family. I have been a member for 5 years and I think this place is sweet. The club is a great place to be. That’s what the Boys & Girls club means to me.

Drama: Daydreams and nightmares

The issue we were set to explore in the lessons was daydreams and nightmares. I enjoyed doing this topic because it allows you to act out scenes that are not real and what normal people think about in their everyday life. It also allows you to express your own thoughts. I think that nightmare chair is a very effective way of putting across to the audience what has happened during the course of the play. We started the topic off with nightmare chair. In groups of six we had to make up a play with the second scene as nightmare chair. Our group found it very hard to think of a nightmare to do. So we ended up with our story being about a boy called Jack, who dared his friend, Paul, to walk across the railway track. However while Paul was walking back a train crushed him. This meant that Jack, who dared his friend, was having the nightmare. Jack had to sit in the middle and everyone else in a circle around him. We were chanting things like ‘ You shouldn't have done that', ‘you killed my best friend' and ‘you killed my son'. We then had to develop our plays so that they had the beginning of the story, then the nightmare chair, and then the end of the story. We had to have a monologue at the beginning of the story, but it could not tell the whole story. I found that making up the beginning and the end was harder to make up then the nightmares was. This was probably because we had the middle of the play and had to work around that. We then began the daydream part of the topic. We started off by reading a few pages of a play, Ernie's Great Hallucinations. This play was about a boy who used to daydream a lot however in his hallucinations they actual came true. The part we read was when Ernie and his Auntie May had gone to a fair, and the go to see a boxing match. The boxer want to win loses and the winner challenges anyone from the audience to go and fight him. No one from the audience goes so Auntie May goes in. that's when Ernie starts to daydream that his Auntie becomes the world unofficial champion and she does. We got to read the play once and then had to make our own interpretation of it from memory. This helped us to give us an idea of how we could do our next task. In different groups of six we had to make up our own versions of Ernie's hallucinations. We had two choice of how to do our plays. We could either have the daydream affect real life or just have it as a normal daydream. We chose to have the daydream affect real life. The play was about a girl called Edwina who wanted to become a super model. One day she was in her maths class and she started to daydream about being a world famous model and winning an award for being the worlds most beautiful model. Then the next day at school teacher asks for Edwina's homework and tells him she did not do it because she was modelling we then realise that her daydream was not actually a dream but did actually happened. When we first started doing the play no one liked it. NIGHTMARE CHAIR. In the nightmare chair play I did not have a very big part. I was the passer-by at the railway station. When Paul gets crushed I offer Jack my mobile to call the ambulance. When Jack is having a nightmare I walk around him saying ‘you shouldn't have done that.' My character thought that the boys should have had more sense than to play near the railway tracks. She was always looking up from her paper as she thought they were up to no good whish they were. When I offered Jack my phone I had to make my voice sound panicky and had to rush my words to show that she was thinking quickly about what to do next. When doing the nightmare chair I had to make my voice sound flat and cold, so that it sounded like we were all blaming Jack for killing Paul. I think my performance as an individual could have been improved by me learning my words correctly and knowing when and how to say them. I think I could have also improved my performance by making my actions clear and confident, because I was not sure what I should have been doing all the time. As a group our performance could have been improved by making sure everyone knew exactly what they were saying and when they should be saying it, so that we did not have so many pauses. We have made our actions more confident. DAYDREAMS. In our play about Ernie's hallucinations I played the part of Eddie Edwards. I was the boxer that lost. My character Eddie was a boxer and probably thought of himself as a tough and very good boxer. However he was not because he got knock out during the first round. In this play I did not have to speak, so I did not have to change my voice to suit the part I was playing. However I was mainly acting, so my actions had to good. I had to keep my hands in a tight ball, and close to my head. I also have my back slightly bent in order to give the affect that I was boxing. For our main play I played the part of a clever girl in Edwina's class, and I was a person watching Edwina's fashion show. My character in Edwina' s class always had her hand up to answer a question. She was a very clever and liked to show off she was not a very interesting person. As a little girl in Edwina's class I had to make my voice hi pitched and sound child like. When I has to recite my two times table I had to make my voice quite loud and make my mouth movement bigger like a young girls would. As the person watching the fashion show I did not have to say much. My actions as the little girl had to be different too. When I was sitting down I hard to sit up straight and place my hand straight up in the air when a question was asked. When I was playing the person watching the fashion show I had try to act posh. I tried to put this across when I clapped at Edwina. I had to clap very delicately and with my tips of my fingers. Making my voice louder and not being so self-conscience could have improved my individual performance. I could have also made my actions more precise and confident. I think everyone learning their lines so they do not stutter and leave long pauses could have improved the whole groups performance. CONCLUSION. When we were first trying to make up the play no one really like it, and we had a lot of problems acting it. No one could put in the effort to make the play look and sound good, but after we listened to everyone's ideas and thought of better ways to end it I think we made a very well acted performance.

Gender Comparisons in Cognitive Abilities Essay

Gender differences are not only noticeable in physical and reproductive areas as far as men and women are concerned. These physical and reproductive differences are minimal in terms of the determinants of how men and women operate as far as other issues relating to their cognition are concerned (Gur et al. 1999). Sex hormones that are secreted during their development are responsible for the difference in brain organizations of men and women. Men and women have been shown by several studies to learn differently due to the difference in their cognition. Kimura (2000) postulated that even at infancy, girls gaze at objects longer than boys an argument that gives premise to the fact that boys have attention problems. Their sensory systems show a discrepancy even at such a young age, something that persists into old age. In addition to the above, women tend to remember some things like land marks better than the men who remember directions and distance. These are the spatial cues that the men are better off in as opposed to women (Kimura 2000). A myriad of other differences have been suggested especially in linguistic, interpersonal, logical and mathematical, musical, intrapersonal and linguistic among other areas. As the environment starts acting on the individual boys and girls after birth, they already have wired brains that show differences in how they respond to the above areas that lead to the differences. The females and males differences in their intellectual faculties lie in their abilities rather than their Intelligence Quotient, which may be the same in girls and boys, all other factors held constant but the sampled girls and boys will have differences in their linguistic and most probably their spatial abilities. Different areas of the brain are suited for various tasks and which the males and females have differing usage abilities in. Spatial differences On average, studies have found that male outperform female in spatial activities/ spatial visualizations like in situations that require the rotation of objects in a given space or in manipulation of objects in one way or another or just mental rotation. They are also able to outdo women in tasks which deal with maneuvering of their way through a maze of routes but this does not include grasping of landmarks for use as a means to remember their routes while women are able to recall landmarks more than men can. In addition to this, men are better off than women in the accuracy with which they target objects either in movement or in their static positions. They also do well in disembedding hidden objects. This extends to interception or guiding of projectiles and ability to realize any movements in the field of vision. This performance cuts across all ages as shown by Kaufman et. al (1999) that used the Weischeler Adult Intelligence Scales-Revised (WAIS-R) in determining fluids and crystallized differences in men and women. The study states that the ability to target an object develops well before puberty. The performance of men and women on Block Design, Digital Symbol and Information showed that men outperformed women in Block Design and Information while women did better than men in Digital Symbol. Verbal fluency In 2003, Shaywitz et al. were able to discern differences in gender as far as the brain’s language functional organization is concerned. They used a study called the functional resonance imaging and through this, females showed more abilities in verbal fluency than men. This included their manner of acquisition and longer spans of attention in conversation unlike men who lagged behind. They also tended to excel in memory tasks like fluency in generation of synonyms and better rapidity of identification of matching objects or items because their perception skills are better than those of their male counterparts (Shaywitz, B et al. (1995,). Kimura, 1996). They demonstrate better recall ability linked to verbal fluency than men in addition to having a higher episodic memory. They also show a greater ability to reckon words that begin with a certain letter more than the men can do. The fields of priming, semantic and primary memories do not however show any difference in men and women. Men on the other hand showed better performance in semantic measures and a higher order in the crystallized factor of intelligence. Due to the bigger cortical space in females assigned for language and its functions, there is less space left for the working of the spatial space which implies that females cannot be better than men in both language and spatial abilities. Problem-Solving Tasks There are differences in gender as far as the brain’s problem-solving tasks are concerned as reported by Gur et al. (1999) that conducted various studies and presented test to a sample of men and women under same condition. The results were basis for the conclusion drawn. First, arithmetic differences tests showed that men are higher cognitive abilities in terms of mathematics calculations and reasoning than women. In this test, set of mathematical based questions were asked to the selected sample; men responded more accurate and quick than women who displayed slowness and inaccuracy in calculated responses. In another experiment, a piece of paper was folded with a punched hole, and then the participants were asked to determine where punched hole shall fall if the paper shall be unfolded. Most men responded correctly and quickly in determining where the hole shall fall should the paper be opened than their female counterparts. Moreover, objects and images were placed before the participant and asked to rotate objects and manipulate the images. Men excelled better than women on this problem-solving task. Lastly, studies show that when men and women are targeting or aiming at an object, men are more likely to get their target than women can. This implies that women are less accurate in target-directed motor skills for example intercepting projectiles. To assert this finding, the practical example that can be used to explain this target-direct motor skill is by essence that men are good at target involving games like dart playing than women. Therefore, problem-solving task favors men than women in the sense that men perform better than women in spatial undertakings like tasks that involve mental rotating objects. Emotional coping Cognitive abilities of an individual to great extend help in process of coping with stress or depression. The essence that facilitates connection between coping with emotions and cognitive abilities is because through use of intelligence that a person can think, perceive and react to the surrounding. In this regard, intelligence needed to cope with emotions is defined as cognitive ability and content of the thought which differ greatly in men than women (Shaywitz et al. 1999; Gur et al. 1999). The meta-analyses studies conducted found that men are less affected with emotions than women. For instance, women were found to be affected by maladaptive or negative thinking about an emotional problem than male. Men usually indulge in alcoholism, aggressive behaviors and violent behaviors. While women are worse affected by the emotional since are usually depressed and can develop various eating and psychological disorders like bulimic or anxiety. Differences in precision in manual tasks Women are a bit faster than men in precision as far as some manual tasks like placing pegs in the holes on a given board. Coupled with their ability to recall the positions of objects more precisely than men, women show a greater likelihood of replacing an object to its initial position with a greater accuracy than men or state whether a given object had been displaced or not. Women therefore show a better fine motor coordination as compared to men The neuroanatomic difference in males and females has been found to contribute to cognitive abilities especially those that are sexual in nature. Females have XX genetic make-up while males have XY. These genes play a great role in differentiation and it is due to the absence of the Y chromosome in females that leads to the release of androgens which are the male hormones. These hormones cause the female to develop. Some periods when there is the release of sex hormones, there is an impact in the brain which leads to differences in cognition from the periods when there is no hormonal release. Prenatal development period has shown the greatest levels of hormone release according to several researches done (Shaywitz et. al 2003). During puberty the levels of the hormones do rise again and these fluctuations continue throughout one’s life span. Research has established that girls who were exposed to high testosterone levels were shown to display greater spatial skills when compared with other girls who had not been exposed to the hormone. This shows that the male hormone testosterone is responsible for the spatial abilities that males have. Males show some excellence at problem-solving in school more than females in addition to working out multiple choice tests better than females. Such examinations like SATs are performed in better by males than females who, apparently do well in written and untimed tests while getting higher overall grades in their schooling years. Girls have also proved to be better performers in math than males up to high school level where they drop, an aspect that has been attributed to the inclusion of m ore spatially oriented math in which the girls appear to be lower in performance than males (Shaywitz, B et al. 1995). Males are known to have a larger brain than females with a size which is 10% larger than that of females. Some researches have indicated that there is a correlation between the size of the brain and intellectual abilities. The males’ brains have more cerebrospinal and white matter than the brains of females. More white matter according to Gur et. al 2000 (cited in Shaywitz et. al 2003) is responsible for the information transfer to other regions of the brain thus contributing to their superb spatial abilities while the women who have more of the grey matter enhance greater processing capacity and efficiency. As has been stated earlier on, the brain is laterized such that one hemisphere dominate t6he other in a given or given fuction(s). The brain’s two halves are more laterized in the performance of some cognitive functions. In males, the laterization is more pronounced than in the females due to the neurohumoral interactions mediated by the testosterone hormone. Fourie and Stuart (2006) carried out an investigation on the role of gender and temperament in Functional Hemispheric Asymmetry and perception of emotional stimuli. In this investigation, they used a total population sample of 112 with females being 58 and men 54. The sample had four groups of students who were right-handed and chosen in terms of their gender, and temperament. Their levels of neuroticism, introversion and extroversion were measured using a personality questionnaire. The Divided Visual Field Technique, their differential hemisphere performance regarding latency and accuracy were determined. After the use of T-square test (Hotelling’s), the results showed that the accuracy in terms of the response time scores in men and women had a great difference in the way the two genders process their emotional stimuli. Women were found to do so faster and more accurately than their male counterparts in the processing and response to emotional stimuli. There are also some gender differences in maladaptive thinking and coping with stressful situations. The risk of depression in men is 8-12% while in women it has been found to be between 20-26%. Disorders related to depression affect about 70% of women and 30% of men due to the fact that women show uncontrollability in perception more than men (Kaufman, 1999 Voyer, 2005). Individuals with unilateral brain lesions or damages were studied (Inglis & Lawson 2001) and it was found that males lost their verbal ability more than the females after both genders suffered damages in the left hemispheres. Men also lost their spatial abilities after a brain damage on their right hemispheres. Women were found to be better off than men in verbal ability even after suffering the same damage on either lobe. This justifies the fact that language and spatial abilities are bilaterally represented less in men than in women. Brain organization The human brain organization is an important part aligning for performing the cognitive tasks. The human brain has two hemispheres which are specialized in carry a specific kind of activity better that the other hemisphere. Brain organization for male is more lateralized to its cognitive functions than women brain. The major difference in lateralization of the brain is the hormonal roles (Shaywitz, et al. 1999). For instance, the testerone hormone facilitates neurohormonal linkage during early stages of cognitive development creating dimorphism in cerebral (Kimura, 1992). On the other hand, women brain is less lateralized with more of its portion assigned to verbal or language tasks. In electrical activities, men show they use their right hemisphere for spatial activities as opposed to women who use their left hemisphere. Conclusion In conclusion, the paper has discussed with illustrations the major gender cognitive difference between men and women. In the discussion, the paper has Spatial differences, Verbal fluency, Problem-Solving Tasks, Emotional coping, Differences in precision in manual tasks, and Brain organization. However, a point of worth to note is that there is distinct difference between the female and male cognitive abilities which is influenced by brain structures such as hypothalamus region. Moreover, SDN (sexually dimorphic nucleus) is smaller in women while larger for males. References Gur, RC et al. (1999) â€Å"Sex differences in brain; correlations with cognitive performance† Journal of Neuroscience, 29, p. 4042-4059 Kimura, D. (2002). â€Å"Sex, sex hormones and sexual orientation influence on human cognitive function† Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 16, p. 261-268 Kimura, D. (1998). Sex differences in the brain, Scientific American, 10, p. 26-31 Kaufman, A et al. (1999), â€Å"Intellectual growth pattern and decline across the adult life-span for women and men† Journal of Clinical Psychology, 37, p. 759-802 Shaywitz, B et al. (1995), â€Å"Sex differences in the functional organization of the brain for language† Nature, 363, p. 595-610. Shaywitz, S et al. (1999). â€Å"Estrogen changes functional organization of brain† Journal of the American Medical Association, 271, p. 1103-11513. Voyer, D. (2005) â€Å"A meta- analysis of Magnitude of sex differences in spatial abilities† Psychological Bulletin, 107, p. 252-273

Prayer in School Essay

John Knox Press, 1996. 45-218. In this book the author gives an epic description of the controversy surrounding the debate on prayer in public schools. It touches on the legal aspects as well as the interpretation of among other articles the first amendment. Alley uses history and preceding events to bring out his argument against prayer in public schools terming the practice as an abuse and harassment of the minority by the majority who are keen on imposing their own definition of faith. He asserts that the law on first amendment religion issues has adequately and consistently clarified the differences that exist between church and state. He cited some cases such as Barnette, McCollum, Everson, Engel and Schempp to mention but a few as having set precedence thus preventing future conflict. However, one reads anti Christianity overtones which bring up the question of objectivity due to his obvious bias. He has successfully presented one side of the debate with a personal tone. The book strongly opines that any form of religious inclinations in public schools is incompatible with the constitution as well as with the principle of democracy. Murray, J. William. Let us pray: A plea for prayer in our school. New York: William Morrow & Co, 1995. 11-97. In the first pages of his interesting book, Murray tells of his atheist past that was directed by his mother Madalyn Murray and how he, as a 14 year old was a plaintiff against the Baltimore School system. The suit led to the Supreme Court’s decision that outlawed public school prayer and bible reading. Murray later converts to Christianity and embarks on a mission aimed at undoing the ‘damage’ done by his past. He becomes a strong proponent of prayer in Schools arguing that this is the one way of rooting out the moral decay in the society. Among other arguments, he presents the debate as conflicting discomforts. ‘The discomfort of minority faiths or nonbelievers at hearing prayer in school versus the discomfort of Protestant Christians at being prohibited from public prayer’. He allows that the drafters of the constitution are misinterpreted by those who claim that they intended to eradicate prayer from public institutions. Rather, he cites influential figures such as John Locke and Tocqueville as strong believers in the value of prayer in providing positive guidance to the society. His recommendations are however weak since the freedom he seeks could be confused with what is provided for in the constitution. Again the founding fathers he cites are understood to have given us the current laws and so his enlisting them undermines his very argument. Cookson, Catharine. Regulating Religion: The Courts and the Free Exercise Clause. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 54, 67-75. In this book, Catherine Cookson delves into the issues of the law and the authority of state as laid down in the constitution on one hand and the obligations of conscience on the other. She embarks on a project to provide the solution for a recurrent problem. She examines the history of the Christian tradition as well as more contemporary political development of religious freedom (186). Her argument on the free exercise clause is vivid and thought provoking as she seeks the balance between the majority’s right to religious expression and public prayer and the minority’s discomfort arising from that kind of expression. U. S Department of Education. Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. Available on-line at: http://www. ed. gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance. html Accessed on 12. 04. 07. This article deals with the legal aspect of the debate on prayer in schools. The article endeavors to provide information on the current state of the law concerning constitutionally protected prayer in the public schools, and therefore spell out the extent to which prayer in public schools is lawfully protected. The Case against School Prayer. Available online at: http://209. 85. 135. 104/search? q=cache:RTckL_PUwSEJ:ffrf. org/nontracts/schoolprayer. php+prayers+in+school&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ke. Accessed on 12. 04. 07. In this article the author delves into the arguments against school prayer. The author advances the argument that prayers are private and yet there is nothing private about a public school. Therefore the two are incompatible and should not mix. He/She asserts that public schools cater for students with varying backgrounds and religious inclinations and they should not be subjected to rules that promote one form of religious expression. According to the author of the article, Public prayer leads to discrimination of the minority and a denial of their right to worship. The article refutes the claim that prayer in school has any value in checking societal excesses. The conclusion calls for total separation of church and state arguing that this is one way of preventing divisiveness in the society. Works Cited Campbell, Ted A. Christian Confessions: A Historical Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. Questia. 12 Apr. 2007 . Cookson, Catharine. Regulating Religion: The Courts and the Free Exercise Clause. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Questia. 12 Apr. 2007 . Murray, J. William. Let us pray: A plea for prayer in our school. New York: William Morrow & Co, 1995. U. S Department of Education. Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. Available on-line at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html Accessed on 12.04.07

Public sphere in China and japan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public sphere in China and japan - Term Paper Example ct for social investigation, but rather a subject for historical report due to their deep cultural heritage and political traditions carefully preserved by them. However, such preservation can’t be considered to be always positive, because it delays the modernization and development. According to Briggs & Burke, (2005),   â€Å"in China and Japan alike, print was controlled more closely by the state than in Europe,  delaying the development of a public sphere for centuries† (pp. 85-6). The given paper will discuss this statement and prove that the governmental control of media really delays the development of public sphere. Such supervision also does not allow to introduce democratic principles. It will also be discussed how new kinds of media can influence the public sphere in China and Japan. It is possible to assume that media play the most important role in the development of public sphere. They are not simply an impartial partaker or an emotional reporter. On the contrary, they represent an evaluator of the situation or a modernizer of the present social balance. According to Habermas (2001), â€Å"By ‘the public sphere’ we mean first of all a realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed. Access is guaranteed to all citizens.† p. 102 The disagreement or group effort of the media with strength that tries to take over the public area turns up in this environment. The connection between the country and the media, either as counteractive or as harmonizing, is affected by the character of government’s interference (Rheingold, 1993). This interference has a long history. The attempts to permeate the public area have been constantly suppressed by the government that in many countries delayed the development of the public sphere and the creation of democratic society. The function of media in building the democratic society is explained by Curran (1991): According to classical liberal theory, the public sphere (or, in

The Task of Living a Sustainable Lifestyle is the Responsibility of Essay

The Task of Living a Sustainable Lifestyle is the Responsibility of the Individual, not Governments, Corporations or NGOs - Essay Example Having defined the basic concept of sustainable living, let’s now plunge deeper into the matter, giving special importance to the concept of carbon footprint. â€Å"A carbon footprint is a term used to describe a person's, family's, or company's impact on the environment around them† (Audet 2012, para.1). It involves the measurement of CO2 that we release in the atmosphere through our routine activities on daily basis. This CO2 is one of the greenhouse gases that are causing global warming. When we say that the task of living a sustainable lifestyle is the responsibility of the individual, we mean by this that it is the responsibility of every individual to be aware of his carbon footprint (Cambridgeshire Horizons 2011), and every person should take steps to minimize his carbon footprint (Amberlinks 2012, para.1-2), in order to make the environment go green (Blue 2012, para.1). Hence, it is not the responsibility of governments and NGOs to reduce people’s carbon footprints. When an individual is aware of this fact, he will make informed decisions to lesson down his negative impact on the environment. To make such decisions, the individual must first be aware of what impact his presence on the earth is creating on the environment. ... They must use one resource on multi-functional basis, like using one thing for many purposes. They must be able to fulfill their needs in more than one ways. They must use the productivity of the system to fulfill the requirements of other parts of the system. They must reproduce things in a way that is not destructive to nature. They must be resilient in their needs. When they have used their required resources, they should give the surplus to those who are in need of them. These are some of the ethical principles that must be considered when individuals carry out their responsibility of achieving a sustainable lifestyle. Potential attainment also requires that individuals carry out measures that reduce their impact on the system. It is known that, â€Å"The average American family of 2 generates about 41,500 lbs of emissions per year† (Audet 2012, para.3). This calculation has been done by web page calculators that calculate carbon footprints. By knowing this calculation, on e can make educated decisions about how to minimize his negative impact. Another thing that we can do in this context is making changes in energy efficiency. These changes are inexpensive, and thus convenient. For example, if we lower down the thermostat by two degrees in winters, and make it go up by two degrees in summers, we â€Å"can save as much as 2,000 lbs of carbon emissions and add up to nearly $100.00 a year in savings† (Audet 2012, para.4). We can also use energy savers that save lots of money and reduce the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere. These little changes that we can bring to the energy efficiency can guarantee our sustainable living. Other important changes that individuals can bring to their lifestyle, and that minimize carbon footprint are: bringing changes in diet;

Terrorism and International Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Terrorism and International Response - Essay Example In an Israeli Newspaper Ha'aretz, Nissan Horowitz wrote: "Terrorism - it's all in the eyes of the beholder." He argues over the fact that if the attack on the twin towers can be regarded as terrorism, then why the bombing in a Kabul's hospital can't be considered as one According to a truism, it is believed that, terrorist, in the eyes of one, is a freedom fighter in the eyes of another. Or considering the Israeli/Palestine case, those, whom the Israelis consider as terrorists, are for the Palestinians, martyrs. One might wonder if to call rebels, insurrectionists, mercenaries, activists, guerillas, militants, dissenters, freedom fighters, etc, all these as terrorists Or perhaps the very concept holds an absolute slot. (Terrorism guide, n.p., 2008) Whatever reasons that lie behind this enigma, are indeed not inexplicable. From a particular group, 'a terrorist takes birth when he senses unfairness or discrimination perceived by the very group he belongs to, therefore he becomes the hero for that entire group, be it a small anarchist cell, or a whole tribe, or class, nation, religion etc. For his struggle, he is applauded by those in solidarity with him, but highly condemned as terrorists by those unsympathetic to the strong aims of that struggle.' (Weiss, pp. 11+, 2002) The U.N. has certainly strived to give terrorism a proper definition, and so have all the international lawyers. Nonetheless, it has, "in all its forms and manifestations", been, by far, condemned no matter whosoever commits it, where they do, and for what purpose. (Secretary General, n.p., 2006) The diction for terrorism which confines to a particular method of conducting violence can be censured irrespective of the circumstances. 'This nonexistence of a proper agreed definition carries weight for a number of reasons, which involve its blocking the prospect of bringing up terrorist acts, that of genocide or other war crimes, to an international court; and leaving individual countries unbound to outlaw actions which, maybe for their own political expediency, they choose to categorize as terrorism. Therefore, it is crucial to define the problem.' (Terrorism guide, n.p., 2008) Official Definitions Various views have been recognized on the definition and interpretation of terrorism, for which the definition of 'aggression' may also be considered. (Crozier, pp.28, 1986) The definitions of terrorism are particularly acutely perceptive, indeed because they tend to set limits over the range of legitimate responses to them. (Norgren, pp. 4, 2003) A broad definition, accepted by the US State Department, was put forward by the US Central Intelligence Agency. They were of the view that some individuals and groups intimidate or use violence for political purposes, whether favoring or opposing the establishment of governmental authority. When these actions are aimed at shocking, stunning, or threatening a "target group wider than the immediate victims", (Ramos, n.p., 2007) it comes under terrorism. James Adams, in his composition 'financing of terror', has put forward another definition that defines a terrorist as an individual, follower or supporter of a group that intends to attain "po litical ends using violent means". These violent means are often at the expense of casualties to harmless, nave

Truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Truth - Essay Example However, diverse the topic of truth, a measure of its boundaries and applications is imperative but logically unattainable. Knowledge in philosophy denotes justified true belief. In trying to explain epistemology, philosophers developed different ideologies. The use of perception in relation to sense data to determine knowledge and, therefore, truth has yielded a lot of debate. For instance, direct realism holds that, the world consists of mind independent physical objects. Through perception, an individual is directly aware of the independent objects. Then comes the science that states, what we perceive as an object is but a reflection of light. Scientists justify their claim beyond a reasonable doubt, in which case the absence of light is equal to the inability to see the object. Perception is, however, not dependent on one sense for humans have an abundance of five. For instance, in the dark one can still hear when he bumps into the object, feel its texture and approximate its siz e (touch), taste the surface and take in its scent (smell). Indirect realism tries to distinguish objects that are physically real and objects perceived by the mind. Indirect realists achieve this by assuming that humans are indirectly aware of mind independent objects. Study of the human mind has revealed that there are states in which the mind cannot distinguish true perceptions from false perceptions. Such states include illusions, dreams and other phenomena such as hallucinations which are real to minds as if they were in normal states. These states, therefore, disclaim the validity of both direct and indirect realism. This, in summary, dictates that the minds interpretation of the light ergo the object and in extension truth is as far as the individual mind perceives. Idealism holds that all physical objects are nothing more than just a collection of sensory ideas. In light of this, idealist can contradictorily say that 1) we are perceptually aware of actual physical things, bu t 2) all experiences are experiences of mental representations. Justification and belief are not enough to make a premise true as mentioned earlier. This insufficiency results in the Gettier problem. Philosophers try to solve this problem for instance, some theorists suggest redefining reliability. Nonetheless, the state of the mind controls the senses in which case truth still relies on an individual’s perception, however, fallible. What then are universal truths? Are all human minds playing a universal trick? Truth is the relation between a thing, state of affairs and their supporting evidence. The statement made is as a result of thought and judgment which require logical constructs to determine, in which case appeal to logos is eminent. Many intellectuals see Correspondence theory as dependent on conforms of external reality, ergo, metaphysics. To justify a preposition P as there has to exist a balanced equation between the components of preposition A and intellect. The b alance of this equation does not restrict to objects and facts hence can apply to feelings, emotion, and people just but a few. Correspondence theory can describe two approaches of truth namely object based and fact based. Object-based correspondence summarizes judgment (in relation to an object) as true only if associate predicates correspond to the object. Noted, two accounts in regard to predicate associations are pertinent a) forming a reference relation and b) forming a correspondence relation. In summary, believes hold true if corresponding facts remain valid and false when corresponding facts are void. The correspondence theory to a considerable extent is a defense for metaphysical realism. However, all knowledge has a foundation in which