Monday, September 30, 2019

Patch Adams Relection Paper Essay

The movie Patch Adams is a truly inspiring movie for all those who wish to become doctors. The reason I enjoyed the movie, as is for most people, is the character and attitude portrayed by the lead actor Robin Williams. His role in the movie is both fascinating and inspiring. He was a man who, although initially considered himself to sick and suicidal, became one of the greatest flames in the medical history. The part that truly inspires me is his passion. There are very few people in the field today who work out of passion and love. In the process of learning every disease, cure and treatment know to man kind, medical students and doctors tend to forget that they are not treating machines but human beings who deserve not just their attention but also their compassion and sympathy. While I was watching the movie I realized that to become a doctor u need to work hard and pass your exams, but more importantly what u need is the interest and desire to really learn and put the acquired knowledge to use. I realized that if one has the passion and desire, then everything will automatically fall into place. I realized that by scoring the highest in your exams or by mastering every word in the book you only become a doctor. To become a great doctor what you need is passion, dedication and, most important of all, compassion. Another thing that I realized while watching the movie is the need to be open minded and to adapt. The field of medicine is an ever growing, ever developing one. With every passing day there is some or the other new disease or treatment. We have to keep our minds open to all such developments and accept the changes. I also learnt that this open mindedness is important not only in the theoretical knowledge we acquire but that practical life we live. One, no matter how high a position they acquire in the field, should always be open to change and suggestions because the only thing constant in life is change. In fact this movie reminded me of something my dad always tell me, â€Å"look at life through the eyes of a child and live each day like it is either your first or your last. If you can do this then what you have in you is not just focus and concentration but also passion, and an open mind and the willingness to learn.†

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Contextual Knowledge in Program Planning: A Personal Reflection

Program planning is a challenging and complex task. Its complexity lies not only in the program details or the audience to which the program is targeted to, but in the different personalities or experiences of the planners. Many times as planners, we communicate what we are. We want to inculcate our belief and personal perception to audience including our biases. Planning itself requires much effort. With interpersonal issues among planners, the issue becomes more difficult to deal with as experts rub against each other. Answer to Question 1Planning involves the participation of different stakeholders or team members. Different ideas flow and clash against each other. Power issues surface and the battle over whose idea or whose proposal is better rages. When faced with this circumstance, I tend to speak out my mind. I listen to others’ thought as well. I go over the positive and negative aspects of each idea. I weigh the options and vote for the best one. I respect each person or team member. I realized that when it comes to power relations, there are different motivations lying beneath.At first, I believed planners are sincere and focused in doing service. Yet, when I had my first brush with power struggles within my circle, it dawned on me that some planners have their personal agenda. It could be something beneficial to them. So far, there is nothing I would like to change about my current beliefs. But I want to reinforce the notion that planners must be objective and must be wiling to let go of personal biases or motivation for the good of many. Answer to Question 2Listening and open communication are the skills that I utilize in every planning session. Listening requires much effort as it involves more than hearing different ideas. Listening is digesting each idea and respecting it. Listening is acknowledging one planner’s thoughts and knowledge. Communication, on the other hand, is being open with the possibilities of accepting and trying ou t the ideas. It may also mean acceptance for every suggestion turned down. Open communication is healthy and acts as a bridge.If there is something that I would really want to practice in my belief system is the win-win solution. Negotiation is coming up with the best solution with minor compromises that serve both rallying parties. Answer to Question 3 Planning a program for adults is an enjoyable task. Ethically speaking, adults are willing learners who are experts in their own right. They can make decisions with or without outside intervention. Each adult is a well of knowledge; having gone through different life experiences.These learning are brought out through a participatory learning process. Usually, my beliefs are challenged when a co-planner becomes so very intellectual in approach and dismisses my suggestion that adult learners are learned, by virtue of experience. I usually respond by reasoning that through the adult learner’s participation, the program can be muc h more engaging with the learner themselves speaking out and contributing to the discussion. The conventional funnel method or top-down approach in teaching is not the best way.I get frustrated when participatory learning is bypassed. I feel like the learners have so much to offer. As a program planner, I would like to stress on the value of a person or a learner in the learning process as very ethical and critical. This is one reality that I would like to emphasize in my practice. A learner-centered program is needed to effect change in a training program. There are messages than can be more effectively conveyed to the learners or audience through participatory method. People learn by themselves.Learning is not imposed or enforced. In his 1982 book, Living, Loving and Learning, Buscaglia cited Carl Rogers who wrote: You know that I don’t believe that anyone has ever thought anything to anyone. I question the efficacy of teaching. The only thing that I know is that anyone who wants to learn will learn. And maybe a teacher is a facilitator, a person who puts things down and shows people how exciting and wonderful it is and asks them to eat. (p. 7) We are all learners. We learn from each other.Even experts learn many things from their participants. No man has the monopoly of knowledge and experiences. One man’s learning differs from others. We all have our own way of learning. Answer to Question 4b I have not left a planning situation even if I am not totally sold to the agreed ideas or methods; even if my own suggestions are downplayed. I stayed to learn from them. I still joined to see if their methods based on their belief system will work. It is all about respect and giving opportunities to other parties to have their own way.I hanged on to see the results of the evaluation. Probably, what would make me leave is the honest and face-to-face rejection of my ideas after a poor training program. I would leave if they lost trust and direct all the b lame to me. I would humbly resign. I will not burn the bridge between us but hope to re-connect with them again in the future, should they need my services again. After all, the world is small and who knows, we may end up needing one another at the end of the road someday. References Buscaglia, L. (1982). Living, loving and learning. New York: Random House.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Students should not do H.W after school day Essay

Students should not do H.W after school day - Essay Example Adding more studies in the evening only makes it worse for them. Their minds cannot focus accurately in academics at this time of the day, and all they require is some time to rest. This resting period is vital since it allows the brain to process whatever they learned during the day, and to internalize it. Secondly, sporting activities are neglected over the excuse of having too much homework to do after school. The lack of sports and gaming activities creates lazy and unhealthy students, since they have no time to keep fit. The hours after the school day should be used by the sports teams to practice and perfect their gaming techniques. These sporting activities are essential for brain growth and development. They relieve students of any stress they got in class. This time, when used in sports, will allow for the planning of tournaments with the neighboring schools and other community teams. These tournaments create new social networks that are very useful in life. They also enhance the sharing of ideas and knowledge among students of different schools (McManus, 2005). Another reason why students should not do homework after the school day is taking part in community work (Royse, 1999). There are many voluntary activities that students can take part in, including the cleaning of the environment, visiting the sick and attending to the homeless people. They can also plant trees and hold community education forums, whereby they can educate the public on matters affecting the modern world. Such factors include soil erosion, environmental pollution, communicable diseases, and wildlife conservation. These forums are important in enlightening the community. The charity events that involve taking care of the less fortunate also help build responsible, understanding and caring students (Hothersall, 2010). It is also clear that some students have after-school jobs to cater for their school fees (Lincoln, 1999). As such, they should be

Friday, September 27, 2019

What evidence do the narrative accounts provide for the diversity of Essay

What evidence do the narrative accounts provide for the diversity of early Christianity - Essay Example The idea of being a shepherd was considered hazardous, tiring, and demanding, but Jesus considered himself as the good Shepherd. According to John 10:11, a shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep while 1st Samuel 17: 34-35 asserts that Jesus is like spirit since he lays down his life for mankind. In addition, Jesus interaction with the Samaritan woman and subsequent telling the Priests that tax collectors and prostitutes would go to heaven drew a lot of controversy among early Christianity. Jesus taught the scriptures privately to a woman which was against the prevailing law and the woman agreed to tell the news to the town. Jesus demonstrated the he was a gift from God by telling a Samaritan woman to give him water according to John 4: 7-27. In the book of Matthew 2:1; 14, 21, Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he subsequently departed to Egypt and finally went to the land of Israel. On the other hand, Luke 1:26;2:1-7, the gospel is clear that Angel Gabriel was sent from God to c ity of Nazareth to Virgin Mary, but the gospel still asserts that Joseph also went from city of Nazareth to Judea in Bethlehem (Hurtado 109). Jesus healing parables attracted a lot of controversy among his followers.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

How is meaning cunstructed in images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How is meaning cunstructed in images - Essay Example and stabilizing the interpretations of specific images, about 35 years ago, Roland Barthes wrote about it and said that all images imply, underlay their floating chain of signifiers and the reader is able to select some of them and ignore the remaining that is they are polysemous. Dysfunction raises a question of polysemy. To fix the floating chain of signified different techniques are applied so that fear of uncertain signs can be encountered and minimized, these techniques mainly involve linguistic or verbal messages (Marchese, 1995). Institutional apparatus that chooses and provides text and images to the common public includes captions, labels, placards, guidebooks, brochures and fliers and they all come in linguistic messages. Curators, teachers and editors use these tools. Institutions and practices that strengthen the use of images as well as their interpretations also use the same tools as their major part. It means that image in a textbook seems to illustrate and support the meanings of the information written in the text of that textbook. When we see an image in an advertisement, the first thing which comes in our mind is that it is there to be helpful in selling the product by looking at someone enjoying possession and consumption of that particular product. Therefore we have some special standards of text and images and their correlation of explanation by text and illustration by images (Marchese, 1995). For the same reason, discussions are based on the images in textbooks and advertising, by the observers of the semiotics of images. To advertise any image is problem creating and elusive, Barthes says in "Rhetoric of the image†. Stable platform of advertisements and textbooks were used by Gà ¼nter Kress and Theo van Leeway to build their visual semiotics and it is a complete and valid way to proceed except some standard cases which put down the signifying potential will be ignored. Conceptualist artists have worked a lot to turn the standard canons

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Psychological abuse in the adolescence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychological abuse in the adolescence - Essay Example The feeling of guilt might become prominent in some cases. This might even make the individual become prone to self-injury or self-harm. The condition might become more evident through changes in the victim's body language. For instance, some victims avoid eye contact while talking to someone else. There are many chances that such people might get misunderstood for exhibiting such weird behavior patterns. However, it becomes very important to exercise patience and understand the real problem. The need to do so becomes greater when the victim is an adolescent on the threshold of looking at life with an independent perspective as well as enthusiastic to take the responsibility of his/her own life. A psychological setback at this stage could just de-alienate them from their purpose and dreams. Samuel Griswold Goodrich's contention that abuse is the weapon of the vulgar is not at all exaggerated. How else would one explain the hatred of one human towards another by not only causing physical but also psychological trauma to another The concept of the entire humanity being an extended family just goes for a ride, for there is no tolerance and synonymous virtues attached to an action that robs an adolescent off his/her future. It is vulgar and there cannot be a more disturbing explanation. The most common symptoms that come out as psychologica... However, a more banal form of abuse involving exhibitionism can be very shocking to young adolescents. Abuse of teenagers can also be in the form of physical or emotional neglect or parental incompetence. A salutary reminder is the number of children who are in care at any one time, some of whom will have been taken into care because of abuse at home. (The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, ) It is very important to observe adolescents with an insightful eye. According to leading theorist Erikson's contention, adolescents are constantly exploring their identity. Every stage in their life poses a new question on identity crisis. An abusive setback can add more chaos to this crisis. The stages of 'split images' and 'dispersion' might be at the helm during such a phase. The victims of psychological abuse are generally not very communicative about their experiences. Even when they are probed, most adolescents would talk in terms of flashbacks or also might try to exhibit dissociative symptoms. Social withdrawal and avoidance of any stimuli that are closely related to the trauma (traumatic trigger) are very typical for traumatic experiences. Some adolescents try to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs to compensate for flashbacks and major emotional disturbances. Many adolescents are also afraid to talk about their traumatic experiences, especially if close relatives are invol ved. They may even feel extreme guilt over their failure to prevent the traumatic event. These adolescents need intensive care and protection. There is another side to the concept of abuse. The abuse might not always have physical or sexual overtones. It could be as abstract as a perspective that an adolescent might develop as he/she is maturing. It could be

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Research of self-defence case Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Of self-defence case - Research Paper Example The government view is that, after Belcher confronted Suber, he went ahead, retrieved a gun from Brown and began shooting Suber with no excuse. the state affirms that the killing has to be unlawful and thus instructs the jury that the malice be inferred for the use of the deadly weapon (California Center for Research and Education in Government 86). The states stress that courts have been bestowed powers to settle fixtures in the criminal systems of the company. 2) What is the prosecutor's point of view? From the prosecutor’s point of view, Belcher is guilty and has two counts of charges to answer. One of the charges is that Belcher committed murder while the second one is the possession of the illegal firearm. The prosecutor finds sufficient evidence to believe that Belcher committed the heinous act, it is for this reason that the prosecutor instructs the jury to convict Belcher for murder and the illegal possession of the firearm. The prosecutor refers the charges with respe ct to Belcher’s murder reiterating that his act contravenes the state law regarding human conduct. According to the prosecutor, Murder is the unlawful killing with malice, which may be inferred by the deadly weapons or from the circumstances that may be proved by the state. According to the prosecutor, the law presumes malice from the homicide and therefore Belcher is guilty of the offense. However, the prosecutor does not take the step of prosecuting Belcher. In his response to the judgment of the jury that warrants the jury to charge Belcher for murder and voluntary manslaughter, the prosecutor finds the inference of malice regarding the use of the deadly weapon as no longer being a good law in South Carolina. He therefore makes a ruling that Belcher’s convictions be reversed and remand for a new trial to begin. The prosecutor arrives at this verdict owing to the conflicting testimonies presented at the pretrial chamber. 3) What is the element of the crime? The eleme nts of the crime are the use of the deadly weapon and malice. However, the evidence of self-defense and malice are presented with respect to this case. The evidence of malice in this case is evidenced by Belcher’s use of handgun. It is however, perceived that the notion of charging malice by the use of the deadly weapon is harmless. This makes the case complicated. 4) What is the issue inference, Mens Rea, Actus Res, or Presumptuous? The issue inference here is the Suber’s murder subject to malice. Belcher portrays the Actus reas in his submission of evidence when he states that, his decision to shoot Suber was an attempt to defend him (West Publishing Company 270). The evidence provided is presumptuous and thus fail to catch the prosecutor’s admissibility. It is therefore, upon the jury’s decision to make valid ruling regarding the pursuance of justice. It is important to note that presumption is not applicable when the circumstances and facts related to the homicide are disclosed in evidence in a manner that it draws a conclusion of malice. Presumptions are used as substitutes when theirs is a lack of direct proof. In Belcher’s case, presumption is employed owing to lack of sufficient evidence. 5) What was the previous Law? It emerges that the prosecution embraced the Bishop criminal law previously. Subject to this law, the inference of malice was drawn from the use of deadly weapons especially in the act of

Monday, September 23, 2019

PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Research Paper

PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) - Research Paper Example PETA is often criticized for its radical and sometimes controversial approach towards social protest. Still even some of the avid detractors of PETA respect the validity and nobleness of its cause (Stevens, 2010). Introduction to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, popularly known as PETA, was founded in 1980, by the efforts and collaboration of two much experienced and dedicated animal rights activists, Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco. PETA is a not for profit organization with 300 salaried employees, backed by a committed pool of two million members and supporters, which includes some of the really famous celebrities and personalities (Stevens, 2010). PETA claims to be the biggest animal rights organization in the world. The motto of PETA is â€Å"animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment, on or use for entertainment (PETA: Online). The core issues regarding the cruelty towards animals that PETA focuses on are, fighti ng against the exploitation of animals for entertainment (circuses, fishing, buying animals as pets from pet stores or companies, dog fighting, cock fighting, bull fighting, etc), using animals for carrying out scientific experiments and tests, fur farming and organized factory farming (Stevens, 2010, p. 6). Framing of the Animal Rights Issue by PETA The animal rights groups that existed before PETA were predominantly conservative, whose approach towards the issue was at the best, mild and reconciliatory. In 1981, just a couple of months after its conception, PETA brought the issue of animal rights to the forefront of American socio-political platform, by creating a controversy around the issue of cruelty inflicted on a group of macaque monkeys by the researchers at the Institute of Behavioral Research in Silver Spring, Maryland, leading to the first ever police raid on an animal laboratory in America, followed by an amendment in the Animal Welfare Act in 1985 (Macionis, 2010: Steve ns, 2010). PETA, right from the start was well aware of the fact that the issue of cruelty towards animals was considered something not so important as to attract public attention, unless it is presented and highlighted with ample glitz, media coverage, drama and attention grabbing and disturbing visual content projecting cruelty on animals (Pace, 2005, p. 37). Considering the deluge of human problems facing the society, animal rights were not something that commanded a top priority on the public and political agenda. Thus, any approach towards challenging the existing status quo must need to have a SHOCK appeal. Therefore, every activity of PETA be it political lobbying, protests, media campaigns, undercover investigations, has this quintessential X factor that is unexceptionally always successful in grabbing public attention and jolting the mass conscience. This accompanied by a parallel strategy aimed at reaching out to and educating the people, pursuing a hot and cold approach t owards the targeted corporations and pressurizing the corporate managements by becoming a stockholder (Tkac, 2006, p. 6). PETA is an animal rights group that has been both famous as well as notorious for its innovative, wacky, controversial, disturbing and nerdy approach towards framing, campaigning and protest. One big success of

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ideas of Nietzsche on Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ideas of Nietzsche on Religion - Essay Example Why did Nietzsche have a lunatic say the words? How does it affect modern society? Doubtless, Nietzsche sought to find another source of human values, some source deeper than the Christian faiths. He saw Christianity as having no philosophical system on which to base our lives. Thus, he believed that Christianity has a tendency to limit the creativity of man. Nietzsche’s statement about God’s death did not quickly change the course of history. The Christian churches still exist, just as he prophesied they would, at least for a few hundred years. Nietzsche said, â€Å"God is dead; but given the way of men, though there still may be caves for thousands of years in which his shadow will be shown.† (Section 108) Perhaps he had a madman elicit the words because he believes that we humans destroyed God ourselves by our life styles. (Nietzsche Section 125) Any value system based on Christianity or other metaphysical element will become protective of its teachings and consider nonbelievers to be unworthy of being listened to. Yet, Nietzsche, himself, said the same words himself later, in the same book.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Economic Development of India Essay Example for Free

Economic Development of India Essay The capital market is the market for securities, where Companies and governments can raise long-term funds. It is a market in which money is lent for periods longer than a year. A nations capital market includes such financial institutions as banks, insurance companies, and stock exchanges that channel long-term investment funds to commercial and industrial borrowers. Unlike the money market, on which lending is ordinarily short term, the capital market typically finances fixed investments like those in buildings and machinery. Nature and Constituents: The capital market consists of number of individuals and institutions (including the government) that canalize the supply and demand for longterm capital and claims on capital. The stock exchange, commercial banks, co-operative banks, saving banks, development banks, insurance companies, investment trust or companies, etc., are important constituents of the capital markets. The capital market, like the money market, has three important Components, namely the suppliers of loanable funds, the borrowers and the Intermediaries who deal with the leaders on the one hand and the Borrowers on the other. ï  ® The demand for capital comes mostly from agriculture, industry, trade The government. The predominant form of industrial organization developed Capital Market becomes a necessary infrastructure for fast industrialization,and hence its important for the economy because india is a land if agriculture where more than 70 % of population depends upon agriculture and as India is also an developing nation so,industrialization is must necessary In this topic we have discussed that the development of stock market must contributes to economic growth both directly and indirectly. Hence stock market plays an important role in the economy of a country. Following the direct channel, we show that market liquidity has a positive impact on growth and indirectly market size affects investments which must affect growth of the country. Security markets also play a crucial role in economic growth and financial stability. The primary purpose of security markets is to serve as a mechanism for the transformation of savings into financing for the real sector, and hence constituting an alternative to bank financing. Recent local and global studies show that there is a positive correlation between the developments of stock markets and economic growth. Stock markets must be very efficient in the allocation of capital to its highest-value users. These markets also help to increase savings and investment, which are essential for economic development. If an equity market is informationally inefficient then investors face difficulties in choosing the optimal investment, because information on corporate performance is slow. Role of Securities Markets in Economic Development The increasing stringency of terms on both domestic and international loans, the urgency of mobilizing domestic resources by means other than dent finance has been greatly identified. The alternative to debt finance, of course is equity market. Capital market refers to the market for long and medium term funds for the business enterprise. It can be divided into securities and non-securities market. Securities market in turn may be divided unto the markets for primary issues and markets for secondary trading of the issued securities. In the secondary market, the existing securities change from the investor to another. There is no additional flow of funds for investment purposes in a secondary market; it only provides liquidity and marketability to the existing securities. A secondary market is very essential for a new issue market to develop. The secondary market can play most crucial functions in the pace of economic development by the promotion of savings and investment and efficient allocation of finds among the users. The securities market offers both investors and issues a broad spectrum of investment alternatives, which can help increase the level of both savings and investment. An efficient capital market can play the crucial role in mobilizing domestic savings for the purpose of investment

Friday, September 20, 2019

Looking At Heroic Code In The Iliad English Literature Essay

Looking At Heroic Code In The Iliad English Literature Essay In book 9 of The Iliad, the greatest example of heroes, Achilles, questions in mid-way about the heroic code. However, it is just a shattering start for the process in seeking another point of view about what and how to construct a real hero. Through a miserable loss and ability to relate to other characters in the book, finally, Achilles ends up that process with a lesson: Rather than the honor gained in the battle, a hero is also inspired by the connectedness to other people, fighting for the survival of their city, families and companions. Achilless suspicion about the true value of heroic code brings up a new perspective to the Iliads readers, showing them how the heroic world may look from the position outside it. Initially, it seems to make sense that Nothing is worth my life, not all the riches/ They say Troy held before the Greeks came, (9.415-16) Achilles said, when he has plenty of possession, and those honor-conferring material gifts are not a worth-while compensation for the loss of his life on the battle. Also, it is hard to object when he criticizes the pointlessness of the heroic system: Coward and hero get the same reward:/You die whether you slack off or work. (9.326-27) However, those arguments are only subjective and associated with blindness. The speech of Phoenix, one of the ambassadors and Achilles beloved old tutor, fully answers Achilles concern and points out what Achilles cannot see. He tells the story of Meleager, a man who was wronged and refused to defend his country. He retired in his room wi th his beloved wife and stayed out of the fighting until the moment when his city was about to be destroyed. He realized that his wifes safety could be threatened if his country lost in the war. Therefore, he returned to battle and fought for his city, but at that point Meleager just won little honor. Phoenixs story responds to Achilles accusation that gifts are inadequate compensation for fighting by showing that there are still other reasons besides honor why people lose their lives for fighting. That is because of their family, their close friends, and any bonds of friendship in a small community. At this point, the family concept and the interrelation between individuals become revealing as an integral aspect of heroic code. This idea slowly develops in further Book through Achilles relationship to others on a personal basis. It is only after Patroclus death that Achilles realizes what is missing in his previous accusation, which also highlights those above newfound perspectives of human connectedness. A hero, of course, must fulfill his status in combat on the battlefield, to get honored for himself; besides, it is stressed that he has to respect his family, show loyalty to his friends, and protect his comrades. Achilles learns this precious lesson after a miserable loss: A mist black grief enveloped Achilles/He scooped up fistfuls of sunburnt dust/And poured it on his head, fouling/His beautiful face à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (18.23-26) The word envelope is used sophisticatedly as, like a letter is covered underneath another thick paper, Achilles gets stuck in a confusing thinking stream about if his own honor is an ultimate purpose he is seeking for throughout all his lie, or his close relationship with companions matters more to his true heroic value. He gets lost. He conflicts with himself. The image of self-w illed man with strong accusation at the beginning disappears; instead, that man is acting unconsciously: He scooped up fistfuls of sunburnt dust/And poured it on his head, fouling/His beautiful face à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (18.24-26) Beautiful face is a nice metaphor for the image of an ideal hero which Achilles mistakenly overvalues for himself, and dust can be understood as the force for Achilles to break against that monument and reach the underneath true heroic code. Now, Achilles begins to see life and relationships with other people from a mortal point of view. Patrocluss death is a strong reminder of those other reasons for fighting that Achilles forgets in his initial undermining of honor. In a material human world, heroes may treasure the reward and social status as a consequence of winning the fighting, but they are also motivated by the patriotism for the city they protect and by the love for family and friend they deeply involve. Family and deep bond of friendship also take part in constructing the moral aspect in a real heros character. This excites the readers profoundly besides many bloody brutal killing scenes throughout the book. In the scene Priam takes ransom to demand Hectors corpse back for a proper burial, the readers can witness a new side in Achilles behavior that never plays out before: full of sincere kindness and sympathy. Compared with the intense savagery when Achilles cruelly drags Hectors corpse around the walls of Troy, this move entirely surprises the readers. Priam huddled in grief at Achilles feet, cried/ And moaned softly for his man-slaying Hector. (24.547-49) Homer uses the verb huddle, somehow in contrast with high status of Priam, a king, to demonstrate that death is no barrier to the honor and glory achieved in life. Priams begging does not dishonor him; instead, he does that in the name of his family member. This action truly captures Achilles pity and breaks down his resistance. Achilles knows that his fate is to die at Troy and never return home in Phthia. He realizes how desperate his father, Peleus, feels once he knows that heart-breaking news of his son, which might happens to Priam if Achilles does not return Hectors corpse to him. And Achilles cried for this father and/ For Patroclus. The sound filled the room. (24.550-51) Just only any object that is visible and have weight can fill up a space, but Homer uses that verb for the sound to show that, this time, Achilles tear has value because he already learns his mistake in self-absorption and changes himself to care for other peoples feelings. Finally, he reaches to his identity as a mortal, letting go of his previous bitter outrage, and sharing the grief of loss with other mortals. Generosity, or forgiveness, also constructs a real hero. This is a precious lesson that Achilles learns till the end. The Iliad, set aside all of the brutal killing scenes, is a work deeply concerned with the true value of heroic system. Specifically, the questioning of Achilles in Book 9 brings up a new insight for the Iliads readers. The heros brilliant performance in the battlefield is fundamental to maintain his status. Furthermore, he had to fulfill his responsibility in accordance with his family, friends, and community in general.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Life and Political Career of James Madison Essay -- American Ameri

The Life and Political Career of James Madison James Madison is most widely known as the father of the Constitution. It is a title â€Å"deeply deserved on many accounts† (Wills 37). Although his many achievements at times are overshadowed by his work on the Constitution, Madison’s life reflects a legislative talent (Wills 3). Through his interest in politics, he was able to shape the forming nation. Education, illness, and religion dominated the beginning of James Madison’s life; the experiences enabled Madison to write the Constitution as well as a number of influential essays in response to his views on the incompetent confederacy. Madison challenged the ideas of the Anti-federalists through his strong arguments and rhetoric, while leaving behind a balance between central government and individual rights, as well as the idea of being an American. Madison’s education revolved around his bad health, which often dictated where he studied. Madison believed he would â€Å" have a short life due to the illness he believed was epilepsy and actively tried to monitor and control breakdowns† (Wills 7). As a child, Madison was â€Å"frequently confined to the sick bed† and he â€Å"formed studious habits, developing an early love of scholarly investigation and contemplation† (Sheldon 3). While the young Madison stayed at home, his religious grandmother took on his education by using books from his father’s library and purchasing the British magazine, Spectator (Sheldon 3-4). After learning valuable lessons through her teaching, he moved on to attend school for five years at the King and Queen County Anglican School, later returning home in order to monitor his health (Wills 15). Madison’s desire for knowledge led him to study at P... ...Inaugural Address. New York: The Library of America. 1999. Madison’s address to the country, informing the people of his goals while in office. Madison, James. Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention of Ratification and Amendments. New York: The Library of America. 1999. A speech aimed at convincing the state of Virginia to give the ninth vote for ratification. Peterson, Merrill D. ed. The Founding Fathers: James Madison A Biography in His Own Words. Vol. 1. New York: Newsweek, inc. 1974. A biography of Madison’s life. Sheldon, Garrett Ward. The Political Philosophy of James Madison. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press. 2001. An analysis on the factors in Madison’s life that shaped his ideals. Wills, Garry. James Madison. New York: Times Books. 2002. A biography focusing on Madison’s Presidential years. The Life and Political Career of James Madison Essay -- American Ameri The Life and Political Career of James Madison James Madison is most widely known as the father of the Constitution. It is a title â€Å"deeply deserved on many accounts† (Wills 37). Although his many achievements at times are overshadowed by his work on the Constitution, Madison’s life reflects a legislative talent (Wills 3). Through his interest in politics, he was able to shape the forming nation. Education, illness, and religion dominated the beginning of James Madison’s life; the experiences enabled Madison to write the Constitution as well as a number of influential essays in response to his views on the incompetent confederacy. Madison challenged the ideas of the Anti-federalists through his strong arguments and rhetoric, while leaving behind a balance between central government and individual rights, as well as the idea of being an American. Madison’s education revolved around his bad health, which often dictated where he studied. Madison believed he would â€Å" have a short life due to the illness he believed was epilepsy and actively tried to monitor and control breakdowns† (Wills 7). As a child, Madison was â€Å"frequently confined to the sick bed† and he â€Å"formed studious habits, developing an early love of scholarly investigation and contemplation† (Sheldon 3). While the young Madison stayed at home, his religious grandmother took on his education by using books from his father’s library and purchasing the British magazine, Spectator (Sheldon 3-4). After learning valuable lessons through her teaching, he moved on to attend school for five years at the King and Queen County Anglican School, later returning home in order to monitor his health (Wills 15). Madison’s desire for knowledge led him to study at P... ...Inaugural Address. New York: The Library of America. 1999. Madison’s address to the country, informing the people of his goals while in office. Madison, James. Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention of Ratification and Amendments. New York: The Library of America. 1999. A speech aimed at convincing the state of Virginia to give the ninth vote for ratification. Peterson, Merrill D. ed. The Founding Fathers: James Madison A Biography in His Own Words. Vol. 1. New York: Newsweek, inc. 1974. A biography of Madison’s life. Sheldon, Garrett Ward. The Political Philosophy of James Madison. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press. 2001. An analysis on the factors in Madison’s life that shaped his ideals. Wills, Garry. James Madison. New York: Times Books. 2002. A biography focusing on Madison’s Presidential years.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Thomas Jefferson Essay examples -- essays research papers

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 to Peter and Jane Jefferson. His exact place of birth is not known. But it is believed to be about five miles outside of Charlottesville. He had ten brothers and sisters, but many of them died very young. Jefferson was one of two surviving sons. He was sandy-haired, tall, and awkward. His nickname was â€Å"Long Tom.† He really enjoyed outdoor activities, especially riding, shooting, and canoeing. Jefferson was also great musician and a diligent worker who loved to study. His father impressed upon him a love of reading and writing. Although he was not a great public speaker, Jefferson was a very eloquent writer. After his father’s death, Jefferson left for school in Williamsburg. He fell in love there many times, but did not marry until he entered law school. He met and fell in love with a twenty-one year old widow named Martha Skelton, they married in 1772. The couple had six children, but three died in infancy. By all accou nts, they had a very happy marriage. â€Å"The young couple was exceedingly happy and exceedingly busy†¦[they were] gay and loving†(Padover, 23). Early in their marriage they were very wealthy. The Jefferson’s were one of the largest land owners in Virginia by the time Tom was in his late twenties. Partly because of Tom’s hard work, but mainly because of the large amount of land and money left to them by Martha’s father in his will.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his thirties, Jefferson was Virginia’s delegate to congre...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Chaucers Views on Women: Griselda and the Wife of Baths the Loathly L

Chaucer's Views on Women: Griselda and the Wife of Bath's the Loathly Lady As a man fascinated with the role of women during the 14th Century, or most commonly known as the Middle Ages, Chaucer makes conclusive evaluations and remarks concerning how women were viewed during this time period. Determined to show that women were not weak and humble because of the male dominance surrounding them, Chaucer sets out to prove that women were a powerful and strong-willed gender. In order to defend this argument, the following characters and their tales will be examined: Griselda from the Clerk's Tale, and the Wife of Bath, narrator to the Wife of Bath's Tale. Using the role of gender within the genres of the Canterbury Tales, exploring each woman's participation in the outcomes of their tales, and comparing and contrasting these two heroines, we will find out how Chaucer broke the mold on medievalist attitudes toward women. Chaucer introduces us to several types of women in the General Prologue of his famous work the Canterbury Tales. Among these women are women of rank and social status: the Prioress, the Nun, and the Wife of Bath. Although they are surrounded by various types of men, these women told tales that made men think twice about crossing their paths. As we read about these women in the prologue, we also get a sense of whom they are: they have money, authority, and an air about them that suggests that they are not just on the pilgrimage just to save their own souls (the Wife of Bath definitely shows this trait better than her religious counterparts.) However, it is not just the women who stand for their sisters; the Clerk jumps on the female bandwagon with a tale of his own. Gender provides a way of reading aspects o... ...n, Lesley. (1994). Feminist Readings in Middle English Literature: The Wife of Bath and All Her Sect. Routledge: London. (pgs 72-73, 196-203) Hansen, Elaine Tuttle. (1992). Chaucer and the Fictions of Gender. University of California Press, Ltd: England. (pgs 188-208). Mitchell, J. Allan. (2005). Chaucer's Clerk's Tale and the Question of Ethical Monstrosity. Studies in Philology. Chapel Hill: Winter 2005. Vol.102, Iss. 1; pg. 1, 26 pgs Rigby, Stephen Henry. (2000). The Wife of Bath, Christine de Pizan, and the Medieval Case for Women. Chaucer Review, (pgs 133-165) Stanbury, Sarah. (1997). Regimes of the Visual in Premodern England: Gaze, Body, and Chaucer's Clerk's Tale. New Literary History 28.2, (pgs 261-289) Weisl, Angela Jane. (1995). Conquering the Reign of Femeny: Gender and Genre in Chaucer's Romance. D.S. Brewer: Cambridge, (pgs 2-3, 91-96)

Monday, September 16, 2019

Random Variable and Highest Expected Profit

I. Introduction Arrowmark Vending has the contract to supply pizza at football games for a university. The operations manager, Tom Kealey, faces the challenge of determining how many pizzas to make available at the games. We have been provided with demand distributions for pizza based on past experience and know that Tom will only supply plain cheese and pepperoni and cheese combo pizzas. We also know that there is a fixed cost of $1,000 allocated equally between the two types of pizzas, and that the costs to make plain cheese pizza and pepperoni and cheese pizza are $4. 50 and $5. 0 respectively. Both pizzas sell for $9. 00 and unsold pizzas have no value. The purpose of this report is to provide Tom with some information regarding how many of each type of pizza he should produce if he wants to achieve the highest expected profit from pizza sales at the game. II. Analysis In order to determine at which production level Tom will achieve the highest expected profit, it is first necess ary to determine the potential profit or loss associated with producing at each demand level. To do this, a discrete probability distribution is composed for each potential level of production.For example, if 200 plain cheese pizzas are produced and 200 are demanded, the potential profit is $400. This profit consists of $1800 in sales revenue minus $1400 in costs ($900+$500 fixed). This profit will result regardless of whether more than 200 are demanded. Accordingly, if 400 cheese pizzas are produced and only 200 demanded, there is a potential loss of $500. Using these distributions, we are then able calculate the distribution’s mean, which is the expected value of the profits at each level of production.The expected profits in this case are the weighted average of the potential profit values, in which the weights are the probabilities. The expected profits associated with each type of pizza are provided in the tables below: | | Expected Profits at each Production Level| | | 200| 300| 400| 500| 600| 700| 800| 900| Plain Cheese Demand| 200| $40| -$5| -$50| -$95| -$140| -$185| -230| -275| | 300| $60| $128| $60| -$8| -$75| -$143| -210| -277. 5| | 400| $60| $128| $195| $128| $60| -$8| -75| -142. | | 500| $80| $170| $260| $350| $260| $170| 80| -10| | 600| $80| $170| $260| $350| $440| $350| 260| 170| | 700| $40| $85| $130| $175| $220| $265| 220| 175| | 800| $20| $43| $65| $88| $110| $133| 155| 132. 5| | 900| $20| $43| $65| $88| $110| $133| 155| 177. 5| | Total| $400 | $760 | $985 | $1,075 | $985 | $715 | $355 | $(50)| | | 300| 400| 500| 600| 700| 800| Pepperoni and Cheese Demand| 300| $70| $20| -$30| -$80| -$130| -$180| | 400| $140| $220| $120| $20| -$80| -$180| | 500| $175| $275| $375| $250| $125| $0| | 600| $175| $275| $375| $475| $350| $225| | 700| $105| $165| $225| $285| $345| $270| 800| $35| $55| $75| $95| $115| $135| | Total| $700 | $1,010 | $1,140 | $1,045 | $725 | $270 | III. Recommendation If Kealey wants to achieve the highest expected profit from p izza sales at the game, he should produce 500 cheese pizzas and 500 pepperoni and cheese pizzas. Looking at the tables, we know this is the best option because we see the highest expected profit of $1,075 associated with this production level for cheese pizza and $1,140 in profit for pepperoni and cheese pizza. This number takes into account the probabilities at each demand level, so we can be reasonably assured that this is an accurate recommendation.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Goitre: Benign Thyroid Nodules

There could be many different causes of goiters in people who do not have thyroid problems. * The patient could have a mild case of  Hashimoto's thyroiditis  that has not yet caused the thyroid to become underactive. * They may have inherited a â€Å"weak† thyroid gland, which has to be stimulated excessively by thyroid stimulating hormone in order to make a normal amount of thyroid hormone. * They may have an  autoimmune diseases  in which the body's immune system produces immunoglobulins that stimulate the thyroid to grow without either destroying it or stimulating it to make too much thyroid hormone. They may have conditions in which white blood cells in the body produce substances called â€Å"cytokines† that stimulate the thyroid to grow. Often, when a patient has a goiter with normal thyroid hormone levels, the doctor is never really able to find out the exact cause of the goiter. Small benign euthyroid goiters do not require treatment. The effectiveness o f medical treatment using thyroid hormone for benign goiters is controversial. Large and complicated goiters may require medical and surgical treatment. Malignant goiters require medical and surgical treatment. The size of a benign euthyroid goiter may be reduced with levothyroxine suppressive therapy. The patient is monitored to keep serum TSH in a low but detectable range to avoid hyperthyroidism, cardiac arrhythmias, and osteoporosis. The patient has to be compliant with monitoring. Some authorities suggest suppressive treatment for a definite time period instead of indefinite therapy. Patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis respond better. * Treatment of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism often reduces the size of a goiter. Thyroid hormone replacement is often required following surgical and radiation treatment of a goiter. Use of radioactive iodine for the therapy of nontoxic goiter has been disappointing and is controversial. * Medical therapy of autonomous nodules with thyroid hor mone is not indicated. * Ethanol infusion into benign thyroid nodules has not been approved in the United States, but it is used elsewhere. * Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) can be prevented by an adequate intake of iodine in the population. Monitoring and evaluation are the most important phases of an IDD control program.The consequences of iodine deficiency are goiter and subclinical/clinical hypothyroidism in pregnancy. The deficiency is an important risk factor for brain damage and motor-mental development in the fetus, the neonate and in the child. In order to assess IDD, control programs should be developed, followed up and evaluated. The recommended methods of assessing status are; assessment of the goiter rate, measurement of urinary iodine concentration, determination of thyroid hormone levels and of thyroglobulin. Although adequate technology exists, elimination programs for IDD have not been successful until recent years.The most important issue at present is the long-t erm sustainability of salt iodization programmes. Alternative strategies are also needed for iodization in areas where iodized salt will not be available in the foreseeable future. * Goitre associated with  hypothyroidism  or  hyperthyroidism  may be present with symptoms of the underlying disorder. For hyperthyroidism, the most common symptoms are weight loss despite increased appetite, and  heat intolerance. However, these symptoms are often unspecific and hard to diagnose. * [edit]

Encephalitis Lethargica Compared to the Movie Awakenings

Encephalitis lethargica is a rare disease which is an atypical form of encephalitis that can cause symptoms that range from headaches to coma like states. Other potential symptoms include things such as double vision, high fevers, lethargy, and delayed physical and mental reactions. The treatment of the illness was the main focus of the movie awakenings and the book it was based upon. The cause of the illness even today still remains much of a mystery with successful treatment also following suit, thankfully however since a large outbreak of the illness in the late 1960’s there have been very rare reported cases of the disease since.When the movie Awakenings begins we find one of the main characters, Leonard Lowe, as a child. In the movie the viewer sees young Leonard begin to suffer from early symptoms of encephalitis lethargica, he quickly becomes unable to keep up in school and is taken out so he can be watched and also presumably to prevent the disease from potentially spr eading. The movie then jumps to 1969 where the viewer is Dr. Sayer apply for a job in Bronx, his experience up to that point had been all research but the hospital being underemployed hires him anyways.Dr. Sayer soon becomes determined to improve the quality of life for his patients and begins to look for a way to alleviate there illness, despite the skepticism of his peers. After investigating into several of his catatonic patients he finds out that many of them had suffered from encephalitis lethargica at one point or another in their past. Soon after discovering this Dr. Sayer proceeds to learn more about them by consulting a doctor who had treated many patients with the disease.He learns that many patients who survived the outbreak would seem to have periods where they would appear to recover from the illness for a time but after an amount of time would fall back into a state of catatonia. Shortly after learning this probably due to the simple fact that the catatonic behavior of his patients was similar to that of Parkinson's patients, he chooses to pursue the latest advances in Parkinson's treatments.He then attends a conference on Parkinson's treatments, there Dr. Sayer first learns about Levodopa (also known as L Dopa) Sayer proposes that L Dopa should be tested as a treatment for one of his catatonic patients, his superiors express doubts that he will be successful but in the end agrees to let him proceed to try it on one patient. He selects Leonard Lowe to be treated with L Dopa. After some period of time Leonard awakens, after this success Dr.Sayer then tries to lobby the patrons of the hospital for more funding to expand this treatment to other patients and after donations from staff members and after showing Leonard to the hospitals investors he gets the required funding and puts the rest of the patients on L Dopa. They, like Leonard, soon awaken after treatment and appear to all make a full recovery from their catatonic states.It’s not long before Leonard begins to suffer side effects from L Dopa, he experiences convulsions, paranoia, and psychotic behavior which are all real symptoms of L Dopa treatment; Leonard also begins to build a tolerance to the drug and he soon has his symptoms of his illness slowly return. The rest of the patients ultimately experience the same course of events and eventually all return to a state of catatonia. The movie ends with Dr. Sayer giving a speech about what he learned from his patients.The symptoms experienced by the patients and the side effects shown in the movie from L Dopa are extremely accurate with those experienced in real life, such as Leonard extreme emotional state and However the research Dr. Sayer, whose real name was Dr. Oliver Sacks, was similar but wasn’t exactly what occurred during the summer of 1969. Rather than starting the L Dopa treatment with just one patient and then expanding the treatment to the rest of the patients as was depicted in the film, Oliver Sacks actually began his study as a double blind procedure with a placebo group and with a treatment group.He also originally intended to only let the study last for 90 days however once he saw that fifty percent of his patients were showing improvement, Sacks went ahead and began giving the rest of the patients L Dopa and dropped his 90 day window for the study. Within the film Dr. Sayer is depicted going from one patient to his whole group of patients, apart from this the movie appears to be completely in line with the events of real life. Works Cited Micromedex, Drug Information Provided By:. â€Å"Levodopa (Oral Route). †Ã‚  Mayo Clinic.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 01 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Awakenings. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Side Effects of Carbidopa-Levodopa. †Ã‚  Side Effects of Carbidopa-Levodopa. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"NINDS Encephalitis Lethargica Information Page. †Ã‚  Encephalitis Lethargica Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Awakenings. †Ã‚  Oliver Sacks MD RSS. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Brave New World vs. Gattaca

Brave New World vs.. Cataract BY Killing We all expect the near future to have advance technology and flying cars. Well, genetic engineering Is Indeed advance technology but there are negative effects that come along with it. In both â€Å"Brave New World† by Allots Huxley (1932) and Cataract (1997) is based on how genetic engineering is taken over the world. Everyone was created by science instead of being born and having both parents' genes. Intelligence an personality are very minor In these societies, but the Important thing that matters is where you belong in life.However, the film Cataract is in the future but has a dated style to it. From the clothing and hairstyles to the cars and buildings, it all reminds you of the style in the ass's or ass's. The director intended it to be that way just to view how our style could go back to how It used to be In the past. The setting of the movie sets the mood to be somewhat serious and thriller like. The mood of professional busine ss would be a good example of this film. The theme of the novel is generally saying are we all headed to where our genetic code defines what we do and owe we live.Although the film does not have a futuristic feel to It, the plot still shows you that the future is not that distance. The mall character, Vincent Freeman, wanted to fulfill his dreams and travel into space. The initial problem that occurred was that his gene was not genetic superior to accomplish his goal. Vincent had a heart problem that prevented him from doing big Jobs. He came up with an idea to become a valid person. He decided to use someone else's Identity and DNA to be able to travel in the stars. Vincent uses an athlete, Jerome Marrow, who was paraplegic from a car crash.Freeman changed his looks, style, and even had surgery to become the same height as Jerome. He made sure that people would discover whom he really Is. Later on In the movie, Vincent brother tries to find the murderer of an Important person but w as really trying to find Vincent. They didn't know they were brother because a while back when they were younger, Vincent brother was lost at sea and he haven't seen him ever since. They reunite and realize on how different they were from each other. In a way, this film has a genre of mystery and thriller that is served.On the other hand, the book â€Å"Brave New World† also does not really have that futuristic feel, but you can tell it is based on the future when you read it. The book is older, so when it was written, it did not have the modern day style that we use. The year is actually in 802540, which is way past the year future. The mood of this book Is satirical and bitter. At some points. It was funny but had a serious meaning to It as well. As you read the book, you could notice that there would be more than one thing owing at once where the point of view turns from first person to third person omniscient.The theme of this book Isn't anything compared to Cataract, but it's saying that the community Is sterilized and we are headed for the end if the community we live in continue. In addition to, the movie Cataract is similar to â€Å"Brave New World†. Humans predict other humans lifestyle by making tests and observations to determine where they are placed. This world seeks stability in each society but it most likely doesn't work on everyone. Having a family Is not allowed to be applied In he future.Therefore, the people are separated on what defines them Like being a Delta or an upsilon. In which why the character Bernard is not happy with the order 1 OFF such as having a family. Bernard tries to find the meaning of life but everyone thinks he is crazy from exploring his curiosity. I believe that the both the writers of the film and the book intended on including such an intense view of the future. These views of the future are actually believable and actually could be where we are all headed at to the near future.All though we all imagin e the future being a new and high tech setting, in Cataract we can actually see the style of the ass's and unlike â€Å"Brave New World† we can only read what it could be and visualize it. All in all, both of the Cataract and â€Å"Brave New World† are engaging and interesting. I would recommend reading â€Å"Brave New World† first and then watching Cataract because you can get an older point of view of the future and a more modern point of view. Genetic engineering could be our future if technology becomes bigger than it already is.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Impact of the Internet on Traditional News Media Research Paper - 1

The Impact of the Internet on Traditional News Media - Research Paper Example Introduction The widespread use of internet has drastically changed the conventions of different news media. The cyber world has hastened the pace and spread of news in an amazing manner which downgraded even the scope of scoops. The advent of internet has thus marked a lot of changes in news media and subverted even the concepts of news upside down. The impact of internet on TV and Print media The vast and ever spreading world of cyber space contributed a lot to the growth of news media and triggered a revolution in the field of communication system. For a journalist, let him associate with either print media or visual media, internet is a powerful source to collect news. In olden days, as we know, the exchange of messages was carried out by the so-called messengers. Later postal system came into exist which made the communication system a little bit comfortable to share something between two people of different corners. The inventions of telegraph and wireless technological system opened the new vistas of exposition and exchange. In modern epoch, for any person who wants to know more about a topic or a news event can easily find out the detailed information by logging on websites. Thus, internet is undoubtedly a good source of news for both the reader and the journalist. In olden days the prime source of news for the newspapers was only the reporters deployed in the diffe rent places.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Necessity of Multinational Businesses and its Influences Term Paper

Necessity of Multinational Businesses and its Influences - Term Paper Example The multinational business has made major contributions to the economic growth and developments as it helps in increasing employment, industrial production, better government control, higher GDP, national income etc. Having realized the growing importance of multinational business, the most developed and developing countries are following free trade policies to encourage multinational business. The recent developments in the field of international trade are primarily led by deregulation of the business in the global platform. The multinational business is very helpful in increasing flow of capital, exchanges of resources like labor force, raw material, technology etc and it also offer a number of opportunities to the multinational corporation along with hosting country. It brings competition in the market by making specific market matured and efficient. In this regard, Hope and Mailing have described the trade policy as â€Å"competition-enhancing device† as the host countries ’ market receive a number of new players making the market highly competitive for the existing domestic companies (Hope and Maeleng, 1998, p.52). The organisations are trying to expand their market in the overseas boundaries to grab market opportunities. However, in this process of internationalization, there are a number of challenges which have been driven by multiple factors. This paper will attempt to main drivers of multinational business led by the globalization process and major opportunities and challenges in this regard. Globalization has been a very debatable but an interesting area of Economics as it includes all the necessary aspects of growth and development. In fact, the process of globalization includes combines economics, international relation, sociology, and management. All these areas are very significant for economic development and globalization has playing a crucial role in this regard. As globalisation covers wide aspects, many scholars have tried to de fine globalisation as per their perspectives. Rhodes (1996) stressed on economic and financial â€Å"the functional integration of national economies within the circuits of industrial and financial capital† (Ali, 2000, p.5). On the other hand, Mobley and Weldon have given a much broader definition of the globalisation as they defined that is refers to any force that creates an unexpected, uniform, sometimes disruptive condition across heretofore impermeable boundaries within which the relevant conditions were previously varied† (Mobley and Weldon, 2006, p.146). The process of globalisation has been very gradual and there are a number of driving forces behind this process. Globalisation can also be viewed from the multidisciplinary aspects which includes a philosophy, a phenomenon and a process and these three multidisciplinary aspects have influences the human being profoundly. In this regard, the driving forces have led to turn the phenomenon as a process and philosoph y. There are four major driving forces of the globalisation process that includes trade, finance, technology, communication and transport.  

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Police Brutality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Police Brutality - Research Paper Example Police more often injure arrestees after they handcuff them or even when they are at the police cells or remand. Many arrestees complain of being hurt by police officers after complying with their orders. Rogue police hit, kick, or even punch arrestees leaving them with a lot of injuries and mental torture (Elicker, 2008). At times, police use excess power when arresting people who are not resistant to the police. Only such power fit to resistant and stubborn suspects but not people who are willing to comply. Some police officers use chock holds when arresting people, which is a very intimidating and demeaning way of handling suspects since they have their human rights till proven guilty. Some police officers go to extend of hitting arrestees and other criminal suspects with harmful and dangerous instruments like guns. This exposes the victims to permanent or short-term effects. Many police brutality victims suffer brain injuries, body deformities, Spinal cord injuries and worse even , others die (Pinizzotto et al., 2012). Some police officers perceive use of electrical shock devices as a convenient way of inducing arrest of suspects. They target getting control of the arrestee without considering the effect of the shock to the individual. Consequently, many arrestees suffer from heart attacks and other personal injuries because of the electrical shock exposed to them. Police officers are only authorized by law to use guns at the last case situation but contrary, police shootings and killings are increasing on a daily basis. As a result, many deaths result from shooting misidentified individuals, and bystanders (Fox, 2011). Due to the high numbers of firing guns, chances of stray bullets are also high therefore increasing the number of deaths of innocent people. At times, police officers use a squad car to chase after a

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Gathering Storm and Global War (US History) Assignment

The Gathering Storm and Global War (US History) - Assignment Example The Axis powers wanted to rule the world. If not stopped by the combined efforts of the Allies, this could have been a reality. Without the U.S.’s support, the English, Russians, and other Allies might have failed to defeat the Axis powers. 2) JAPANESE INCARCERATION-Should the survivors of the Japanese prison camps have been given a $20,000 reparations payment from 1988 on, or was their imprisonment just the fortunes of war? Explain. Yes. Japanese prison camps should have been given $20,000 in reparations, not only for their economic and material losses, but also for the emotional turmoil at the loss of security of being an American citizen. If we did not issue reparations, then we would have been worse than the NAZIS. We are supposed to be good guys, although America sometimes makes mistakes. These mistakes need to be acknowledged and paid for. Japanese prison camps were not only a mistake, but wrong as well. 3) ATOMIC BOMB-Was there any better option for Pres. Harry Truman to end WW2 than dropping two atomic bombs on Japan? Explain. No. The Japanese had a different perspective about death. Our goal was to protect as many American lives as possible. The Japanese did not mind dying in kamikaze attacks as long as Americans also died. If the atomic bomb had not been used, the war could have lasted indefinitely. This might have caused more causalities, American and Japanese, than the ones that died in Hiroshima or Nagasaki

Monday, September 9, 2019

IEEE 802.11 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IEEE 802.11 - Research Paper Example Wireless uses radio waves in the transmission. Wireless LAN deals with two lower layers of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) which are the physical and data-link layers. I will briefly discuss three physical specifications of the physical layer: 802.11b: 802.11b was released in 1999 and uses DSSS that provide higher bit rate. The transmission of the data can reach 11 Mbps. It operates in 2.4 GHz range. 802.11a: 802.11a was released in 2001 and uses OFDM. The transmission of the data can reach 54 Mbps. It operates in 5 GHz range 802.11g: 802.11g uses OFDM. The transmission of the data can reach 22 Mbps. It operates in 2.4 GHz range. (21) IEEE 802.11 Security: 7 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): IEEE released Wired Equivalent Privacy protocol what is known as WEP for the security 802.11 standard in 1990 (15) .WEP was designed to make the communication through wireless safe and secured as much as it is in the wired local area network. WEP provides authentication and confidentiality to the security of the wireless network (21). WEP was developed on the base of RC4 stream cipher. In the encryption and decryption the same secret key must be used (1). The wireless device and the access point must have the same secret key (4). ... The process of WEP authentication is as shown in the figure: Retrieved from VoCAL (2012). The figure is taken from this website: http://www.vocal.com/secure-communication/wired-equivalent-privacy-wep/ 1. The authentication is sent from the wireless station to the access point. 2. The access point responds with challenge text sent to the wireless station. 3. The wireless station encrypts the challenge text and then sends it to the access point. 4. Finally, â€Å"If the access point can decrypt the authentication request and retrieve the original challenge text, then it responds with an authentication response that grants the client access† so the secret key in both sides should match each other. (11) The encryption of the data that are transferred between the wireless station and the access point in the WEP uses RC4 stream cipher. The process of WEP encryption is as shown in the figure: WEP uses CRC for the data integrity. WEP performs CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) checksum ope ration on the plaintext and generates CRC value. This CRC value is concatenated to the plaintext. The secret key is concatenated to the Initialization Vector (IV) and fed into the RC4. Based on the secret key and IV, RC4 generates key stream. The key stream and plain text + CRC message is XOR'ed together. The result is the cipher text. The same Initialization Vector that was used before is pre pended in clear text to the resultant cipher text. The IV + Cipher text along with the frame headers are then transmitted over the air. (13). The shared key in WEP never changes again, and it is used for authentication and encryption which is the problem (13). WEP problems: The major problem in WEP in terms of security is that the wireless

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Economic Analysis of the Susan G. Komen Foundation - Philadelphia Research Paper

Economic Analysis of the Susan G. Komen Foundation - Philadelphia - Research Paper Example In this case, public health initiatives to educate the public about the problem of breast cancer have been credited with early detection of cancer, and an increase in the survival rate in many areas. Susan G. Komen Philadelphia is one such public health initiative that brings survivors and activists together in the cause of raising awareness of breast cancer in the community. They are ‘dedicated to fulfilling the promise to save lives and to end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all, and energizing science to find the cures’ (Susan G. Komen Philadelphia, para 1). In order to meet these life-changing objectives, the organization must be financially sound and ensure that financial resources are being used in only positive and productive ways. The aim of this paper is to quickly analyze this particular health initiative and determine the extent to which the community is investing in it is proving to benefit all residents of Philadelphia. Analysis Cancer research requires a great amount of both human and financial capital. Organizations that support a public health initiative depend on fiscally sound behaviour in order to continue their operations. The Susan G. Komen organization is certainly no exception. They have proved that they are a responsible entity that is concerned about the work they have chosen to undertake. This was demonstrated recently with their choice of CEO to lead the organization through to the next level. Their new CEO, Judith A. Salerno, M.S., M.S., is nationally known for her work in the areas of health policy and research. She has been chosen to lead the national organization of Susan G. Komen, of which the Philadelphia chapter is a member. Susan G. Komen is the largest breast cancer organization in the world, with over 120 affiliates globally. Community chapters are responsible for serving the needs of breast cancer research through community health and education programs (komenphiladelphia.o rg, para 2). Funding for breast cancer research has turned into a grassroots effort. Much of the financial capital needed to continue operations comes via various charity events. The Pink Ribbon Campaign, for example, is nationally recognized as a way to raise money and awareness of the need for breast cancer research. Susan G. Komen is the architect of this, and numerous other events like it. The aim is not only to raise money but to educate as well. As such, the economic need for this particular health initiative is demonstrated. The financial and emotional cost of breast cancer is enormous. If it were not for Susan G. Komen Philadelphia, an already serious issue would be further exacerbated. The number of breast cancer patients alone were this initiative not in force, would likely be increasing. Research would be stagnated with little hope in sight. Cancer is a health concern that affects not just the individual, but also all of society. Most people personally know someone who ha s been touched by this illness. Economically, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Individuals might not be able to avoid getting breast cancer, but this health initiative serves to educate women about the warning signs and the importance of getting diagnosed early. This alone makes Susan G. Komen Philadelphia an important part of Philadelphia society, and certainly an organization that is worthy of further funding and consideration. Public health  initiatives are designed to educate an uninformed populace.  Ã‚  

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Iran and the freedom of speech over there Essay

Iran and the freedom of speech over there - Essay Example While the U.S. is not guilt free in regards to the suppression of speech, the situation is far superior to that of Iran where speaking out against the government often results in long prison sentences and death. The tactic is used to control information thus the opinions of the public which makes it easier to rule over them. If all they hear and read is that Iran is always in the right, such as building a strictly electric producing nuclear program, and other countries and cultures are oppressive, such as the evil intentions of the U.S. and Israel, a common target of the Iranian press, the majority of the people will believe it. If this tactic sounds familiar, it also happens to all other nations. The Iranian Constitution expressly provides for the freedom of speech, expression and the press unless that speech is deemed harmful to the elementary principles of Islam or the human rights of the public. (â€Å"Human Rights,† 2010). This exception is vague enough to extend to most any type of speech or expression but the government, in reality, acts as if nothing about free speech was included in its Constitution. Freedom of speech, expression and the press is closely monitored and rigorously restricted in Iran. â€Å"There (are) no basic legal safeguards for freedom of expression and the government, notably the judiciary, arbitrarily enforces censorship measures against the independent press.† (â€Å"Human Rights,† 2010). The distribution of information is limited due to government as well as self-censorship from fear of retaliation. The Chairman of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Larijani, was asked on the Charlie Rose Show if anyone challenged the authority, ac tions or decrees of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. He answered â€Å"Oh, definitely yes. Definitely, I mean, nobody is immune from challenge.† (â€Å"Human Rights,† 2010). Despite Larijani’s assurances, government officials regularly stifle free speech

Friday, September 6, 2019

Macro-economic factors Essay Example for Free

Macro-economic factors Essay There are a lot of macro environmental factors that affect Telfin performance though emphasize has been given on the important factors. Economic factors like current and anticipated economic growth, interest rate, inflation, cost of labor, disposable income and distribution of income etc collectively comprise economic environment. Current and projected economic conditions: In recent years Pakistan’s economic figures were indicating very impressive and promising consequences and infact these all were proven to be wrong. A number of reasons are behind this but the most important are the economic policies which were not integrated with political environment in an apt manner. Secondly, terrorism has stooped down our economy in a very negative manner. Therefore because of these reasons Pakistan current and anticipated economic conditions aren’t in Telfin favor. Exchange Rate: Telfin is directly affected by fluctuation of exchange rates as investment is being done in USD, all suppliers have to be paid in USD and being subsidiary of Vimplecom, Shareholder calculations are in USD while revenue is generated in local currency (PKR). Due to depreciated PKR every year when revenue is calculated in USD it is minimized due to negative exchange rate effect. Fuel Prices: Telfin is the one of the biggest customer of PSO (Pakistan State Oil), due to energy crisis in Pakistan and being the largest on coverage for the services, more than 5000 cell sites have to be energized to keep the network running. Taxtation: Govt has applied additional 5% tax on the top up so subscribers get 5% less balance on recharge but as an impact it has been seen that subscribers have reduced the usage as recharge revenue has decreased and 5% reduction is from Telfin revenue. Inflation and interest rate: interest rate and inflation both are elevated in Pakistan. In most of countries it is very much natural that once economic conditions are bad central banks reduces interest rate in order to boost investment where as in Pakistan the case is otherwise. The interest rate is high because the government wants to cease central bank new notes issuing rate which is more than 15% currently. Therefore collectively interest rate and inflation are presenting a bad picture for Telfin. Unemployment rate and cost of labor: Because of higher education bang there  is a talented pool of candidates who are ready to be employed in big companies or organizations. But the fact is that the production of new jobs is not competent with supply pool therefore unemployment rate is high. In addition as supply of potential workers is high, the cost of labor is low in Pakistan which is a positive signal for Telfin. Level of disposable money and income distribution: It is really evident that if the economic conditions of a particular country are bad, the people living in, do not have high level income to be spent. Moreover the fact is that national income distribution is very unfair and unequal in Pakistan because elite class dominates on key government posts. Non-economic macro Exposure: Telfin like every other organization is also affected by the political setup to a greater extent which are needed to be addressed. Political Factor: There is a democratic government now-a-days in Pakistan but due to previous government policies present government inability to manage issue wisely, it can be concluded clearly that government is not able to stabilize the situation as it was expected which is surely not good for the companies like Telfin. Rule of Law, Corruption and bureaucracy: Due to the amendments made in the constitution of Pakistan by ex-dictators and domination of rich people on the vital government posts, there is just a minimal justice and rule of law in Pakistan. Regularity authorities: There are regularity bodies in Pakistan like PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) but it does not have enough grip on issues as it is expected from it due to the mandate given to it. Security: Due to security situations, telecom industry has suffered a lot as on events the re is complete network shutdown to prevent terrorism. These shut down is a direct loss for complete industry. Moreover due to different measures taken by regularity to address security is to have Biometric scanning before issuance of SIM so cost of sale has increased recently and all operators have to install machines to have scanning capability.

Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay Example for Free

Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay Abstract : . Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. The philosophical views from one of the greatest German philosophers to ever live continue to interest and influence scholarly opinions all around the world. Immanuel Kant was one of those brilliant thinkers or philosophers that were able to give valuable insight that surround many different ethical values of morality. Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. Just because one person may will a certain thing does not mean that the majority of people will follow suit. For example a key element of Kant’s theory is the concept of intentions or intent. To him the actual outcome or the consequences of a particular action doesn’t matter at all, it’s the intentional aspects he is concerned with. Imagine that you are a serial killer just walking down the street and you see a defenseless elderly woman walking in front of you. It’s no one else around and it’s very dark on the streets. You also have a knife to ensure a silent job and a very easy kill. Now let’s say you decide not to kill this elderly woman and spare her life, but not because you are worried about acting immorally but you did not want to risk her screaming and alerting anyone else that she was being attacked. In the end u decided not to act on your will then according to Kant you have not acted ethically. That’s where I find flaw in his analysis and theory. So our actions according to Kant’s philosophy doesn’t make us a better person because when you acted or (chose not to act), you weren’t considering action in terms of its morality. You actually abandoned the ideas of moral choice, and merely acted out of a sense of self preservation. However if you did chose not to kill the elderly woman because you suddenly realized that it was wrong to do so, then you would have acted morally according to Kant’s theory on Categorical Imperative. Can the Categorical Imperative even accurate enough and practical to be applied into a personal real life ethical dilemma? I do not believe that it could. My interpretation of Kant’s theory was the he thought that if everyone just used reason when trying to figure out their ethical duties, then everyone would come up with the same rules to follow. This may be true but I would say that it is very unlikely that humans will ever be unbiased enough to do this, and the Categorical Imperative fails to take into account the complexity of human beings and their relationships to one another. The formula that Kant used was the concepts surrounding universal law. By this universal law formula he was able to capture the concept that a maxim will work for everyone who it is applied too. The next formula Kant used was the end in itself which occurs when people try to use maxims, (rules that suit themselves) this formulation states that we must not treat others as if they do not have their own life, and respect their acts regardless of ethical belief. It may be my duty to give a small contribution of my earnings to charity, church, or to the homeless indeed, but a homeless man cannot demand that I do so for him because I am not a means to his end, and he has to respect that concept. The key thing to keep in mind here is that you can’t use people just as a means to an end because people are ends in themselves. For example you couldn’t kill a baby Hitler just because that will save a thousand Jews, according to Kantain perspectives. With the baby Hitler example the maxim would be â€Å"killing babies that will commit genocide when they grow up†. On the contrary what if that was a moral rule; like you must kill any babies that will grow up and commit genocide. If the maxim could function as a rule, then actions based on it will be morally right. These maxims also serve as a way to better understand the rigidly parameters that surround ethical issues. Now as I said earlier on I have a foot-hole in both aspects of this topic. I have done things to receive rewards especially when beautiful women are around. And I have also just given a pure stranger a ride home in the rain after seeing them struggle with groceries. And I never told a soul it was just a mere act of kindness and the ethical thing to do as far as good will goes. That is what makes Kant’s theory in my eyes as secondary to my individuality. I do not agree with him on some aspects of his analysis and some I can relate too. We all are presented with these scenarios and many of us as typical human beings tend to neglect the infrastructure behind morality of ethical issues. I would say that ethical theory must have examples attached to them; otherwise it wouldn’t be a very good ethical theory. These theories can never be applied practically if one could not imagine using them in different circumstances. The Categorical Imperative does sort of show any rational thinking person both how to tell the difference between right and wrong, and the moral necessity to choose to act in accordance with what’s right. Personally I fall right in between when it comes to this as I said I have done a little of both sides, being superior( acting out of principles), and I have acted to gain reward but not as much as I have been considered superior. I try my best to act accordingly with morality, and being a dedicated Christian this isn’t that hard. My main source of morality stems from the Bible. I use the Bibles principles as a guideline to how to act morally. I believe that this is the only true source of ethical acts, and that there is no man made doctrines or philosophies that can properly address this complex issue. As long as I understood Gods Laws and follow a righteous path, morality or acting morally comes like second nature. So to sum it all up about Kant’s perspectives I believe he was a little more concerned with a person’s intentions than a consequentialist with utilitarian views, but Kant did feel that if you didn’t act according to the Categorical Imperative you could be accused of acting unethically. It was clear that Kant like me was not content with the popular moral philosophy of his day. According to Kant, when we act upon a maxim that can’t be universalized or (willed by everyone else) we are contradicting ourselves. Meaning that without a will that everyone else views as objective then any action taken can potentially contradict one’s self. To further understand Kant’s philosophy I will walk you through a series of scenarios that I have experienced in my life. I can recall several occasions where the categorical Imperative aspect of Kant’s philosophy has shed light on my ethical or morally based actions. One afternoon I was riding down the street and I noticed a few guys struggling with groceries trying to get back to their school. I could have kept going and actually I did, but I decided to turn around and offer them a ride to their destination. Now according to Kant’s good will I acted on a matter of principle, and not to gain reward. There was nothing I expected to gain from my actions. Now if I had asked them for gas money or maybe some sort of payment for the ride then at that point I become inferior according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative. There was another instance when I acted morally and ethically in Kant’s eyes and that was the time I acknowledged an older woman attempting to put air in her tire at Kroger grocery store. Actually at the time I was in need of air for my tire too and the clerk had turned on the machine but before I got there to it she came and was experiencing trouble getting the air in her tire. I politely offered her assistance and she was very grateful and she insisted that I take five dollars for my actions. Now I in fact was not expecting to get paid for this, but she insisted that I take it. I made it very clear that I felt that this was a universal duty of mine to assist at a time when my assistance was clearly needed. She was older and having trouble with the air pump so I felt an obligation to assist her so I did so. Now did I act morally according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative and the good will? Was I superior or inferior? Yes I acted morally because Kant was not concerned with outcome or consequences he only focused on the intent of that particular action. Kant also emphasizes the absolute necessity of separating genuine morality from all empirical considerations. I find Kants formula to be a valuable tool but it neglects to define moral law as God-given.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Examining The Story Of Beowulf Religion Essay

Examining The Story Of Beowulf Religion Essay After hours of self debate on why the Christian influences in Beowulf slowly die out and eventually cease to exist towards the end of the story; I have come to the conclusion that the monk who rewrote the story was not a full blooded Christian. In this time period, the pagan religion had not been completely dismantled, and it had been around at the same time as Christianity. The monk, I believe, was fighting an internal battle with himself. Two religions clashing inside of him, waging war through the very text he was rewriting. In the beginning of the text he adds heavy amounts of Christian influence but pagan beliefs such as: superhuman strength, revenge, and fate still linger amidst the Christian references. As the story progresses it is clear that the monks pagan beliefs are beginning to overtake his Christian beliefs. The beginning of the story through the battle with Grendel contains the largest amount of Christian reference and influence used by the monk and the least amount of pagan influence. The beginning consists of Grendel listening in on the Danes singing about the creation of the earth and man by the almighty ruler or God. He also listens in on them singing about his creation; he is a descendent of Cain, the brother killer, therefore Grendel is forced by God to live a life of exile. The first conflict between religions lies here; Grendel is forced to live a life of exile yet one of the main beliefs in Christianity is forgiveness. It is the Anglo-Saxon pagan belief that once a name is cursed, it is cursed forever. Hrothgars throne being protected by God is another Christian element along with God sending Beowulf to watch over Herot as a savior. It is not until Grendel sneaks back into herot that the pagan influences start to turn up again. Lines 24 through 27 of The Battle with Grendel rea d: Ere morning came, since fate had allowed him The prospect of plenty. Providence willed not To permit him any more of men under heaven To eat in the night-time. (Lesslie Hall 29) Now fate is showing up in the story, fate being a pagan belief, mixed in with the idea of Devine providence willing that Grendel shall kill no more. Then Beowulf exhibits more superhuman strength when Grendel cannot break his grip and he rips Grendels arm off; these are more pagan elements. Beowulf is protected by God in this section however. He has come to save the Danes, not seek revenge upon Grendel; Christianity does not believe in revenge. This section of the text was the beginning of the religious battle inside of the monk; this struggle becomes more evident as the story goes on. Before the battle with Grendels mother she bursts into Herot and takes Hrothgars closest friend as reparations for the death of her son. Before Beowulfs decent into the water to find Grendels mother he gives a speech about fate to the men. Beowulf tells Hrothgar that if fate decides that he will not win the battle, he wants him to be a king to his men and send the jewels that Hrothgar gave to him to Higelac, king of the Geats, to show how generous of a king he was to Beowulf. The monk is walking a tight-rope between religions here. Beowulf being the savior sent by God to save the Danes is now about to take revenge for them; however at the same time he is once again helping save them. Paganism comes into play once more here; Beowulf sinks down to the sea floor for nearly the entire day, these are more examples of superhuman traits. Once at the seafloor the monster has the upper-hand on Beowulf it seems; she grabs him and brings him to her lair, she destroys his helmet (which has never been done before) and Unfearths sword is unable to damage her. It would seem he is fighting a losing battle with Grendels mother until the monk begins adding more Christian influence to the text. Lines 79 through 82 of The Battle with Grendels Mother read: And had God most holy not awarded the victory, All knowing lord; easily did heavens Ruler most righteous arrange it with justice; Up rose he erect ready for battle. (Lesslie Hall 53) It appears as if the Monk is assuming that God is allowing Beowulf to live since he is the only man who can defeat this monster and save the Danes again, even though he is fighting the monster for revenge this time. Then once again Beowulf exhibits superhuman traits by picking up the giant sword and cutting Grendels mothers head off. It would seem that the monks pagan beliefs are beginning to overpower his Christian beliefs; there is a noticeable difference in the amount of Christian influence versus the amount of pagan influence being used in this portion of the text. The monk is beginning to doubt his faith in Christianity therefore he is adding more pagan elements to the story; for now though he is still using Christian elements to keep Beowulf alive. Now it has been many years since Beowulf saved the Danes; Higelac has passed away and Beowulf has become king of the Geats. A thief enters the lair of a dragon and steals his treasure; now the dragon begins to terrorize the land and Beowulf hears news of it. There is almost no Christian reference or influence in this section. The monk makes two different pagan references to fate in the same battle. On top of that Beowulf is only fighting the battle for fame to further secure his immortality after he passes on. In previous sections he was set apart from the rest of Anglo-Saxon culture because he was going out of his way to save the Danes because he was sent by God. It would seem that now he is just another warrior set out to kill for fame and treasure. Fate decides against him now when his shield is not strong enough to fend off the dragons fire and his sword breaks after piercing the dragons scales. All of his warriors save for one have no faith in him and run away. Compared to the b eginning and middle of the text the monk has only used pagan elements here. Beowulfs victory or defeat was based solely on fate; there was no Devine assistance given to him here. Beowulf kills the dragon with his knife but ends up being defeated as well; not before he is brought his treasure by Wiglaf, his follower, and then he tells Wiglaf to build a massive tower that will forever immortalize him. Beowulf gets his treasure and immortality but at the price of his own life. Compared to the beginning and middle of the text the Christian influence has dissolved completely and left the pagan influence to thrive. It is known that paganism and Christianity were around side by side in this time period. Pagans were being converted to Christians by the Catholic Church and it is a possibility that this monk was a pagan convert. This possibility supports my theory that the monk may have been balancing upon a razors edge, this edge being the line between religions. The monk was fighting an internal battle between paganism and Christianity and the text was directly affected by this. Whether or not he intended his struggle to be shown in the text he was rewriting we will never know, but it certainly has been. The beginning of Beowulf starts out with heavy amounts of Christian influence and little amounts of pagan influence. The battle of religions begins around the middle of the story when Beowulf battles Grendels Mother. The end of the religious war comes at the battle with the dragon when paganism seems to have won and leaves Beowulf to die. All we can do is speculate about this monks life; did he l ose faith in Christianity or keep his pagan roots? Maybe one day we will finally have the answer to that question.