The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Various

Sleep deprivation is a common occurrence in modern culture. Every day there seems to be twice as much work and half as much time to complete it in. This results in either extended periods of wakefulness or a decrease in sleep over an extended period of time. While some people may like to believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep as they need, this belief is false. Sleep, by definition, is the natural periodic suspension of voluntary bodily functions and complete or partial suspension of consciousness, during which the powers of the body are restored (Ratcliff & Van Dongen, 2009). Only in the last century have the psychological and scientific areas of study began to investigate and explore the nature, purpose, and properties of sleep. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the value and effect of sleep deprivation on cognition. The majority of articles describe partial sleep deprivation as having negative effects on cognitive, behavioural, physiological, and emotional measures. From this information, it is derived that various cognitive abilities will affect productivity and performance. Therefore, it is hypothesized that sleep deprivation affects cognitive, behavioural, physiological and psychological measures because it increases and worsens stress, impairs cognitive function and emotional stability. How an individual responds to sleep loss, whether it is partial deprivation (sleeping less than 5 hours in one 24-hour period), short-term total sleep deprivation (no sleep for 24-48 hours),and long-term total sleep deprivation (no sleep for more than 48 hours) can vary. Ratcliff et al. 2009) indicate that sleep deprivation has been shown to impact negatively on a wide range of cognitive abilities, such as behavioural, physiological and emotional. For example, mood changes including irritability, fatigue, difficulty in concentration, and disorientation to short-term memory alterations are due to decreased attention, concentration lapses, and decreased motivation. Similar results were published by Alhola & polo-Kantola (2007). The study concluded that the person deprive d of total sleep experiences negative mood, sleepiness, fatigue, and decline in alertness and performance. Some sleep-deprived individuals report visual hallucinations or distortions and feelings of paranoia. Systematic studies of total sleep deprivation have revealed some temporary cognitive deficits but no permanent effects. Kloss, Szuba & Dinges (2002) discovered the most significant effect of sleep loss is the physiological sleepiness, or the tendency to fall asleep when there is a lack of stimuli. Sleepiness becomes extreme after the loss of a single night of sleep. Without competing stimuli, an individual lacking a night’s sleep can fall asleep within 2 or 3 minutes the next day. This can cause dramatic affects on productivity. After about 48 hours without sleep, microsleeps become increasingly more common even when participants are physically active (Kloss et al. , 2002). Microsleeps are essentially several seconds of actual sleep with delta waves that interrupt the regular EEG of a person who is awake, which impairs his or her continuity of cognitive function (Kloss et al. , 2002). Therefore, as sleepiness increases, an individual must increase effort to maintain a stable level of performance because microsleep generally happens directly before performance failure occurs. In addition to the impairment of cognitive functions, adult symptoms of sleep deprivation may vary from those of a child. Yawning constantly, dozing off while watching a television show, poor concentration and grogginess while waking up are some of the symptoms adults display when they are deprived of sleep (Dahl, 1999). The symptoms of a sleep-deprived child include irritability, daytime naps, tantrums, hyperactive behaviour, and moodiness. Getting out of bed in the morning is a problem for children who experience sleep deprivation. Adolescents also experience a change in their sleep patterns that their bodies want to stay up late and wake up later, which often leads to them trying to catch up on sleep during the weekend (Dahl, 1999). This sleep schedule irregularity can actually aggravate the problems and make getting to sleep at a reasonable hour during the week even harder. According to Dahl (1999), following sleep loss and hyperactive behaviour, changes in attention and performance also represent a complex area of investigation in children and adolescents. Sleep loss is associated with brief mental lapses in attention during simple tasks that can be partially offset by increased effort or motivation. Sleep deprivation can sometimes mimic or exacerbate symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including distractibility, impulsivity, and difficulty with effortful control of attention. There is also emerging evidence that sleep deprivation has marked influences on the ability to perform complex tasks or tasks that require attention in two or more areas at the same time (Dahl, 1999). Therefore, a teenager should try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, allowing for at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep. On the other hand, many people are suffering from daytime sleepiness so pervasive that it interferes with their daily activities because they do not get the optimal amount of sleep they their bodies need. Lack of sleep and sleep problems can have serious, life-threatening consequences, as well as a significant impact on productivity (Alhola et al. , 2007). Many people suffering from routine sleep loss are not even aware of it, and many who do realize they are not getting enough sleep are not aware of what it is costing them. Sleep loss creates sleepiness, which can be associated with decrements in vigilance, reaction time, memory, psychomotor coordination, information processing, and decision-making (Rosekind et al. , 1996). With increasing sleepiness, individuals demonstrate poorer performance despite increased effort, and they may report indifference regarding the outcome of their performance. Even severely sleep deprived people are still able to perform to some degree on a verbal learning test. This implies that some other area of the brain must become active to compensate for the loss of temporal lobe functioning. Even though they can perform to some degree, sleep deprived people still do not perform as well on these tests as do fully rested subjects Rosekind et al. (1996) illustrate that not getting enough sleep affects the people in several ways, such as problem solving skills are impaired. Sleep loss noticeably impairs our ability to comprehend apidly changing situations, increases the likelihood of distraction, makes us think more rigidly and less flexibly, and reduces our ability to produce innovative solutions to problems. In addition, our communication skills also suffer because sleep loss reduces the words in vocabulary both verbally and in writing (Rosekind et al. , 1996). Learning and memory suffer as sleep loss diminishes scores on tests of memory, verbal fluency and overall creativity (Rosekind et al. , 1996). Therefore, if a person is not able to get a full night's sleep after learning something new, he will not remember the new knowledge well. He will not fully assimilate the new ideas or task until he is able to go through a complete night of uninterrupted sleep cycles. In relation to our communication and memory skills, being sleepy on the job, whether the cause is simple sleep deprivation or an undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorder, can also have a vital impact on how well workers can do their job. For example, night-shift workers have poorer daytime sleep, reduced night-time alertness and performance, and an increased accident rate (Williamson & Feyer, 2000). Since sleep deprivation causes individuals to feel so sleepy during the day, their concentration and performance suffer significantly. For example, sleep deprivation often leads to an increase in the incidence of motor vehicle accidents. One study found that individuals suffering from fatigue due to sleep apnea are six times more likely to have a motor vehicle accident than persons who are not suffering from fatigue (Williamson et al. , 2000). This is partly due to the person being groggy or sleepy due to lack of rest. It is also partly due to the fact that sleep deprived people tend to fall into sleep for very brief periods at unforeseen times. They also are more disposed to industrial accidents than non-apnea workers (Kloss et al. , 2002). Therefore, there is a direct connection between sleepiness and impaired hand-eye coordination. The degree of impairment has led researchers to compare it in severity to drunkenness and this can be represented by having an untreated sleep disorder such as insomnia, narcolepsy, or sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of having a motor vehicle accident. Since sleep deprivation increases the likelihood of having a motor vehicle accident, sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally (Landsness et al. , 2009). After periods of extended wakefulness or reduced sleep neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly affecting a person's behaviour. Some organs, such as muscles, are able to regenerate even when a person is not sleeping so long as they are resting (Landsness et al. , 2009). This could involve lying awake but relaxed within a quite environment. Different parts of the brain are rested and regenerated during different phases of sleep. During some phases of sleep, the neurons in the cerebral cortex regenerate (Landsness et al. , 2009). If sleep is interrupted so that this regeneration cannot occur, speech may be affected, since the temporal lobe of the brain is what controls speech (Alhola et al. , 2007). People who do not get enough sleep often have slurred speech. There is also measurably less activity in their temporal lobes than in those of well-rested people (Alhola et al. , 2007). During Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, memories are consolidated and categorized by the brain (Ellenbogen, 2010). New synaptic connections are also formed during REM sleep, aiding learning. If REM sleep is cut short, long-term memory may be affected and new knowledge might not be retained (Ellenbogen, 2010). Conversely, short-term memory might be better in the sleep deprived person because the part of the brain that controls short-term memory contains memories that are still fresh. In order to counteract sleep deprivation effects, the brain works harder but the effectiveness is low. There is a drop in the concentration level and it affects memory too (Lim & Dinges, 2010). The effects of sleep deprivation include slurred and fragmented speech and slowing down of mental reaction time. Problem solving and decision making abilities of the brain are affected. Due to rigid thought patterns of the brain, new problem solving ideas do not get generated, and hallucinations are common for people who have insufficient rest (Kloss et al. , 2002). Sleep deprivation causes deterioration in emotional mood of human beings. Irritability and short temper are two common symptoms of sleep deprivation (Dahl, 1999). Consequently, emotional outbursts and even violence are noticed among people who are deprived of sleep because of a loss of emotional control (Dahl, 1999). Sleepiness leads to rise in stress and anxiety levels of these individuals. Stress and anxiety in turn will lead to insomnia and this kind of vicious cycle will lead to anxiety disorders and depression, if left unchecked. Our emotional moods are affected by exhaustion and fatigue. This condition in turn will lead to pessimism, sadness, stress and anger (Jennings et al. , 2003). To function effectively, the frontal cortex of our brain needs sufficient sleep. The ability to control speech, problem solving and accessing memory is all controlled by the frontal cortex and if there is not enough rest, these abilities are affected (Landsness et al. , 2009). One thing is for certain, that chronic sleep loss may lead to deterioration of mood and motivation, decrease in attention, energy, and concentration. It also causes an increase in fatigue, irritability, tension, anxiety, and depression (Jennings et al. , 2003). Any one of these consequences of sleep deprivation can seriously affect productivity and performance. There is no question about it that the problem of sleep loss and fatigue is one that impacts significantly on the professional and personal lives of all humans. In association to all these studies, the purpose of this essay was to analyze the importance of sleep deprivation on cognition. There is considerable evidence to support the hypothesis that sleep deprivation has negative effects on neurobehavioural (sustained attention, reaction time, and vigilance) and cognitive (memory and reasoning) performance in humans (Rosekind et al. , 1996, Williamson et al. , 2000, Kloss et al. , 2002 & Alhola et al. , 2007). In some ways, sleep deprivation studies help us to study and understand the relationship between the brain and behaviour in a very unique way by observing how a person's behaviour changes as the brain shuts down. Just like a person cannot jog for three continuous days, a person's brain cannot operate without rest breaks. Since different regions of the brain rest during different stages of the sleep cycle, sleep cannot be cut short (Landsness et al. , 2009). Therefore, too little sleep can influence our intellectual capabilities, emotions, and motor performances, which creates major issues for sleep deprived drivers because they are falling asleep at the wheel. To reduce our behaviour in sleep deprivation, it is important for us to manage our activity so that we have more time to sleep. So, to have a good quality and quantity of sleep, time management is the key.

Mughal Era

PREFACE The Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire In seeking to determine the clothes worn by the wide range of people that entered India during the Mughal period, one has to take into account the geographical factors that influence their form of dress, the region they come from, how they lived, how the terrain, climate and their professional occupation affected what they wore. BRIEF HISTORY In 1526, Babur established the Mughal Empire, which lasted for over 200 years. They ruled most of the Indian subcontinent by 1600.The Mughal emperors married local royalty, allied themselves with the local maharajas & attempted to fuse their turko-persian culture with ancient Indian styles. The Mughal dynasty reached its peak during the reign of Akbar and it went into a slow decline after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 and was finally defeated during the war of independence in 1857. LIFESTYLE The marketplace The marketplace The society of the Mughal period can roughly be categorized into the rich, midd le and poor class. The difference between the richest sections of society and the poorest was very wide.At the top of the social and economic ladder was the king followed by his nobles. This class lived in extraordinary luxury with abundant resources at their disposal. They lived a life of reckless festivity, grand banquets, lavish homes and often had inflated egos. Their food and dress was very costly, and their homes were huge palatial structures. Both indoor and outdoor games were popular with this class, for they had the time and resources to be able to indulge in them. An unfortunate aspect was that as a result of their tremendous wealth, many of them squandered away their money and lives in vice and temptations.Towards the close of the Mughal Empire, many of the emperors were no longer interested in running the empire; instead they were keener on enjoying the wealth they possessed as kings. Tyranny of the Emporer over the lower sections of the society Tyranny of the Emporer ov er the lower sections of the society The middle class was a relatively new development, one that would grow and become an important force during British India. They were usually merchants, industrialists and various other professionals. While not being able to afford the extravagance of the rich class, they led comfortable and perhaps more sensible lives.Many middle class families were also very well off and were able to indulge in some luxuries. Purdah system was followed during Mughal Era Purdah system was followed during Mughal Era Below the middle class lay the poor class, the most oppressed and neglected part of the society. There was a major difference between their standard of living and that of the two preceding classes. They were usually without adequate clothing and in cases of famines even without food. They held very low paying jobs, where they were expected to put in long hours.Their condition can perhaps be described as voluntary slaves. They were often harassed by the officers of the king, who extorted money out of them by making false charges against them. The economic conditions of the peasants continuously declined, especially towards the close of the Mughal period when the tyranny of the provincial governors constantly troubled the peasants' lives. The position of women in Indian society changed considerably with the coming of Islam. The Indian women now came to occupy an even lower status. Muslim inroads made strict enforcement of purdah and seclusion of women.Women’s education was not encouraged. The birth of a girl was not regarded as a happy event. On the contrary the position of the women of the noble and royal families was little better. Miniature paintings of the Mughal era Miniature paintings of the Mughal era Miniature paintings: important source for Mughal costumes Mughal painting is a particular style of South Asian painting, generally confined to miniatures, which emerged from Persian miniature painting and developed durin g the period of the Mughal Empire (16th – 19th centuries).Miniature paintings were a variety of Islamic paintings done during the reign of the Mughal Emperors. The Mughal paintings often covered scenes from the court and help our understanding of how the court functioned. These paintings also provide us with information on what the emperors looked like. * The Mughal miniature paintings had depicted the costumes and ornaments which were prevalent in the time of medieval India. Mughal artists had rendered exquisite detail of the costume of the people of that period. The Mughal Emperors who helped the art of painting to flourish were Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Mughal Queen covered in fine clothing and jewels Mughal Queen covered in fine clothing and jewels The costume of Mughal women Traditional Mughal costume Traditional Mughal costume The ladies of the Mughal dynasty were as remarkable as their men and in certain cases even more cultivated. The way these beautiful, educat ed and extremely talented Mughal women used to dress became a matter of interest for many.Royal women wore beautiful clothes made from the finest materials and adorned jewellery from head to toe. They used to spend a lot of money in getting for themselves fine silks, brocades and muslins from which they got stitch beautiful garments. They were mostly covered in white colored veil because of the prevalent purdah system and they could not go out on the street without the veil otherwise they were forced to join the profession of prostitution. Early costumes When the Mughal ladies first set their foot in India they were dressed in long gowns, caps and trousers.And upto the time of Akbar, Persian dress was worn by muslins but during Akbar’s time Rajput dress was adopted. * An inner garment or kartiji was invariably worn beneath the gown as a short bodice reaching to the hips. * Queen in her chambers Queen in her chambers Another jacket or nimtena was frequently put over the dress somewhat like a vest (Gulbadan begam, the daughter of Babar while describing mirza hindal’s marriage in her memoirs, mentions â€Å"nine jackets with garnitures of jeweled balls† and four shortered jackets with bal trimmings among the articles of dowry for the bride Sultana begam. The effect of these gorgeous dresses embroidered with gold and pearls was astonishing. So in a whole the early Mughal costume for women consisted of wide topped trousers fitting snuggly from calf to ankle, long kurta, fitted outer jacket, dupatta, high Turkish hats, sometimes with a small veil attached and some feathers too. The Jaguli The Jaguli Influence on Hindu women The glamour of these dresses must have cast its spell unmistakably on the susceptible Indian women. Opportunities were not lacking for frequent contacts between Indian and Mughal ladies.It is therefore not astonishing that Indian women associated with the court of Delhi and high ranking ladies living in the Rajput dependencie s of northern India should very soon have adopted the distinctively Mughal style of dress. The jaguli worn by women- a sort of empire gown fastening at neck an waist, opening between the fastenings and permitting a glimpse of the breasts and with long tight wrinkled sleeves and long flowing skirt reaching as far down as the ankles. This attire was worn by the Muslim dancing women. Later Mughal costumeLater Mughal costume The skirted robe of these women which was slit in front from the waist to the bottom and which in their language was known as peshwas distinctly resemble the jagulis of the Kangra painters. Later Mughal Costumes consisted of Long sleeved choli, Isar (often striped), Brocade vest, Short and long ghagra (often in sheer material),Silk or muslin dupatta, Apron (with embroidery) and farji (long sheer vest like garment), Long sleeved floor length gown with a sari that drapes from the jeweled embroidered crown and an Ornate turban.MALE COSTUME Men wore a pagri (turban), a jama (coat), a patka (shawl), a katzeb (sash) and either trousers or a dhoti (loincloth). The Jama: Essentially, the jama is a snugly fitted garment that is complemented by a pair of long sleeves, a distinctive crossover bodice and a full skirt. The jama is differentiated from other coats of the Mughal era (such as the angharka) in that the skirts overlap in the same fashion as the bodice. The Jama The JamaThe social status and wealth of the wearer were indicated by the textiles used to create the jama, the fullness of the skirts and the length of the sleeves. The sleeves were tight-fitting to the wrist, and were commonly so long as to form soft folds along the forearm. The sleeve also features an inset triangular gusset in the armpit, which allows for a snug fit without compromising mobility. Dhoti or Paijama: Another term for these trousers is paijama, from which comes our familiar word denoting sleep attire.The word is a compound of two Persian words, pai meaning â€Å"feet† or â€Å"legs†, and jama meaning â€Å"covering†. Both men and women wore paijamas, possibly in imitation of the warlike Rajput princes who preferred them to the dhoti or the mobility they afforded. Mughal King Akbar Mughal King Akbar Pagri or Turban: Paintings from the court of Akbar indicate that there was a difference between the wrap used by a Muslim and that of a Hindu. Generally, Hindu turbans were fuller and rounder than those of the Muslims, who favored elaborate jewelry to embellish their headgear.Patka, Katzeb and Juttis: Three more items finish off the male costume and these are the patka (shawl), the katzeb (sash) and Juttis (shoes). The Patka: The patka is a handsome garment often depicted in illustrations of the period draping elegantly from the shoulders of Akbar’s courtiers. It survives today in India as the dupatta, worn by women as a scarf with Emperor Shah Jahan Emperor Shah Jahan their salwar Kamiz and Hindu men on their wedding day. Patka , Katzeb and Juttis worn by Prince Salim Patka, Katzeb and Juttis worn by Prince SalimThe Katzeb: Even more ubiquitous than the patka, was the katzeb, or sash. In illustrations of the period, it is clear that the patka and the katzeb never matched one another, but like the patka, the katzeb was richly decorated in a number of ways. Sashes in the reign of Akbar seem to be of two lengths, long and short. Laborers, servants and courtiers in a hunting party are often shown with shorter and plainer katzebs. Wealthy emirs and the Akbar himself are depicted as wearing longer and more abundant sashes, and in a few cases, two sashes of contrasting colors at once.Juttis:   Hindus and Muslims differed greatly in their approach to footwear. Followers of Islam wore shoes and boots habitually to protect their feet from the heat and hazards of the Indian landscape. Hindus, on the other hand, view feet and leather both as â€Å"unclean†. The making of leather goods, therefore, is and was l eft to the members of the lowest castes. As a rule, Hindus preferred to go either barefoot or in sandals called paduka, which were made of â€Å"pure† materials such as wood or even metal. Shoes were invariably removed before entering living areas and temples.

Explain why Germany and her allies were defeated in WWI and assess their treatment in the 1918/1919 settlement

There were many factors that played a part in Germany's defeat in World War One, and none of them can be singularly attributed to its loss. Despite this, some factors did play a more important part than others. Some of the major factors were America's entry into the war, low morale in Germany, and Germany's Ludendorrf Offensive. The American entry into the war was a major factor contributing to Germany's defeat. When the Americans declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, they provided a huge injection of funds, soldiers and productive capacity to the Allies' war effort. The millions of American soldiers that were sent overseas in 1917 and 1918 were fit, young, and most importantly, fresh with relatively high morale compared to the other Allied soldiers. World War One was a war of attrition. The side that could wear down the enemy side first would be victorious. The contribution of the American soldiers, funds and resources to the Allied side allowed them to survive for longer than the Central Powers. Therefore, the entry of America into World War One was a major factor causing Germany's defeat. The Ludendorrf Offensive, which was launched on March 21, 1918, was a series of three offensives undertaken by the Germans to try to force an Allied surrender after the Russian withdrew from the war. With the Eastern front free, the Germans concentrated all their resources on the Western front to try to break the stalemate there. At first the Ludendorrf Offensive was successful, but the German troops advanced so fast that their supply lines could not keep up. This allowed the Allied forces to surround and defeat the stranded German troops. The Ludendorrf Offensive was a gamble by Germany. It required an input of high levels of resources, and as it was not successful, these resources were ultimately wasted. As World War One was a war of attrition, the Ludendorrf Offensive accelerated, if not caused, Germany's defeat. By 1917 and 1918, morale amongst the German people was very low. They had begun to lose faith in the war. An outbreak of Spanish Influenza in Europe had hit Germany, and had created unrest amongst the population. Shortages of consumer essentials spread widely throughout Germany. The Germany public began to resent the war, calling for â€Å"peace at any cost†. The production of munitions fell, and the weapons supply to the German soldiers fell to levels much lower than the Allies'. The low morale amongst the civilians and soldiers worsened the German position. Therefore, low morale amongst the troops and civilians on the German side was a major factor leading to Germany's defeat in World War One. There is no obvious single factor for Germany's defeat in World War One, but among the main reasons were the American's entry into the war, the Ludendorrf Offensive, and the low morale among soldiers and civilians at the home front. The Treaty of Versailles was the culmination of the 1918/1919 peace settlement process that was imposed on Germany by the Allied powers in 1919. The treaty imposed a number of harsh conditions on Germany. As a result of the treaty, Germany had to reduce its army to 100 000 men, and give up its air force altogether. Germany had to give away thirteen percent of its land, and hand over control of its overseas colonies. Germany was forced to pay over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6, 600, 000, 000 in war repatriations. Also, and significantly, the Treaty of Versailles demanded Germany accept full responsibility for starting the First World War. To assess Germany's treatment in the 1918/1919 settlement, it is useful to examine the motives behind the key negotiators, Germany's aims, and Germany's guilt The British public were very angry and were out for revenge. â€Å"Hang the Kaiser† and â€Å"Make Germany Pay† were both very common calls in the time just after the war and the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George could not afford politically to be easy on Germany. This shows that Britain's intentions when contributing to the Treaty of Versailles would have been to harshly punish Germany The then president of France, Georges Clemenceau, was determined to see that Germany was punished so harshly that it would never be able to start a war again, as he believed they had done. As was the case with the British, there was also widespread public anger towards Germany. The American President, Woodrow Wilson, was the third major participant in the treaty negotiations. He too wanted to punish Germany, but also had an interest in a stable Europe, which would depend on a stable Germany. Given the attitudes of the Allies who met in Paris for the peace negotiations, Germany's treatment in the Treaty of Versailles would definitely have been harsh, as all three entered the negotiations with a view to punishing Germany. When judged by its previous actions, it can be argues that Germany was not justified to expect a settlement any more favourable than what they received. They had already proven that in victory they could be as harsh as the Allies with the treaty they presented Russia upon their withdrawal from the war, the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. In this treaty, the Germans demanded that Russia hand over large areas of its territory and pay substantial repatriations. Given the harsh treatment the Germans imposed on Russia after its defeat, the treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles can be justified. There is an argument that if Germany had won, they would have imposed penalties as harsh or harsher on the Allies. This supports the argument that the Treaty of Versailles was not too harsh on Germany. But perhaps the best way to determine whether or not the Treaty of Versailles was really harsh on Germany is to see the effect on Germany of the treaty, and the length of time it took for Germany to recover.

Doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Doctrine - Essay Example In order to provide a comprehensive understanding about human nature, Marx made a clear distinction between the actions of animals and the activities perform by human beings differentiating themselves as a superior creature in the earth (Sayers 610-612). In the identification of human nature and taking into concern Marx’s distribution theory, it can be affirmed that Marx had given a distinct place to the individuals in society. According to him, individuals are no longer slaves in the prevailing communist societies. They can play a decisive role in the development of modern societies. In the background of communist society and Marx’s distribution theory, individuals not only tend to generate greater value for themselves but also serve the best interests of every community member. Thus, labor forces are not only selected by the individuals but also play a foremost role in making greater contribution towards the welfare of the communist societies (Rosen

Lying is never right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lying is never right - Essay Example According to Webster, to lie is â€Å"1: to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive; 2: to create a false or misleading impression.† Lying, as defined by St. Thomas Aquinas, â€Å"a statement at variance with the mind†, is more accurate than Webster’s â€Å"to create a false or misleading impression.† This is because, according to Webster, it is possible to lie without making a false statement and without any intention of deceiving. If a person makes a statement which he thinks is false, but in reality is true, he certainly lies inasmuch as he intends to say what is false. A well-known liar may have no intention of deceiving anyone - for he knows nobody believes a word he says – but if he speaks at variance with his mind, he does not cease to lie. someone. An officious or white lie is such that it does not injure anyone. Jocose lies are told for the purpose of affording amusement. When a habit of lying has been contracted, it is practically impossible to restrict its vagaries to matters which are harmless. Therefore, although injury to others is excluded from officious and jocose lies by definition, yet realistically there is no sort of lie which is not injurious to somebody. According to Catholic teachings, an injurious lie is a mortal sin, but officious and jocose lies are of their own nature, venial sins. Telling the truth is not the easiest course of action to follow. On the contrary, telling the truth is often difficult, and frequently leads to unpleasant consequences. A major disturbing thought for us is that Christians, of all people, need to lie. Where are our Christian principles? â€Å"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.† (Ephesians 4:25). God makes it clear that â€Å"all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone,

Mikes Most Memorable Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Mikes Most Memorable Accident - Essay Example When Mike is out with his friends, they enjoy racing their cars on Jumaira Road and flirt with hot chicks. On this particular day, Mike’s parents ask him to renew his license because they want to surprise him for his birthday by purchasing him a new Chevrolet Silverado 2012. Mike goes to the mall for an eye test. The attendant informs him that even though the renewal of the license is possible, it will take a few days to process. In addition, a fee will be required. Mike makes the payment and receives a note saying that his license is renewed, but he has to wait for three or four days to receive it. Mike then leaves for home. On his way home, Mike’s mother calls for the renewal of his license. Mike refuses to answer his phone partly because of his resentment towards his parents but also because he was feeling drowsy. The continual hampering for him to renew his license took a great toll on him. Mike is struggling to keep his eyes open and on the road, but he makes a right turn and keeps moving along in the left lane. Mike then notices a speed bump and a U-turn, but he sees an old man riding a bicycle along the end of the right lane at the same time. Because there is a gap between the two lanes, and the old man does not seem to show any intention of moving over when Mike is approaching the u-turn, Mike increases his speed from 50 KHM to 70 KMH. As Mike gets close to the turn, the old man suddenly decides to cross the road. Mike does not have sufficient time either to hit the brakes or to avoid the old man. There is no time even for Mike to think about it. It all happened so fast that Mike drove on w ithout even noticing. He only realizes what has happened when he spots shreds of glass on the passenger’s seat.

What is data mining and how can it bring benefits to a business Essay

What is data mining and how can it bring benefits to a business organisation - Essay Example 2007).Data mining is incorporated for gaining in depth patterns for market intelligence from data warehouses containing massive amount of data. However, the issue that arises is not the quantity of data, as we already have massive amount of data to work with, it is the methodology that is required to learn data. Likewise, data provides all the attributes but how to utilize them for gaining benefit is another question. This is the area that is addressed by data mining, as it is used for extracting valuable information from large amount of data saved on periodic basis. Likewise, information that can be extracted may contain relationships and different patterns. For instance, a retail store may indicate that some products are more in demand in one channel of distribution, there may be two different products that are sold at the same time in a specific geographic location, some specific products are more in demand in some geographic locations and similarly, some products are more demandi ng in certain events may be associated with religious events. If we take an example of Wal-Mart, the store has found that if there is a probability of a hurricane, the demand of beet increases in that specific geographical area, therefore, stores have to stock more beers that usual in this sort of situation (Keating 2008). Employee associated with utilizing patterns of customer behavior from data mining, i.e. a financial analyst would seek facets of the store or organization that may become bankrupt, similarly, human resource managers would seek information of a successful potential employee, employees working in a credit card department would like to get information associated with credit card debts payments from potential customers and also to analyze the legitimate credit card transactions against the falsified ones, marketing department executives would like to extract information associated with product

Physical Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Physical Security - Essay Example This essay stresses that there is a possibility that during the opening ceremony a certain country’s athlete may get attacked by a terrorist group. It may also happen that the opening ceremony may get sabotaged altogether by a terrorist or militia group so as to defame the pride of the host country. In any of these cases, it becomes very important to understand the fact that security breaches are possible and consequently, security needs to be tightened. This paper makes a conclusion that equally important is upholding the security during the medal distribution ceremony all for the same reasons which have been mentioned above. Again, it might happen that to hamper the national pride of the host nation or the participating nation one may try to attack the winning team/sportsperson during the medal-distribution ceremony. Also, it may happen that a winning participant or sportsperson maybe a terrorist supporter or a terrorist itself in guise. The security assessment of the nearby hospital or medical center is also very significant and critical to the overall security process. Hospitals are locations of maximum vulnerability if compared to other locations which are part of the entire event. There is a possibility that a minor disaster may lead to the hospitalization of some people (sportsters/spectators/organizers) and a major disaster can be planned to be executed in the hospital because it provides a good vantage point to the perpetrat ors of the security breach.

The Value of Education in Todays Society Research Paper

The Value of Education in Todays Society - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that today’s economy has become more global and Americans are being asked to gain more global knowledge. As the economy and political policies continue to change, the needs for competition and understanding have changed. Many businesses are requiring employees to have knowledge of more than one language so that they negotiate contracts easier. Globalization also brings with it the need for computer knowledge that includes an understanding of virtual working teams, and they must be able to take in knowledge quickly. This project makes a conclusion that education is important to society on many levels. Education drives a society and can help it transition to a stronger community. Education is important to enhance a society and to make it stronger. When someone is gaining education, he or she learns how to help others achieve as they take the role of leadership. Education is important to the economy because educated people spend more and they pay more taxes. They also pay taxes. Both situations bring people together and help the society grow. Most organizations are working with a diverse work group which means that training should be involved with them to understand more about cultures and about what culture looks like. In a global world, it is important is to be culturally sensitive to the needs of all workers and this come with education and training. There is no doubt that education is important to society. There are a variety of ways that educated people help the economy.

Strategic Response to Climate Change by Global Companies Essay

Strategic Response to Climate Change by Global Companies - Essay Example ThÐ µ clÃ'â€"mÐ °tÐ µ Ã'â€"s chÐ °ngÃ'â€"ng fÐ °st Ð °nd Ã'â€"s posÃ'â€"ng Ð ° grÐ µÃ °t thrÐ µÃ °t to thÐ µ mÐ °nkÃ'â€"nd. ThÐ µ rÐ µÃ °son of thÃ'â€"s clÃ'â€"mÐ °tÃ'â€"c chÐ °ngÐ µ Ã'â€"s numÐ µrous but thÐ µ mÐ °Ã'â€"n sourcÐ µ of such Ð ° chÐ °ngÐ µ lÃ'â€"Ð µs Ã'â€"n thÐ µ Ã'â€"ndustrÃ'â€"Ð °l Ð µxpÐ °nsÃ'â€"on. ThÐ µ scÐ µnÐ °rÃ'â€"o Ã'â€"n thÐ µ mÐ °rkÐ µt hÐ °s bÐ µcomÐ µ much morÐ µ compÐ µtÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"vÐ µ Ð °nd Ã'â€"t hÐ °s bÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ prÃ'â€"mÐ °ry rÐ µÃ °son of such Ð ° hÐ °rmful chÐ °ngÐ µ bÐ µcÐ °usÐ µ most of thÐ µ Ã'â€"ndustrÃ'â€"Ð µs Ð °rÐ µ busy concÐ µntrÐ °tÃ'â€"ng on profÃ'â€"t Ð °nd not on thÐ µ socÃ'â€"Ð °l outcomÐ µs of thÐ µÃ'â€"r busÃ'â€"nÐ µss. ThÐ µ mÐ °Ã'â€"n sÐ µctors whÃ'â€"ch Ã'â€"nfluÐ µncÐ µ thÐ µ chÐ °ngÐ µ of clÃ'â€"mÐ °tÐ µ Ð °rÐ µ thÐ µ lÃ'â€"kÐ µs of oÃ'â€"l Ð °nd pÐ µtrolÐ µum sÐ µctor, rÐ µÃ °l Ð µstÐ °tÐ µ sÐ µctor, Ð °utomobÃ'â€"lÐ µ sÐ µctor à  °nd thÐ µ Ã'â€"ron Ð °nd stÐ µÃ µl Ã'â€"ndustry. ThÐ µrÐ µ Ð °rÐ µ othÐ µr hÐ µÃ °vy bÐ °sÐ µd Ã'â€"ndustrÃ'â€"Ð µs whÃ'â€"ch Ð °ffÐ µct such Ð ° chÐ °ngÐ µ. ThÃ'â€"s clÃ'â€"mÐ °tÃ'â€"c chÐ °ngÐ µ not only Ð °ffÐ µcts thÐ µ Ð µnvÃ'â€"ronmÐ µntÐ °l stÐ °bÃ'â€"lÃ'â€"ty but Ð °lso thÐ µ fÃ'â€"nÐ °ncÃ'â€"Ð °l stÐ °bÃ'â€"lÃ'â€"ty of thÐ µ wholÐ µ world. Thus, Ð ° chÐ °ngÐ µ Ã'â€"n clÃ'â€"mÐ °tÐ µ hÃ'â€"ts thÐ µ fÃ'â€"nÐ °ncÃ'â€"Ð °l sÐ µctor or thÐ µ bÐ °nkÃ'â€"ng sÐ µctor tÐ µrrÃ'â€"bly. It Ã'â€"s vÐ µry much rÐ µquÃ'â€"rÐ µd by Ð °ll thÐ µ Ã'â€"ndustrÃ'â€"Ð µs collÐ µctÃ'â€"vÐ µly to prÐ µvÐ µnt such chÐ °ngÐ µs Ã'â€"n thÐ µ nÐ °turÐ µ othÐ µrwÃ'â€"sÐ µ Ã'â€"t could posÐ µ Ð ° sÐ µrÃ'â€"ous thrÐ µÃ °t to thÐ µ socÃ'â€"Ð µty. MÐ µÃ °surÐ µs Ð °rÐ µ to bÐ µ Ã'â€"nÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"Ð °tÐ µd to tÐ °kÐ µ prÐ µcÐ °utÃ'â€"onÐ °ry stÐ µps, Ã'â€"f not fully to wrÃ'â€"tÐ µ off thÐ µ Ã'â€"ll Ð µffÐ µcts, so thÐ °t thÐ µ mÐ °gnÃ'â€"tudÐ µ of such hÐ °rm rÐ µducÐ µs. ThÐ µ study rÐ µflÐ µcts such mÐ µÃ °surÐ µs whÃ'â€"ch hÐ °vÐ µ bÐ µÃ µn tÐ °kÐ µn or whÃ'â€"ch could bÐ µ tÐ °kÐ µn to mÐ °kÐ µ thÃ'â€"s world Ð ° bÐ µttÐ µr plÐ °cÐ µ to lÃ'â€"vÐ µ. The study will be focused on three car manufacturing companies in the UK namely, Ford, Nissan, and Toyota. It will clearly show what the future holds for these companies as well as their sustainability. The study will use qualitative and inductive methods of investigation to capture these characteristics.

Landscape Architecture in Palo Alto City Essay Example for Free

Landscape Architecture in Palo Alto City Essay Palo Alto City, a city known because of many famous landmarks and buildings, is located in Santa Clara County, in California of United States. The named of the city was derived from a name of a tall oak tree at the banks of the San Franciscquito Creek bordering Menlo Park called El Palo Alto. The geographic characteristic of the city is at the northern end of the Silicon Valley. The city is also situated near the Stanford University and is known as home of many huge companies in the high-technology industry like Hewlett-Packard. (Bowling, 2007) History of Palo Alto The history of Palo Alto city was traced back in 1979 Gaspar de Portola made an Ohlone settlement in the said city. To commemorate what happened in this place, a plaque was made in order to remember the histiroy for Palo Alto City. The plaque was located at Middlefield Road and Webster Street, (Bowling, 2007) Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture is the art of planning, designing, developing, managing and rehabilitating a land for a specified purpose. Landscape architecture is a profession that is combination of different inter disciplinary field like mathematics, geography, engineering, art, horticulture, social science, politics, history and philosophy. The duties of a landscape architecture can range from different roles like designing of a museum, parks, site planning for commercial buildings, as well as residential lands, and development and maintenance of nature lands like forest. Arastradero Preserve There are many famous buildings and landmarks located in the city. Some of the notable landmarks located in Palo Alto are the Arastradero Preserve. Arastradero Preserve, which is officially known as Enid W. Pearson- Arastradero Open Space Preserve, is a nature preserve which serves as parking lot of the city. The landscape architects designed the Arastradero Preserve so that people can have a biking, hiking and horseback riding session. The preserve is a combination of savanna grassland and broadleaf evergreen forest that is suitable for a nature preserve location. This made also the preserve to be a habitat for many wildlife species like bobcats, deer and diverse birds. (City, 2001) Arizona Cactus Garden Another popular landmark in Palo Alto is the Arizona Cactus Garden located in the Stanford University. Arizona Cactus Garden is a botanical garden specializing in the production of different cacti and succulents. The Arizona Cactus Garden is open for public visit. The Arizona Cactus Garden was designed by Rudolph Ulrich, a landscape architect, for Jane and Leland Stanford. The garden was open in public on 1883. The design of the garden was planned to be near at the residence of the Stanford family as well at the Stanford estate. The garden was designed in such a way it is divided in to two parts, the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. The Eastern Hemisphere part contains aloes, jade plants and other succulents from Europe, Asia and Africa while the Eastern Hemisphere contains cacti that are native in America. The garden was designed and made as public landmarks were people can view different varieties of cactus and succulents. (Bowling, 2007) Stanford University One of the most famous landmarks located in Palo Alto is the Leland Stanford Junior University or simply Stanford University. It is a private university that is situated at the center of Silicon Valley. It was in 1891 the university was established under the supervision of the governor of California, Leland Stanford together with his wife Jane Stanford. The name was derived from their only son, Leland Stanford Jr. who died at his teenage years. The university was firstly known as The Farm because it is situated at eh Leland Stanford’s horse farm and offers courses for both male and female students. (Bowling, 2007) Stanford makes sure that the university will be of good quality that is why he consulted first some key person that may give a big help in the construction of the campus. Some of these person were Francis Amasa Walker, president of another university which is specialize in the filed of engineering, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and second is Frederick Law Olmsted which is a famous landscape architect. The main role of Olmsted is on the general plans and concept for the proposed university. These are the constructions of the buildings and the removal of hillside sites that will favor for more practical flatlands. Another landscape architect that helps in the design of the campus is Charles Allerton Coolidge. Coolidge used the concept Richardsonian Romanesque style that was derived from his teacher, Henry Hobson Richardson. The said style is has the properties of rectangular stone buildings that are joined by arcades of semi-circle arches. There was also another design that was incorporated at Stanford University, the Mission Revival. The Mission Revival is a Spanish-colonial style and is characterized as red tile roofs and solid sandstone masonry that hold a discrete Californian appearance. The red tile roof has a good combination to bright blue skies making it famous to the people of the city. (Bowling, 2007) The major open space is formed by an on-structure, two-level plaza. It is layered with linear arrays of granite and quartzite aligned to echo the San Andreas Fault line below, and subtly forms gathering areas of various sizes for outdoor classrooms. The lower and more private courtyard provides light to the surrounding laboratories and offices, and exposes a dry riverbed that continues the north/south fault line, while expressing the character of a lower stratum and accommodating gathering places for students, faculty and researchers. (Bowling, 2007) The Stanford University is a huge campus were almost basic building that is required in a university is made. There are different buildings for different department of the campus. There are also dormitories and student housing were the students can reside. Stanford University Arboretum Stanford University Arboretum, which is located at Stanford University, was also designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. First, the land where the arboretum is located was planted by live oak trees. Olmsted designed the arboretum so that the public is free to visit the park. The orientation of the trees to be planted was a factor that was considered by Olmsted as well as the spacing of the trees. Olmsted sees to it that the arboretum will serve as a public park. Jane Stanford finds the arboretum essential to the people of Palo Alto and once said to the people of the city; (Bowling, 2007) In this enlarged Arboretum it is desired that there shall be exhibited to advantage all the trees and wood plants of the world that may be expected to grow to mature natural forms under the climatic and other conditions of the locality. Byxbee Park Byxbee Park, which was designed by Peter Richards and Michael Oppenheimer, shows of the site’s unique form and characteristics. Is shows the inspiration of landfill, slough, marsh, wind, and sky. The park does not allow buildings to be made inside the park making it a very natural in purpose. The intertwined elements of the park make the park a very sensitive environmental landmark. Cantor Center for Visual Arts The Cantor Center for Visual Arts, which is located in Stanford University, is another landmark in Palo Alto. The Cantor Center for Visual Arts is a museum that contains about 24 galleries, terraces, and sculpture gardens. The museum was established when the university was established in 1891 as a memorial park for their late son. Hewlett Packard Courtyard The Hewlett Packard Courtyard was designed to show the aesthetic value of nature. Hewlett Packard Courtyard is a huge company specializing in the production of computer hardware and the likes like printers. Hedges, designer of the courtyard, design the rooms of the employers of the company in such a way that they can view the outside environment. The terminal wires of the computer being utilized allow the programmers to work outside the rooms. Three-dimensional landforms ripple out from the round cafeteria addition, creating a romantic play against the beaux-arts structure of the courtyard, and dividing the space to create more intimate areas. (Bowling, 2007) Conclusion The role of a landscape architect is very important when buildings and landmarks are being constructed. Because the aesthetic value of the proposed building is their product. It must be taken in to account the proper way of designing, planning as well as developing the building. It is in the hands of a landscape architect the success of the building because this will reflect the popularity of the building.

Forgive Me Mother Essay Example for Free

Forgive Me Mother Essay Its strange how memories of the past can be so terrifying. The thoughts and the occurring dreams are always similar. I would remember longing for a summer where the summers light would beam on my body with the warmth of the sun. Winter was worse because I was terrified by the cold thick air that I would inhale inside my thin body until it feels I was shivering to death. The feeling of being alone , I couldn’t even sleep at night without being terrified; not because of being alone , but knowing my life would dwell with no hope for me for the future. I would see paranormal faces of my father. The haunting face would stare at me with such gentle eyes , yet sad. It’s like he was watching over me. Years ago when I had a family, loving yet annoyingly humorous in a family sense that I miss. We were having dinner with the family with just me , my mother and father. My mother was preparing the food and my father was coming home from work. However he never came back and my mother was worried and panicked. I was still too naà ¯ve to understand the situation fully back then. Hell I don’t even know how old I am anymore since I’ve lost track of time. I cried at first because my mother was always the strong type in the family. It was the first time I’ve seen her cry and the emotions inside of me wanted me to cry with her. He never came back and the authority’s told us he went missing. He was the provider of the family and we were financially unstable. My mother had to look for work , so she left to the city. She told me she would call me when she would be back. Once she left , the people who collects debt knocked on my door and seized the house. I had no place to go and so I left to find shelter and food. I got hired a job in a local newspaper agency to hand out flyers to neighbour streets. It was so cold but I never gave up hoping my mother would come back and take care of me. She couldn’t take me with her because she could only afford enough for herself to travel. We lived in a small town surrounded by snow somewhere in the upper regions of South Korea. One day while I was sleeping in the corner of the streets. A man walked pass with a white hat and apron with a grin on his cheeks. He looked at me for a couple of minutes. I was scared so I didn’t look back at him out of fear. I hear footsteps coming towards me and I was about to run. He asked â€Å"Why are you out in the streets alone at your age? , How old are you?†. I replied in a low voice ‘I don’t know†. He had a strange look on his face and asked me where my guardians was. I replied to him that I don’t know either. He asked me more questions which I all replied â€Å"I Don’t know†. I looked up and saw his face. He was a old man with a beard and had a stick on him which looked like it was supporting him move. It was a silent cold night and I’m not sure why he would be walking around at this time. He asked if I would like to work at his restaurant with cleaning and get paid for it. With nothing to lose I gladly accepted his offer. He took me to his place , it didn’t seem what he said it was. The restaurant looked like a dump and I only saw girls on the front door outside of the restaurant wearing what looked like beach clothing in cold weather. I was suspicious but I had nowhere to go and I didn’t know the way back from here. I followed the old man and he took me into a small room with 10 other children. At first I thought he was taking care of us until there was only girls in the room coming in and out one by one with a man. This isn’t a restaurant I suspected. I was disgusted and tried to leave but they didn’t let me leave. Pushing and crying to get out. They pulled me back , held both my hands and chucked me into a room by myself and locked the doors. Suddenly someone said *Calm down or they will punish you*. I stoped and looked for the source of the sound. The room had a little vent which leads to the other rooms. I whispered to the girl â€Å"What is this place† in a panicking voice. She told me it was a brothel where everyone gets kidnapped and rape for money by strangers. I asked her I was a male, â€Å"what do they want from me?† She told me she doesn’t know either. I didn’t want to find out , my life was already crumbling and now this. There was a medicine cabinet inside the room. I searched inside and found sleeping pills , I remember taking these when I lived with my parents. I could never sleep so the doctor prescribed me sleeping pills. I tried to sleep but I couldn’t out of the fear what was going to happen to me. I suggested to myself I should take these pills and ease things. I took the bottle of medicine from the cabinet. One wasn’t enough for me so I thought. I took more and more until I was feeling dizzy. I counted how many times and how much I’ve taken. But I lost count and started again. I needed more and I needed my peaceful slumber. I was scared to think what was going to happen and kept taking more and more pills until I could feel the bottom of the container. My body begins to weaken and I could no longer feel my fingers. My eyelids begin to shutdown. Soon darkness was all I could see , I felt a hollowing in a room with darkness and suspended in time. Forgive me mother I love you.

Does Liberalism Promote Or Undermine Democracy Politics Essay

Does Liberalism Promote Or Undermine Democracy Politics Essay In a world of ideologies, liberalism and democracy have long coexisted. Liberalism in essence advocates for liberty and equal rights and the importance of the role they play in the development of individuals (liberalism. 1/1). Democracy takes a step further and most types of democracies aim to bring this into execution by the subsequent granting of these rights and liberties i.e. providing a platform for the individuals to grow via equal participation in the realm of economic, social and political affairs, and thus enabling them to decide their own destiny (What Is a Liberal Democracy? 1/1). At times, the two have managed to complement and supplement each other when either the liberals in their attempt to liberate themselves de-democratized or the democrats in their attempt to democratize de-liberated. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role, if any; liberalism plays in the democratization of systems that govern the modern political ideologies. The correlation between libera lism and democracy has been one where liberalism has both strengthened and destabilized democracy at different times, in different ways. It is not merely the explicit merger or clash of the two ideologies that provides the basis for liberalism to promote or undermine democracy, as the case may be. The problem is one of a more complex nature, which upon closer look, can be rooted to several democratizing and de-democratization practices of the liberal democrats in their attempt to liberate themselves. The subsequent advent of Neoliberalism did not help much and by aiming to promote a market driven approach to politics and economics by maximizing the role of the private sector in determining the political and economic policies of the state (McChesney 1/1). The liberal ideology that voices for liberty and equal rights help in the running of democracies where people are granted these rights and liberties and are subsequently entitled to freedom of speech, equal right to vote and tolerance towards religions. Liberalism emphasizes on individual freedom and the protection of that freedom (Liberal Ideas 1/1). The origin of democracy can be traced back in history to the liberal ideology of capitalism which won against fascism and led to the democratization of the state, as advocated by John Locke (Uzgalis 1/1). It was the principle that not only liberated people but granted them fundamental rights laying the basis for democratization (Uzgalis 1/1). It was the individual economic power of the business class that allowed them to liberate themselves from the tyranny of dictators after they had started to get irritated by the thought of having to follow someone according to Charles Tilly, besides having the means to rule themselves and subsequently led to a more representative form of government (Tilly 1/1). The liberal idea of individual freedom and social equality as put forward by John Stuart Mill, laid the basis for granting of civil rights to people, subsequently leading to the democratization of the state where the role of civil society is considered to be one of great significance (Wils on 1/1). A major characteristic of liberal democracies is the existence of pluralism i.e. the coexistence of different political parties that allow people with opposing views to join together and be able to pursue their own agendas (liberal democracy 1/1). While free media, another brainchild of liberalism, enables people to voice their opinions, debate, analyze and critique the performance of the state thereby ensuring transparency thus strengthening democracy as the rule of the majority (Charlton 1/1). Another feature of liberal ideology i.e. capitalism argues for markets to operate freely (Capitalism and democracy take two 1/1). This provides people with increased choice and opportunity to grow and consequently protect individual wellbeing. Governments, in order to gain popular support, aim to benefit the majority and thus regulate this idea of capitalism to an extent only to make sure that the freedom to earn and grow is not concentrated and rather benefits the community at large (Capital ism and democracy take two 1/1). Liberalism has also been one of the major reasons for the demise of the democratic order in states over the years. Although liberalism provides the basis following which most democracies aim to flourish, the same at times has been guilty of promoting anti-democratic practices such as use of influence by elite to stay in power, more commonly known as Marxs idea of dictatorship of the bourgeoisie (MIA: Encyclopedia of Marxism: Glossary of Terms. 1/1), use of media to propagate against opposition (Charlton 1/1) and bureaucracys promotion of self-interest (Clarke, and Foweraker). It has been debated that media while playing a significant role in the strengthening of democracy can also be used to derail the democratic order (Charlton 1/1). The theory put forward is that liberalism promotes the role of media and considering the magnitude of importance attached, concentration of media i.e. ownership and control by a specific group or class (elite) can lead to its abuse (Charlton 1/1). These undesirable practices only contribute towards weakening of democracies. The existence of many political parties and the right to decide whether to vote or not granted to people by liberalism at times leads to the problems of promotion of self interests and not everyone voting; subsequently undermining the legitimacy of the electoral process as the choice of the majority (Compulsory Voting. 1/1). One such example is of Pakistan where the voter turnout was merely 44.91 percent in the 2008 elections (Pakistan voter turnout put at 44.9 percent 1/1). Moreover, many socialists argue that as liberalism promotes capitalism, the resulting democracy is not one of equality but rather one biased towards the influential elite (MIA: Encyclopedia of Marxism: Glossary of Terms. 1/1). They further argue that policies aimed at helping the elite for personal interests lead to increased disparity between rich and poor and thus are considered anti-democratic (MIA: Encyclopedia of Marxism: Glossary of Terms. 1/1). Bureaucracy also occupies great importance in the political and economic affairs of democratic states. Arguably, these bureaucrats in their desire to obtain individual benefits toy with laws to not only mend them in their favor but also ensure that their stay in power is both prosperous and long lasting (Clarke, and Foweraker). Such corrupt practices hamper the democratic order. Majoritarianism aims to again highlight the problem of the selected few (a minority) who have the means and power via self liberation through capitalism and con centration of media, to not only influence the political process but subsequently rule the majority while falsely proclaiming to be the voice of the majority (What Is a Liberal Democracy? 1/1). Another argument that highlights how liberalism undermines democracy is one of equal participation and the attainment of economic, social and cultural equality to go with the granted political equality (Carter and Stokes 8-12). Liberal democrats argue that as everyone has a right to vote thus the political system is democratic in essence, however the argument is that unless economic, social and cultural equality is also granted to marginalized groups such as feminists and gay right liberalists, democratization cannot be achieved in essence (Carter and Stokes 8-12). First wave feminists although did get a right to vote (West 1/1), it still did not ensure equality as the men who dominated society formed policies promoting self interests leaving them worse off. It was not until the second and third waves of feminism that women got more rights but still not equal to those enjoyed by men (West 1/1). Similarly gay right activists, Afro-Americans/blacks and ethnic minority liberalists argue that although they do have a say in the political sphere, they still have to bear several inequalities in terms of social, cultural and economic rights (Carter and Stokes 8-12). They also argue that the fact that women or blacks are given jobs it doesnt mean they are equal in all spheres (Carter and Stokes 8-12). The influential class not only is able to implement policies which benefit themselves but also ensure that these groups of people remain subservient to them (Carter and Stokes 8-12). The advent of Neoliberalism, however, has been the defining moment in this complex relationship between liberalism and democracy. Neoliberalism has managed to affect democracy in more explicit terms as it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦neoliberalism has strengthened the sustainability of democracy in Latin America but limited its quality. (Weyland 1/1). Implying that globalization has led to the forced maintenance of democratic order while also increasing social inequality (Weyland 1/1). Neoliberals, the advocates of a market driven mechanism with no scope for government intervention, aim to maximize the role of private sector in the formation of all economic and political policies (McChesney 1/1). The shift of focus from the society to the individual has led to several extreme policy changes regarding privatization of public institutions, redistribution of wealth through taxation, and provision of welfare facilities including basic necessities such as health, education, food, clothing and shelter ( McChesney 1/1). Neoliberalism has become the dominating political ideology in recent times. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan gave neo-liberalism a big boost in the 1980s. (Neoliberalism 1/1). The parties that follow neoliberal ideology and the policies implemented tend to have a clear bias in favor of a wealthy few and many multi/trans-national corporations (McChesney 1/1). Everything that seems to be in contradiction with the operations of the free market mechanism is subsequently suppressed by using even unfair means or undemocratic practices (McChesney 1/1). Business forces face little or no opposition and the primary objective of the state is not welfare and equality and rather profit making and economic growth even at the cost of increased disparity (McChesney 1/1). Democracy is only seen acceptable as long as it is in line with the objectives of the business class (McChesney 1/1). Any anti-democratic measures that promote business environment are considered to be acceptable and democratic t o a great extent (McChesney 1/1). Neoliberalism leads to complete alienation of the non business class from the political process (McChesney 1/1) as it can be seen in Pakistani politics where the political system is one that is either hereditary or elitist. The consequences of such an ideology range from low voter turnout to wide spread depression as while some are playing in billions, the others are even deprived of food for survival due to the nonexistence of public institutions that would otherwise aim to address the issue of social welfare which can and will never be addressed by corporations driven by profit motive (McChesney 1/1). Neoliberal democracy, with its notion of the market uber alles [sic], takes dead aim at this sector. Instead of citizens, it produces consumers. Instead of communities, it produces shopping malls. The net result is an atomized society of disengaged individuals who feel demoralized and socially powerless. (McChesney 1/1). According to Ha-Joon Chang (2004), a professor at the University of Cambridge, global neo-liberalism threatens democracy by granting global investors and corporations veto power over domestic policy choices that they oppose. He also argues that neoliberal policies have granted excessive power to monetary bodies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund over domestic policies of recipient countries (Manurung 1/1). The influential capitalists, with their monopoly over property, media and political institutions amongst others, use coercive measures to suppress this opposition, a practice completely against the norms of democracy (McChesney 1/1). Those in favor of Neoliberalism, however argue that the idea of free market mechanism has provided people with choice and freedom (McChesney 1/1). They argue that it is a merit based system that promotes competition and provides equal opportunity to everyone who is good enough. Projects such as micro financing have emancipated women economically, who have been deprived otherwise (Mayoux 1/1). They argue that feminists have long fought for economic rights which have in turn been granted by Neoliberalism; the only condition is that one has to be good enough to attain (Mayoux 1/1). Liberalism, democracy and Neoliberalism have shared a strange relation since the time they have started to interact. Although liberalism and democracy do tend to complement each other as long as there is no misuse of power, Neoliberalism, has contributed mostly to the de-democratization while also contributing to democracy in the sense of increased participation. It mostly undermines the basic characteristics that define democracies and also goes on to contradict itself at times with regards to the liberation of every individual. The use of coercion to suppress opposition, that arises due to the increasing inequalities resulting from the market driven approach of Neoliberalism has done nothing but deprived the states of democratic order. Anti democratic policies of promoting self centered agendas through misuse of authority i.e. exercising economic and political influence via media and bureaucratic structures etc to stay in power have led both, liberalism to an extent and Neoliberali sm to almost completely, undermining democracy.

Darwins General Summary and Conclusions of the Descent of Man and Sele

Darwin's General Summary and Conclusions of the Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex In the "General Summary and Conclusions" of The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, Charles Darwin argues that man is not the work of a separate act of creation. Rather, he believes that humans evolved from a lower being to what we are today. Darwin looks at the "whole organic world" [i] when finding evidence to support his argument, using the evolution of plants and animals to illustrate his points. Darwin claims that natural selection and sexual selection are two modes of evolution and explains both in detail. However, Darwin does not just cover science; he also looks at how social behavior affects evolution and sexual selection. In this way, non-epistemic values have a great influence on Darwin's theories. Darwin's main argument is that "man is descended from some less highly organized form"[ii]. As evidence for his claim, Darwin looks at the similarity between the features of humans and other animals during embryonic development. He finds that there are "innumerable points of structure and constitution" [iii] that are similar. Anyone who disagrees with him would be forced to conclude, "man is the co-descendent with other mammals of a common progenitor"[iv]. He also explains the differences between natural selection and sexual selection, as well as how sexual selection is important to evolution. First, natural selection depends on how well an organism can adapt to its environment. If it doesn't have the means to survive in its ... ... values, especially when dealing with the human social condition and the differences in superiority between civilizations. It is also interesting to see how others have interpreted Darwin's theories, and created their own theories based on Darwinism. Overall, Darwin's ideas, while originally scientific, have been impacted by social factors and in turn have influenced social theories. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [i] Page 386 [ii] Page 385 [iii] Page 385 [iv] Page 386 [v] Page 403 [vi] Page 390 [vii] Page 393 [viii] Page 394 [ix] Page 395 [x] Vol. I, Page 169 Works Cited Darwin, Charles. â€Å"From The Descent of Man.† Change and Tradition: Cultural and Historical Perspectives. Dubuque, Iowa; Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1998.

Influential Event :: essays papers

Influential Event Experience is what you receive when you don’t get what you want." I remembered my father’s words as I tried to postpone the coming massacre. Like during the fall of the Roman Empire, my allies became enemies and my foes turned into partners. In fast and furious action with property changing hands again and again, I rested my fate on the words of one man, hoping he would rescue me from this dangerous tailspin. Don’t these experts realize the heartbreak they’re inflicting on my young life? While the uncertainty of tomorrow’s attire is the most pressing concern for many seventeen-year-olds, I must worry about much greater issues! It’s August 31,the market is down over 300 points and the value of my stock portfolio is falling fast. Usually, whenever I mention the words stockbroker or investment other students snicker that I’m actually interested in â€Å"that stock market stuff." My interest in investing began when as a naà ¯ve freshmen I learned that my assistant JV basketball coach Tom Wingfield worked with Dean Witter as a stockbroker. Over the course of the season, I expressed interest in his job, and we became inseparable. Tom became my mentor, and I absorbed every word he spoke. Almost immediately, I became infatuated with the market and wanted to invest every penny I have. To the delight of my fifteen-year old brother, before school I even found myself opening the newspaper directly to the business section, giving my brother first rights to the sports page for the first time in his life. Hoping to soon enter the market, I worked at a nearby retirement home for several months and earned a little money. To help me buy more stock, my father agreed to match any amount of money I invested. I told Tom about the plan, and he thought it was fantastic. The next day, I had a stock portfolio and dreams of retiring by age 30. Three years have elapsed since that fateful November morning, and every two weeks I religiously place part of my retirement home paycheck into the market. Every small-time investor probably dreams of making a million dollars; I was no different. I pictured my meager investments taking off and my becoming a professional trader. August 31 quickly jolted me back to reality, and I was reminded of that infamous expression my father told me. No one really plays the market for experience; that’s just what people say after losing money.

The Effects of Gangs :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Effects of Gangs What is a gang? According to Steven Sachs, a probation officer since 1978, it is "a structured, cohesive group of individuals, usually between the ages of eleven and twenty-five, who generally operate under some form of leadership while claiming a territory or turf," (Sachs XV). Distinctive clothing, the use of special street names, language, symbols and signs, and the committing of organized and spontaneous criminal acts describe some of the characteristics of a gang. Gang members can be male or female, but they are most often male. Jeffery Fagan and Joan Moore, researchers who primarily use self-reports and observations in the field, estimate that female participation in gangs may be as high as 33 percent. In the first national survey that was conducted by Walter Miller in 1975, he estimated that 48 percent of gang members in the six largest cities in the United States were black, 36 percent Hispanic, 9 percent white, and 7 percent Asian. A few years later, in a more extensive surv ey in nine of the largest cities, Miller found that 44 percent of all gang members were Hispanic, 43 percent black, 9 percent white, 4 percent Asian. Based on these statistics, he speculated that illegal Hispanic immigrants may have contributed to the increasing number of gangs in California (Kinnear 76). Gangs are often rooted in the historical experience of discrimination and economic struggle. White gangs exist mainly to promote and act on racist beliefs, such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Skinheads. Black gangs, Blood and CRIP, formed mainly for protection from other gangs. Hispanic gangs like Latin Kings and Sureno are typically concerned with the self-respect and integrity of their neighborhood. Asian gangs including Chinese and Korean are perhaps more organized than the Hispanic or Black gangs and have been associated with gambling, prostitution, and narcotics on a more sophisticated and profitable level than other types of gangs. They are also more mobile (Landre, Miller, Port er 4). As a result of gangs, increased use and dealing of drugs, a person's sense of belonging to a gang, and gang related crimes have had negative effects on society. Many of the images of gangs, based primarily on media reports, include the use of alcohol and drugs. People tend to believe that gangs sell drugs to make extra money or even that many of them are structured as mini-corporations and are heavily involved in the drug trade.

Education important for girl Essay

Education of a child starts from the family and mother is the first teacher. But, the irony in India is that although the deity of education is a female i.e. Goddess Saraswati according to the Hinduism, innumerable number of women are illiterate. They are not remaining uneducated by their own wish but they are being forbidden from receiving education because of the patriarchal families in our society. Right from the early Vedic period people have been celebrating the birth of a son, but in those days daughters born into a family were not neglected and educated properly. However the scene was changed during the later Vedic Age and the daughters were considered as a social burden. Only the girls belonging to upper class families enjoyed the right of education and got proper nourishment. In medieval period the conditions deteriorated for the females and even in royal families, girls could not get the same status as the boys. In Muslim households they were taught at their homes while Hindu girls enjoyed the privilege of getting primary education along with the boys in schools. The prevalence of child marriage were excessively practiced. However, in the nineteenth century many social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Annie Besant, M.G. Ranade, Jyotibe Phule, Swami Dayanand Saraswati etc. came forward for the emancipation of women in India. Especially Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocated for female education. Since then there has been tremendous progress in every field but unfortunately still the girls are neglected. In most of the families the birth of a girl child is not desired and if accepted they are thought inferior to boys and their education is not considered important because it seems a wastage of money to most of the parents. they think it unreasonable because afterwards they have been compelled to bear a heavy amount towards their dowry. So the female literacy is rate is unsatisfactory and it has a direct impact upon the overall development of a nation and its population growth. If India wants to be one of the developed nations it must concentrate on female education because if we educate a man we educate an individual but if we educate a women we educate an entire family. Again the root cause of all problems facing the women is related to education. if all women are educate, then all problems like female infanticide, dowry, female suicides, domestic battering, malnutrition of women, child marriage and other related atrocities would get vanished from India. Education provides an essential  qualification to fulfill certain economic, political and cultural functions and improves women ‘s socioeconomic status. At very age and level education enhances the intellectual, social and emotional development of women and enables them to meet their basic needs to daily life. It brings reduction in inequalities in the society. Only educated women can understand the needs of the family. They will never send their children to work in any shop or factory, rather they will arrange for their education in good schools. They will take proper care of the health and diet of their children. A mother knows what is good for her kids and how they should be brought up. Thus, educated mothers would promote education for all their children without discrimination. But if a mother (girl) is not educated and gets children then she would do anything without reasoning and harm herself and her children. As she is not educated, she would tend to think that education is only for the mail and not for the female and thus, she would ingrain in her daughters the idea that they are inferior to their brothers. As girls are not educated they remain dependent on their family before marriage, on their husband after marriage and on their children after the death of their spouse. This is the main reason for the unpleasant condition of women. So if girls will be educated, they will no longer be dependent on any one and they can do a lot for their uplift. Most of the problems of society can be eradicated by educating the girl child. marriage at a very young age leads the women to conceive repeatedly, which affect their health badly. Most of the uneducated women do not know about the various contraceptive measures. Even if some know they feel hesitant in using them. It results in more growth of population and worse condition of women. Thus, the state in which female literacy rate is more like Kerala, population growth is less. The menace of child labor also has significantly been out of practice because the women became aware of their rights and privileges. Women are exploited in every sector, especially if they are uneducated, because they cannot demand their rights. Most of the women lack unity and work in unorganized sector. If they were educated they would have been knowing the rules and regulations and working in an organized sector getting the benefits of public schemes. If women are educated enough they can get training for setting of small scale industries, they can know the procedure of getting loan, get the knowledge of market availability of raw material and labor,  new policies of the government, procedure to register new product and knowledge about import and export goods. If their standard of living will be improved. it will indirectly uplift the level of society. If they can be financially strong they will take proper care of their children and provide them good education. According to Mahatma Gandhi, â€Å"Due to her nature women possesses the best ability to teach the child†. Chhatrapati Shivaji and Maharana Pratap are the best example of this saying. Thus, let us start educating the female children to change the face of society.

All About Argentina

Argentina, country in South America east of Chile and west of the Atlantic Ocean. The area of the country is 2,780,400 sq km. The Argentine government, however, claims a total area of 2,808,602 sq km including the British-administered Falkland Islands, or Islas Malvinas, and other sparsely settled southern Atlantic islands. The capital and largest city is Buenos Aires. The population is 35,797,981 million. Largely urban and of European origin. Spanish is the official language. Roman Catholics make up more than 92 percent of the population. Judaism, Protestantsim, and a number of other Christian and non-Christian religions are practiced. By law, the president and the vice-president must be Roman Catholic. Physical Geography The Andes Mountains line Argentina's western edge, forming the boundary with Chile. The highest peak, Aconcagua, stands 6960 m. Gently rolling plains extend eastward from the base of the Andes and descend gradually to sea level. The Pampas, treeless plains that include the most productive agricultural sections of the country, occupy much of this region. Patagonia, south of the Pampas, is dry and desolate. At the southern tip of Argentina lie the islands of Tierra del Fuego. Climate Argentina has a temperate climate, except for a small tropical area in the northeast and a subtropical region in the north. The higher Andes and Patagonia are cold, while in most coastal areas temperatures are moderated by the ocean. Rainfall is high in the north, and quite low in the south. Argentina's main natural resource has been the agricultural land of the Pampas. Productive offshore deposits of petroleum and natural gas are also important. Education and Culture Primary education is free and compulsory from ages 6 to 14. In 1996, 5.3 million pupils attended primary schools; 2.6 million attended secondary and vocational schools. Enrollment in higher education institutions was 1.1 million in 1994. Argentina†s literacy rate of 96 percent is one of the highest in Latin America. Argentina has rich literary and musical traditions. The tango, a widely popular ballroom dance, originated here. Economy Argentina ranks among world leaders in the production of grain and cattle. Wheat is the most important crop, and wool is a major export. Coal and petroleum production, once relatively small-scale, has increased significantly in recent years. The unit of currency is the nuevo peso argentino (1 peso equals U.S.$1; 1996). Government Executive power is held by a president elected to no more than two consecutive four-year terms. The National Congress consists of the 257-member House of Deputies and the 72-member Senate. Deputies are elected directly to four-year terms, and each of the country's 23 provinces elects three senators to six-year terms. In each province, the largest nongoverning party chooses one of the three senators. History Along with numerous nomadic tribespeople, two main indigenous groups existed in Argentina before the European arrival. In the northwest, near Bolivia and the Andes, was a people known as the Diaguita, while further south and to the east were the Guarani. Together the Diaguita and the Guarani constitute the origins of permanent agricultural civilization in Argentina, both developing the cultivation of maize. The Diaguita are also remembered for having successfully prevented the powerful Inca from expanding their empire into Argentina from what is now Bolivia. It was perhaps a legacy of this successful resistance that enabled the native peoples of Argentina to carry on a prolonged campaign against colonization and rule by the Spanish. The first Spaniard to land in Argentina, Juan de Solis, was killed in 1516, and several attempts to found Buenos Aires were stymied by the local inhabitants. Inland cities were more successful, and it wasn't until the late 16th century that Buenos Aires was securely established. Despite its military success, indigenous resistance was inexorably weakened by the introduction of diseases from Europe. Even after the native threat became minimal, however, Argentina was still mostly neglected by Spain, which was more interested in developing Lima and the riches of Peru. Buenos Aires was forbidden to trade with foreign countries, and the city became a smuggler's haunt. The restrictive trade policy probably did little to endear Spain to the colonists. The British attacked Buenos Aires in 1806 and 1807, as Spain's had come under the control of Napoleonic France. The colony managed to repulse Britain's attacks without any assistance from their mother country, an act of strength that no doubt helped to foster the region's growing sense of independence. When the French captured Spain's King Ferdinand VII, Argentina fell completely under the rule of the local viceroyalty, which was highly unpopular. The locals rebelled against the viceroyalty and declared their allegiance to the captive king. By 1816, the deep division between Argentina and its mother country had become quite apparent, and a party of separatists decided to declare the country's independence. One of the new patriots, Jose de San Martin, crossed the Andes and captured Lima. Along with Simon Bolivar, Martin is credited with breaking the shackle of Spanish rule in South America. Early independence in Argentina was marked by an often bitter struggle between two political groups: the Unitarists and the Federalists. The Unitarists wanted a strong central government, while the Federalists wanted local control.

Lyric interpretation †“Sister Golden Hair” by America Essay

For this lyric assignment, I chose the song Sister Golden Hair (released 1975) by America in their album Hearts . America is an English-American Folk-Rock band, originally composed of members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The three members were barely past their teenage years when they became an overnight musical sensation in 1972. They reached a peak in popularity in the early to mid 1970s and early 1980s. Among the band’s best known songs are â€Å"A Horse with No Name†, â€Å"Sister Golden Hair† (both of which reached Number 1), â€Å"Ventura Highway†, and â€Å"Tin Man†. The song Sister Golden Hair is interpreted by many people in a variety of different ways and meanings. In my opinion and from my research solidifying my interpretation, this song is about a guy that is wrestling with forbidden love. In my interpretation of the lyrics, he is wrestling with forbidden love but not the love for a nun as many have thought. He has fallen in love with his half-sister whom he has been introduced to but didn’t know she existed prior to some broken family interaction along the path of his life, hence the surprise. She also has shown that she felt something more than sibling love for him during family gatherings. He tries to fake being a brother but he is tortured by his lust for her and prefers to stay away from family contact for fear of being taken as a family member by her and lose his chance with her. Not ready for the alter would mean that marriage is not an option due to his blood ties to her, but that he seeks to live his life with her anyways as. This song is about a letter he writes to her after years of painful waiting for her to catch up to him in years and reach adulthood, and to see if they can move on without one-another, metaphorically, Sunday but then Monday means several painful years of questionable, cautious, cat-like commitment to being there right when she’s ready. Originally, the lyrics said Meet me in VA would have meant giving him her virginity but as the lyric changed to air the meaning is that he has sent her a recording of a song he wrote for her and would she embrace his disincarnate company present in the â€Å"air† which is not a stretch of a term for a piece of music. Will you meet me in the middle would mean that they both have buried their forbidden love for years and in his letter he is calling the game because the burden is too  great and he may be considering suicide in his deep depression. Can’t you see it in my eyes means he has also sent her a photo with the letter and the recording (the CD cover?) the photo must show his emptiness but also his affinity for her, that she would fall in love even more so with the photo after not seeing one another for years. This song is a musical masterpiece because like the outro it makes the musical statement that he would win her through his musical prowess: the intro for the song is a solo acoustic guitar bit which I think sounds awesome. While all this may seem to be a stretch, you might think I’m reading my own experience into these most beautiful and mysterious lyrics but just consider this†¦ the author has stated that these lyrics are strictly poetic license and that mean these lyrics came from his in-depth subconscious mind. The first time I heard this song I loved how it sounded and never bothered really listening to the lyrics. However, the more I listened to it and attempted to decipher its meaning, the more I realized how many metaphors it contains, and how much of a deeper meaning this song has. Guitarist Gerry Beckley wrote this song, and when asked if it was written to anyone, Beckley said: â€Å"No, this is all poetic license. With ‘Sister Golden Hair,’ as far as my folks were concerned, I was writing a song about my sister, and I couldn’t quite fathom it; they must not have listened to the lyrics.† (thanks, Brett – Edmonton, Canada) In my opinion, I believe this is a song with a very deep and hidden meaning that has been created like this on purpose because if people did really know its meaning it would never have been one of Americas top hits.

Educational Failure Essay

â€Å"Every year, over 1. 2 million students drop out of high school in the United States alone. That’s a student every 26 seconds – or 7,000 a day† (Thornbergh). Why this happening and more importantly, what is being done to solve this problem? Because of boring classes, too much freedom, and just a lack of motivation, students nationwide are dropping out of school, and are starting on the path of minimum wage and regret. Schools are trying to resolve this issue by giving the support students the help they need, and giving them alternatives to traditional schooling. †¦nearly 1 out of 3 public high school students won’t graduate†(Thornbergh). That’s one third of today’s youths. That’s one out of three people that won’t go to college. That’s one of three people that won’t know the rewarding feeling of getting a diploma. But what’s wrong with this one third that isn’t wrong with the other two thirds? Some say it’s because if society, others say it’s because of schools. Really only half of the problem lies with schools. There are only a small percentage of dropouts that feel that they could never meet the criteria that the school demanded. Unfortunately, many students are not given the extra support they need to make a successful transition to high school and are lost in ninth grade†(Galesic 317). Most others aren’t engaged in school. â€Å"Boredom and disengagement are two key reasons students stop attending class and wind up dropping out of school†(Furger). â€Å"Fully 88% said they had passing grades in high school. When asked to name the reasons they had left school, more respondents named boredom than struggles with course work†(Thornbergh). With this combination, schools become what many students feel to be a waste of time. When schools get this reputation, they become what is known as dropout factories. â€Å"Approximately two thousand high schools (about 12 percent), known as the nation’ lowest performing high schools, produce nearly half of the nation‘s dropouts. In these schools, the number of seniors enrolled is routinely 60 percent or less than the number of freshmen three years earlier† (Galesic 314). Although schools have some blame for the problem at hand, the other half of the problem has origins that the schools can’t control, and that is society and family. Students don’t only have to deal with their school work, but also their peers and life at home. This can be stressful time for students, and, because of this stress, students’ grades may suffer. Even though a student’s grades are low, their parents might not know, or even care. Many parents just don’t pay any attention to their child’s grades. The shocking thing is that only fifty-one percent of parents somewhat knew that their child had low grades; the other percentages range anywhere from kind of knowing to almost not knowing at all. Even though dropping out doesn’t sound too bad, a person is branding themselves a quitter. Once a person drops out, there’s no going back. Sure, a person could get a GED, but, that still doesn’t hold the same weight as a diploma. Dropping out of schools will affect a person their entire life. â€Å"Even a GED is not sufficient for a job here anymore (Thornbergh). † There is no replacement for a diploma. The path of minimum wage and unemployment starts with dropping out. Only forty five percent of High school dropouts are able to find employment. Compared to the sixty eight percent that graduated, that’s a very low number in today’s economic state. Even if a drop out can be that forty five present that is employed, their annual earnings ($8,358) are only little more than half the earning of a High school Graduate ($14,601)(Sum, Ishwar, McLaughlin). Dropping out does not only affect the person who dropped out but also everyone around them. In today’s world, the efforts one person really affects everything around them. People often say, do as your told ;not as they do. That seems easy right? Well, when it comes to drop out, that’s not the case. Students are more likely to drop out if their parents did. When they drop out, their children are also more likely to drop out; leading through a vicious cycle of drop outs. Family isn’t the only thing affected by drop outs (Bridgeland, DiIulio, Morison). Over their working lives, the average high school dropout will have a negative net fiscal contribution to society of nearly -$5,200 while the average high school graduate generates a positive lifetime net fiscal contribution of $287,000. The average high school dropout will cost taxpayers over $292,000 in lower tax revenues, higher cash and in-kind transfer costs, and imposed incarceration costs relative to an average high school graduate. Adult dropouts in the U. S. in recent years have been a major fiscal burden to the rest of society. Given the current and projected deficits of the federal government, the fiscal burden of supporting dropouts and their families is no longer sustainable. ;(Sum, Ishwar, McLaughlin) Supporting dropouts and their families in no longer doable. So, what is actually being done to help students succeed in school and ultimately success in life? One solution that can has come into play in resent years in is alternative to traditional education such as viral schools and credits labs. They consist of virtual schools and programs that help students get back on track to graduating. With these They offer the help and support students need with out the social problems that traditional classes have such as labels, race, and learning disabilities. In doing so, theses alternatives are also adjusting learning to a more personal level. Education no longer has to be for the whole, but only for the small part that is the individual student. â€Å"Districts throughout the country are working to personalize learning by creating small schools or reorganizing large schools into small learning communities, as part of their strategy for reducing the dropout rate†(Furger). These individual students can now get more help and understanding then they would ever get in a traditional class room. Another Solution to this epidemic is stricter rules for schooling. Schools are not only making it harder to drop out, but also, raising the academic bar for students. Some students just quit because its acceptable , while others quit just because they’re board in schools. It would be no long acceptable to just quit if there are stricter penalties, right? Some states are making it so students can’t quit at an easily age. â€Å"Students who drop out before age 18 could have their driver’s license suspended or their work permit revoked unless their decision was first approved by a school or judge†(Thornbergh). But the problem doesn’t only lie with it just being acceptable, but also boredom. â€Å"Higher expectations and more challenging curriculum, coupled with the support students need to be successful, have proven to be an effective strategy not only for increasing graduation rates, but also for preparing students to graduate from high school with options†(Furger). The last and most research backed cure for this epidemic is early education. â€Å"Every month, new studies in neuroscience and psychology provide insights and warnings about how much of a person’s capacity for learning is shaped from birth to age 8. Young children need to experience rich language interactions with teachers, parents, and other adults who read to them, ask questions of them, and encourage their exploration of myriad subjects†(Guernsey Mead). Many students quit school because they are failing. â€Å"Preschool, they argue, is an early investment in youth that yields significant economic results later on. In their review of the research on preschool models in California and elsewhere, the authors found that one preschool program increased high school graduation rates by 11 percent, and another by 19 percent. Furger) â€Å"We need a much broader and deeper transformation of the educational system that starts, if parents choose, when children are as young as three years old and continues through the first few grades of elementary school. Early childhood does not stop at kindergarten; it extends through age eight, because children are still learning foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, social competence, and problem solving, they are more likely to retain them. (Guernsey, Mead) Because of boring classes, too much freedom, and just a lack of motivation, students nationwide are dropping out of school, and staring on the path of minimum wage and regret. Schools are trying to resolve this by giving the support students need and giving them alternatives to traditional schooling. In the time it took to read this, at least one student has dropped out. This needs to stop. Make a difference in one student’s life by helping the cause of helping students stay in school.