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

Prostitution - Essay Example The organization gives the facts on prostitution that are all in favor of my argument. One of the missions and the major aim for the organization is on the protection of the children from trafficking for sexual exploitation in the name of prostitution. This is child defilement and the organization is strongly active and advocates so much on this kind of prostitution (Ronald 2012). It is quite important to highlight a con side of my argument by saying that prostitution is a perceived to be a victimless crime. This is so as it develops bad sexual scenes where the human rights are violated and the people are obliged to engage in various sexual behaviors that are not healthy. With an argument that they receive money in the name of prostitution, they have to admit on their own consent an not admitting because of the pressure that they receive from the people they call their customers. It is also important to highlight that a research that was conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) found out that majority of the prostitutes are women and that they involve themselves in the act with the view of getting income. It is therefore considered to be an evil act in the society as it does not pass good morals to the society (Ronald 2011). Another bad consequence and repercussion of the act is the case whereby the prostitutes go for the HIV/AIDS testing nearly every week and the results of the test turn out to be negative. This can be so for about three months and in the long run the person infects a large number of people before being found negative. This is a wrong implication of prostitution and the adverse effects of the disease are also known. It affects the economy, society and the political climate too (Sheila 2009). Based on my reasoning of the negatives of the act, it is therefore quite evident that the act does not help our economy in the right way. This is so as

Music History Essay Example for Free

Music History Essay Music, as they say, is a universal language. Unlike dialects, music can be understood by many sans, the lyrics spoken in a different country. The simple humming of a child, done in mostly minor chords, can make everyone feel a little emotional or sad. A happy song filled with trumpets, saxophones and lively guitar tabs can make people excited and get them all to dance. Music can unite people regardless of their age, gender and race, which is why it is considered a universal language. Through Those Years The history of music dates back before the 1800s, but that is only to put a legal timeline to the evolution of music. Since music is universal, it is then safe to say that it has started even in the beginning of the world. The first human beings, or the first animals, for that matter, depended on sounds that make up a structure filled with patterns that were easily remembered, which conveyed a meaning and made people do things like hunt for food, identify where the predator or the prey is, or go where they should go. Music was a sign and a symbol that represented something (Murray, 2004, p. 773). Technically, though, music before the 1800s existed already, in a more technical sense of the concept. Music was then not just a collection of different sounds. It became a study where people researched about it. During the 18th century, the book entitled History of Music was written and published by GB Martini. Its original title was Storia Della Musica. Other books followed after GB Martins, and among the many books that were published after the first one were De Cantu de Musica Sacra and Scriptores Ecclesiastici de Musica Sacra. The types of music being studied, during these times, were classified as sacred music (Murray, 2004, p. 773). During 1800-1950, the evolution of music can be seen and musical history was being more defined. It didn’t take too long when Johannes Wolf started to do more studies about music, specifically the type of sound that emerged during the Medieval and the Renaissance times. Musicologists depended much on the studies conducted by Johannes Wolf. Because of this, a branch of art called historical musicology was termed and developed. This branch of study became a significant part of the Baroque music. It also became an instrument to the development of music during the Medieval and the Renaissance era. In particular, the movement of original performance has a lot to do with the scholarship associated with the history of music. Musicology became a big part of the arts, and became more and more developed as time passed by. It soon became a field of study. Consequently, journals, researches, articles and new analyses are being developed to branch them out altogether, in order to produce more studies to be published. Music was being more defined as years went by, and it was spreading like fire all over the world (Murray, 2004, p. 773). Ancient Music To understand the history of music and how it changes, it is then best to use a chronology to explain the turn of events. First there was ancient music. This type of music reflects all the types of music that developed in the different parts of the globe, like Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, Greece, China, India and Persia. In fact, music was already popular and rich in countries like Rome, Greece and Mesopotamia. Whatever was audible to the people were characterized through basic scales and tones, and then came music. Music spread throughout history through systems, either written or oral (West, 1994, p. 13). The definition of ancient music differs from time to time because of how much music is already revolving, and is continuously revolving. Today, if one defines ancient music, he can say that it is the modern sound that still resembles whatever is folk and traditional in that country. Today, there are modern sounds that Muslims, Egyptians, Jews, Asians, Persians, and Indians produce, but still has not left behind the oldest and most basic of original ancient music (West, 1994, p. 13). Persia, for example, flute, lute and guitars were already being played. Religious rituals were not complete in Persia without music. Music was significant in the lives of the Persians, especially in their spiritual life. It was in Mesopotamia where the first traces of writing were seen. It was the same time when researchers and historians traced instructions for music. The traces were fragmentary, but the authorities were sure that there was music during this time in this place. In fact, music was in made in thirds when it comes to harmony. The scales of the musical pieces produced were even diatonic (Leichtentritt, 2007, p. 14). Up to this day, though, how the researchers can interpret the symbols in the ancient Mesopotamia is not a hundred percent clear. There are still controversies that have yet to be discussed and settled. The interpretation of the symbols remains to be vague. But one thing is sure; all the notations made on the cuneiform tablets were clearly that of the tunings and strings of a musical instrument called a lyre. It was also during this time when harps were invented and became a big part of the history of music (Leichtentritt, 2007, p. 14). In India, ancient music was also active. Indians were always enthusiastic when it comes to the type of musical instrument they were playing. Musical instruments were all around India. This can be proven by how much instruments were amassed from the Indus valley civilization. Archaeological sites can prove all these. Indians had forms of music that includes Samaveda, Rigveda and Samagana. Their music was characterized from hymns, verses and melodies. It was in religious rituals where music was used the most. Indian music had basic ingredients to make a sound â€Å"Indian. † During the first part of a song, Shadja is always established. The grama, in this case, is being defined. Grama is the Indian term for the note of the scale. Indian music also lives by the two principles of consonance, which involves Avinashi and Avilopi. Avinashi is a fundamental note that should always be present in a musical piece, and with Avilopi it means that the note should never change, and that it should always stay there in that particular music piece, according to Leichtentritt (2007, p. 14). Greek’s music has evolved through time. The Greeks have original musical notation style. They developed their own, no matter how robust it is. While it is true that the best musicians in Greece did not necessarily use their musical notations produced originally, it cannot be denied that a lot of Romans and Greeks still use of that original musical notation. Greek music was not exactly monophonic, although this was almost established with their style of music (West, 1994, p. 13). There was always more than just a note to be sounded at a similar time. Double pipes and bag pipes were mostly used. These can be proven also by the ancient drawings seen on the vases and the walls of Greece. Even the oldest Greek books had authors who were able to describe what different musical techniques were being used during these times. Double flutes were also popular in Greece (West, 1994, p. 13). Middle Eastern After the Ancient music came the Middle Eastern music. Middle Eastern music was rich in that it was characterized by different styles from different regions. When one goes to the Middle East, there are different types of music that can be seen, like â€Å"zajal, Turkish folk music, Turkish classical music, sha’abi, Sufi music, rapbesk, rnbesk. Somali music, pizmonim, Persian folk, Nubian music, mawwal, Kurdish music, Egyptian Chaabi and el-Gil, Egyptian Classical music, Berber music, Arabic Andalusian, Arabesque music, Arabic rap, Arabic pop, Algerian rai and Arabic Classical Music (Stanley, 1997, p. 126). † The Islam community displays its great influence coming from the Middle East music. In fact, as the Islam used music in their rituals, Middle Eastern music spread even more quickly. The identity of Middle Eastern music is defined from the melody which is still present today in modern Middle Eastern pop and liturgical music (Stanley, 1997, p. 126). Classical Music Music evolves all around the world. In the West, music has gone a long way from the classical compositions of great masters like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Carl Philipp Emanuel Back, and Franz Schubert to the catchy modern pop songs of today. It’s kind of hard to imagine how music has evolved from those grand compositions to the contemporary quirky beats we listen to today, but that just proves how quickly music transforms according to the needs of the people (Stanley, 1997, p. 154). The Classical period in the West dates from about 1750 to 1820. Classical music refers to various styles of music with roots in the secular and liturgical European musical traditions of the 9th century. This type of music is characterized by romantic melodies using instruments like violins and flutes (Stanley, 1997, p. 154). One striking characteristic of classical music is its elegance. This elegance is achieved by the composers’ close attention to balance and proportion. For this reason, classical music never becomes obsolete. Up to now, many people around the world, whether they live in the West or not, still listen to classical music. Some people study their structures and attempt to recreate classical music using modern instruments. Others simply enjoy their relaxing melodies, which may aid them to concentrate on their tasks or even sleep better. There is even a concept called â€Å"Mozart effect†, as explained by Stanley (1997), which says that children who are exposed to the classical music of the great genius that is Mozart are able to concentrate more on their tasks, thus resulting in better performance in school. This is just one example of the newly discovered benefits of music that are surprising ordinary people and experts around the world (Stanley, 1997, p. 8). Western Music through the Years As the power of the West became stronger and reached farther into different corners of the globe, music itself has gained the imprints of Western culture. More and more people heard and recognized the merits of Western music. Countries that were once colonies of Western countries are especially influenced by Western music because the language barrier is weaker. Today, the dominant music is the world comes from the West. Classical, blues, jazz, rock, hip-hop, ballads, R n B – all of these have roots in the West. The amazing thing is that since music is universal, people of different races and cultures around the world can appreciate these Western genres of music. Western music may influence local music, but the traditional character of music never goes away. For instance, in Japan today, pop music has obvious Western overtones, but most pop hits are all sung in Japanese. J-pop, as Japanese pop is locally called, is influenced by Western music in a lot of ways, but its characteristics are still a lot different from Western pop music. The Music of the ‘40s and ‘50s The invention and mass production of radios during the 1940s and 1950s facilitated an amazing development in musical styles. In many ways, World War II has also changed the face of music dramatically as people expressed their disappointments and rebelliousness against the war through music (Melton and Weinstein, 2001, p. 17). Rock and roll has its roots in the 1940s, along with other musical genres such as country, jazz, swing, folk, and boogie woogie. In the United States, different musical styles were expressed by different races. Blacks had difficulty hitting the mainstream until the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, sang rock and R n B. Elvis was able to show the whites the excellent beats of rock music, which made its crossover into mainstream a lot easier. Elvis eventually became one of the biggest icons of rock and roll in the United States and around the world (Melton and Weinstein, 2001, p. 17). The Music of the ‘60s and ‘70s Music received huge social influences again during the 1960s and the 1970s because of the Vietnam war, the Cold War, and the spread of the Civil Rights movement. During this period, music clearly became a platform for various causes, including feminism, race empowerment, sexual freedom, and other liberal ideas (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). There are many musical icons that gained fame during this tumultuous period in musical history. Musicians like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan pioneered new techniques in lyrical composition. These new techniques inspired more artists such as Cat Stevens, Carole king, Elton John, and James Taylor to create their own groundbreaking chart-topping hits. The ‘60s were filled with R n B hits that were a combination of secular and gospel music. Different kinds of soul music emerged in this time, including Philly soul, Memphis soul and Motown. Popular artists such as Marvin Gaye and James Brown also found fame and fortune in the 1960s (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). Of course, music in the 1960s and 1970s cannot be discussed without mentioning the band that is probably one of the biggest influences of contemporary music: The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr drew huge crowds to their concerts and sold millions through their hits. The band not only became huge in England, but also in the United States and in other countries as far as the Philippines (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 74). One of the amazing things about The Beatles is their ability to change the musical landscape. While their early hits had rhythms and melodies that have the basics of rock and roll, their later albums explored new horizons. Their album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was ranked by Rolling Stones magazine as the greatest album of all time. This recognition is due to the immense influence of this album on the musical styles of later genres of music (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 74). Music of the ‘80s and the ‘90s Western music continued to gain wide acceptance around the world during the 1980s. New Wave, hip-hop, punk rock, and heavy metal increased their markets and new musical stars were born. New Wave experimented with electronic sound and catchy, playful beats which people danced to. The various styles of rock music provided the youth the avenue to express their adventurousness and rebelliousness against the fast-paced modern world. During the 1990s, grunge musicians led by the band Nirvana took center stage in the music world. Their honest and rough lyrics reflecting the confusion and apathy of the youth, and their loud, distorted riffs gained millions of fans in the United States. Meanwhile, hip-hop also gained wider popularity as hip-hop stars such as Dr. Dre and Puff Daddy broke into the music scene with fresh raps and rhythms (Chambers, 2002, p. 166). The 1990s were also notable for the huge popularity of boy bands, which are boy groups that sang ballads with catchy beats and lyrics. Some of these boy bands included Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Westlife, and A1. Boy bands became hugely popular because of their romantic songs which people can sing and dance to. Another group that is worth noting is the Spice Girls who originated from the United Kingdom. This group symbolized the power of women through their songs and videos. Interestingly, the Spice Girls were a hit for both males and females. After the Spice Girls, many other girl bands soon formed, but none of them reached their extraordinary level of popularity (Chambers, 2002, p. 166). The State of Music Today Today, contemporary music is still strongly influenced by the West. Pop, rock, hip-hop, R n B, and other genres have Western musicians leading the pack. Local music in different countries, though, are also gaining wider acceptance by fusing with the dominant music of the West or borrowing some of its elements. Music today is also crisper and clearer; thanks to the high level of technology that humans have achieved through science. Albums are released in CDs or DVDs, and they can also be downloaded on the Internet. Storage of music became a lot simpler, too. Before, you need bulky gramophone records to store music. Now, all you need is a tiny universal serial bus (USB) storage device to archive all the music you want. MP3 players have also made listening to music easier since these devices can be worn or slip inside a pocket. People can now go anywhere listening to their favorite songs. The West has no monopoly over music, though. All around the world, many people are rediscovering the beauty of their own local melodies, and they are breathing new life into them again in the form of world music. This musical style makes use of indigenous instruments and they usually are not accompanies by lyrics. Less popular genres like this are usually produced by independent producers, thus the term â€Å"indie. † Indie though, has its own market and continues to grow in popularity as people try to taste new musical types (Chambers, 2002, p. 166). The Human Experience of Music People change as music transforms as we’ve seen in our discussion of the long continuing history of music. Music is an expression of the culture that gives birth to it, and it constantly bends as various influences impinge upon it. It is an art form that never stays the same, but evolves through time. Music though doesn’t transform on its own. Historical events shape music as they shape the lives of people. The art form becomes a reflection of the hopes, dreams, and grievances of the people that create and listen to it. We can see this clearly in the rebellious attitude of the music from the ‘40s and ‘50s because of World War II, and the free spirit of the music from the ‘60s and ‘70s as it protested against the Vietnam War and the Cold War (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). In many ways, musicians deliberately voice out their protests through the songs that they sing. For example, John Lennon’s â€Å"Imagine† is a clear reaction to the dangers of the Cold War and other social inequalities at that time (Frith, et. al. , 2001, p. 77). However, music doesnt always send clear messages all the time. In fact, most of the time, composers unconsciously express their sentiments and the sentiments of their generation through the beat of their songs, or through their melodies. Perhaps the greatest thing about music is its universality. Since everyone can appreciate good music, the art form traverses national and ethnic boundaries, bridging people together no matter where they come from. Good music will always be good music regardless of a person’s educational or cultural background. Of course, a person may need to expose himself repeatedly to a new genre to appreciate its beauty. But it’s not difficult to do that if the genre is indeed good. The universality of music is now more apparent than ever before because of the Internet. Musical influences are easier to share ever since artists living in opposite sides of the globe can listen to each other’s work. It’s not only artists though who benefit from the cyberspace, but also the listeners. Downloadable MP3 songs are all over the Internet, some of them free, others for sale for a small price. With a click of a mouse, a person online can listen to Middle Eastern music, classical music, rock and roll, hip-hop, world music, or whatever genre he wants. Music is bringing people closer and closer to each other. Time and space are quickly becoming negligible factors as people find satisfaction and comfort in just enjoying different musical styles. Old styles themselves are disappearing as traditional barriers are broken and various genres fuse together to create new ones. The result is that people are able to understand each other better through listening to different kinds of music. People are becoming more tolerant of each other’s differences as they see that theyre all just human beings enjoying music The future is bright for musicians and listeners around the world as technology allows music to cross more borders. Soon, everyone will be able to appreciate a variety of musical genres regardless of their original countries or ethnic backgrounds. As people listen to their CDs, MP3s and musical devices, they will realize that their hopes and dreams are one. They will realize that while music came from different corners of the world, it speaks of the universal desire of human beings for unity and peace. Bibliography Chambers, Stuart. (2002) Yes: An Endless Dream of 70s, 80s and 90s Rock Music : an Unauthorized Interpretative History in Three Phases. General Store Publishing House. Frith, Simon, Will Straw and John Street. (2001) The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock. Cambridge University Press. Leichtentritt, Hugo. (2007) Music, History and Ideas. Read Books Publications. Melton, William and Randy Weinstein. (2001). The Complete Idiots Guide to Playing the Harmonica. Alpha Books. Murray, Christopher John. (2004) Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850. Taylor Francis Publishing, Inc. Stanley, John. (1997) Classical Music: An Introduction to Classical Music Through the Great Composers Their Masterworks. Penguin Group USA. West, Martin Litchfield. (1994) Ancient Greek Music. Oxford University Press.

Jewish Involvement in Shaping American Immigration Policy, 1881- 1965 :: American America History

Jewish Involvement in Shaping American Immigration Policy, 1881- 1965: A Historical Review This paper discusses Jewish involvement in shaping United States immigration policy. In addition to a periodic interest in fostering the immigration of co- religionists as a result of anti- Semitic movements, Jews have an interest in opposing the establishment of ethnically and culturally homogeneous societies in which they reside as minorities. Jews have been at the forefront in supporting movements aimed at altering the ethnic status quo in the United States in favor of immigration of non- European peoples. These activities have involved leadership in Congress, organizing and funding anti- restrictionist groups composed of Jews and gentiles, and originating intellectual movements opposed to evolutionary and biological perspectives in the social sciences. Ethnic conflict is of obvious importance for understanding critical aspects of American history, and not only for understanding Black/ White ethnic conflict or the fate of Native Americans. Immigration policy is a paradigmatic example of conflict of interest between ethnic groups because immigration policy influences the future demographic composition of the nation. Ethnic groups unable to influence immigration policy in their own interests will eventually be displaced or reduced in relative numbers by groups able to accomplish this goal. This paper discusses ethnic conflict between Jews and gentiles in the area of immigration policy. Immigration policy is, however, only one aspect of conflicts of interest between Jews and gentiles in America. The skirmishes between Jews and the gentile power structure beginning in the late nineteenth century always had strong overtones of anti- Semitism. These battles involved issues of Jewish upward mobility, quotas on Jewish representation in elite schools beginning in the nineteenth century and peaking in the 1920s and 1930s, the anti- Communist crusades in the post- World War II era, as well as the very powerful concern with the cultural influences of the major media extending from Henry Ford's writings in the 1920s to the Hollywood inquisitions of the McCarthy era and into the contemporary era. That anti- Semitism was involved in these issues can be seen from the fact that historians of Judaism (e. g., Sachar 1992, p. 620ff) feel compelled to include accounts of these events as important to the history of Jews in America, by the anti- Semitic pronouncements of many of the gentile participants, and by the self- conscious understanding of Jewish participants and observers. The Jewish involvement in influencing immigration policy in the United States is especially noteworthy as an aspect of ethnic conflict.

Of Mice of Men Loneliness Theme Essay

Curley’s wife is the only women in the story. She might be the loneliest of all characters. Her husband Curley doesn’t treat her well and has no one to talk to. She try’s going around talking to others to feel a little less lonely. â€Å"Nobody can blame a person for looking† This means she is looking for someone to talk to, to feel less lonely. She died when trying to be friendly, when talking to Lennie. This shows the extreme she had to take herself just to communicate with someone. She also thought that men were more comfortable with her than the others. â€Å"If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad. You’re all scared of each other, that’s what. Ever’ one of you’s scared the rest is goin’ to get something on you†. She talks aout her loneliness on one quote suggest that she is essapally alone on a Saturday night when she is always alone wheater or not they are in. Its one of the way she shows to us she is lonely. 4. â€Å"- Sat’iday night. Ever’body out doin’ som’pin’. Ever’body! An’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs – a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy o;’ sheep – an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else.† Curley is a character who thinks he is simply the best and because of his boxing career he has over confidence and thinks he is better than all. This bought him to pick on Lennie as he was mentally disable and acts as a child. This made him as a bully as he didn’t have many friends to spend time with; again loneliness leads to many problems like this. He married a women to feel as little less lonely but unfortunately just after 2 weeks they hated each other. I thnk the main reason for this is his anger over everything and his over protectiveness. As everyone knows he would never be the man of his father – his rude, to easily annoyed and has a short temper. This lend to the fight with Lennie where his hand was cut/ broken. Tragically Lennie was blamed for this and his angry grew further with Lennie. Quote on crooks words â€Å"S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ’cause you was black. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books†¦Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody – to be near him†¦A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he with you†¦I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.† This quote shows clear evidence that Crooks is lonely and depressed, therefore shows his quest for some human company. To reduce his loneliness he reads books but thinks that books aren’t as great as a human relationship. Also is partly frustrated of the racial prejudices directed towards him. The way he structures it is also great to read such as â€Å"S’pose† is repeated in a way as if everything is against him. Crooks also know that his colour is the only reason for his loneliness and that the other factors aren’t the reason for him being left alone. â€Å"Why ain’t you wanted ?† Lennie asked. † ‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.† This is shown half the way through the story on page 68. He is therefore 100% sure that nothing can stop his nightmare. On the other hands Lennie who is mentally disable but very tall and strong has a friend George. He cares for Lennie and tries to make him comfortable and less lonely. Lennie is picked on by many people because of his disable; here Curley picks on him about Lennie tries to not talk back as he doesn’t want George to loss him job again. Lennie is lonely because of the fact that he is mentally disabled to the mind of a child; therefore would like a child to play with instead of adults and lifting things for business, money and food. He acts innocent and is unable to tell the different between life and death as many rabbit have been killed under his arms without him knowing; this lend to George not allowing his to play with rabbits he loves. The problem with him is his lack of knowledge, intelligence and safeness, as this causes a lot of problems when combined with his strength because he doesn’t know when to stop. This makes everyone look as if he is dangerous making them stay away from him leading to loneliness. Additionally all this these point together is what makes each character in the story lonely and affects the minds of everyone. Different factors affect each person resulting in a total loneliness.

Innate Knowledge Locke Essay

The thought that humans are born with some sort of innate ideas has been a much debated topic for many years. It is impossible to say if it is true or not, but it is believed true by many people, including some religions. John Locke has several arguments against innate knowledge; among these, the argument that states that if we did in fact possess innate ideas, then everybody would agree on at least one idea. There are no principles that everybody aggress on. Therefore, innate ideas cannot possibly exist. Locke uses the logic of this argument for several different situations such as the argument for moral innate knowledge. Locke starts off this argument by saying â€Å"No moral principles so clear and so generally received as the fore-mentioned speculative maxims. If those speculative maxims whereof we discoursed in the foregoing chapter, have not an actually universal assent from all mankind, as we there proved it is much more visible concerning practical principles, that they come short of a universal reception; and I think it will be hard to instance any one moral rule which can pretend to so general and ready an assent as, ‘What is, is’, or to be so manifest a truth as this, ‘That it is impossible for the same thing to be and not to be. ’† (pg 26 An Essay Concerning Human Understanding) Some people believe that every person has a set of morals bestowed in them at birth, but Locke argues this by saying that not every person in the world agrees on a set of morals so there is no possible way this could be true. He says that there is not a single moral idea that we can say that everybody in the world agrees to, which eliminates any question of innate knowledge. Descartes would disagree with Locke on the subject of innate ideas. He felt that we did possess these types of ideas and would probably reply to Locke’s argument by saying that although all people may not agree on one moral idea, that doesn’t mean that they do not possess any innate idea, they may possess different ones. Descartes may also respond by saying that it’s God’s will for us to possess these ideas and only he knows why everybody does not agree on a single one. This argument wouldn’t hold up well against Locke’s because it seems that moral ideas are developed depending on the religion or part of the world that a person is raised in. It seems much more plausible that, with humans at least, an infant is a blank slate and is taught everything that it will need to survive. It might be easier for Descartes to argue against animal innate knowledge since animals seem to possess it much more than humans do. Some animals are not even raised by a parent, simply born and left to fend for themselves, but since Descartes also feels animals lack intelligence, I would imagine he would not begin to argue to possibility of them possessing any sort of innate knowledge. On this particular subject, I would side more with Locke than Descartes. Locke addresses some serious issues that arise when suggesting that innate ideas exist. He says that if we did in fact possess innate ideas, then everybody would agree on at least one idea. There are no principles that everybody aggress on. Therefore, innate ideas cannot possibly exist. This seems to be a pretty obvious statement in the world today and since the beginning of time. People have always disagreed on anything they could and will always disagree. It is completely impossible to prove or disprove the existence of innate ideas, but Locke comes much closer to disproving them than anybody else does to proving them. It seems that in order for a person to prove the existence of these ideas, they would also need to prove the existence of a supreme being. The argument for innate knowledge in animals would be much more believable than the argument for innate knowledge in humans. When an infant is born, it is completely helpless; it does not have the power to walk or understand they things around it and it can’t even see more than 12 inches in front of its face. I find it hard to believe that anything this helpless could possible have any ideas about morals or anything else in the world. Animals have a sense of survival that humans lack. From the moment they are born, a majority of them learn to walk within minutes or hours, and some are even left by their parents to fend for themselves. This shows the possibility of innate knowledge much more than a human child and if we are all born with any type of agreement on a set or moral principles, why do we have a law we have to enforce? If we did agree on this subject, we would not have to prosecute anybody for breaking any moral code that our society sets for us to follow.

African American History and Women Timeline 1900-1919

African American History and Women Timeline 1900-1919 The following is a timeline of African American womens history from 1900-1919. 1900 (September) Nannie Helen Burroughts and others founded the Womens Convention of the National Baptist Convention 1901 Regina Anderson born (librarian, Harlem Reaissance figure) 1902 Local white protests of the appointment of Minnie Cos as postmistress of Indianola, Mississippi, led to President Theodore Roosevelt suspending postal services to the town. (February 27) Marian Anderson born (singer) (October 26) Elizabeth Cady Stanton died (antislavery and womens rights activist) 1903 Harriet Tubman signed over her home for the elderly to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Harriet Marshall founded the Washington (DC) Conservatory, admitting African American students Maggie Lena Walker founded St. Lukes Penny Savings Bank in Richmond, Virginia, becoming the first woman bank president Sarah Breedlove Walker (Madam C.J. Walker) begins her haircare business Ella Baker born (civil rights activist) Zora Neale Hurston born (writer, folklorist) 1904 Virginia Broughton published Womens Work, as Gleaned from the Women of the Bible Mary McLeod Bethune founded what is today Bethune-Cookman College 1905 Niagara Movement founded (out of which the NAACP grew) National League for the Protection of Colored Women founded in New York Ariel Williams Holloway born (musician, teacher, poet, figure in Harlem Renaissance) Constitution of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, Wobblies) included a provision that no working man or woman shall be excluded from membership in unions because of creed or color first outdoor tuberculosis camp in the United States was opened in Indianapolis, Indiana, sponsored by the Womens Improvement Club 1906 after a riot in Brownsville, Texas, President Theodore Roosevelt delivered dishonorable discharges to three companies of African American soldiers; Mary Church Terrell was among those formally protesting this action second meeting of the Niagara Movement met at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, with about 100 men and women in attendance Josephine Baker born (entertainer) Susan B. Anthony died (reformer, abolitionist, womens rights advocate, lecturer) 1907 Negro Rural School Fund was established by Anna Jeanes, aimed at improving education for rural southern African Americans Gladys Bentley, Harlem Renaissance figure, became known for her risque and flamboyant piano playing and singing Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller received the first federal art commission awarded to an African American woman for figurines of African Americans to be used at the Jamestown Tercentenniel Exposition 1908 call issued which resulted in 1909 founding of NAACP; women signers included Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Jane Addams, Anna Garlin Spencer, and Harriot Stanton Blatch (daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton) in Los Angeles, the Womans Day Nursery Association was formed to provide care for African American children whose mothers worked outside the home Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority founded 1909 Nannie Helen Burroughs founded the National Training School for Women, Washington DC Gertrude Steins novel Three Lives characterizes a black female character, Rose, as having the simple, promiscuous immorality of Black people. (February 12) National Negro Conference 1910 second conference of the National Negro Conference forms the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), with  Mary White Ovington  as a key organizer holding a variety of offices 1910-1947 including as member of the Executive Board and board chair, 1917-1919; later women leaders included Ella Baker and  Myrlie Evers-Williams (September 29) Committee on Urban Conditions Among Negroes founded by Ruth Standish Baldwin and George Edmund Haynes 1911 Committee on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, Committee for the Improvement of Industrial Conditions Among Negroes in New York, and National League for the Protection of Colored Women merged, forming the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes (later just National Urban League) (January 4)  Charlotte Ray  died (first African American woman lawyer in the United States and the first woman admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia)   Edmonia Lewis  last reported in Rome; died that year or after (her death date and location are unknown) Mahalia Jackson born (gospel singer) (February 11)  Francis Ellen Watkins Harper  died (abolitionist, writer, poet) 1912 Virginia Lacy Jones born (librarian) Margaret Washington, newly elected president of the National Association of Colored Women, founded the periodical  National Notes 1913   Harriet Tubman  died (Underground Railroad conductor, abolitionist, womens rights advocate, soldier, spy, lecturer) Fannie Jackson Coppin died (educator) (February 4)  Rosa Parks  born (April 11) federal government officially segregates by race all federal workplaces, including rest rooms and eating facilities (-1915) Ruth Standish Baldwin served as president of the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes 1914 Marcus and Amy Jacques Garvey founded the Negro Universal Improvement Association in Jamaica this moved later to New York, promoting a homeland in Africa and independence in America for African Americans (or 1920) Daisy Bates born (civil rights activist) 1915 National Negro Health movement began to offer services to black communities, serving and including as health workers many African American women Billie Holiday born as Eleanora Fagan (singer) 1916 1917 Ella Fitzgerald born (singer)   Gwendolyn Brooks  born (poet) (June 30)  Lena Horne  born (singer, actress) (July 1-3) race riots in East St. Louis killed 40 to 200; 6,000 had to leave their homes (October 6)  Fannie Lou Hamer  born (activist) 1918 Frances Elliott Davis enrolled with the American Red Cross, the first African American nurse to do so (March 29)  Pearl Bailey  born 1919 NAACP founded with a number of women signing the call;  Mary White Ovington  became the first chairperson Pearl Primus born (dancer) Sarah Breedlove Walker (Madam C.J. Walker) died suddenly (executive, inventor, philanthropist);  ALelia Walker  becomes president of the Walker company Edmonia Highgate died (fundraiser, after the Civil War, for the Freedmans Association and the American Missionary Society, for educating freed slaves)

Free Essays on Appplied Gentics

There are many different types of fashionably edible fruits today due to the growing world of Appling genetics to fruit and citrus . Today fruit and citrus are commonly hybridized for benefits. Crossing fruit types and mutations to get the most desirable apple and juicy oranges has become a new type of biology. The apple of today is firm and sweet as the apple of yesterday was tart and bland. Apples like the Rome and Granny Smith are being replaced with Gala and Fuji species. The Fuji apple is a very delicious and new breed of apple. This great new tasting apple is a product of Japan developed at Tahoka Research Station in Morioka, Japan, achieved by crossing the two American apples the Ralls Janet and the Red Delicious. It is medium sized, 52 -65 mm, and has fine-grained crisp, white flesh. It has an excellent tart and sweet flavor and is generally available when it ripens in early November. The Fuji apple has been on the rise in apple popularity. Michigan’s most popular and widely grown apples are the Red and golden Delicious. The Fuji apple is grown all over and is taking a rise in the orchards of Michigan. It is perceived as the second best apple in Michigan behind the Red Delicious and in front of the Golden Delicious. It has popularity in the west as well. â€Å"Fuji has fa st replaced Red Delicious as the grower's choice here on the West Coast. It has an outstanding flavor and is one of my favorite apples†- Patrick Rogers (patrick@forkandspade.com) Modesto, Ca. This great apple is taking America as well as many parts of the world and is quickly becoming a favorite in the world of fruit and hybridization. With this science it is expected to see many more awesome species like the Fuji apple developed by applying genetics to fruit.... Free Essays on Appplied Gentics Free Essays on Appplied Gentics There are many different types of fashionably edible fruits today due to the growing world of Appling genetics to fruit and citrus . Today fruit and citrus are commonly hybridized for benefits. Crossing fruit types and mutations to get the most desirable apple and juicy oranges has become a new type of biology. The apple of today is firm and sweet as the apple of yesterday was tart and bland. Apples like the Rome and Granny Smith are being replaced with Gala and Fuji species. The Fuji apple is a very delicious and new breed of apple. This great new tasting apple is a product of Japan developed at Tahoka Research Station in Morioka, Japan, achieved by crossing the two American apples the Ralls Janet and the Red Delicious. It is medium sized, 52 -65 mm, and has fine-grained crisp, white flesh. It has an excellent tart and sweet flavor and is generally available when it ripens in early November. The Fuji apple has been on the rise in apple popularity. Michigan’s most popular and widely grown apples are the Red and golden Delicious. The Fuji apple is grown all over and is taking a rise in the orchards of Michigan. It is perceived as the second best apple in Michigan behind the Red Delicious and in front of the Golden Delicious. It has popularity in the west as well. â€Å"Fuji has fa st replaced Red Delicious as the grower's choice here on the West Coast. It has an outstanding flavor and is one of my favorite apples†- Patrick Rogers (patrick@forkandspade.com) Modesto, Ca. This great apple is taking America as well as many parts of the world and is quickly becoming a favorite in the world of fruit and hybridization. With this science it is expected to see many more awesome species like the Fuji apple developed by applying genetics to fruit....

Tenses and Forms of the Verb to Buy for ESL

Tenses and Forms of the Verb to Buy for ESL This page provides example sentences of the verb Buy in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms.   Present Simple Use the present simple for routines and habits such as how often you  buy something at the store. Jack usually buys his groceries on Saturdays.Where do you buy your furniture?She doesnt buy any food at that store. Present Simple Passive The supplies are usually bought on Friday afternoons.When are new textbooks bought for the school?Wine isnt bought in great quantities. Present Continuous Use the  present continuous  to speak about what is happening at the present moment such as what you are buying in the store. They are buying a new house this month.Are they buying a new car soon?She isnt buying his story about his hard luck. Present Continuous Passive Not commonly used with buy Present Perfect Use the  present perfect  to discuss actions that have happened repeatedly such as how many times you have bought a specific product. We have bought a number of antique chairs.How long have you bought his story for?They havent bought any new furniture for a while. Present Perfect Passive Those antique chairs have been bought by customers in San Diego.Where has that been bought and sold before?It hasnt been bought by anyone.   Past Simple Use the  past simple  to speak about something you bought at a point in time in the past. He bought that painting last week.Where did you buy that sofa?She didnt buy any food for dinner, so theyre going out. Past Simple Passive That painting was bought last week.What was bought at the garage sale yesterday?That painting wasnt bought at the auction. Past Continuous Use the past continuous to describe what someone was buying when something else occurred. She was buying a new car when he telephoned.What were you buying when you got the call?She wasnt buying his story despite his insistence.   Past Continuous Passive Not commonly used with buy Past Perfect Use the  past perfect  to what  you had bought before something else happened.   Larry had bought the books before she arrived.What had they bought before they were offered the house?She hadnt bought enough food for the party, so she went out again. Past Perfect Passive The books had been bought before she arrived.Which ingredients had been bought for the meal?Not enough wine had been bought for the occasion.   Future (Will) Use  future tenses  to speak about something that you will / are going to buy  in the future. I think he will buy a present for Mary.Will you buy his proposal at the meeting?She wont buy what hes saying. Future (Will) Passive A new book will be bought for that child.Will that painting be bought at the auction?Food wont be bought by Peter.   Future (Going To) The teacher is going to buy the books for the children.What are you going to buy for dinner tonight?She isnt going to buy that house. Future (Going To) Passive The books are going to be bought for the children.What is going to be bought for drinks?They arent going to be bought by anyone for that price. Future Continuous Use the future continuous to express what you will be buying  at ​a  specific point in time in the future.   He will be buying groceries this time next week.Will you be buying anything this time tomorrow?She wont be buying a house anytime soon.   Future Perfect They will have bought five new computers by the end of the sale.What will you have bought by the end of the day?Youll see, she wont have bought anything. Future Possibility Use  modals  in the future to discuss future possibilities.   I might buy a new computer.Might Peter buy the house?She may not buy his story.   Real Conditional Use the  real conditional  to speak about possible events. If he buys that painting, he will be sorry.What will he buy if he inherits the money?She wont buy the house if its put up for auction. Unreal Conditional Use the unreal conditional to speak about imagined events in the present or future.   I would be sorry if I bought that painting.What would you need if you bought a new house?She wouldnt buy the house if you bought it. Past Unreal Conditional Use the past unreal conditional to speak about imagined events in the past.   If you hadnt bought that painting, you wouldnt have lost so much money on the investment.What would you have done if he had bought you a diamond ring?She wouldnt have bought that house if she hadnt had enough money. Present Modal I should buy some new clothes.Where can I buy an ice-cream cone?They mustnt buy anything today. Theres no money in the bank. Past Modal They must have bought some new clothes.What should you have bought last year?They couldnt have bought his story.   Quiz: Conjugate With Buy Use the verb to buy to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below.   He ______ that painting last week.Larry _____ the books before she arrived.Jack usually ______ his groceries on Saturdays.I think he ______ a present for Mary.They _____ five new computers by the end of the sale.I would be sorry if I _____ that painting.The supplies are usually _____ on Friday afternoons.We _____ a number of antique chairs.That painting _____ last week.They _____ a new house this month. Quiz Answers boughthad boughtbuyswill buywill have boughtboughtboughthave boughtwas boughtare buying

Study guide for final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Study guide for final - Essay Example For more than 30 years, Garrison expressed his views against the constitution through The Liberator. He was in favor of instant equality and freedom unlike his peers. The dreams of Garrison came true after the end of Civil War in 1865 and abolition of slavery in US as mentioned in the 13th Amendment of the constitution. However, there are some instances where Garrison hurt the cause of abolition by his uncompromising stance against slavery. In the era when slavery was commonly accepted, Garrison was against the institutional racism and always blamed that the current condition of blacks undermined the value of human equality in the Nation. During that period, most of the liberal reformers supported the idea of gradual removal of slavery. Garrison often accused these reformers on the ground of â€Å"moral lapses† and stood strong against all the other abolitionists who opposed his idea of immediate termination of slavery. IN addition to it, Garrison was against the U.S. Constitu tion in terms of laws governing slavery and he publicly declares the constitution as a flawed document. Most of the former reformers considered this firm stand of Garrison as an unproductive for the overall movement. It was quite common for Garrison to receive threats for his life because of his outspoken views on slavery. The state of Georgia even issues a reward of $5,000 for the arrest of Garrison because of his public speeches. According to the historical facts, some of the Southern counties even declared bounty on his head for his stance against slavery. 2. Mexico was facing multiple internal struggles immediately after attaining independence from the rulers of Spain in 1821, which later verged to a civil war. However, the country was very much united when it came to the independence of Texas. The Mexican government was ready to go for a war if Texas was to be annexed in the westward expansion of the U.S. However, the ideology of Manifest Destiny received great support from Pol k, America’s President, and both the nations went out for a war between 1846 and 1848. On an overall, there were several reasons that lead to this war, but the primary causes included the annexation of Texas by the U.S. government and the desire to own multiple Mexican territories. Mexico was attacked by the U.S. army on three different fronts and faced multiple defeats in the battlefield. The war ended with the capturing of Mexico City in September 1847 by the American General, Winfield Scott, and the Mexican administration’s agreeability for further negotiations. The war was particularly painful and disastrous for Mexico, which has to sign away multiple states including California, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada along with other parts of the country. 3. Manifest Destiny found its origin in the 1840s. The main ideology behind Manifest Destination was regarding the destiny and expansion of America in the 19th century. According to Manifest Destiny, American was destined to stretch its territories from one coast to another. Manifest Destiny ideology was one of the main reasons behind the removal of Native Americans, the Mexican war, and western fuel settlement. Most of the Americans were of the opinion that expansion of their nation was a part of natural evolution. However, manifest destiny was fuelled by the racial superiority and the pervasive belief of Americans in their culture. It

Assingment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Assingment - Assignment Example These include annolighting a text; annotating a text; frame of reference; key concept synthesis; and inferential reading (Greece Central School District). As mentioned above, the chosen lesson topic is the making of apple pie, and for this the plans for reading strategies before, during and after reading are straightforward. Before reading, the plan revolves around using the frame of reference strategy. This is to essentially contextualize the making of apple pie using my knowledge of other processes that are similar to making apple pie, to ground my thinking and relating processes. During reading, my chosen strategy is to annotate the text. This is to make sure that I cover all of the text, and not miss out on important points. Suggested texts here are the different recipes for making apple pie, from what geographies, and the inherent challenges in each set of recipes. Evaluation of learning here would be based on how well students are able to cover the many different details of the process. For after reading, the chosen strategy is Key Concept Synthesis. This is to make sure the students are able to grasp the big picture after absor bing the details (Greece Central School

International Business Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Business Article - Essay Example t needs to be solved that what should Brazil do to save the natural environment and also maintain sovereignty over the exploitation of its natural resources. The best and possible to this will be systematic deforestation. Timber for construction is extremely important. But with systematic deforestation trees can be cut down in patches or partially cut down. This may hamper the economic activity by slowing it down but in the long run the industries will get habitual. Also a reforestation procedure should be implemented simultaneously so that in the long run the natural habitat of the Amazon rainforest may be retained. Another effective solution would be that Brazil can yet exploit the resources in a more sustainable way. Organizations have portrayed that medicinal plants, fruits, gum, chocolate and rubber can be harvested sustainably without much harm to the habitat. Also this has much economic value than the timber and cattle grazing. In this way Brazil will also be able to maintain sovereignty over its

Taming Disability, Mastering Minds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Taming Disability, Mastering Minds - Essay Example I don’t wish to call him disabled, because he had a distinctive ability to mimic the teachers and almost all of the popular figures. He was rather short and pudgy when he was a little young boy and his growth was challenged by dwarfism in an early age of eight years. Jestin was excellent as a student and his ability to learn mathematics and physics was always a reference to all of us. He liked to play games with us; most of them were power demanding and involving a lot of athletic abilities. When he walked, it was a curious sight to new people. I met him when I was in the elementary school. Our teacher – Julie – introduced him, told us to look after him and then assigned me as his partner to sit together. He walks towards me, I then realized why Julie told us to look after him – he is disabled. I stared at him with a strange face – I have never been with a disabled person this close before. I think he knew I was staring, but he pretend like he did n ot know. Maybe he was used to strange people’s attention in public, maybe he is just do not want to look at me in the eye and see something he did not want to see – pity. He had his short limbs which were spectacular when he attempted running or boarding the school bus. We always observed him as different existence and that worried him a lot; someone occasionally called him names of goblins and teased him a lot. He was teachers’ pet as he used to be the most punctual and one of the most brilliant students in the school. Though his brain was sharp, his hands were too small to handle the writing board in the classroom and so, he was denied the opportunity of being the leader of the class. Altogether, â€Å"the link between his biological construction and inner self† was established that way (Mossman, 15). His small body contained much appetite and he used to eat a lot. The lunch hour of the school was seemingly inspiring to him as he would eat from a lunch box rather disproportionate to his size. While he attempted opening the lid of the lunch box, it was an amusing scene for other people to watch. The short hands grabbed a lot of food and rhythmically forced it inside his mouth in a rapid phase – he was interesting. I always observed him with absolute attention to understand how his body reacted to his requirements to cope up with the challenges of mingling with classmates and doing experiments in the science lab. He was never discouraged; rather, he developed the habit of exploring the secret abilities that differentiated from normal people. Dwarfism was a curse to him when he liked to play on field games; therefore, he managed to settle himself into mind games and excelled in the feats. His eye contact and the facial expressions were very mature, but they were not supported by his short limbs to give him a perfect identity. Most noticeable fact of his mannerism was the style he used in arguing with someone who is very tall; he would poke and punch the stomach of the contender and make him silly with his witty expressions. As I grow up, I realized that there are so many people who need help, and there is no way I could help them all. The other thing I realized is that there are so many fake beggars and they are just faking it so people would give them money. I have decided to not look at them in the eye when I pass by and continue to walk my way. I used to watch him working so hard on his homework, using his left hand –

In 2014, why women still earn less than men in Canada Annotated Bibliography

In 2014, why women still earn less than men in Canada - Annotated Bibliography Example Additionally, the article describes changes in the female graduate earning across different years from 1988 to 2007. The trend facilitates easy comparison and understanding of the various differences that prevail amidst gender disparity. Based on the article, the first two to five years after graduation have female graduates earn 6% to 14% less than men. The distribution furthermore links job attributes and observable personal characteristics found in women as major drivers of gender wage differences between men and women. In this respect, Boudarbat and Connolly article proves worthwhile in not only explaining but also detailing reasons why women still earn less than men in Canada. Chapter three of Hobbs and Rice’s book focuses on poverty as a major problem in the Canadian society. The social assistance resulting from the process makes it difficult to ascertain employment security, housing and working conditions. Hobbs and Rice reiterates that the difference forces unequal distribution of wealth in the society especially in Canada where there is less social infrastructure. Based on the book, regardless of occupation, women earn less as compared to men. The risk is mainly prevalent in Aboriginal women who face illumination from policy antecedents. In addition, Hobbs and Rice identify unattached and limited involvement of the Canadian authorities as major factors that influence the ability of women to remove poverty from the Canadian society. Evidently, the rate of poverty is higher in the country as it was in the past 30 years. The main reason according to Hobbs and Rice directly links to wage disparity, which leaves women with no capital and investment. Therefore, the book is important for the research as it brings into light several factors that contribute to uneven earnings while providing effects in the hind sight. Chapter four of the book describes the role, effects and

Taming Disability, Mastering Minds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Taming Disability, Mastering Minds - Essay Example I don’t wish to call him disabled, because he had a distinctive ability to mimic the teachers and almost all of the popular figures. He was rather short and pudgy when he was a little young boy and his growth was challenged by dwarfism in an early age of eight years. Jestin was excellent as a student and his ability to learn mathematics and physics was always a reference to all of us. He liked to play games with us; most of them were power demanding and involving a lot of athletic abilities. When he walked, it was a curious sight to new people. I met him when I was in the elementary school. Our teacher – Julie – introduced him, told us to look after him and then assigned me as his partner to sit together. He walks towards me, I then realized why Julie told us to look after him – he is disabled. I stared at him with a strange face – I have never been with a disabled person this close before. I think he knew I was staring, but he pretend like he did n ot know. Maybe he was used to strange people’s attention in public, maybe he is just do not want to look at me in the eye and see something he did not want to see – pity. He had his short limbs which were spectacular when he attempted running or boarding the school bus. We always observed him as different existence and that worried him a lot; someone occasionally called him names of goblins and teased him a lot. He was teachers’ pet as he used to be the most punctual and one of the most brilliant students in the school. Though his brain was sharp, his hands were too small to handle the writing board in the classroom and so, he was denied the opportunity of being the leader of the class. Altogether, â€Å"the link between his biological construction and inner self† was established that way (Mossman, 15). His small body contained much appetite and he used to eat a lot. The lunch hour of the school was seemingly inspiring to him as he would eat from a lunch box rather disproportionate to his size. While he attempted opening the lid of the lunch box, it was an amusing scene for other people to watch. The short hands grabbed a lot of food and rhythmically forced it inside his mouth in a rapid phase – he was interesting. I always observed him with absolute attention to understand how his body reacted to his requirements to cope up with the challenges of mingling with classmates and doing experiments in the science lab. He was never discouraged; rather, he developed the habit of exploring the secret abilities that differentiated from normal people. Dwarfism was a curse to him when he liked to play on field games; therefore, he managed to settle himself into mind games and excelled in the feats. His eye contact and the facial expressions were very mature, but they were not supported by his short limbs to give him a perfect identity. Most noticeable fact of his mannerism was the style he used in arguing with someone who is very tall; he would poke and punch the stomach of the contender and make him silly with his witty expressions. As I grow up, I realized that there are so many people who need help, and there is no way I could help them all. The other thing I realized is that there are so many fake beggars and they are just faking it so people would give them money. I have decided to not look at them in the eye when I pass by and continue to walk my way. I used to watch him working so hard on his homework, using his left hand –

Culture and Business Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture and Business - Article Example The historical and socio-cultural difference must be factored in during the process, to facilitate the faster understanding of the negotiation, thus, making it possible for a win -win solution. The key to successful communication between different cultures is knowledge. The understanding of the problems affecting cross cultural communication and working towards overcoming the problems will ensure successful negotiations. There are four factors that affect cross cultural negotiation namely; use of time, individualism versus collectivism, role orderliness and conformity, and patterns of communication. Use of time differs from culture to culture. Most of The citizens from America, Swiss, Germans and Australian are fast paced and precise with their approach to time. There is a tendency of negotiators from these countries to keep time on the planned schedules. In other countries, time keeping especially when dealing with officers holding higher ranks in the society. A delay for two months for a project in the Middle East will be considered normal while in Europe it will consider

Analyzing a Written Essay Essay Example for Free

Analyzing a Written Essay Essay The two essays that I read were â€Å"A Soul as Free as the Air: About Lucy Stone† and, â€Å"How to succeed as an Online Student†. The four types of essay organization discussed in the course readings were; 1. Topic: This development organizes information about the topic in the most logical way. 2. Time order: It is using sequential order to write an essay. It organizes the information from one time period to another. 3. Space order: This deals with location of people, places or things. 4. Informative process: This is written in a step-by-step arrangement in their natural occurring order. The characteristics that make these essays expository, is that it has facts to inform about the topic. It is used in facts form and not biased.  What distinguishes space organization from time organization or informative-process organization in an essay is that Space order deals with location, Time organization refers to placing information in chronological order by date or a specific time, and Informative essay would be one that takes on a step-by-step process. The organization of each essay help the reader understand the subject matter of that essay in the essay â€Å"How to Succeed as Online Student†, it list steps to teach online students what it takes to be successful in an online atmosphere. The reader understands you must follow these steps to succeed. On the essay, â€Å"A Soul as Free as the Air: About Lucy Stone† it helped to learn about Lucy Stone, it showed the order of her achievements. On the essays that I read, the one that has the most effective organi zation was â€Å"A Souls as Free as the Air: About Lucy Stone†. I chose this essay, because it was organized from the beginning to the end, it was in the order of each of her achievements. A different type of organizational style for â€Å"How to Succeed as Online Student† if you change it to a time order or space order, then it would confuse some of the online students. The main part would be lost in the reading. It would definitely have students wanting to go to class instead of online, so the teacher could clarify things. The type of essay organization that is more suitable for my essay topic on â€Å"Warming Global; Drought,† would be Time Order, due to the heat and water levels at the time.

Macroeconomic Analysis Of South Africa

Macroeconomic Analysis Of South Africa Introduction The financial crisis, in fact, affects the global world since 2008. There is high inflation, increasing unemployment rate, low export, decreasing GDP and so on. In every country as well as in South Africa that also faces the macroeconomic problems, representing by the falling of the output, high inflation, and the microeconomic problems also affect to the economic market. Therefore, the objective of this report is to analyze and focus on the macroeconomic environment and formulate a strategy in responding to the Economic crisis in South Africa. The reason to know and analyze the macroeconomic in a country is, because the microeconomic, institutional changes are unlikely to be implemented if the economy is in a state of macroeconomic chaos-plummeting widespread unemployment and hyperinflation. Macroeconomic stabilization must and can precede the more fundamental microeconomic, institutional transformation. Macroeconomics in terms of business is dealing with the performance, structure and the behavior of national or regional economy as a whole. It is also a study about GDP, unemployment rates, national income, output, inflation, savings, investment, international trade and economic growth. Macroeconomic Background South Africa Located in base of the continent of Africa, South Africa is a diverse nation with an appealing mix of people, culture, faith and languages. Despite the people, South Africas physical state also has its own distinctive features. It has its own unique geological formations that aids in producing the mountains, plains and coasts. South Africa also has large amount of fertile land. Furthermore, a more extraordinary feature about South Africa is that it is home to the rarest species of wildlife and plant life. The nation has a total area of 1, 127 200 square kilometers and it is divided in four provinces, which are the Cape Province, the Transvaal, the Orange Free State and Natal. Being located in a subtropical area, South African generally enjoys warm weather all year round. Naturally, being located in Southern Hemisphere, winter is experienced during June and summer is experienced in December. Demographic South Africa has a population of 49 billion people (2009). It has particular demographic due to the heterogeneity in population base, apartheid, ethnic groups and emigration Table: Population % (Wikipedia, 2010) Basically the black people theyre the ethnic group like Zulu, Xhosa as well as immigrant form the other parts of Africa (mostly from Nigeria and Zimbabwe). The whites theyre the descendants of French, British or German settlers whom arrived to Cape Town from the late of 17th century. Some of them are from immigrants from Europe and Portuguese colonies left over. Coloureds are the descendants of earliest settlers, their slaves and indigenous people. The last part of racial population can be counted as Indian or Asian (Chinese) Table: Age structure % (Wikipedia, 2010) The average total fertility rate from 2001s to 2009s is 2.41 children born per woman. So thats why each family in South Africa usually has more than 2 children In the country they have around 11 official languages, the most spoken language of black people is 30.1% speak Zulu, 22.3% speak Xhosa while most the white residents speak Afrikaans at home (59.1%), 39.3 speak Englishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Wikipedia, Demographics of South Africa, 2010) Political situation South Africa has multi-party system where the President Jacob Zuma is the head of government and the parliament. The African National Congress is the ruling party in the national legislature, which received 65.9% of the votes during the 2009 general elections and has 74.25% of total seats in the parliament. Democratic Alliance is the second major party that received only 16.66% of the votes and has 11.75% of total seats. All the other parties represent less than 20 %. From this huge gap between the ruling party and the democrats we can see that political situation is stable and will stay like that in near future. (Parliament monitoring group 2009); (Number of Political Party Seats: National Assembly May 2009 | Parliamentary Monitoring Group | Parliament of South Africa monitored) Laws regulations South Africa has progressive legal framework. The legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law. Commerce and labour legislation is well developed while laws relating to competition policy, copyright, patents, trademarks and disputes conform to international norms and conventions. South African commercial laws and company laws are similar to the laws of the United Kingdom. Sanctity of contract is protected under common law, and independent courts ensure respect for commercial rights and obligations. The independence of the judiciary is guaranteed by the Constitution. South Africas financial systems are sophisticated, robust and well regulated. Banking regulations rank with the best in the world, while the sector has long been rated among the top 10 globally. Foreign banks are well represented and electronic banking facilities are extensive. (South Africa info 2008); (South Africa: open for business SouthAfrica.info) South Africas economy South Africa is one of the most stable economies in the Arican continent. Its a middle-income country, emerging market with rich supply of natural resources. The country has fully developed infrastructure supporting efficient distribution of goods throughout the southern African region ,with well-developed financial, legal, energy, communications, a stock exchange ranked among the top 20 in the world. The primary sector, based on manufacturing, services, mining, and agriculture is well developed. Economic growth was strong from 2004 to 2008 due to macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom. Because of world financial crisis in the second half of 2008 economy began to slow down. GDP was growing 5.1 % in 2007 and 3.1 % in 2008. In 2009 it fell nearly 2 %. Unemployment is high (24 % in 2009). Daunting economic problems remain like poverty (47 % in 2009 below poverty line), lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. South African economic policies, which are focused on controlling inflation and attaining budget surplus, are efficient. Inflation rate in 2009 was 7.2 %. To welcome the foreign investment in South Africa, the government has made it clearly by investor- friendly policies. Corporate tax is 29%. VAT on hotels and retirement hostels are charged at 8.4%. South Africa has a huge potential as an investment destination, offering the first world developed infrastructure with a vital emerging market economy. It is also one of the most advanced and useful economies in Africa. (CIA World Factbook 2010); (CIA The World Factbook South Africa) Monetary Policy and Exchange Rate Monetary policy can be defined as the measures taken by the monetary authorities to influence the quantity of money or the rate of interest with a view to achieving stable prices, full employment and economic growth. The South African Reserve Bank conducts monetary policy in South Africa. (About SA Economy, 2009) Exchange rate: Rand (ZAR) per US dollar in 2009 (8.54), in 2008 (7.95); (About SA Economy, 2009) As we know the macroeconomic discussion focuses on monetary policies in the country. And any decision of the government can affect the business-cycle changes in output, inflation, exchange rate or employment. South Africa emerged out of a recession in Q3 2009. A pick up in capital inflows and support from expansionary monetary and fiscal policy is contributing towards its recovery: (Euromonitors Economic Review of Emerging Market Economies: January 2010) A rebound in the manufacturing sector and increased government spending on the construction of roads, railways and infrastructure for the 2010 World Cup helped stimulate growth. The manufacturing sector, which accounts for 15 % of GDP expanded by 7.6% over the previous quarter in Q3 2009; The South African rand appreciated to R7.48 per US$ in December 2009 from R9.97 per US$ in the same month of 2008, suggesting a gain of 25.0% in 2009. It has been one of the best performing emerging market currencies in 2009 attracting capital inflows due to rising liquidity and commodity prices. Nonetheless, this limits the recovery process as a stronger rand weakens exports. So far, the government has not intervened in the foreign currency markets to help curb the unprecedented rise in the rand; In November 2009, the annual rate of inflation eased for the ninth consecutive month to 5.8%, below the central banks target rate of 3.0-6.0% for 2009. The South African Reserve Bank is likely to keep its key interest rate (repo rate) unchanged at 7.0% in the beginning of 2010, despite calls from labour unions for an interest rate cut. Unemployment problem :Picture 1.png (South Africa Country Profile 2010, December) Year Unemployment rate Rank Percent Change Date of Information 2003 37.00 % 18 2001 est. 2004 31.00 % 24 -16.22 % 2003 est. 2005 26.20 % 161 -15.48 % 2004 est. 2006 26.60 % 168 1.53 % 2005 est. 2007 25.50 % 172 -4.14 % 2006 est. 2008 24.30 % 169 -4.71 % 2007 est. 2009 22.90 % 170 -5.76 % 2008 est. 2010 24.00 % 171 4.80 % 2009 est. (South Africa Country Profile 2010, December) The unemployment rate was 24% (2009 est.) and was highest among 15 to 24 year old, at 48.4 percent, and lowest among 55 to 64 years old, at 6.8 percent. Of South Africas estimated 49.3-million people, around 31-million people are between 15 and 24 years old. Today, the government gives some change for SAs unemployed who dont have education by create the training of unemployed project that aims to minimize the negative effects of the recession. The project trains people as electricians, boiler-markers, welders and mechanics, so when they are trained and easy to get the job and facing with the world with confidence. Inflation C:Documents and Settingshim.STUDENTMy DocumentsDownloadsSouth-Africa-Inflation-Rate-Chart-000002.png Market structure Automotive industry The country is one of the best performing automobile market in the world. In 2006, it brought around R118 billion of increasing to sales. In 2007, vehicle exports were about 170 thousand unit sales which were expected to jump up to 285 thousand in 2008. The vehicle market had a huge development when comparing to year 1997, the unit exported only 20 thousands. The sector is about 10% in account of manufacturing exports, 7.5% of contribution in GDP with the employment of around 36 thousand people. The government aims to increase the vehicle production to 1.2 million units by 2020 because of the definition of the automotive industry is a key growth sector Many of multinational companies such as Ford, Toyota, GMà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦use South Africa as source components and assemble vehicles for both the local and overseas markets. From 2000 to 2006, the investment in production and export infrastructure was multiplied by four, which was R1.5-billion to R6.2-billion. An R4-billion in investment was expected in 2008. Most of the investment came from foreign where the parent companies wanted to expend the local operations to improve product capacity, support export and infrastructure (Big Media Publishers, South Africas automotive industry, 2008) 690-1823-0-0_1464872.jpg Table: Automotive revenue (Big Media Publishers, 2008) Mining and mineral resources South Africa is well-known in the world by its wealthy in mineral resources. The wealthy of the country has been built on the countrys vast resources. There are various kinds such as: Platinum, Chrome (which the quality is the 1st in the world), Gold (1st largest producer), Diamond (4th largest producer)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but only crude oil and bauxite is those that the country doesnt have. Mining was an industry that contributed 21% total exports of goods in 2006 Gold was once the keystone of South Africa but it has been diminished in importance due to economys diversity. From 1970s to 1980s, the exports of gold were the predominant source of country foreign exchange earnings which made up a 14% of total value added in economy. In the year of 2007, this shifted to 5.8% contribution to country GDP of mining and quarrying. The mining industry is South African biggest employer. It attracts more than 860 thousand employees of labor force Currently, more than 70% of mining industrys labor force is black. Opposite of that number, its just only less than 5% of managerial positions belongs to black people. The mining sectors key issue is transformation. The target has been set by the government that an expect of 40% managerial positions would be held by South Africans in all mining companies (Big Media Publishers, 2008) 692-1827-2678-0_1452532.jpg Table: Mineral resources (Big Media Publishers, 2008) Agriculture South African agriculture isnt dominated by subsistent farming. In fact, it has both well developed commercial farming which is predominant and more subsistent influenced in deep areas. The country has more than enough output to export massive amounts of agricultural produce. Because of the variousness of climates, there are good conditions (such as mix farming in winter rain fall and in summer rain fall) for growing different crop production in South Africa. The diversity in climate, which is tropical, sub tropical and desert allows diversity in products either. South Africa also has advantages in marine resources which is 3000km of coastline that is appreciated to develop mariculture and aquaculture. The main agriculture export production can be listed as: maize (some southern African countries rely on this import), wine (South Africa is the 5th largest producer worldwide), fruits (grapes, pears, peachesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), livestock farming (sheep, cattleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Agricultural contribution represents less than 4% of GDP but 10% of total reported employment in accounts while farming is 8% of countrys total exports. The key agricultural trading partners of South Africa are America and some countries in EU. They gain the benefit from the market by exporting through number of trade agreements. The agriculture sector is highly protected and evolved to governments control. In 1996, the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act they closed agricultural marketing boards, eliminated subsidies and set the import tariffs to protect South African farming from unfair international competition. So the South African farmers and agribusiness could be placed themselves as players in a globally competitive environment. Nowadays there are still some factors that even though the government has tried to implement, these couldnt bring any efforts to the rest of the economy. For examples: most of indigenous people are subsistence farmers, subsidies from other developed countries, climate changeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦are reducing sector growth (Big Media Publishers, South African agriculture, 2008) (Wikipedia, 2010) Infrastructure Energy infrastructure Among the countries that have the lowest cost of electricity, however South Africa has to face its problem of the demand for power outstripping supply. The economy grows strongly, a lot of rapid industrialization development, the electrification programme is being mass led and distinct lack of investment are all the issues which cause the power supply crisis in South Africa. As a result, the state energy company Eskom and the government has come up with a projected ZAR 343 billions over five years to fund new power stations for energy increasing such as nuclear and electricity storage. Eskom also aims to reduce the demand of electricity by 3 000 megawatts in 2012 and 5 000 megawatts more in 2025 Table: Energy Overview (Big Media Publishers, 2008) There are some thought about using natural energy as wind or solar. Despite South African sunny weather, the ideas havent really taken off and there are some concerns that the country somehow isnt appreciated with the wind energy. Energy contributes an amount of 15% country GDP. The country is 11st country in the world that has highest commercial primary energy intensities due to its large scale economy structure, mining industries and some benefit based on minerals activities which push the usage of energy above average (Big Media Publishers, South Africas energy supply, 2008) Source: EIA Transportation The transport network has been identified and highlighted as a competitive advantage in global market. The road system in South Africa has a total of 754 thousand km in which 9.6 thousand km is national road. 2.4 thousand km are toll roads. However the road infrastructure needs to be constructed due to overloading of heavy vehicles and volumes increasing of road freight vehicles. It has approximately 95% of country trading business are done by passing through the sea as well as the traffic from others countries like Europe, Asia, America and even Africa itself. The railway system is also one of the main transportation which is 10th longest in the world. It connects all the parts in the country together so it can be used for transporting goods or even tourism. The airline industry carries about 33 million passengers a year. There are a lot of airports such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban which are the 3 main international airport and the others at South Africa (ArriveAlive, 2010) ( Publishers, 2008) Technology sector Technology sector is well developed with modern manufacturing sectors like machinery, scientific equipment and motor vehicles. South Africa has strong technological research centers. South Africa has developed a number of leading technologies, principally in the fields of energy and fuels, steel production, mining, and telecommunications. There is all necessary technology for hospitality industry. (South Africa info 2008) Tourism in South Africa South Africas major attractions for tourists are mainly involved with nature. They are the large variety of game parks, nature parks and a magnificent scenic diversity of landscape varying from desert plains blooming with spring flowers to mountains overlooking vineyards, valleys and large farmlands, tribal communities and modern cities. The countrys coastline, which represents many names to our world today, such as; Africas southern most coastline and the base of the large continent, is 3000km long. This 3000km long coastline is nothing but serene sandy beaches with charismatic seaside resorts scattered along. Some of these locations are famous beaches and surfing areas. For animal lovers, there are other attractions that are available. For example, in Pretoria there are various botanical gardens, bird sanctuaries, aquariums and zoo. The National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria is ranked to be the top ten zoos in the world. Some examples of daytime activities are coach tours, ocean cruises, museums, art galleries and a wide range of sports. Other famous attractions in South Africa are the wines produced. South African wines are categorized under New World Wines. These wines are famous all over the world. South Africa is the worlds most known hunting destination. It offers hunting at large land areas that are protecte d under legislative laws and hunters can find many rare species. Hunting seasons are usually between May to July. And the Professional Hunters Other outdoors activities for tourists that are famous in South Africa are canoeing, river rafting, safaris, wilderness trails and rambling. Hiking as well has a rising popularity as the National Hiking Way has been developed and improved. All activities mentioned are easily accessible by the generally good infrastructure in South Africa. Overall, most tourist attractions in South Africa are not for the faint hearted and for nature lovers. According to some reports, international travel to South Africa has increased, in 1994 the year South Africas first democratic elections, only 3.9 million foreign tourists to the country. By 2004, the international visitors have more than doubled to 6.7 million. And in 2007 the total number of 9.07 million foreigners visited South Africa- 8.3% increase compared to 2006- as the country broke its annual tourist arrivals record for the third year running. In South Africa, nowadays, Cape Town has become an important retail and tourism centre, and attracts the largest number of foreign visitors come here for their holidays. (South Africas tourism industry SouthAfrica.info) International tourist arrivals (in millions) nternational tourist arrivals in South Africa (Source: Department of Tourism); (South Africas tourism industry SouthAfrica.info) Tourism is also one of the fastest growing sectors of economy in South Africa, and it contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of country increasing from 4.6% in 1993 to 8.3% in 2006. Tax system Untitled.png Table: Paying taxes (IFC, 2010) SWOT analysis Strength South Africa has a world class infrastructure as their competitive input, like 3 deep water ports, 3 international airports, a network of roads and high ways, well developed cold chain facilities and a sophisticated financial sector. These infrastructures are even comparable to first world developed countries and its cost is favourable (the cost of electricity is still remain inexpensive and competitive in labour rates as well) (Big Media Publishers, South African agriculture, 2008) The free trade agreement and high technology, high infrastructure offering are the key values for international investment from America and European Union The strength includes the mineral resources as well as South Africa is considered as a major mining country. Its the world largest producer and exporter of gold and platinum. They also have a high level of technology (such as a ground-breaking process that converts low-grade superfine iron ore into high-quality iron units) and production expertise (the raw materials such as iron, carbon steelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦were added more values before exporting) which make mining industry is one of the key sectors of the country Weakness South Africa has a high ratio of unemployment which is from 30% 40%. The education of the labour force is still very low, especially black people. A result showed us that just 22% of Black Africans have completed high school. When we do comparison, it has difference amount of 70.7% of Whites have completed high school More than 5.7 million South Africans are infected with HIV in which 350 thousand have already died of Aids with millions of South Africans have been victims of violent crime Opportunities The FIFA World Cup 2010 will be held at South Africa this summer so this will be not only the opportunities for the South Africa itself to increase their international images and reputations. Its a good change to advertise and promote the values of the country so itll attract more investment and partnership from foreign and internal either. For the FIFA World Cup 2010, South Africa has a plan to include a Bus Rapid Transit system which will promote the use of public transportation between host cities as Cape Town, Durban with other cities. They also received an amount of R9 billion investments and an incentive from FIFA to improve the infrastructure in the nine host cities due to the expected massive visitors. It means a lot of upgrades to countrys airports and general transportation including taxi system, passenger trail and bus (Osec, 2010) Threat Because South Africa is an export led economy, its very easy to be influenced by global demand. The depreciation in price of commodities which go deeper to very low levels could be resulted to job losses The power supply crisis leads to needs of diversity in energy mix including natural gas, nuclear power and various forms of renewable energy as well. The indigenous source of energy is coal which use to produce electricity and its one of the causes of greenhouse gases. The activity to increase electricity by using coal can pollute the environment and it requires the government have to have plans to prevent global warming The roads system needs to be constructed because of massive traffic and transportation. An official report said that it would be cost around R65 billion for urgent repair. Otherwise the cost for a year due to overloading will be surpassed R650 million in destruction to roads (Osec, 2010) Future development When South Africa decides to invest into other countries of Africa, they are helping to diversify African economies and reduce the dependent on primary sector industries. South Africa doesnt focus only on oil and gas, but they concentrate about telecommunicating, banking service, mining also. They enter the African market, but creating them as well by building infrastructure, transferring technology and knowledge, encouraging the foreign country to enforce laws and strengthen democratic institutions. For examples: South Africa exported to the rest of Africa a R43 billion worthy, most of involved import related to oil from Nigeria which was R5 billion. That number show an imbalance in South African goods and services with African consumers. The countrys companies also try to integrate themselves with the local economies by hiring local staff or buying materials from local procedures. In return, South Africa received the favour by investment from the other African countries which is go od for South African own domestic economy. Thats why South African engine is very important for economic development across the African continent (Leon, 2004) In 2009, the government spent a total amount of R787 billion on public infrastructures over the next 3 years which would push the countrys budget deficit to 3.8% of GDP in 2009. They explained that it was necessary to borrow the funds to finance planned public infrastructure projects due to the decreased demand for South African commodities and lower output. In the R787 billion: R390 billion would be spent on state owned enterprises R25 billion for Rail Computer Corporation R12 billion for the Bus Rapid Transit system R1.6 billion South African Airways Conclusion After we analyzed the economy of South Africa and predict the future of the country, we realize that South Africa has potential to invest money in this country which can create profit for us as entrepreneurs as well as for the countrys economy. South Africa has many strong sectors but we decide to invest our money in health care sector which is currently not strong in this country. We believe this is the right decision which will bring to us return on investment and profit for the future.

Book Review: The New Terrorism by Walter Laqueur Essay -- essays rese

THE NEW TERRORISM BY WALTER LAQUEUR Walter Laqueur’s book, â€Å"The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction†, is empowering readers with the entire spectrum of terrorism. The reasons behind terrorism are not easy to understand, but Laqueur goes into great detail to try and bring the reader to an understanding of what the terrorist is thinking in order to justify the means to the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Laqueur sheds enlightenment into a new arena for terrorism: Arms of Mass Destruction. The chemical and biological weapons of yesterday are available and relatively cheap on today’s open market. Mr. Laqueur goes into depth on previous usages by terrorist organizations using these types of weapons as well as the possibility of further use. One frightening point that Laqueur makes is that the use of nuclear devices could very well have a possible future in terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With nuclear devices as a possible method for inflicting terrorism, there will be no safe place for any citizen of any nation. The United States has recently been the object of terrorist harassment and more than likely the will continue to be a target of the new form of terrorism greatly threatening American security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author’s main thesis focuses around this new type of nuclear terrorism, and he gives many different types of examples of groups that have already used biological and chemical methods to achieve favorable resul...

Music Piracy Is a Good Thing Essay

If pirating music hurts musicians income so badly it would show, and after all this time of pirating music it hasn’t. Music piracy benefits artists more than it hurts, therefore it should be legal. Music piracy is mostly committed by people who are everyday people who have average income jobs and have families who end up being sued by big record companies over downloading music for free. It seems a bit to greedy when you look at the difference in pay between the artist and the people who download the songs. ( †¦) say that the people who pirate the music are more likely to go to the show and buy the albums after downloading music (Ernesto). Also, people who pirate music tracks are very likely to develop an connection to the bands orartists and that will lead to them attending the shows, buying albums and merchandise. When putting this issue in perspective, record companies are just looking for money without any consideration for the ways of getting it. Record companies start suing people who have downloaded music for ridiculous amount of money in attempt to intimidate and scare off the fellons from downloading music illegally. The main groups affected are college kids that don’t have the money. Sarah Barg was a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Sarah received an email from a label company stating that she owed $3,000 to the Recording Industry Association of America (Bratton). For that amount,, Sarah would be paying $7. 87 for each song. Majority of the songs she pirated were from the eighties and weren’t even relevant anymore, and yet she was battling record company’s in court over them them. Sixty students like Sarah at UNL received the same similar, as well as hundreds sent out to over sixty other universities across the country. Not knowing ow else to handle the situation, Barg contacted her parents and they had to cover her settlement. â€Å"I don’t know what I would have done. I’m only 20 years old,† says Barg. Well over five hundred students across the states have paid settlements to avoid being sued. â€Å"I see it as bullying,† UNL freshman Andrew Johnson says, â€Å"Legally, it makes sense, because we donâ⠂¬â„¢t have the money to fight back. † Johnson illegally downloaded one song and settled $3,000 to avoid being sued for one song. The money used came from the 18 year old’s college fund and he now has to work two jobs to compensate for his losses. The record companies seem to target those can’t fight back. In 2007, major record companies such as Warner music groups, Warner Bros Records, Inc. , and Sony BMG Music Entertainment, tried to sue a young girl from Texas named Whitney Harper for illegally downloading music from file sharing networks on the internet (Malisow). Whitney was at the time was sixteen years old and was being sued for a minimum of $750 per song when Whitney downloaded thirtyseven songs. That is a little over $20,000 and she is only sixteen years old. Harper tried to use the Innocent Infringer Act that would reduce fees to $200 per song. In order to accomplish that, Harper had to prove she was unaware of the copyright laws by claiming that the copyright notice placed on cds were not on the file sharing networks on the Internet therefore she was unaware. The companies referred to the sixteen-year-old as a â€Å"long term massive infringer† of copyright laws. Harper warned that if the companies won the case that downloading music off the Internet could never be innocent infringement. The Harper case is one the few after many years still going through federal court. The companies had stated they were going to begin transitioning away from suing individuals and find better means of fixing the issue. After years of record companies using an intimidation method to fix the pirating problem, it got them nowhere because the amount of pirates only went up, and the efforts by the companies were in most cases useless. According to the Wall Street Journal, they attempted suing many single mothers, a thirteen-year-old girl, and a dead peope. The new approach is for the companies to work with Internet service providers and when music is eing pirated the user receives a warning that they will lose Internet service if they continue(WSJ. com). The companies still reserve the right to sue if someone is a heavy violator or has ignored several warnings, but even with this new system, it still seems like the companies are only out for money, but in an attempt to escape negative attention from the media, they change their approach. According to The Independent, peo ple who illegally download music also spend more money on music, concerts, merchandises than anyone else. The Secretary of State for Business, Peter Mandelson, stated that the record companies new approach to crack down on illegal down loaders by cutting off internet service could potentially harm the music industry more than help it. â€Å"The people who file share are the ones who are interested in music. They use file sharing as a discovery mechanism. † The artists also have mixed opinions over file sharing, some such as James Blunt and Lily Allen are anti-piracy and Shakira is pro-piracy(Shields). Sites have come out with monthly bills for unlimited music plans that seem fairer. Some artists don’t feel affected by file sharing and support the fact that piracy creates a bigger fan base for them. Bands like Angels and Airwaves have produced free records so copyright wasn’t an issue. They figure that the fans will still come see them play and record sales aren’t the only thing to being in a successful band. Some artists don’t seem to realize that. Most artists make plenty off of record sales even with a piracy problem, so court cases and law suits on everyday people by record companies seems a bit greedy and selfish. Even with the new laws, they are still pushing to stop this unstoppable problem. Today music piracy is referred to as a dead issue. Most cases that are still pending are being dropped. This year a $54,000 fine on a single mother of four was dropped by the U. S. District Court Judge, Micheal Davis, who stated piracy is â€Å"no longer monstrous and shocking. The need for deterrence cannot justify a two million verdict for stealing and distributing twenty-four songs for the sole purpose of obtaining free music†(physorg. om). Thomas Rasset was convicted in 2007 and was ordered to pay $220,000, but the judge who presided over the trial called off the verdict, saying it was â€Å"wholly disproportionate and oppressive. † Her case was one of the thousands that had actually made it to court. In 2011, with new laws, these cases should not be forgotten about. The people who lost cases should be compensated and apologized to because they did nothing other than have an interest in the artist.