Friday, November 29, 2019

Best Schooling Time Essays - Sleep, Mary Carskadon,

Best Schooling Time Many teenage high school students are tired during the school day, distracting them from their studies. That is just one of the many good reasons that the starting time of school should be later in the day. Some people may say that the brain not being fully functional until 9:30 is just a matter of opinion. Studies have suggested that the average adolescent brain doesn't even start to fully function until around 9:30 am. Many schools already use the suggested later arrival time, so there students can be ready to learn when they arrive at school. Another thing that everyone knows or remembers about high, school is all of the homework that needs to be done for tomorrow. Plus projects that are due, persuasive essays that need written, and the time you need to be a teenager. Most students even have so much work that they'll stay up all night just to get it done. When needing a minimum of 9 hours of sleep as a teenager, getting up at 6:30 to be ready for school is just not enough time. It's easy to think that students will just procrastinate even more, but the average teenager is smarter than you may think. It sounds absurd to think that students sleep during the school day. The fact is that many students fall asleep during class. Remember that sleep isn't something you can make yourself not want. Throwing water on your face, listening to loud music, or taking a shower cannot make your bodies craving for sleep disappear. The fact is puberty demands more sleep. There are also risks involved with not getting enough sleep. Most people will be very sleepy and drowsy during the day, mood and behavioral problems, and even increased vulnerability to drugs and alcohol. These things could also develop more into serious sleeping disorders. Experts advise to not read or watch television shows when unwinding from a day at school or work. Mary Carskadon of Brown University's School of Medicine even believes that students don't need anymore sleep than adults do, but Carskadon still recommends that the school start time should be later in the daytime. The average high school student just needs a little slack every once in while, they need a way to cope with being a teen. The average teenager needs more sleep.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Helpful Habits for Job Searching

Helpful Habits for Job Searching Scoring a job in today’s competitive market is about much more than just sending in a resume and showing up for an interview. Rather, it’s a mindful practice, with â€Å"practice† being the operative word. The more you incorporate positive habits into your job search, the greater results you’ll see. Read on to learn our picks for healthy habits for today’s job searchers. 1. Go Get ‘EmIt’s unlikely that the perfect job is going to reach out and find you, but that doesn’t mean it’s not out there. Passivity is the enemy of the productive job seeker. Instead, proactivity is your new best friend.Job boards can change by the day; make checking them an everyday activity lest the perfect possibility pass you by.Also, check in with friends, former coworkers and old classmates in relevant industries; they may be able to offer valuable leads and inside scoop on up and coming position.2. Keep Your Eye on the PrizeThe most successful j ob candidates know exactly what they want and integrate this theme into every aspect of their job search. While you might think keeping your options open opens more doors, this actually leads to fewer true opportunities in the long run.Of course, your needs and wants may change with time. Compose a list of desirable job attributes - from top employers to places to live - and regularly update it. The more purposeful you are in your searches, the more likely you are to find the right position.3. Make a Job Plan†¦and Stick To ItWhile many people suffer from procrastination, the most successful job hunters never put off for tomorrow what they can do today. List all of the tasks relate to your job search and prioritize them carefully in a spreadsheet or alternate organizational method. Routinely review this task list to stay on track. Whether your goal is to answer a preset number of postings on any given day or to refine your resume weekly, don’t deviate from the plan. No matter what.4. Better YourselfWhile your dream job is hopefully right around the corner, the job search can also take some time. The best job candidates use this time to develop themselves in meaningful ways. Whether you network to develop your professional connections or pursue continuing education opportunities, focusing on your own growth can make you a more desirable candidate in the long run. Working on these skills can also help you negotiate better compensation when you do get hired.5. Be Ready†¦For Anything and EverythingThe contemporary job market moves quickly in the digital age. The best candidates are always prepared for what’s coming next. If that 9 a.m. phone call is from a hiring manager hoping to squeeze you in at 11 a.m. that same morning, you’ll be glad you were awake and ready to go.6. Follow UpEffective job hunting isn’t just what happens before a job interview; it’s also what happens after. The most successful job hunters underst and that it’s a relationship game, and follow up goes a long way. Even if you don’t get the job this time around, a hiring manager may file your resume away when the perfect job does come around. Committing to follow up along every step of the way can ensure that your resume lands in the pipeline instead of in the recycle bin.You may have heard facts and figures about how long the average job search takes. Four months? Eight months? Some kind of salary-based calculation? While these averages may be true in the most general sense, they don’t factor in a job candidate’s own ability to directly influence the process by formulating helpful habits that lead to results.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Working with and Leading People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Working with and Leading People - Essay Example This means that a person has the ability to support the business venture if he or she believes that it will aid in achievement of outlined goals and objectives. In the case study, it is evident that Oliver, the chef/manager of ‘Fifteen’ depicts several leadership characteristics, which are in line with the definition of an effective leader. Key among these leadership qualities demonstrated by Oliver is his zeal and passion. The chef sets out to create a restaurant that taps the unexploited potential of young unqualified individuals. Despite the challenges, his desire to help individuals that are currently in a position that he once was, drives him to success. His passion is also evident when he uses it as criterion to select suitable chef candidates. By sharing this enthusiasm with his apprentices, Oliver motivates them to increase their professionalism and overall productivity. The chef also takes time to praise the candidates whenever they execute a duty efficiently or ask relevant questions. A leader’s tendency to give praise when appropriate acts as an extension of enthusiasm and fosters subordinates’ morale (Kressler, 2003, p.27). The other vital leadership attribute wielded by Oliver is his ability to communicate effectively with all the stakeholders with whom he works. As emphasized by Sinek (2011, p.17) effective leaders must have mastered the skill of communicating with staff, both at high and low levels of an establishment. This is because adept communication skills make it possible for leaders to explain tasks and undertakings in a manner that can be understood by all partisans. In addition, proficient communicators keep others informed about project updates or changes. In Oliver’s case, he takes the time to actually interact and impart knowledge on the trainees, making him effective in communication. As a result, the team is constantly aware of what is expected of them. The chef also possesses the crucial leadership quality of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Assessment item 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assessment item 2 - Essay Example The data they will derive shall be organized and analyzed for measures of center, which will be represented on a bar chart of line plot. 4. They put in the data about the raisins on the worksheets to compare the guesses and estimates, and go around the pairs to collect data garnered by the whole class in order to get for the minimum, maximum and median and mode. If the graph plots values against their frequency in the data, then the values are displayed along the horizontal axis, while the height of each column indicates the number of data elements that have that value. The first task shows students how to go about guessing, estimating, and all the preliminary information necessary to gather, organize, and analyze the data and values derived. It also introduce students to representations of data namely the bar graph and the line plot. From the knowledge and skills they derive from this activity, they get to apply it to the second task. Whereas the first task offered grouped data since everyone used the same data sources, the second task offered ungrouped data where students can collect from various sources of their choice. The first task may be considered teacher-directed while the second task gives the students more leeway to conduct their own investigations.   First to Twenty One: The game First to 21 gives students opportunities to explore the differences between mathematical and social fairness. With the deck of cards, each player takes one and adds up the value of the cards they pick until they reach the value of 21 or over. The last player who picks that card reaching 21 or over wins. 3. Player 1 goes first and chooses the top card and says its value. Player 2 does the same and adds the value of his card to that of Player 1’s. The two players take turns taking a card and announcing its value, adding it to the combined

Monday, November 18, 2019

Psychogeography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psychogeography - Essay Example In some cases, psychogeography is also concern on how the environment could influence how a person thinks (Prescott-Steed, 2013, p. 46). The study of psychogeography is significant in the profession of engineers and architects. Specifically the common elements associated with the study of psychogeography include: cultural and social critique, marginalized urban experiences, past experiences, re-enchantment of cityscape, space, spatial history, trauma, and walking. In relation to the common elements of psychogeography, this report aims to critically analyze and compare the context of Alan Bennet’s â€Å"A life like other people† (2009) with Matt Condon’s â€Å"Brisbane† (2010). Psychogeographic Comparison between the Text Written by Bennett (2009) and Condon (2010) In relation to the elements of psychogeography, there are similarities in the context of extracts take from the works of Bennett (2009) and Condon (2010). One of the most obvious similarities bet ween these two context is that the past experiences, regardless of whether or not the said experience is traumatic or a happy event a person has on a specific place, can last for a lifetime. For instance, Bennett (2009) mentoned that after so many years, he remembered a man who drowned in a canal situated close to the university boathouse at Calverley. This particular event has created a negative experience for Bennett. Bennett (2009) also remembered the hill that runs down to Rodley, the canal that runs parallel the railway, and in between the canal and the railway runs the Aire river. All these fixed environmental features brought back some old memories to Bennett. At the age of 20, Condon (2010) left Brisbane – the place where he was born. After 47 long years, Condon (2010) decided to go back to his hometown again. He live in the same house which is situated hundreds of metres away from the ponds. Condon mentioned that he remembered or at least he was able to imagine his c hildhood days within the same geographic area. Despite all the significant changes that took place within the same environment (i.e. the presence of computer stores, tanning salons, office buildings, and the bitumen road), Condon (2010) felt that nothing much has significantly changed due to the fact that the river, hills, and gullies are still situated in the same place. Basically, these two (2) entirely different scenarios clearly strongly suggest that the act of going back to the same geographic environment, regardless of the changes that took place in the city, could bring out the same old memories and/or the same old feeling each person had while staying in the same place. Change is the only thing that is constant in this world. In relation to the concept of urbanization, psychogeography is commonly used in the process of enabling human beings to change the urban life (Coverley, Psychogeography, 2010, p. 10). Within this context, psychogeographers usually aim to examine the imp act of different ambience of urban places on the feelings, emotions, mental stability, and socializing behaviour of people (Del Casino et al., 2011, p. 285; Prescott-Steed, 2013, p. 46). This further explains why most of the modern architects today are carefully analyzing how light can significantly affect positive ambience in space when creating a new architectural design (Knabb, 2007, p. 4). Re-enchantment of the cityscape is another

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Export Diversification and Economic Growth

Export Diversification and Economic Growth One of the earliest ideas in the theory of economic development is that the degree of specialization or diversification of a countrys production and trade structure is important for its economic development (Wim Naudà © and Riaan Rossouw, 2008). But, the question whether developing countries should diversify their export production to achieve economic growth or rather specialise in order to achieve comparative advantage has been a debatable issue. Some researchers find that export diversification is better for economic growth in developing countries as their dependence on primary commodity production and exports leaves them vulnerable to commodity shocks, price fluctuations and declining terms of trade, especially since the income elasticity of the demand for primary commodities is low (Prebisch, 1950; Singer, 1950 and Rosenstein-Rodan, 1943). While others advocate for specialisation, for example, from Adam Smiths recognition of the importance of the division of labour and specializ ation for economic growth and development, to the standard Heckscher-Ohlin Samuelson (HOS) model of international trade, the position in neoclassical economics has been that countries should specialize in producing and exporting according to their comparative advantage (Wim Naudà © and Riaan Rossouw, 2008). Thus, many theories are based on; Should developing countries focus on diversifying their export basket or should they rather specialise their exports according to their existing comparative advantage? 2.1. Definitions Export diversification, by definition is the changing of a countrys export structure. This can be attained by changing the existing basket of commodities or by embellishing them through innovation and technology. Dennis and Shepherd (2007) define export diversification as widening the range of products that a country exports. As a matter of fact, export diversification can take two forms, namely, horizontal and vertical. Export diversification has different dimensions and can be analysed at different levels (Ali et al., 1991). Herzer and Nowak-Lehnmann (2006) explain that export diversification can occur either horizontally or vertically. Horizontal diversification causes changes in the primary export mix in order to reduce the effect of the fluctuation of global commodity prices. It also implies that the number of export sectors has increased. This reduces the dependency on a few sectors to lead export-oriented growth (Marianne Matthee and Wim Naudà © (May 2008). It brings forth stabilisation in export earnings (Al-Marhubi, 2000). If growth is to be achieved though horizontal export diversification, a country can either enlarge the share of products with increasing growth rates in export earnings, or it can add new products based on the growth rates of world prices (Ali et al., 1991). On the other hand, vertical diversification involves contriving further uses for existing and new innovative commodities by means of value-added ventures such as processing and marketing (Poverty and Development Division, United Nation, June 2004). Vertical diversification occurs when the export mix of a country shifts from primary products to manufactured products. The production of primary exports does not result in as many spill-overs as the production of manufactured exports (Marianne Matthee and Wim Naudà ©, May 2008). In the latter, externalities on, for example, knowledge and new technologies are created. These externalities benefit other economic activities (possibly creating horizontal diversification) and improve the ability of all industries to compete internationally (Chuang, 1998; Al-Marhubi, 2000; Herzer and Nowak-Lehnmann, 2006). Vertical export diversification also contributes to stabilisation in export earnings, as the prices of manufactured exports do not fluctuate as much as those of primary exports (Ali et al., 1991). If growth is to be achieved though vertical export diversification, a country can either introduce, expand value-added activities, or it can choose new products based on their value-added potential (Ali et al., 1991). Hausmann et al. (2005) conclude that the composition of a countrys exports matter, as countries that produce higher productivity goods experience greater export performance and are subsequently able to benefit more from the gains of globalisation. Both horizontal and vertical diversification can be favourable for a countrys economic growth; however their performance would vary in terms of technological, managerial and marketing skills. Vertical diversification policy, compared to horizontal diversification policy, requires more advanced technology, skills and initial capital investment than horizontal diversification policies do. In result of that, vertical diversification may produce greater dynamic externalities than that of horizontal diversification. 2.2 Theoretical Review There are many theoretical reasons, put forward by researchers, which says that export diversification leads to higher per capita income growth. Because of fluctuations in export, many developing countries opt for export diversification. As mentioned is made above, this instability arises as commodity products are often subject to very volatile market prices so that countries that are dependent on these commodities may suffer from export instability (Heiko Hesse, 2008). As a result of the stated instability, risk-averse firms might not invest in the country which can create macroeconomic uncertainty and in turn can be disadvantageous for long run economic growth. To prevent this instability many countries have liberalised trade. Michaely (1958) studied export and import concentration using GINI co-efficient on the dataset for 44 countries and 150 Standard International Trade Classification commodities and notes that countries with more diversified export structure are more developed in terms of income per capita, and more industrialized in terms of primary commodity share in total export. Export diversification could therefore help to stabilize export earnings in the longer run (Ghosh and Ostry, 1994); Bleaney and Greenaway, (2001)). According to structural models of economic development, countries should diversify from primary exports into manufactured exports in order to achieve sustainable growth (Chenery, 1979 and Syrquin, 1989). However, the concept of export diversification seems to contradict trade theory, especially Ricardos theory of comparative advantage where a country should specialise (Salvatore, 1998). Ricardo laid emphasis on the role of specialization in international trade and increases total productivity. According to him, export is said promote economic growth by specialising in sectors in which a country has a comparative advantage. In the same way, Helpman and Krugman (1985) pointed out that greater economies of scale due to increased exports can lead to an increase in the productivity level. In spite of the relationship identified between trade and productivity, the impact of specialization on the long run growth remained uncertain to many scholars. Sachs and Warner (1997), for example, identified a negative impact of a comparative advantage in raw materials on economic growth. More recently diversification and specialization has been studied as the part endogenous outcome of a countrys stage of development (e.g. Acemoglu and Zilibotti, 1997; Imbs and Wacziarg, 2003). This theory is based on countries production and therefore has an effect on their export, as there is a relationship between production and export. Ramacharan (2006) finds that a one standard deviation increase in diversification is associated with about a 0.81 standard deviation increase in the level of credit to the private sector. Thus, diversifying the sectoral composition of the economy, will benefit financial development, which in turn, as shown by Chang (1991) may allow countries to engage in more specialization of exports, given that developed financial markets may provide insurance against risk. This analysis may lead one to conclude that countries export structure may go through phases, from less diversified to more diversified, followed by a phase of less diversification and more sp ecialization, as the financial sector development deepens (Saint-Paul, 1992). Diversifying the production structure of the domestic economy may therefore be a requirement for export diversification and later export specialization. Another theory has been put forward by Marianne Matthee and Wim Naudà © which states that, this trend in trade has led to spatial inequality. This is so because, with trade liberalisation, small local businesses suffer which can result in a decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and eventually economic growth. Marianne Matthee and Wim Naudà © (May 2008) mentioned that in a more open economy with firms being able to export more, local firms become less reliant on the local market with a subsequent reduction in the forces of agglomeration. Furthermore, not all developing countries will gain with high export as their location can be an important determinant for their export propensity. But, export diversification contributes to growth in a country (Herzer and Nowak-Lehnmann, 2006) and many studies have proven so on a country level. Related to export diversification, there could be knowledge spill-overs from new techniques of production, new management, or marketing practices, potentially benefiting other industries (Amin Gutierrez de Pineres and Ferrantino, 2000). Producing a growing basket of export commodities can be seen to have an active effect of export diversification on higher per capita income growth. Agosin (2007) develops a model of export diversification and growth where countries with low technological frontier widen their comparative advantage by imitating and adapting existing products. Furthermore, models in the product cycle literature (Vernon, 1966; Krugman, 1979; Grossman and Helpman, 1991) obtain diversity of export products by the North innovating and the South predominantly imitating and exporting the products from cheap labour countries.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Essay -- chasing hope, happiness

Hope enables people to move on by providing the thought that maybe tomorrow’s events will be better than today’s. Hope is a theme that remains constant in every part of A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. Ishmael begins the novel optimistic, believing he will find his family again. This optimism is later lost when Ishmael is recruited by the army to fight against the rebels, causing him to become addicted to drugs and the thrill of killing. Three years after his recruitment, Ishmael is rescued by UNICEF-a group dedicated to rehabilitating child soldiers. During his rehabilitation, Ishmael discovers hope once more by relearning how to trust, love, and have the will to survive. The presence of hope throughout A Long Way Gone enables Ishmael to have an ability to move on and a will to survive that he lacks when he loses hope. Ishmael starts his journey with a will to escape and survive the civil war of Sierra Leone in order to reunite with his mom, dad, and younger siblings, who fled their home when his village was attacked by rebels. Having only his older brother, who he escaped with, and a few friends by his side Ishmael is scared, but hopeful. When the brothers are captured by rebels, Ishmael’s belief in survival is small, as indicated by his fallible survival tactics when he â€Å"could hear the gunshots coming closer†¦[and] began to crawl farther into the bushes† (Beah 35). Ishmael wants to survive, but has little faith that he can. He is attempting to survive by hiding wherever he can- even where the rebels can easily find him. After escaping, Ishmael runs into a villager from his home tells him news on the whereabouts of his family. His optimism is high when the villager, Gasemu, tells Ishmael, â€Å"Your parents and brothers wil... ...ploys children rather than men. He is subjected to the violence of the war for more than three years before he is finally rescued by an organization dedicated to rehabilitating child soldiers. Once Ishmael discovers happiness, affection, and a will to survive, he regains what hope he had lost. No matter the circumstances concerning it, hope has always been the trigger for events in Ishmael’s life, thus making hope a theme present throughout the entirety of A Long Way Gone. Hope allows Ishmael to bounce back from the tragic events that marked his teenage years and discover a will to survive. Works Cited Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. Print. HaÃŒ £nh, NhaÌ‚Ì t, and Arnold Kotler. Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. New York, NY: Bantam, 1991. Print.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Interactive Writing Essay

Animated productions and video games offer customers a world to get lost in. In this world, creative writing plays an integral role producing an atmosphere that progresses and sustains fluidity. Although graphics and user controls are typically the talk of animated production writing is just as significant. Without creative writing these worlds of animation might be a little bleaker and less interactive. Graphics would have no bearings if they did not have a background of description to be created from. Game and Production writers play a crucial role in the development of the media. Video games usually have paths to follow, and offering misdirection, speed bumps and challenges to overcome. It takes a large amount of skill to transfer ideas into a media, and that is where developers come in, but if they do not have a game plan to follow a mess can occur. Writers are becoming increasingly more involved in the video game and animated production business. In order to efficiently supply these elements a production has to be planned out or time lined. In this time line, it takes writer’s input to create a structured story which is critical for the flow of the game and the story being portrayed. A well developed story or plot can draw in players to purchase the media and any games that might follow. One writers expresses why a well written video game is more than important, â€Å"As gamers age, the complexity of both the plot and the theatric elements tend to resemble short skits along the lines of â€Å"Godfather,† leaving the days of Super Mario Brothers long lost in the dust† (Brewer, 2002). Writers are essential in creating a world beyond any gamers’ imagination. Typically animated productions or video games are stemmed from a developer’s idea, but it is the writing that carries the developer’s initial thought. It is up to writers to be very descriptive. After the story board and character development it is up to an interactive writer to begin on a script. The script can make or break a game’s potential. A productions script must be carefully combed using effective words that will spark user’s imaginations as well as guide them easily through the set path. A writer must be very descriptive in their script leaving little discrepancy over the visual settings. Also, the game’s story will need to be broken into parts in order to have levels or sense of accomplishment for the user. A article suggests, â€Å"There are three main points to the written script: describe the environment; what does everything look like -and what does it feel like, what is the accompanying material, is there music, and sound effects, what are the things that are going to happen, what decisions will be made, and what rooms or areas are the decisions tied to† (Kalif, 2008)? It is the writer’s job to create substance. If a game is not well put together and has only one path to the end of the media, then it is less likely to be played again. When productions set on a buyer’s shelf it means they are less likely to buy the game when a new version is created. Video game companies now spend sufficient money to hire creative writers. If a gaming company is known for their extraordinary atmospheres, settings, and characters, users are more likely to try games from the company without much knowledge of the particular game. These writers become so involved in their stories, they create more opportunities to make a game company more money with the ability to produce other games, movies, action figures. A video game writer said in an interview, â€Å"I fall in love with every game story that I work on, enough so that I can envision countless stories, sequels, movies, and books all emanating from within this one world† (Duffy, 2007). Animated production and video game writers are essential in the development process. These productions have progressed significantly over the past ten years and a lot of the progression can be accredited to the ever more use of writers. As we have seen, writers take an idea and form it into something more tangible that users can relate to and are drawn to in order to continually play a game. A creative writer can serve in many roles and typically do not get as much credit as the producers or developers, but it is these unsung heroes that provide the developers with an atmosphere and a descriptive setting for their characters. Old games like â€Å"Pacman† are fun and can be entertaining, but it is the new games like â€Å"Grand Theft Auto† that drive the industry even more toward creative and efficient writing. ReferencesBrewer, Melissa, (2002). Writing for the Gaming Industry. Retrieved on December 15, 2008 from http://www. writing-world. com/freelance/games. shtmlKalif, Will (2008). Writing a Script for a Video Game. Retrieved on December 19, 2008 from http://www. stormthecastle. com/video-game-design/writing-a-video-game-script. htm. Duffy, Jill, (2007). How I Became a Game Writer. Retrieved on December 19, 2008 from http://www. gamecareerguide. com/features/424/how_i_became_a_game_writer_an_. php? page=4.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Evolution of Decency †Government Essay

The Evolution of Decency – Government Essay Free Online Research Papers The Evolution of Decency Government Essay Most people will tell you people that receive the death penalty deserve it. I wouldnt disagree. The death they caused was certainly cruel, possibly unusual, but were not an eye for an eye society anymore, thanks to the evolving standards of the American people. If someone strikes someone, do they deserve to be struck? Of course they do. But you dont get to strike them. When you commit murder, you do essentially give up your rights, and your life. You’re sent to jail for the rest of it. Does anyone you know have the goal of getting into jail? I doubt it; its not exactly much of a life. In Furman vs. Georgia the Supreme Court found that not only did accidental murder not constitute the death penalty, but that it would be cruel and unusual to apply the death penalty in such a case. I would simply consider this somewhat of a precedent in what constitutes the death penalty. It takes a fairly serious crime/murder/death/whatever to get the death penalty. Before I continue, I notice that what these Supreme Court cases seem to say is that the death penalty itself is not cruel and unusual punishment, but that if the crime doesnt deserve the death penalty that its cruel and unusual punishment. I tend to think that since they ultimately ruled that the electric chair and gas chambers were cruel and unusual punishment, that this means the idea that lethal injection is not cruel and unusual punishment is at the very least, open to a good debate. I also believe there is not an un-cruel or unusual way of killing someone. It strikes me that keeping someone on death row for years, a nd then strapping them down before an audience including their own family, and the victim’s family, and then administering injections causing their breathing and heart to stop, is kind of unusual, and perhaps cruel. Also, theres a lot happening in the debate on the death penalty right now. Recently a U.S. Supreme Court justice temporarily blocked an execution. Even more recently, a man was suppose to be executed, but they were required to have an anesthesiologist put them to sleep to alleviate any pain that would be involved with the execution. Everyone who was authorized to give it refused to do so, and the execution was put on hold indefinitely. Now the argument comes before the court on whether or not lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment. There are also rare cases where the dose doesn’t actually kill the person that is supposed to be executed, and he somehow lives. I think it would be pretty cruel and unusual to then make him go through it again. Most st ates, from what I understand, wont. Gregg vs. Georgia is relatively simple. There was a man who was convicted of armed robbery and murder. The court decided three things. A. it is cruel and unusual punishment for someone to be executed for armed robbery, so that charge didn’t even stand. Not just that it was not deserving of the death penalty, but like I said; it would be cruel and unusual to give it to him for that charge. B. the murder charge constituted the death penalty, and C. it would not be cruel or unusual for him to receive the death penalty for murder. To me, it sounds like an awful lot of debating going on. While it is a clearly established precedent that you have to murder someone to receive the death penalty, it then again, depends on the nature of the murder. So, we still have the debate on whether or not its cruel or unusual to give someone the death penalty for certain kinds of murder. Again though, there are some internal debates. What kind of death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment, and what is not? Is the death penalty itself cruel and unusual punishment? And more specifically, is lethal injection cruel or unusual? The death penalty has always been unfair to African Americans. The jury system tends to be unfair. African Coker vs. Georgia is a hard case for me to understand. However, it sounds to me like the prisoner had a death wish. He was in jail for conviction of murder; he breaks out, rapes a woman, and steals her car. It sounds to me like he thought he had nothing to lose, although, I dont know why he wasnt already on death row for murder. He might have been, but I didn’t see any clear evidence in the case saying so. Georgia tried to give him the death penalty for raping the woman. The court ruled that it was grossly disproportionate to the crime. I would agree, and I would say it is apparent that there is something gross about Georgia’s apparent over zealous love for the death penalty. So they ruled that it would be cruel and/or unusual punishment to give him the death penalty given that he didnt take the womans life. Now if any two of these cases tie together, it would be this one, and Gregg vs. Georgia. Rape did not constitute the death penalty, and neither did armed robbery. Stanford vs. Kentucky I disagree with. Basically they ruled that you can execute a juvenile offender, and that it is necessary to look at societys evolving standards of decency. I disagree with that. If the Supreme Court is going to look at the evolving standards of the nation, who is to say what we would allow next? First, you can convict a juvenile offender. What’s next? If the justices keep it up, it will not be too long before NAMBLA is able to get away with their â€Å"rape and escape† tactics. Roper vs. Simmons directly ties to Stanford vs. Kentucky, because this guy was sentenced to death at 17, and once again involved in societys evolving standards of decency. I’m not entirely opposed to national opinion; in fact I think it’s healthy as a nation to have evolving standards. I do believe however that there should be a standard on how far we should evolve. Abraham and many other known Biblical persons were known to have multiple wives. It was the norm, and it was accepted by society. Did that make it right? Of course it doesn’t make it right. Here is an interesting tidbit. â€Å"On appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the government argued that allowing a state court to overturn a Supreme Court decision by looking at evolving standards would be dangerous, because state courts could just as easily decide that executions prohibited by the Supreme Court (such as the execution of the mentally ill in Atkins v. Virginia) were now permissible due to a change in the beliefs of the American people.† I agree. It is dangerous. So, they overturned the decision in Stanford vs. Kentucky and ruled that it was unconstitutional and cruel and unusual punishment to sentence a minor to death. Couldn’t we just solve all of these problems, and abolish the death penalty? We have societys ever changing and evolving standards of decency, which means precedent (which is important in courts) is subject to change. There’s the argument of the burden of the tax payer. It costs the government plenty of money to perform an execution, too. Is there any real way to kill someone that is not cruel or unusual? Should the government sanction it? Perform it? While were talking about societys evolving standards of decency, if thats any measure of where the death penalty is; I would say it is on its way out. Hanging was ruled unconstitutional. So were the gas chambers. So was the electric chair. All because of societys evolving standards of decency. Proponents of the death penalty hang on to lethal injection. On the moral issue, which is the equivalent of society’s evolving standards of decency,† it’s important to know that those evolving standards look back on hanging and such things as dark moments in our country. While most of society doesnt hold that view about lethal injection, nothing says they wont at some point, and in fact, I believe if more Americans knew more of the details; it would be hard to argue that lethal injection isnt cruel and unusual. Certainly, we have flaws in the system. It is cruel and unusual to minors; it is cruel and unusual to the mentally ill. All previous forms of the death penalty have been declared cruel and unusual. We cant have a system with flaws, or prejudice, or thats disproportionately unfair. So, let’s avoid the debate, work out the flaws, and end it. Research Papers on The Evolution of Decency - Government EssayCapital PunishmentThe Fifth HorsemanArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayBringing Democracy to Africa

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Johannes Vermeer, Allegory of Faith , Oil on canva Essays

Johannes Vermeer, Allegory of Faith , Oil on canva Essays Johannes Vermeer, Allegory of Faith , Oil on canvas, c. 1670 Paul Gauguin, La Orana Maria (Hail Mary) , Oil on canvas, 1891-1893 Erwin Panofsky, Perspective as Symbolic Form , 1924 Perspective as an Artist's Tool The Renaissance of the 14th-17th century was a rediscovery of Greek philosophy and art in Europe. Intellectuals and artists alike embraced humanism, and art began to look markedly more lifelike than before. This was largely due to development of the concep t of perspective. Renaissance painters began to think of paintings as windows peering into another world. Now, to portray depth in paintings, artists began using more techniques than just foreshortening, especially gradation of color and vanishing points. We will examine two works in this paper: one painting which embraces the concept of perspective developed in the Renaissance and another painting which ignores this type of perspective. In analyzing and comparing these paintings, we will see how perspectiv e is used as a tool to guide the viewer's eyes and add meaning to a painting not just to make a painting look more naturalistic. I. Allegory of Faith Johannes Vermeer was a painter late in the Dutch Renaissance period known for painting middle class, domestic interiors (The Met). When this work was painted, the Netherlands was officially protestant, so Catholics had to worship in house churches in secret. This painting depicts one of these covert sanctuaries, and the tapestry in the foreground of the p ainting represents this secrecy. Behind the tapestry, a woman is sitting at a table, clutching her chest and looking towards a glass sphere hanging from the ceiling. A Bible, a goblet, and a crucifix sit on this table. Near the woman's feet are a globe, an apple, and a snake being crushed by a stone. Behind the woman is a painting of the crucifixion of Christ. The Bible, goblet, crucefix , and the painting of the crucifixion in the background are items and decoration that would likely be in a church, but the rest of the items strewn about the room and the woman herself are symbolic of Christianity. First, the woman in the center of the painting is the titular Faith with the world at her feet. The globe she rests a foot on, of course, symbolizes the world. She is gazing up at Heaven which is symbolized by the glass sphere dangling from the ceiling.The blue dress she is wearing may allude to the blue robes of the Virgin Mary. The apple by Faith's feet symbolizes original sin, and the crushed snake is Satan being crushed by Christ, "the cornerstone of the church" (The Met). Mostly muted, delicate colors make up the palette. Soft gradients of colors help to imply depth and form and this softness adds to the muted nature of the painting. The orange in the tapestry i n the foreground and painting on the wall in the background contrast with Faith's blue dress to help draw attention to her. The position of the vanishing point of the painting also points the eye to Faith. II. La Orana Maria Paul Gauguin was a Fr ench painter of the post-impressionist era, but he travelled to Tahiti to take part in the idyllic, Tahitian way of life. This painting was made before Gauguin took heavy inspiration from the religion of the Tahitian people. So, although everyone in the pa inting looks and is dressed like a Tahitian native, the painting is ultimately another depiction of the Madonna and Child. Mary wears a traditional Tahitian dress that is a far cry from her iconic blue robes. Jesus is nude and perched on her shoulder, a pose nothing like the traditional "throne of wisdom." Both Mary and Jesus have thin halos around their heads. Without them, their holiness would be near indecipherable. To the left are two Tahitian women, "nudes dressed in pareus , a cotton cloth printed wi th flowers that can be draped from the waist" (The Met). The angle to the far left is hard to make out because it is somewhat obscured by the foliage, but it points out Mary and Jesus to the two women. Bowls of bananas take up the foreground. Flowering tr

Monday, November 4, 2019

Cash flow statement and report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cash flow statement and report - Case Study Example No figure of tax is mentioned in the profit and loss statement of the company so it is assumed that the net income is profit before tax and the tax paid is incorporated in the tax payable figure. From the net income non cash adjustments have been made such depreciation and loss recorded on sale of fixed asset. Since these items were charged to the profit and loss account, these are added back to the net income. In addition the net increase decrease is calculated in the current assets and liabilities. If the asset has decreased from the previous year it would be taken as cash inflow. This can be understood by considering accounts receivable for example. If the account receivable has decreased this means that the debtor has paid cash (the company would have made the entry Cash: Debit and Accounts receivable: credit) and thus it is taken as cash inflow. ... pany purchased property, plant and equipment amounting to $ 125,000 whereas it received cash from the disposal of some of its property, plant and equipment amounting to $110,000. All in all, the cash flow is showing a net decrease of $25,000 as compared to the previous year. (b) The board of directors of the company needs to decide whether the funding should be equity based or debt based. Both modes of financing i.e. equity and debt have their own advantages and disadvantages. There are several factors which need to be considered before taking such decisions. For example statutory rules and requirements, terms and conditions imposed by the counter party and general economic conditions are analyzed before selecting one of the options. One of the major drawbacks of raising finance equity through issuance of equity is the fact that a lot of secretarial procedure is involved in raising such finance in contrast to acquiring financing directly from any bank. Most of the time, financing fro m any bank or financial institution is acquired by just filing an application with the bank or financial institution. The banks usually have their own procedure of screening where they evaluate the credit history, financial outlook, liquidity and other aspects of the company. Most importantly, the bank’s analyze the fact and ability of the company pertaining to the ability of the company to repay the amount of loan in the future. When it comes to raising finances through issuance of equity shares, the company is liable to fulfill several requirements such as making sure that a certain number of shares are issued in accordance with the listing regulations of the stock exchange, submitting a due diligence report to the share holder and issuing share to the current shareholder in accordance

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Economic Factors Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic Factors - Assignment Example Industry A: 20 firms and a Concentration Ratio (CR) of 30% Name and some of the industry's characteristics An industry with 20 firms and a CR of 30% is called a low concentration industry. This is a type of industry in which its four largest firms control less than 50% of its market. According to Ruffinand Gregory (2000), this type of industry is monopolistically competitive and the market control gained by its four largest firms/industries is moderate. There are many firms producing a similar product. Prices are set through a contestable market model hence the decisions of one firm are not influenced by the decisions of another firm. The above is supported by the fact that in this industry, the key to success is the ability to offer products at a lower price (Weiss, 1989). Even of the sellers were few or even one, they would act as if they were many. Entry and exit from the industry is costless and new entrants are mainly attracted into the industry if a possession of market power i f profitable. The pressures of competition help to prevent monopoly and keep the industry operating at a prices and outputs that are competitive. Expected long-run adjustments in case there was an increased demand for a product that pushed up the price of goods When there is an increase in demand of a product that in turn leads to an increase in its price, all the 20 firms in the industry are going to make positive profits and prosper. In the short-run, marginal costs and marginal revenue will be equal indicating an equilibrium or profit maximization. In the long-run, firms will alter the scale of product and leave or enter the industry. Other firms who want to take advantage of the profit will enter the industry leading to a rise in supply of the product. This will push the market prices of the product down to the long-run equilibrium. What the anticipated adjustment process imply about the CR for the industry The above-mentioned anticipated adjustments imply that there is a relati onship between the CR of the industry and the properties of the industry. For example, when the CR is low as in this case, monopolistic competition takes place resulting to the market exhibiting elements of both monopoly and perfect competition. The reason behind this is that since the industry is monopolistically competitive, each of its existing firms has the power to set prices. They will compete for a control of the market share by lowering their prices and in the end, many of them will charge the long-equilibrium price. This establishes an equilibrium and eliminates incentives for entry. In other words, a low CR eliminates temporary rise in prices and restores the economy to a long-run equilibrium level, a characteristic of a competitive market. Therefore, it is true to say that the lower the CR, the higher the level of competition of the market. Industry B: 20 firms and a Concentration Ratio (CR) of 80% Name and some of the industry's characteristics An industry having 20 firm s and a CR of 80% is called a high concentration industry. 20 firms and a CR of 80% indicate a highly oligopolistic industry. In this type of industry, a significant level of market control is under the power of four of its largest firms (Ruffinand, 2000). The market is dominated by few firms who sell slightly differentiated