Nagel’s Negative Good vs Negative Evil

?Chapter 9 short writing assignmentShannon Prendergast Nagel explains negative good. as the absence of something bad and he describes a negative evil as the absence of something good. He is comparing these as they apply to death in this chapter. Assuming that death without anything is either good or bad to the person who dies. . He describes death as being either a negative evil or negative good. It can be described as a negative good because it can lack something bad. If someone is dying from a painful disease there death will result in the lack of the bad pain they were feeling. It can also be described as a negative evil because they will miss out on the great experiences of life (sun shining, flowers blooming, laughing. ) But for these to be true we must think we don’t exist after death. If we believe otherwise it could be these things don’t change for us. If you were a bad person you may continue to suffer, or maybe the sun and flowers are more beautiful after death if you were a good person. An example of a negative good in my life is the death of my brother-in-law. He suffered from depression (unknown to family) He was in a dark place and felt much turmoil and pain within. He committed suicide and this could be considered a negative good for him because his pain was ended. It can also be considered to be a negative evil because he will never see his children’s smile, hear there laughter or watch them grow. He was young and there was much life to live. I hope that there is existence after death and that people are at peace with there pain after death and can watch over there loved ones. Another example in life of a negative good is I had to leave a job I loved, but it happened to open the door for me to go back and finish my degree. The losing of the job was in turn not a bad thing because it produced something that otherwise would not have happened. There is also a negative evil in this situation and that is that I was unable to sign up for the class I wanted to take. It was not necessarily bad; it just lacked a something good. In wrapping up the difference between negative good and negative evil, I would like to believe that every negative has a positive and when a bad happens to us it is because a good is on its way. As far as death goes I believe we go on to a wonderful, place. whether it be as ourselves or not. After all did we ever not exist, or do we live forever just changing forms. Maybe are cells evolve into different thing and everyone lives forever somehow.

Foreign Policy Judiciary Politics Essay

1. Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, these developments often face serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those who opposed the growing power of the national government in TWO of the following: Whiskey Rebellion, 1794 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798-1799 Hartford Convention, 1814-1815 2. To what extent did the Jeffersonian Republican’s of economic boycott in the years 1807 – 1812 affect the new nation? 3. To what extent was the early United States foreign policy a primarily defensive reaction to actual or perceived threats from Europe? Evaluate with regard to United States foreign policy on TWO major issues during the period from 1789 – 1815. 4. Analyze the contributions of TWO of the following in helping establishing a stable government after the adoption of the Constitution John Adams Thomas Jefferson George Washington 5. Explain the influence of TWO of the following on the U.S. decision to go to war in 1812. Embargo policies of Jefferson and Madison British impressment of American seamen Settlers’ conflicts with Native Americans Expansionist goals of the war hawks 6. Compare and contrast the political and economic views of the Hamiltonian Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans. When, why and how did the differences between the two parties blur? 7. Evaluate the relative importance of domestic and foreign affairs in shaping American politics in the 1790s. 8. â€Å"Since the treaty of Ghent addressed none of the issues for which the United States had fought, the War of 1812 has no positive consequences for the American nation. Assess the validity of this statement 9. To what extent was the Election of l800 aptly named the Revolution of l800? Respond with reference to 2 of the following areas Economics

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Criminal Justice - Essay Example Any police officer trying to abuse an individual is liable to the act of oppression and people can therefore protect themselves from this form of oppression through use of the firearm as long as the cause is justifiable. Having this right protects the people from having to tolerate abuse of any form from the police simply because of their power. People are allowed to have freedom of speech, of exercising freely and make peaceful demonstrations as a way to express their grievances. Police officers take such opportunities to abuse the people by beating them or preventing them from congregating even though the first amendment has allowed them to do so. People are even arrested for no reason and some even taken to cells without any charges or fake charges such as destruction of property or resisting arrest are crowded on the individuals. This bill of right expressed in the first amendment curtails the police abuse to peaceful demonstrators and people freely expressing them-selves in speech or in press (Skeens, 2007). Lastly is the six amendment which demands that people who have criminal charges or those arrested also have their own rights which are supposed to be explained to them by the police during arrest as a way to protect themselves from police brutality and abuse. These rights include the right to be informed of the criminal charges that have made one be arrested, there is also the right to have a counsel to assist the criminally charged person as well as the right to witnesses in court. Under the Terry Stop, police are created balance so that they can be able to carry out their work effectively to preventing and dealing with crimes. This allows them to conduct searches and seizures if there is reasonable reason or if the person is under suspicion without even requiring a warrant. The police are also mandated to stop

Cross-cultural briefing report Scenario GeekChic Essay

Cross-cultural briefing report Scenario GeekChic - Essay Example The various cross cultural theories in the report would help the company (GeekChic) to understand the social and cultural aspects of the markets of Paris in France. Macro Level Facts of France The economy of France is highly developed across various business segments. The estimated Gross Domestic Product of the country as recorded in 2012 was $2.291 trillion. The nation is a developed country in the global economy with about 1.7% average growth in real GDP. The per capita GDP of the country was about $36100 in 2012. The exchange rate of the currency of the country is $2.609 (CIA, 2013). The individuals of the country have a high standard of living and its aggregate rate of urbanization is about 85%. Since France is a developed nation, its currency value is high in the economy. The city of Paris in France enjoys a moderate climate throughout the year. The average temperature of the country in summer is 30? centigrade and in winter, the temperature goes below 6? centigrade (Locke and T ower, 1995). Hofstede’s Analysis The Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory was established by Geert Hofstede. It shows how the behaviour of the individuals in a nation depends on the cultural values of the society (Mooij and Hofstede, 2010). If the cultural aspect of France is analyzed on the basis of this model, then it can be stated that the country scores 68 on the grounds of Power Distance Index (PDI). This in turn measures the extent to which the weaker members in a society would accept the fact that power would be distributed unequally in the society. The index of individualism in France is also high (71) (IDV). This actually means that the French people desire self care and does not prefer to be a group. In terms of a Feminine nation, the country score is 43 (MAS). The Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) of the nation is about 86. This shows that most of the individuals of the nation are highly sensitive to any uncertain changes in the market. Scoring a rate of 39, Franc e is not a long term oriented society (LTO). This means that the French individuals make prompt decisions with respect to the changes in the external world. Figure 1: Comparing of France and China (Source: The Hofstede Centre, 2013) Comparing the cross cultural views of France and China, it can be stated that in contrary to the French individuals, the Chinese are lesser traditional and lesser sensitive to uncertain circumstances and prefer being in community or groups. The above graph clearly shows the cross cultural variations between China and France. Section B: Cultural Differences While making an international business expansion in Paris (France) from China, the female manager would have to face various difficulties owing to the differences in the cultural views of French and Chinese individuals. In the modern world, the primary business objective for all the corporate firms is ‘consumerism’. Thus, it is important for GeekChic to understand the precise nature of the consumers in France. The following context of the essay would explain the different challenges or opportunities that the company might face when it would be in France for business. â€Å"Culture is just the man made part of a business environment† as stated by Herskovits (1948). After globalization, international trades between nations have increased in terms of its scale and scope of

Secondary Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Secondary Research - Essay Example Another justification is secondary data are more convenient to employ in the research because they are already compacted and organized. Furthermore, analysis and explanation are done more easily (Gill, 1993 and Israel, 1993). Using secondary data also leads to easy summarization of all the needed information, formulation of conclusion according to the null hypotheses and insightful recommendations focusing with subprime mortgages. One of the benefits of secondary data analysis is that researchers with research skills limit or technical skills limit can be taught to perform this type of analysis. The main issue in this process that the research chose is his skill to judge the quality of the collected data or information that has been collected (Novak, 1996 and Pritchard, 1996). Primary data are raw materials of the process of research, they represent the events in the subprime mortgages, while secondary data are based on primary data, they are already describe, analyzed and synthesize. The question is, if the source is secondary, does it accurately related to the information needed that can be answered by primary data Secondary data is basically called as outcome data. Because secondary data is usually characterize as the state or circumstance of phenomena or a group. On the other hand, these data do not tell the researcher why the state or condition exists. This is the limitation of using secondary data but can be solved by two ways, like analysis of more key data and indicators (Shell, 1997 and Trochim, 1997). This approach helped the researcher explained why the problem in his study exists. For example, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the downfall of AIG has been identified as a problem, there will be data on their finances, types of mortgages, different terms and payments of the borrowers, cost of bankruptcy and so on, this information can be paralleled to identifying ho this problem occurred and possible causes of the problems and solutions. Thus, cross-analyzing main indicators and utilizing information sources helped the researcher understands or make rationalization sound inferences about the immeasurable states or situations, this has allowed the researcher to have a better understanding of the events in answering the questions, what, where and why. Secondary data analysis can be taken out rather than rapidly when paralleled to structured primary data collection and analysis practices. The level of data desegregation, secondary analysis of data leads itself to pattern analysis as it provides a relatively easy way to observe change over time (Price, 2000 and Trochim, 2002). However, since secondary data is not basically collected by the researcher for the same objective as the original researcher, the purposes and goals of the original study can possibly brings out bias to the study. In this study, secondary data can be an important source of facts for acquiring knowledge and insight into a wide range of issues and situation. The review and analysis of secondary data can offer an efficient way of answering issues, practicing cross-national parallelization, understanding the events in the current state of the subprime mortgages, identifying the direction and extent of change. Finally, secondary data complements primary data

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World - Essay Example News Corporation has been founded by Rupert Murdoch in the year 1979, and the company is headquartered at New York, NY, USA. The company operates in six business segments such as Cable Network Programming, Television, Direct Broadcast Satellite Television, Filmed Entertainment, Publishing and others (New York Times, 2013). Cable Network Programming division of News Corporation licenses and produces sports entertainment, business news, movies, general entertainment, etc. Filmed Entertainment division of the company offers animated and live-action motion pictures in the form of entertainment to customers. Television division of the company offers both network programming and broadcasting entertainment to customers (New York Times, 2013). Recently, News Corporation has acquired ESPN STAR Sports division through wholly owned subsidiary. According to the annual report published by News Corporation (2012), the company earns annual revenue of more than $30 billion from its global operations . Major entertainment divisions of the company include Fox Entertainment, National Geographic channel, Fox studios, etc. (News Corporation, 2012). The concept of strategic leadership in the form of competitive advantage was probably first identified by Porter (1985 and 1991). Porter (1985) has given the basic framework of ‘outside in’ approach which helps a firm to understand the particular market in terms of macro environmental (political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis and industry force analysis. Seminal research work of Michael Porter (1985) has given a 5 force framework which helps a firm to understand the business opportunity in particular market in terms buyer power, supplier power, threat of substitute, entry barrier and competitive rivalry. However, strategic leadership is more important from the competitive advantage perspective. In simple words, it can be said that companies can only achieve strategic leadership if it is able to achieve competitive advantage over other competitors. The question may arise that how a firm can achieve competitive advantage? Well, to answer this question, research scholars such as Barney (1986) has given the Resource Based View (RBV) model. According to Barney (1986), a firm should use its financial and non-financial resources which are valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable in order to archive competitive advantage. Adner and Zemsky (2006) and Kraatz and Zajac (2001) have also found that availability of resources and optimal usage of these resources develop capabilities for firms and using the developed capabilities can help a firm to achieve competitive advantage or better to say strategic leadership. An eminent author has epistemologically created link between performance, strategic leadership and competitive advantage in the following manner; â€Å"Sustainable competitive advantage is more probable in firms that achieve sustained superior performance.â₠¬  (Powell, 2001, p. 879) Discussion about strategic leadership is incomplete without the mentioning the concept of ‘Core Competency’ given by Prahalad and Hamel (1990). These eminent scholars’ duo has suggested that companies can achieve core competency by strategically using its capabilities backed by valuable resources. Optimizing resources and capabilities in particular business operation can help firms to

How Personal Can Ethics Get Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How Personal Can Ethics Get - Essay Example Personal differences and preferences can impart a negative impact on organizational ethics, especially if it is up on the hierarchical level. Favoritism and Partiality has forever been known for violation of equal rights – a policy that most organizations carry on their sleeves. If an executive practices partiality in his/her choices of human resource, it not only affects the morale of the competitor individual but also diminishes the overall efficiency of the organization knowing a suitable candidate was rejected for a project against an incapable one. Additionally, this will also demoralize other employees of the organization, knowing that the system for their career growth is corrupt by personal biases. If this partiality is backed by personal gains (monetary or otherwise) on behalf of the executive, it further deteriorates the organizational relationships – the employees tend to be uninterested in company decisions, disloyal towards the organization and low- perform ed. Turnover rate can also be expected to be higher than normal for such an organization. Also, it can be expected that such an organization will dissolve rapidly into non-existence. Business operations therefore strictly require the setting aside of personal differences and working in collaboration for common organizational goals. Ethics play a vital role in organizations and organizational commitments on behalf of employees. Ethics, if practiced properly, can guarantee organizational prosperity. This is because ethical environment ensures safeguard of employee rights, allowing them to concentrate on their jobs and prove to be productive members of the organization. The employees will be less pressurized to compromise their own ethics and values, making them comfortable and satisfied in their jobs. It will promote equality among all employees, controlling misconduct and sycophancy naturally. An employee will possess greater willingness to report misconduct, if any, knowing the organization will take appropriate actions against it. The employees will feel valued by the organization for their actual worth (Rhoden). Organizational procedures and policies reflect the ethical system of that organization. In most organizations, the code of conduct and policies are well-written pieces of deep-rooted ethics. However, in reality, these tend to be practiced solely on the surface. Same is the situation with the organization in the case study – Wisson possesses elegant and well-written organizational policies, which Valarie (the marketing manager of Wisson) later discovers are not adequately practiced. As vital as the clause for bribes and personal payments was being violated by Valarie’s boss, Waters. Such practices pose serious threats to organizational and personal ethics, creating a conflict between the two. As person-job fit is emphasized in most management guidelines, the importance of person-organization fit is now being increasingly recognized. If a person’s personal ethics and values are not in peace with the organization’s ethics, serious issues can arise in the for m of ethical dilemmas, greatly hampering one’s capability to perform. In the case under investigation, Valarie was undergoing the same ethical dilemmas posed by improper person-organization fit. She was a staunch believer of equal opportunities for all and widespread competition being healthy for

The origin of passover Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The origin of passover - Research Paper Example The paper also explains how the Lord God instructed the Israelites to be commemorating the Passover feast in every year. For better understanding of the Origin of the Passover, it is better to look at the Passover in the context of the ten plagues that the Lord God unleashed upon the Egyptians as the result of Pharaoh’s obstinacy in letting the Jewish people leave Egypt for the Promised Land, i.e. the Canaan. The incident of the Lord’s passing over the houses of the Israelites took place during the tenth plague, which led to the death of every first born son of every Egyptian family. It was after this incident, that Pharaoh finally allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt as the Lord God had required of them as we shall see in this paper. The origin of the Jewish Passover feast is clearly recorded in Exodus 12. Before the Lord God unleashed the tenth plague upon the Egyptians, the Lord God commanded Moses to ask every Jewish household to take, on the tenth day of the month, a one year old lamb without any defect. The Jews households then were asked by the Lord God to take care of the lambs till the 14th day of the month when they would slaughter the lambs at twilight. The Israelites then were commanded by the Lord God through His servant Moses, to smear the blood of the lambs on the doorposts of the Jewish households. This was meant to distinguish the households of the Jews from the households of the Egyptians so that when the angel of destruction cane to strike the first born male child of every Egyptian household, he would easily notice and pass over the households of the Jews. On the meat of the slaughtered lambs, the Israelites were commanded by the lord to roast the meat, and to eat it with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. The bitter herb was a sigh of the Jew’s painful maltreatment by the Egyptians, while the unleavened bread was a sign of spiritual preparedness, repentance, among the Jews as

Police Ride Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Police Ride - Assignment Example Officer Franz explained that he loved his job and that he loved people, and that he planned to stay with the police force for as long as possible. His career choice was to gain about 3-4 more years of experience on patrol. After that, he would take the civil exam and hopefully move up the ladder in rank. Officer Franz then took a break from answering my questions to explain the numerous safety rules for me to follow, which in all honesty I did not mind, as he truly did seem to have my best interest and safety at heart. I had to wear a standard-issue bulletproof vest, which brought home the reality of the ride-along immediately due to the heaviness of the garment. Officer Franz also explained that I would not be allowed to get out of the car at any time during the ride-along, and again stressed safety above everything else. The area he would be patrolling (with me along) was known as Zone 104, which was primarily a college area, with burglary and robberies being somewhat common calls received. He explained that though anything could come up, most often other than those two types of incidents were calls in which adults were possibly taking advantage of college students, college students throwing loud parties and breaking the local noise ordinances, and local juveniles making mischief. Since it was not a high-crime area, he explained that he would be patrolling alone, as was department procedure, though he did emphasize that two officers patrolled together in the high-crime areas. The shift then began with a roll call for all officers, which lasted about 15 minutes. Most of this involved a report from the previous shift, letting the officers know what to be on the lookout for. Areas of interest, including any to watch closely, are passed on from one shift to another for continuity and continuance in investigations. During the ride-along, I had the opportunity to see police procedure in action three times. Two of the incidents that occurred were minor traffic viola tions, yet they gave me an opportunity to ask questions about procedures behind them. The third incident of alleged gang-rape was not minor and in fact caused me to have to remain with Officer Franz an hour longer than my shift was originally scheduled due to its nature, however, upon explanation, I believe you will agree with me that there was no way to avoid this happening. The first incident was a traffic accident involving two vehicles. Officer Franz handled this quite speedily and professionally. He took the car information and licenses of both drivers and ran it through his computer, which turned up nothing in the way of background information that would cause either of them to be placed under arrest. Given this information, Officer Franz then gave both drivers their information back along with a police report number and an incident number and sent both on their way. I found it interesting to learn that there was a keyboard printer in the patrol car. Officer Franz explained it s uses, which the main use is for printing out tickets and citations. He also explained that there was a central computer program used by the police force, Intel, which kept them informed about data available from crimes in the surrounding area. For example, there was a car stolen in Colony and had he pulled over a car with the same make or model.

Narrative Using the Hobbit Essay Example for Free

Narrative Using the Hobbit Essay It was a fine spring morning according to Prince Reno of Lorien, who was to set off with his seven most trusted friends-the dwarf brothers Korin and Gorik, the three mighty elf leaders loki,Lorin and Algain and two of the finest Dalish Warriors Phalarix and Cagaris-on a quest. These eight men together were very powerful throughout the land, no-one could match their wisdom and might. Prince Reno’s quest was to avenge his father’ death meaning he had to kill the evil enchantress Sirenia. He was walking away from his life of luxury and riches in order to do so, also meaning he gave up his right to be crowned king. It took them many days to be in a viewing distance of the Mountains of Lorencia, and at the very heart of the mountain was Sirenia’s fortress. It would take them three days to reach the mountains and another two to get to the fortress so they rested up that night and set off the next morning. Two days later it was unfortunate when Lorin died and that they got lost. They buried him and then Reno remembered an enchanted compass he had which would take them on the shortest but most dangerous path so they all took a vote and decided to use it. Upon arrival at the mountains they encountered a horrifying and disgusting site of three gigantic hob-goblins protecting the path to Sirenia. As soon as they saw the hob-goblins they attacked and if it weren’t for Korin sacrificing himself none of them would have survived. Prince Reno knew this might have been the last few days of his life, he knew that two people had already died throughout this quest and that there may be many deaths to come. As they approached the fortress they found a quick entrance to sneak in through, they crept through the fortress to Sirenia’s quarters but she knew they were coming and had turned into her demon dragon form but Prince Reno used this to his advantage as he had an enchanted blade covered in the poisonous blood of the blue and red fire-snape and started slicing and slashing at Sirenia waiting for the poison to kick in, as he watched his friends die brutally and then it happened, Sirenia dropped dead and Prince Reno knew that it was time to flee, finally being at peace knowing his father’s killer was now dead.

Framework for Speech Enhancement and Recognition

Framework for Speech Enhancement and Recognition A Generalized Framework for Speech Enhancement and Recognition with Special Focus On Patients with Speech Disorders Literature Review Kumara Sharma et.al. have proposed Harmonics-to-Noise Ratio and Critical-Band Energy Spectrum of speech as Acoustic Indicators of Laryngeal and Voice Pathology [8]. Acoustic analysis of speech signals is a noninvasive technique that has been proved to be an effective tool for the objective support of vocal and voice disease screening. In the present study acoustic analysis of sustained vowels is considered. A simple k-means nearest neighbor classifier is designed to test the efficacy of a harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) measure and the critical-band energy spectrum of the voiced speech signal as tools for the detection of laryngeal pathologies [12]. It groups the given voice signal sample into pathologic and normal. The voiced speech signal is decomposed into harmonic and noise components using an iterative signal extrapolation algorithm. The HNRs at four different frequency bands are estimated and used as features. Voiced speech is also filtered with 21 critical-band pass filters tha t mimic the human auditory neurons. Normalized energies of these filter outputs are used as another set of features. The HNR and the critical-band energy spectrum can be used to correlate laryngeal pathology and voice alteration, using previously classified voice samples. This method could be an additional acoustic indicator that supplements the clinical diagnostic features for voice evaluation [42]. Cepstral-based estimation is used to provide a baseline estimate of the noise level in the logarithmic spectrum for voiced speech. A theoretical description of Cepstral processing of voiced speech containing aspiration noise, together with supporting empirical data, is provided in order to illustrate the nature of the noise baseline estimation process. Taking the Fourier transform of the liftered (filtered in the Cepstral domain) cepstrum produces a noise baseline estimate. It is shown that Fourier transforming the low-pass liftered cepstrum is comparable to applying a moving average (MA) filter to the logarithmic spectrum and hence the baseline receives contributions from the glottal source excited vocal tract and the noise excited vocal tract[43]. Because the estimation process resembles the action of a MA filter, the resulting noise baseline is determined by the harmonic resolution as determined by the temporal analysis window length and the glottal source spectral tilt. On select ing an appropriate temporal analysis window length the estimated baseline is shown to lie halfway between the glottal excited vocal tract and the noise excited vocal tract. This information is employed in a new harmonics-to-noise (HNR) estimation technique, which is shown to provide accurate HNR estimates when tested on synthetically generated voice signals. HNR is defined as the ratio between the energy of the periodic component to the energy of the aperiodic component in the signal. As such it is sensitive to all forms of waveform aperiodicity [8],[12]. It only specifically reflects a signal to aspiration noise ratio when other aperiodicities in the signal are comparatively low. Validation of a HNR method requires testing the technique against synthesis data with a priori knowledge of the HNR. Time-domain methods that require individual period detection for HNR estimation can be problematic because of the difficulty in estimating the period markers for pathological voiced speech. Frequency domain methods encounter the problem of estimating noise at harmonic locations .Cepstral techniques have been introduced to supply noise estimates at all frequency locations in the spectrum (the Cepstral processing removes the harmonics from the spectrum).It is shown that the cepstrum-based noise baseline estimation process is comparable to applying a moving average MA filter to the power spectrum and hence the baseline receives contributions from the glottal source excited vocal tract and the noise excited vocal tract. Two important issues need to be considered with respect to HNR estimation for sustained vowel phonation when inferring glottal noise levels: HNR is a global indicator of voice periodicity.HNR is indirectly related to the noise level of the glottal source .HNR provides a g lobal estimate of signal periodicity. Hence a low value of HNR can arise from any form of aperiodicity, for example, from aspiration noise, jitter, shimmer, nonstationarity of the vocal tract, or other waveform anomalies [43]. Daryush Mehta has discussed about Aspiration Noise during Phonation: Synthesis, Analysis, and Pitch-Scale Modification. The current study investigates the synthesis and analysis of aspiration noise in synthesized and spoken vowels. Based on the linear source-filter model of speech production, author has implemented a vowel synthesizer in which the aspiration noise source is temporally modulated by the periodic source waveform. Modulations in the noise source waveform and their synchronism with the periodic source are shown to be salient for natural-sounding vowel synthesis. The accurate estimation of the aspiration noise component that contains energy across the frequency spectrum and temporal characteristics due to modulations in the noise source was a challenging task for the author. Spectral harmonic/noise component analysis of spoken vowels shows evidence of noise modulations with peaks in the estimated noise source component synchronous with both the open phase of the periodic s ource and with time instants of glottal closure [39]. Due to natural modulations in the aspiration noise source, author has developed an alternate approach to the speech signal processing with the aim of accurate pitch-scale modification. The proposed strategy takes a dual processing approach, in which the periodic and noise components of the speech signal are separately analyzed, modified, and re-synthesized. The periodic component is modified using our implementation of time-domain pitch-synchronous overlap-add, and the noise component is handled by modifying characteristics of its source waveform. Author has modeled an inherent coupling between the original periodic and aspiration noise sources; the modification algorithm is designed to preserve the synchronism between temporal modulations of the two sources [44]. The reconstructed modified signal is perceived to be natural-sounding and generally reduces artifacts. Arpit Mathur et.al. have discussed about the significance of parametric spectral ratio methods in detection and recognit ion of whispered speech [45]. Other References Kaladhar developed confusion matrix which is a matrix for a two-class classifier, contains information about actual and predicted classifications done by a classification system. The accuracy obtained by training the probabilistic neural network using Parkinson disease dataset got 100% as positives, predictions that an instance is positive, using WEKA 3 and Matlab v7. The data explored in this research was obtained from the Oxford Parkinsons Disease Detection Dataset. Data mining is the process of extracting patterns from data. Data mining is an important tool to transform this data into information. Authors present results with accuracy obtained by training the probabilistic neural network using the above dataset [46]. Xiao Li et.al. proposed a technique to reduce the likelihood computation in ASR systems that use continuous density HMMs. Based on the nature of dynamic features and the numerical properties of Gaussian mixture distributions, the observation likelihood computation is approximated to achieve a speedup. Although the technique does not show appreciable benefit in an isolated word task, it yields significant improvements in continuous speech recognition. For example, 50% of the computation can be saved on the TIMIT database with only a negligible degradation in system performance [47]. Authors analyze the case with only static features and their deltas and focus on achieving computational saving by partially computing the observation probability in a Gaussian component. It ignores computing the dynamic-feature part of an observation vector when its static-feature part already falls in the tail of a Gaussian. This technique doesnt require a complicated training procedure and brings almost no overhead to the decoding process. It is effective on both isolated word and connected word speech tasks, but works especially well on connected word recognition with high-dimensional dynamic features [47]. Elisabeth Ahlsà ©n has discussed different types of communication disorders. In case of Global aphasia there is nil or almost no linguistic communication. In case of Broca’s aphasia there is slow, effortful speech, telegram style, word finding problems known as anomia, relatively good comprehension. In case of Wernicke’s aphasia there is fluent verbose speech, w ord finding difficulties known as anomia, substitutions of words and sounds, impaired comprehension. In case of Anomic aphasia there are only word finding problems [49]. Kristen Jacobson explains about auditory and language processing disorders as follows. There are three general levels that speech sounds travel through while we are â€Å"listening†. The first level refers to the reception of sounds that occurs within our ears. A person who is diagnosed with a hearing impairment has difficulties perceiving sounds at this level. This problem is not referred to as a processing disorder. Central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) refer to difficulties discriminating, identifying and retaining sounds after the ears have heard the sounds. Individuals who experience difficulties attaching meaning to sound groups that form words, sentences and stories are often diagnosed with language processing disorders. They may also experience similar difficulties processing and organizing language for meaning during reading. Similar sounding words are often confused and some individuals may experience sensitivity to specific sounds. Reduced recognition of stre ss patterns and word boundaries within sentences is often present, especially during rapid speech or listening without visual cues. At times, only parts of messages are received accurately, so that messages and directions often appear incomplete. Specific language processing deficits are often reflected in delayed responses, the need to rehearse statements, and/or the need for frequent reviews while learning new information [50]. There are various types of speech disorders in children described as follows. Articulation: There is difficulty in the production of individual or sequenced sounds. The speakers exhibit substitutions, omissions, additions, and distortions of syllables or words. The Motor or Neurogenic speech disorders result into speech difficulties and affect the planning, coordination, timing, and execution of speech movements. Apraxia of speech is neurogenic motor speech disorder affecting the planning of speech. There is difficulty with the voluntary, purposeful movement of speech .The causes are stroke, tumor, head injury, and developmental disorders. The speakers can produce individual sounds but cannot produce them in longer words or sentences. Voice disorders affect pitch, duration, intensity, resonance, and vocal quality parameters. Fluency disorders produce interruptions in the flow of speaking. It is also known as stuttering. It means frequent repetition and/or prolongation of words or sounds [51]. Treatment of children with Speech Oral Placement Disorders (OPD)s needs various types of speech oral placement therapy (OPT) .Children with speech OPDs may have typical or a typical oral structures. The key to the definition of OPD lies in the child’s ability or inability to imitate auditory-visual stimuli and follow verbal oral placement instructions. Children with OPD cannot imitate targeted speech sounds using auditory and visual stimuli .They also cannot follow specific instructions to produce targeted speech sounds [52]. Thomas Dubuisson et.al. described an analysis system aiming at discriminating between normal and pathological voices. Based on the normal and pathological samples included the MEEI database, it has been found that using two features (spectral decrease and first spectral tristimuli in the Bark scale). Music Information Retrieval (MIR) aims at extracting information from music in order to build classification system of music. Temporal Domain features are Energy, mean, standard deviation. Spectral features are spectral Delta, Spectral Mean Value, Spectral Standard Deviation, Spectral Center of Gravity known as spectral centroid, Spectral Moments. The first four moments of the power spectrum M1, M2, M3, M4 . M3 is used to compute the skewness defining the orientation of the PSD around its first moment. If it is positive, the PSD is more oriented to the right and to the left if is negative. The skewness is computed as Skewness = M3/(M2)3/2 . The fourth moment is used to compute the kurtos is defining the acuity of the PSD around its first moment. A Gaussian distribution is having a kurtosis equal to 3, a distribution with a higher kurtosis is more acute than a Gaussian one while a distribution with a lower kurtosis is more flat than a Gaussian distribution. The kurtosis is computed as Kurtosis = M4/(M2)2. The Soft Phonation Index is defined for the (0–1000 Hz) and (0–8000 Hz) frequency bands [54]. Behnaz Ghoraani et.al. proposed a novel methodology for automatic pattern classification of pathological voices. The main contribution of this paper is extraction of meaningful and unique features using Adaptive time-frequency distribution (TFD) and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF). The proposed method extracts meaningful and unique features from the joint TFD of the speech, and automatically identifies and measures the abnormality of the signal. The proposed method is applied on the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) voice disorders database. As a matter of fact from the TFD of abnormal speech it is evident that there are more transients in the abnormal signals, and the formants in pathological speech are more spread and are less structured [55]. Corinne Fredouille et.al. have addressed voice disorder assessment. The goal of this methodology is to bring a better understanding of acoustic phenomena related to dysphonia. The automatic system was validated on dysphonic corpus (80) female voices. These observations led to a manual analysis of unvoiced plosives, which highlighted a lengthening of VOT according to the dysphonia severity validated by a preliminary statistical analysis. The feature vectors issued from this analysis, at a 10 millisecond rate, are finally normalized to fit a 0-mean and 1-variance distribution. The LFSC/MFSC computation is done by using the (GPL) SPRO toolkit. Finally, the feature vectors can be augmented by adding dynamic information representing the way these vectors vary in time. Here, first and second derivatives of static coefficients are considered (also named Δ and ΔΔ coefficients) resulting in 72 coefficients [56]. Younggwan Kim et.al. discussed the role of the statistical model-based voice activity detector (SMVAD) to detect speech regions from input signals using the statistical models of noise and noisy speech. The LRT-based decision rule may cause detection errors because of statistical properties of noise and speech signals[57]. Wiqas Ghai et.al. described automatic speech recognition system as comprised of modules Speech Signal acquisition ,Feature extraction, using MFCC is done . Acoustic Modeling is done for expected phonetics of the hypothesis word/sentence. For generating mapping between the basic speech units such as phones, tri-phones syllables, a rigorous training is carried. During training, a pattern representative for the features of a class using one or more patterns corresponding to speech sounds of the same class. Language Lexical Modeling is done with the help of Text Corpus, Pronunciation Dictionary and Language Model [59]. Lucas Leon Oller presents analysis of voice signals for the Harmonics-to-Noise crossover frequency .The harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) has been used to assess the behavior of the vocal fold closure. The objective is to find a particular harmonics-to-noise crossover frequency (HNF) where the harmonic components of the voice drop below the noise floor, and use it as an indicator of the vocal fold insufficiency. . As the range used for the calculation of the cepstrum approaches the lowest octaves, the growth of the rahmonics should accelerate at some point, the range is going to contain harmonics that are above the noise floor level, and then the energy of the rahmonics will start to faster. That point would be the harmonics-to-noise crossover frequency [60]. Daryl Ning has developed an Isolated Word Recognition System in MATLAB. A robust speech-recognition system combines accuracy of identification with the ability to filter out noise and adapt to other acoustic conditions, such as the speaker’s speech rate and accent. It requires detailed knowledge of signal processing and statistical modeling [61]. Phonetic Concepts Daniel Jurafsky et.al. presented a case study of Star trek where robots converse with humans in natural Dialogue system with language conversational agents. Various components that make up modern conversational agents, including language input and language output dialogue ,automatic speech recognition, natural language understanding ,response planning , speech synthesis systems and the goal of machine translation which leads to automatic translation of a document from one language to another is explained here [62]. Steven Pruett describes speech as the motor act of communicating by articulating verbal expression and Language as the knowledge of a symbol system used for interpersonal communication. Mary Planchart has explained four domains of language namely Phonology, Grammar , Morphology ,Syntax , and Pragmatics [63], [64]. Eric J. Hunter has presented a case study of a 5 year old healthy male child. He has analyzed comparison of the child’s fundamental frequencies in structured elicited vocalizations versus unstructured natural vocalizations. The child also wore a National Center for Voice and Speech voice dosimeter, a device that collects voice data over the course of an entire day, during all activities for 34 hours over 4 days. It was observed that the child’s long-term F0 distribution is not normal. If this distribution is consistent in long-term, unstructured natural vocalization patterns of children, statistical mean would not be a valid measure. Author has suggested mode and median as two parameters which convey more accurate information about typical F0 usage [65].

Humorous Wedding Speech by the Best Man -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speec

Humorous Wedding Speech by the Best Man When Daniel came to me and asked me to be his best man, it was a great honour but, when I looked at all the duties required of me, I felt he’d be better off choosing someone else. Then he offered me a fifty, but I told him that it wasn’t a decision that money could change. So then he offered me a hundred. Anyway, good evening Ladies and Gentlemen - My name is Rob and it’s my pleasure to be Daniel's best man today. So let me tell you about all those best man duties that originally concerned me, because I was immediately stumped by the first one: ‘ensure that the groom’s face and hair are in order.’ Well Daniel, I have to say that if nature didn't get them in order the first time around, what chance did I have? It was also my responsibility to ensure the groom choose his clothes wisely. Well, there wasn't a suit in the shop that he didn't try on. As many of you know, Daniel's job as a Policeman requires him to keep calm in stressful situations, so it was a bit of a surprise when he asked the shop owner if he could throw in a spare pair of underpants too. My second duty was to get Daniel to the church on time. Not an easy task, particularly since Kim's nickname for Daniel is 'Everlast' - not for his bedroom skills, but for his time keeping. We have GMT, we have BST, but is anyone here familiar with PWT? Well, Daniel Wilson Time runs about 40 minutes behind either ... ...2 of us on the trip and it’s only fair that the culprit for this unfortunate accident remains anonymous, because it could ruin his wedding day if anyone else found out. Thinking that was pretty much it, Kim reminded me of a duty that wasn’t on my list. As best man, it is my job to keep all Daniel’s past female acquaintances at bay. I told her not to worry as the wedding is on a Friday, and I doubt they'd be allowed the day off school. So now I come to my final wedding day duty which isn’t a duty really – it’s a real pleasure: on behalf of the bridesmaids and myself I sincerely wish you, Daniel, and your lovely wife, Kim, everlasting love and happiness! Ladies and gentlemen, to the bride and groom!

Adam Sandlers what The Hell Happened To Me?: How Music Affects Cult :: essays research papers

Adam Sandler's "What the Hell Happened to Me?": How Music Affects Culture This song means that culture affects how we grow up greater then most people think. I shows that when Adam Sandler was young, he was a well-rounded boy that liked to have fun. The song is also saying that our culture is affecting innocent youth that are forced to deal with the problems that the previous generations made for them. This song shows how all people are affected when they are really just innocent bystanders that have to witness the world at its roughest. They are forced to deal with it although they are truly unprepared for such a harsh treatment. Traits. The song presents cultural traits in that it shows how we grow up and are affected by culture. Cultural traits presented in this song are how we teach children and what we subject them to. Our methods of education and entertainment both affect how we turn out in the long run. The song shows how these traits affect how people grow up, and what they value in life. For example, the song talks about selling lemonade, eating popcorn, and watching parades. Then it goes on to say he's "only happy when [he's] drinking JD" The point is that people are changing because of society and our culture's lack of certain elements, such as respect and discipline. Values. The values presented by this song include the value of respect and discipline, and the need for more strict ways to keep a young mind safe of destruction. These values are presented in the line "I only did the things that Mama said I should, but now I do whatever I want." That line shows that values change as we age and the reason is because of society; obviously if Adam only did what was allowed, culture's values of discipline and respect must have turned him the wrong way, because his mother did not. Other values presented in the song are education and entertainment. This is shown by the lines stating that as a boy, Adam was well-behaved and had fun in parks and carnivals. He played in the snow and he loved sports, but as an adult he only finds pleasure in things he would never had imagined he could have only 20 years ago. Also, it is shown that culture has made such a mess of his mind that he can't understand why he would be in this shape. he presents this information to us in the lines "It makes no sense, I can't believe I'm me.

Comparing Bayard Sartoris of Faulkners The Unvanquished with the Cavem

Comparing Bayard Sartoris of Faulkner's The Unvanquished with the Caveman of Plato's Republic Bayard Sartoris in William Faulkner's The Unvanquished is enlightened from an ignorant boy unconcerned with the horrors of war to an intelligent young man who realizes murder is wrong no matter what the circumstances. His transformation is similar to the caveman's transformation in Plato's Republic. Bayard Sartoris journeys through Plato's cave and finds truth and goodness at the end of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Bayard was as ignorant as the caveman. Bayard heard only the stories of war, "the cannon and the flags and the anonymous yelling."1 He didn't consider the reality: death, bloodshed, and disease. His father's stories of war were just reflections of the reality, shadows on the wall. Bayard paid no attention to the reasons behind the war. Bayard just imagined what it would be like to be General Pemberton or General Grant. Faulkner's diction in the first chapter is full of descriptive references to shadows and darkness similar to the description of the wall in Plato's cave. Plato described the cave and its prisoners in the following way: Imagine human beings living in an underground, cavelike dwelling, with an entrance a long way up, which is both open to the light and as wide as the cave itself They've been there since childhood, fixed in the same place, with their necks and legs fettered, able to see only in front of them, because their bonds prevent them from taming their heads around. Light is provided by a fire burning far above and behind them. Also behind them, but on higher ground, there is a path stretching between them and the fire. Imagine that along this path a low wall has b... .... 5. Faulkner, 18. 6. Faulkner, 28. 7. Faulkner, 25. 8. Plato, 169. 9. Faulkner, 60-61. 10. Faulkner, 61. 11. Faulkner, 61. 12. Faulkner, 66. 13. Plato, 169. 14. Faulkner, 153. 15. Faulkner, 171. 16. James Hinkle and Robert McCoy, Reading Faulkner: The Unvanquished. (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1995), 141. 17. Faulkner, 178. 18. Julia Annas, "Understanding and the Good: Sun, Line, and Cave," In Plato's Republic: Critical Essays, ed. Richard Kraut (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1997), 152-153. 19. Plato, 168. 20. Iris Murdoch, "The Sovereignty of Good," in Plato's Republic: Critical Essays, ed. Richard Kraut (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1997), 174.

Life of Pi

In the novel, â€Å"Life of Pi† the author Yann Martel tells a story within a story about Piscine Molitor who is also known as Pi. He is the protagonist and the dynamic character of story. In the chapters that confine the main story Pi is a timid middle-aged man and is deeply spiritual after learning the teachings of Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam. He tells us about his childhood growing up in India as a son of a zoo keeper. He’s a vegetarian and he expresses his love for animals. Pi is a student of religion, zoology and is deeply interested by the characteristics of people and animals. Yet there is another side to Pi, and there is a constant switch between his thoughts and actions. Pi has learned about animal nature and its violent capabilities but it is not until he is faced with these circumstances. Not long after the ship sinks Pi and a tiger named Richard Parker are the only ones left on the lifeboat. Pi fears Richard Parker in some way but when he learns that his chances of survival are becoming very slim he uses his fear as a key to survival. Pi temporarily forgets all his other problems and manages through several courses to dominate Richard Parker. Pi The author uses indirect characterization to show how an awful position can bring out the worst in a man, and unexpected help in the most effective of animals. Pi becomes very quick and aggressive when it comes to finding and consuming food. I just didn’t have the time to consider what was before me. It either went into my mouth that instant or was lost to Richard Parker, who was pawing and stamping the ground and huffing impatiently on the edge of his territory. It came as unmistakable indication to me of how low I had sunk the day I had noticed, with a pinching of the heart, which I ate like an animal, that this noisy, frantic, unchewing wolfing-down of mine was exactly the way Richard Parker ate. † This compares t he close similarities between a man and an animal. Life of Pi The novel itself is inclined with philosophy and how different kinds of religion affected the life of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), the narrator of the story. It started when Pi was in a ship with his family when a mysterious incident led the ship to sink in the ocean, leaving only Pi the human who survived the incident. Along with him are the different animals whom he had discourse and interaction with in the lifeboat. Things started to went somehow out of control when the hyena ate some fellow animals. Long after, the tiger itself fed on the hyena but managed not to attack Pi. The two, Pi and the tiger whose name in the story is Richard Parker, continued to survive together and managed to keep each other’s company. After a long time, they found an island with a strange algae-dominated form. Soon they discovered that the algae were deforming themselves into acids at night and there’s this strange fruit that has a human-like teeth in it. Pi concluded that the island is an organism that eats humans. With these view of things, Pi and Richard Parker left the strange island and arrived in Mexico. There they departed from each other after keeping each other’s company for 227 days. Pi went to the hospital and he was confined there. Two Japanese officials named Okamoto and Chiba visited him and interrogated him how the ship sank. He told them the stories about the animals and his stay with the tiger, Richard Parker. However, the two officials did not believe him. Then he told another story where he was in a ship with his mother, a cook and a Chinese sailor. This story was a disgusting one where the cook is someone who is barbaric in actions. Pi let the two Japanese officials choose whichever version of story they want and the latter chose the one with animals which they wrote a story with. Pi was engaged in the three major religions in the world namely Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam where his life was patterned. He clearly portrays a character who did not believe in religion as a whole but in conviction in one sense. Belief as a human necessity could be seen through Pi’s character where Pi is a representative of human divinity.[1] His life, as well as his activities, is associated with god/s. For him, everything is related to god/s. Or may I say that everything can be related to god/s. His personality here can be viewed as an attachment to a belief which creates a form of survival. This can be compared to what Emile Durkheim said in his research that those who are in a strong attachment, say Christianity, had a lesser probability of committing a suicide than those who are more individualistic. Moreover, a strong hold to a belief can lengthen one’s life because there is a definite belief that serves as a guide for a person throughout his/her life. On the other hand, Richard Parker was also able to sustain the coexistence between them (with Pi) by his animal instincts. Example for this is the search and hunt for food, which is one of the physiological needs of human in order to survive and to perform everyday life functions. With this is a concept of the survival of the fittest portrayed by the hyena and tiger where they ate their fellow animals in order to survive. The weakest being can not handle to live longer while the stronger ones are those that have the capacity to hunt and kill for their own benefit in order to live. Another manifestation of this survival is when Pi and Richard Parker was the only one who was alive and they managed to live longer in the strange island and to go to Mexico where their lives were more secured. Life of Pi was a unique combination of social reality and religion. According to the author Martel, it doesn’t matter which was believed the truth but that belief should be present. Truth is only a matter of understanding. What really exist are evidences of a history, whether it was true or not. It was we who give the definition of what the social construction of reality means. And what people believed to be the truth is a matter of collective approval. Approval of those in the dominate classes. In the novel, stories were given. How can one say which story is true and which one is not? Martel says that ‘the facts do not always constitute the importance in the experience’.[2] Thus, one can say that unreliable facts which are given to us. We are the ones who will decide what is true and what is not. â€Å"Life’s story is one’s own, and faith trumps factuality.† What really matters for the truth to exist is the belief of people on it. Without the belief, a truth can not be truth. Works Cited Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Canada: Knopf Canada, 2001. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org [2] Ibid. Life of Pi Name- Htet Hlaing Hmee ( 1207C20609 ) Period- 1 Life of Pi Novel Proposal Theme- The Nature of Suffering Argument A Point 1- Pi can't imagine a God who suffers Quotation- â€Å"This son, on the other hand, who goes hungry, who suffers from thirst, who gets tired, who is sad, who is anxious, who is heckled and harassed† ( 91 ) Point 2 – Pi stops when he's working out the immediate detail of survival. Quotation – â€Å"I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain, weeping silently, my mouth open and my hands at my head. † (169) Point 3- The worst night of his lifeQuotation- â€Å"It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion. Still, that second night at sea stands in my memory as one of exceptional suffering† ( 188 ) Argument B Point 1- Suffering grief becomes carnivorous Quotation- â€Å"They were dead; I could no longer deny it. What a thing to acknowledge in your heart! To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, creatures to people the tree of your life and give it new branches. ( 194 ) Point 2 – Orange Juice's suffering to proportions Quotation- â€Å"She was beheaded. The neck wound was still bleeding. It was a horrible sight to the eyes and killing to the spirit. † ( 201 ) Point 3- Realizes his suffering is taking place in the middle of an ocean Quotation- â€Å"I saw my suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant, and I was still. My suffering did not fit anywhere, I realized. And I could accept this† (269) Argument C Point 1- No escape for poor Pi.Quotation- â€Å"Salt-water boils – red, angry, disfiguring – were a leprosy of the high seas, transmitted by the water that soaked me† ( 389 ) Point 2- Pi's suffering drive s him Quotation- â€Å"I ate some of his flesh. I mean small pieces, little strips that I meant for the gaff's hook that, when dried by the sun, looked like ordinary animal flesh† ( 386 ) Point 3- Pi turns to God at one of the points of his Pacific crossing Quotation- â€Å"The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar. It was natural that, bereft as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God. † ( 428 ) Life of Pi In the novel, â€Å"Life of Pi† the author Yann Martel tells a story within a story about Piscine Molitor who is also known as Pi. He is the protagonist and the dynamic character of story. In the chapters that confine the main story Pi is a timid middle-aged man and is deeply spiritual after learning the teachings of Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam. He tells us about his childhood growing up in India as a son of a zoo keeper. He’s a vegetarian and he expresses his love for animals. Pi is a student of religion, zoology and is deeply interested by the characteristics of people and animals. Yet there is another side to Pi, and there is a constant switch between his thoughts and actions. Pi has learned about animal nature and its violent capabilities but it is not until he is faced with these circumstances. Not long after the ship sinks Pi and a tiger named Richard Parker are the only ones left on the lifeboat. Pi fears Richard Parker in some way but when he learns that his chances of survival are becoming very slim he uses his fear as a key to survival. Pi temporarily forgets all his other problems and manages through several courses to dominate Richard Parker. Pi The author uses indirect characterization to show how an awful position can bring out the worst in a man, and unexpected help in the most effective of animals. Pi becomes very quick and aggressive when it comes to finding and consuming food. I just didn’t have the time to consider what was before me. It either went into my mouth that instant or was lost to Richard Parker, who was pawing and stamping the ground and huffing impatiently on the edge of his territory. It came as unmistakable indication to me of how low I had sunk the day I had noticed, with a pinching of the heart, which I ate like an animal, that this noisy, frantic, unchewing wolfing-down of mine was exactly the way Richard Parker ate. † This compares t he close similarities between a man and an animal. Life of Pi Name- Htet Hlaing Hmee ( 1207C20609 ) Period- 1 Life of Pi Novel Proposal Theme- The Nature of Suffering Argument A Point 1- Pi can't imagine a God who suffers Quotation- â€Å"This son, on the other hand, who goes hungry, who suffers from thirst, who gets tired, who is sad, who is anxious, who is heckled and harassed† ( 91 ) Point 2 – Pi stops when he's working out the immediate detail of survival. Quotation – â€Å"I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain, weeping silently, my mouth open and my hands at my head. † (169) Point 3- The worst night of his lifeQuotation- â€Å"It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion. Still, that second night at sea stands in my memory as one of exceptional suffering† ( 188 ) Argument B Point 1- Suffering grief becomes carnivorous Quotation- â€Å"They were dead; I could no longer deny it. What a thing to acknowledge in your heart! To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, creatures to people the tree of your life and give it new branches. ( 194 ) Point 2 – Orange Juice's suffering to proportions Quotation- â€Å"She was beheaded. The neck wound was still bleeding. It was a horrible sight to the eyes and killing to the spirit. † ( 201 ) Point 3- Realizes his suffering is taking place in the middle of an ocean Quotation- â€Å"I saw my suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant, and I was still. My suffering did not fit anywhere, I realized. And I could accept this† (269) Argument C Point 1- No escape for poor Pi.Quotation- â€Å"Salt-water boils – red, angry, disfiguring – were a leprosy of the high seas, transmitted by the water that soaked me† ( 389 ) Point 2- Pi's suffering drive s him Quotation- â€Å"I ate some of his flesh. I mean small pieces, little strips that I meant for the gaff's hook that, when dried by the sun, looked like ordinary animal flesh† ( 386 ) Point 3- Pi turns to God at one of the points of his Pacific crossing Quotation- â€Å"The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar. It was natural that, bereft as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God. † ( 428 )

Trace the roots of conflict in Syria. Which theory of international relations can be applied to understand this concept? Justify your answer.

Abstract Syria represents an interesting opportunity for International Relations because of the nature of the conflict representing two conflicting ideologies, namely realism and revolutionism. The need for intervention by the international community is clear, with peace negotiations consistently failing. This paper investigates the nature of the conflict as resulting from a complex set of socio-economic factors, compounded by authoritarian rule by the state. International relations can be used as a theoretical explanation to determine the role thereof in aiding the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Introduction The world currently appears to be in a constant state of conflict with ongoing wars worldwide, some garnering more media attention than others. John F. Kennedy was famously quoted as saying that â€Å"[t]here is another kind of war – new in its intensity, ancient in its origin – carried out by guerrillas, subversives, insurgents and assassins, †¦in which we try to achieve victory and eroding the enemy instead of challenging him. It leverages the discontent.† Syria is an example of this kind of war, where conflict began years ago, eventually transforming into a civil war. The opposition fought against the corrupted government army leading to large numbers of civilian casualties. Various theories of international relations (IR) are applicable to the conflict in order to understand the nature of the war between rebels and the national authoritarian system. This essay aims to apply IR theory to the Syrian conflict to gain a deeper understanding of the theoretica l aspects and the conflict respectively. The proposed theoretical application includes interventionism and the three traditions theory. The underlying cause of the conflict is a complex set of factors, including political repression, an uneven economy, corruption and a severe drought, and for the purposes of IR, certain countries have an interest in ensuring that the situation in Syria remains contained with support being given to both sides of the conflict. Through application of the theory to the totality of the conflict, the relevance thereof will be clear. History and Background of the Conflict The ruling political system in Syria began in the 1970’s with the Bashar family, who has historically ruled through pressure and extreme authoritarianism. The current leader, Bashar al-Assad acceded leadership in 2000 relying on armed oppression and intelligence apparatus provided by the Baath Party as well as leading business families (Manfreda, 2012). With the ruling government controlling the media and therefore controlling the information available, the opposition demanded the downfall of the ruling party and a new beginning for Syria contained in the Damascus Declaration of 2005 (Efrat, 2012). The conflict in Syria began in 2000 where there was a growing expectation of political and social change following the death of Hafez al-Assad. â€Å"The authorities’ monopoly of everything has established an authoritarian, totalitarian and cliquish regime that has led to a lack of politics in society, an economic collapse and exacerbating crises of every kind† (Efrat, 2012).The expectation of the people was that this authoritarian rule would end with Hafez’s death. However, ruling power remained concentrated in the Bashar family, compounding the already corrupt political repression of Syria. Living conditions continued to worsen and despite widespread objection to the state, many civilians accepted the regime for fear of further violent oppression. This social situation was exacerbated by a persistent drought, which all but destroyed the agricultural sector with particularly bad conditions in northern Syria. This in turn saw a significant reduction in the GDP of the country and widespread migration to cities away from rural industry (Efrat, 2012). With the deteriorating prevailing socio-economic conditions, civilians began using new media as a means of organizing themselves politically in order to have their opinions heard, demanding real reforms (Efrat, 2012). The combination of economic, political and natural resources factors in Syria is not favourable for a positive societal outcome. A risk assessment for the country is classified CC for Sovereign risk, currency risk, banking-sector risk, economic structure and D for political risk (EIU, 2012). With the rising intens ity of the civil war, more extensive international sanctions put pressure on public finances and sanctions on the Central Bank of Syria continue to depreciate the currency even further (EIU, 2012). Further economic decline is experienced through the reliance on oil exports which has led to a partial crash of financial markets, as the E.U has imposed an embargo on oil exports from Syria which has led to a resultant minimizing of oil production. Previously, Europe has purchased over 95% of the total oil exports in Syria and therefore this embargo has had a significantly negative effect on the economy. This has led to a decline in investment in the country as companies investing in oil exports in Syria face legal consequences (Blas, 2012). Stocks have seen massive decline in recent years with over half the value being lost this year along (Legget, et al., 2009). The conflict has seen several phases over the years and is constantly evolving. However, these changes have effectively seen a concentration of wealth in the ruling family, and their cronies and allies, effectively further disenfranchising the population. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that ideological differences have resulted in a constant violence with no clear diplomatic solution which has led to an increased involvement by the international community. International Relations Arguably, there are a number of theoretical concerns in IR that are applicable to the conflict in Syria. These are applicable as a means of deepening the current understanding of the conflict, which may lead to the development of an equitable solution. As the world moves towards globalization, IR becomes more important and one can argue that these represent the need to have firm principles to regulate and balance competing interests between nations, as well as competing interests within a particular nation, such as Syria. IR however plays a broader global role in ensuring that relations between countries are kept at a diplomatic level for the greater good of all countries in the international community (Goldstein, 2007). The three traditions theory is of obvious relevance to the Syrian conflict because of the duality between realism and revolutionism in the conflict. Wight (1991) argues that all leading ideologies in IR fall within the three traditions of realism, rationalism or revolutionism. Realism includes ideologies such as anarchy, power politics, conflict, warfare and pessimism, whilst diametrically opposed to this is revolutionism which includes perspectives of humanity, revolutionary change, anti-state beliefs and utopianism. Rationalism falls between these two extremes and essentially for the purposes of IR, these theories are to an extent co-dependent as they are incomplete in isolation and are complimentary as traditions rather than exclusive (Dunne, 1993). Arguably therefore, there is a need for a balance of these traditions, and a society which is based on either extreme is one that will necessarily breed conflict. The three traditions theory sees application in the Syrian context, particularly when recalling the conflict of ideology between the ruling regime and the opposition. Realism as the dominant ideology of the Bashar regime is the disciplining factor in Syria with the opposition representing the revolutionary tradition. The state arguably represents an extreme realist perspective, with complete ignorance of the international community and the assertion that they exist as a sovereign state in isolation refusing to acknowledge accountability in the international community. Realists emphasize elements of anarchy, power politics and warfare (Wight, 1991), pessimistic of human nature and exploitative of the less powerful. This is a growing trend in the Syrian conflict, with an increasing disregard for the welfare of the people in Syria for financial advantage of the ruling family (Taylor, 2012). Opposition forces contradict the realist tradition by the propulsion of revolutionist ideology, s etting goals for the freedom and fulfillment of humans. Revolutionists argue that in order to do this, the class system needs to be overthrown with a classless society established (Marx, 1967). By abolishing a classless society, humans would again be united and there would be no need for states or international relations. To an extreme, revolutionist ideas see humankind at the center, claiming a world society inclusive of everyone. The existence of these two ideological extremes represents the greatest roadblock in the resolution of the Syrian conflict, which necessitates the need for international intervention, because of a lack of willingness to compromise between the state and the opposition. Again, this represents the applicability of the three traditions theory, as arguably the presence of the international community in the resolution of the conflict represents the rational tradition presence. This means that there will be a compromise between the controllers of the state resou rces, i.e. the state on the one hand, and domestic society on the other, as represented by the opposition. The consequence of a dominant realist ideology is that the state will not participate in IR unless it represents a substantial investment in state outcomes, essentially meaning that the Syrian government will not engage in treaties that are not specifically to their advantage. A shift in favour of the domestic population removing state power arguably is not in the interests of a realist ideology and therefore will not be respected for the purposes of IR. Syria can be described as a â€Å"weak post-colonial state†, categorized by a defective economy, a lack of coherent national economy and lack of sustaining basic levels of welfare and resources provided to the population (Saul, 1974). The Syrian people in rural areas have an extremely low standard of living, concentrated on traditional, yet defective agriculture and significant dependence on world markets and external economic interests. There is little state legitimacy as a result of inefficient and corrupt administration wit h a lack of concern for public opinion about the government and no significant efforts made to increase the perception of state legitimacy. Post-colonial states have often shown vulnerability towards violent conflicts as a result of corrupt state institutions, authoritarian rule and the use of natural resources as a means of funding the economy without engagement of the national population and as a result, spiraling socio-economic conditions with no clear agenda for improvement thereof. This has plagued developing nations globally and is referred to as the resource curse. The presence of IR in these conflicts essentially forms a middle ground for the establishment of legitimate state institutions in order to mediate the extremes of realist and revolutionist ideological differences. In addition to the three traditions theory, interventionism also adds depth to the conflict. Interactions with Saudi Arabia, Russia, USA, France and Britain have arguably been aimed at the manipulation of the economy, society or affairs of another nature in Syria. With the civil war in Syria, both sides of the conflict have been receiving aid from external parties. Saudi Arabia for example supports the opposition with speculation that it is a means of breaking international relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Syria. In doing so, they are ensuring that the balance of power does not benefit Iran, using their oil wealth to arm the Syrian opposition, although not directly involving themselves in the conflict (Manfreda, 2012). On the other hand, the Syrian government benefits from a relationship with Russia, where the Russian government provides weapons in the name of national defense and security. Incidences in international affairs has seen Russia and China using their ve to power in the United Nations Security Council to prevent a resolution condemning the Syrian government for violent suppression of anti-government protests (Grand View, 2012). Despite aid being used as a form of international political leverage, Syria has also found itself at the centre of international relations for the purpose of maintaining some measure of international diplomacy and peace measures, where they have been forced into quasi-peace agreements. In 2005, France and USA pressured the Syrian army to withdraw troops from Lebanon. More recently the United Kingdom and the United States of America, amongst other Western states have been increasingly intervening in the civil war providing aid in the form of communications, logistics and advice. The expectation however is that the involvement in the conflict will develop into more active intervention, such as the United Kingdom asking Syrian rebels to â€Å"set out a vision for how a post-Assad Syria could be governed† (Blitz, 2012). Conclusion It is clear that interventionism exists as a form of IR with regards to Syria for two apparent reasons. The first is to gain some form of political advantage, although arguably this is a secondary concern as the situation becomes more severe. These countries are therefore intervening in the conflict through provision of aid as a means of gaining some form of international bargaining power to shape future international relations. The second concern, which arguably forms the basis of Western intervention is in the interests of the international community generally, namely the protection of peaceful relations in international affairs. Although the effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen, clearly there is no obvious solution to the conflict in Syria, and to the extent that the three traditions theory remains without a complimentary equilibrium and as a result IR is used to provide the diplomatic compromise between realism and revolutionism, it is arguable that without IR peace ful compromise will never be reached. Although it is not clear whether IR will provide an equitable solution to this conflict, it is evident that the opposition and state forces in Syria are unable to reach a solution internally and the only realistic solution therefore is reliant on IR theory to attempt to resolve the conflict in the absence of any other practical solution. Bibliography Blas, J.(2012). EU ban forces Syria to cut down oil production. [online] Available: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9d67952-e823-11e0-9fc7-00144feab49a.html#axzz2CbUQfxlZ. [Accessed 3 November 2012] Blitz, J. (2012) UK asks Syrian rebels to set out vision. The Financial Times Online [online] Available: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b17d1b50-301f-11e2-891b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2DLXN4VjY [Accessed 5 November 2012] Dunne, T. (1993) Mythology or MethodologyTraditions in International Theory. Review of International Studies, Vol 19, pp. 305 – 318 Efrat, Y. (2012) The roots of the Syrian Uprising. [online] Available: http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article296/the-roots-of-the-syrian-uprising.htm. [Accessed 2 November 2012] Goldstein, J. (2007) Core Principles of International Relations Theory. [online] Available: http://www.joshuagoldstein.com/jgcore.htm [Accessed 5 November 2012] Grand View (2012) The Reasons why Russia Supports Syria [online] Available: http://grandviewinkiev.com/the-reasons-why-russia-supports-syria [Accessed 5 November 2012] Leggett, K., Solomon, J. and King, N. (2006) On the Borderline: Threat of Wider Mideast War Grows; Israel Blames Iran, Syria for Backing Hezbollah as fighting escalates; Tough Choices for Washington. Wall Street Journal. Malas, n. (2012) Attach on Syrian Opposition Town Kills Score. Wall Street Journal Online [online] Manfreda, P. (2012) Current Situation in Syria. [online] Available: http://www.middleeast.about.com/od/syria/tp/current-situation-in-syria.htm. [Accessed 2 November 2012] Manfreda, P. (2012). Saudi Arabia and Syrian Uprising. [online] Available: http://www.middleeast.about.com/od/syria/a/Saudi-Arabia-and-syrian-uprising.htm. [Accessed 5 November 2012] Manfreda, P. (2012). Options for Intervention in Syria. [online] Available: http://middleeast.about.com/od/syria/tp/Options-for-intervention-in-syria.htm. [Accessed 4 November 2012] Marx, K. (1906) Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Vol. I. The Process of Capitalist Production. Engels, F. & Untermann, E. (eds.), Moore, S. & Aveling, E. (trans.) Chicago: Charles H. Kerr and Co. Saul, J. (1974) The State of Post-Colonial Societies: Tanzania. The Socialist Register, Vol 11, pp 349 – 373 Taylor, A. (2005) Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad May Have $1.5 Billion In Assets Around The World. Business Insider [online] Available: http://www.businessinsider.com/syrian-president-bashar-al-assad-may-have-15-billion-in-assets-around-the-world-2012-7#ixzz2DLSrvn31 [Accessed 5 November 2012] The Economic Intelligence Unit (2012) Syria: Country risk summary. New York: EIU Wight, M. (1991) International Theory: The Three Traditions. Leicester: Leicester University Press

Desalination Solution To The Freshwater Crisis Environmental Sciences Essay

The chief ground for drinkable H2O deficit in Singapore is the fact that it is surrounded by sea H2O, unsuitable for imbibing. At present, the state has created sustainable H2O supply from its ‘Four National Taps ‘ , which consists of rainwater reservoirs, imported H2O, reclaimed H2O ( NEWater ) and desalinated H2O. ( â€Å" Water Supply † ) The detonating population is besides increasing the strength of drinkable H2O demand, doing deficits.Problems Associated with Drinkable Water ShortagesThe chief cause of hungriness, disease and poorness is the deficiency of clean, safe imbibing H2O. ( â€Å" Why Water? † ) Crops would be unable to turn doing hungriness. Consumption of contaminated H2O is the chief cause of diseases. Regions missing in safe, imbibing H2O have a higher rate of decease and diseases. Peoples are ill more frequently, and are unable to work. This prevents the part from promotion. Regional struggles over scarce H2O resources may ensue in warfar e. ( â€Å" Water Scarcity † ) Figure 2 shows the H2O deficit around the universe. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hydrogenambassadors.com/background/images/background/water-shortage.gif Figure 2 – Water Deficit ( Hydrogen Ambassador )Desalination – How does it turn to drinkable H2O deficits?The bulk of H2O on the Earth is seawater and Singapore is surrounded by it excessively. If this H2O was converted into safe, drinking H2O, the job of drinkable H2O deficits would be easy solved. This is where desalinization plays its function. The procedure of taking salt from saltwater to make fresh water is called desalinization. ( Aintablian, † Water Desalination † ) A turning figure of desalinization workss are being built around the universe to turn to the job of fresh water deficits. The two chief methods of desalinization are distillment and the membrane procedure. In the procedure of distillment, a scope of method are used to vaporize saltwater, them condense the vapour, to obtain non-saline H2O. The membrane procedure has two types, viz. rearward osmosis and forward osmosis. Rearward osmosis is the procedure where pre-treated saltwater is pumped through a partly permeable membrane at high force per unit area, which separates dissolved splines from the H2O. Forward osmosis involves the natural procedure of osmosis ; H2O traveling from a extremely concentrated part to a part of low concentration. This procedure allows it to of course happen, alternatively of coercing it through a force per unit area gradient. In this procedure, the saltwater passes through a partly permeable membrane to a concentrated solution of ammonium hydroxide salts, go forthing salt atoms behind. The ammonium hydroxide salts are evaporated and can be reused. ( â€Å" Tuas Seawater Desalination Plant † ) The procedure is shown in Figure 3. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nrdc.org/onearth/04sum/images/saline_diagram.jpg Figure 3 – Seawater Distillation Process ( Glowac )Positive Impacts of DesalinationSupplying fresh water to countries with limited resources is the chief intent of desalinization. Communities get provided with a safe and dependable supply of fresh water. Singapore itself has no direct beginnings of fresh water except rainwater. The state has to import around 2500 gallons of H2O from Malaysia every twelvemonth. To drop the rate of import, it makes usage of the saltwater it is surrounded by. Desalination helps increase the sum of safe drinkable H2O available and saves lessenings import of H2O from states with big sums of fresh water available. This is helps diminish the general cost, since H2O conveyance is an expensive matter. It provides a dependable and readily available beginning of H2O in instances of terrible drouth. It becomes a necessity in the present clime in increasing temperatures, spread outing population and unsustainable groundwater. ( â€Å" The Advantages of De salination † )Negative Impacts of DesalinationEven though desalinization is a utile procedure, it has its general reverses. Disposing of the waste salt solution will increase the concentration of salt in the H2O. This will do the procedure harder and may harm the animals under the sea. The desalinization procedure is an expensive one and requires a batch of energy. Since most energy is derived from fossil fuels, it is said to be a affair of taking one environmental issue over the other. The costs are even higher if parts off from the seashore or at high heights, seek utilizing desalinated H2O. Many resources would be required to transport H2O from the ocean or a organic structure of salty H2O to far distances and high heights. ( Aintablian. â€Å" Water Desalination † )Factors affected by DesalinationEconomic Factor For – Desalination helps states with limited beginnings of fresh water to hold entree to drinkable H2O, without holding to bear conveyance costs. Wealth can be created by desalinization, as it increases the opportunities for development of agribusiness, industry and touristry in states with a scarce H2O supply. These alterations are bound to raise the overall income of a part. Some direct occupations and income can be expected from desalinization workss. Seawater desalinization is a feasible option is coastal parts which find desalinization more cost-efficient so transporting H2O from other parts. ( What is Desalination? – Benefits ) Against – Desalination is an expensive procedure. It becomes more expensive when the salt H2O needs to be transported to regions off from the seashore or those at high heights. Economically stable states like Singapore can afford to construct desalinization workss and change over big measures of saltwater, but other 3rd universe states confronting the fresh water crisis may fight to pay for desalinization workss to be opened and for big measures of H2O to be transported and converted. The ground the costs for desalinization are so high is because heavy-duty machinery and equipment is required to change over salt H2O into fresh water expeditiously. Not all states have the budget or land to construct mills with such expensive equipment. So, even though the desalinization procedure is a great solution to the fresh water crisis, we have yet to get the better of the costs required to run it. Figure 4 shows how engineering is progressing to do the procedure of desalinization less de arly-won. hypertext transfer protocol: //kanat.jsc.vsc.edu/student/glowact/body.h1.jpg Figure 4 – Decline in Seawater Desalination Costs Represents Evolution in Technology ( Hayes ) Environmental Factor For – More than 97 % of the H2O in the universe is seawater, which means there is small H2O for the universe ‘s turning H2O demand. The underdeveloped universe can non trust on a individual beginning of H2O anymore, and holding a dependable solution to the fresh water crisis helps alleviate emphasis on the fresh water available ( What is Desalination? – Benefits. ) The H2O conveyance systems use a great trade of energy and do air pollution. Desalination workss placed strategically helps decrease the environmental impact. Water made available during drouths would protect against H2O deficits. More fresh water would be available for usage in agribusiness. ( Dorward. â€Å" The Benefits of Desalination Plants ) Against – The procedure of desalinization requires a batch of energy. Since most power beginnings are soon derived from fossil fuels, desalinization has a manus in planetary heating. The constructing procedure would be time-consuming. Therefore, it would upset the environment. The waste salt solution is released back into the sea. This increases the concentration of salt in the saltwater and this may harm the animals under the ocean. Since more salt demands to be removed, more energy has to be used and it leads to a higher wastage of fossil fuels. Figure 5 shows the minerals being discharged into the sea and this is what makes the procedure harder and it requires more energy. This discharge may besides incorporate low concentrations of chemicals used in the procedure, which could harm environment-sensitive countries ( Younos, Tamim 11. ) Even though desalinization is the best solution to the universe ‘s fresh water crisis, it has environmental issues have to be solved be fore it can be used around the universe on a big graduated table. hypertext transfer protocol: //t1.gstatic.com/images? q=tbn: ANd9GcSHEXi_HxYsF0cbcqyC6gRNp2i18V0j4QXFTCcwIXO0RrVCFL1bCA Figure 5 – Minerals are discharged into the sea, and the desalinization procedure requires more energy ( MEWR | Desalination ) Word Count – 1, 256

How to Quit Smoking

In this modern era, our lifestyle has been changed over years. The world is now moving toward a very advanced and busy lifestyle. This has significantly brought a lot of changes in our human lives due to the stressful life. People nowadays, adapting to new habit so they could cope up with their stress and one of the main bad habit adapted by them is smoking. Although they know they smoking is injurious to their health, they just do not willing to give up the habit. There are a few ways for the smokers to quit their smoking habit so they can live up a healthy and happy lifestyle.Firstly, the smokers must be determined not to smoke more than limited sticks per day as a beginning towards their quit process. The smokers must not buy extra cigarette for themselves so they could smoke whenever they need to. Smokers also should not let themselves to smoke continuously over a time period because it may pursue them to continue the habit. As for the beginning the smokers should lessen the amou nt of stick they smoking day by day so they can get rid of the habit slowly and gently.Secondly, the smokers must replace the smoking habit with some other good habits so they could be able to control themselves when they getting the sensation to smoke. Habits such as chewing the chewing gum may help the smokers to forget about smoking over time. They may drink as much as water as they could so they wonaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the feeling to smoke after or before eating. Fresh juices have the properties of overcoming the sensation on nicotine so they may drink a lot of fresh juice to get rid of the smoking sensation. Thirdly, the smokers may try to involve themselves in more outdoor activities to stay active.They can start up jogging as it is a good exercise for the lungs capacity and durability. They can join any kind of sports clubs so they can fill up their free hours with useful activities. The smokers can enjoy their weekend with their family with any outdoor activities such as va cation so they could spend their quality time with their family. As all of us aware, smoking is not a good habit to be continued and adapted by any of us human being due to its nature of destructing the consumers. So throw the habit away and lead a happy life with your loved ones because the life we have now is a gift from the god for us to enjoy and being happy.

Legalizing marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legalizing marijuana - Essay Example There is evidence that it can be effective in addressing the symptoms of cancer, Aids, and other multiple conditions. Studies show that, marijuana helps to reduce stress, and it can be used to numb the body during the simple surgeries (Gerber 46). Analysis of the marijuana plant reveals that it contains plant chemicals that have medicinal values. In addition, legalizing Marijuana can serve as a way of decreasing the crime rate and combating it as well. This will also help in the reduction of overcrowding in prisons. This is because statistics indicate that 750,000 arrests yearly are related to marijuana. Colorado is one of the states that legalized marijuana, and the studies showed that the crime rate decreased by 3.3%, after the first month of legalizing it. This serves to prove that the legalization of marijuana presents more benefits (57). On the other hand, the legalization of marijuana can have adverse effects on the society. The fact that marijuana can alter the brain functions may lead to increased mental disorders. This in turn can serve to increase the rate of crime in the society by registering more robberies, accidents, and murder (60). Notably, legalizing marijuana may promote its abuse by adolescents, destroying the future of the society. In conclusion, the legalization of marijuana is an ongoing debate among governments because while the drug is deemed harmful and illegal, it could save the governments billions of money. The pro side of the legalization claims that it is useful in the medical field, and it can contribute to the reduction of overcrowding in prisons. The benefits of legalizing marijuana would help the government to save money, which they can be used to fund other

Explain the Rise and Fall of Keynesianism Essay

Explain the Rise and Fall of Keynesianism - Essay Example According to the essay "Rise and fall of Keynesianism" findings, Keynesianism suggests that often private sector decisions cause inverse macroeconomic outcomes and hence it is suggestible for the public sector to deliver active policy responses which mainly include central bank’s monetary policy actions and government’s fiscal policy actions. Keynes argues that these activities would assist the economic sector to stabilize output over the business cycle. Although Keynesian theory can be stated thus in simple terms, it comprises larger ideas. To illustrate, Keynesianism has a close similarity with the concept of ‘General Glut’ proposed by classical economists. However, it is identified that classical economists had the disagreement regarding the conditions of the general glut as some of them believed in Say’s law â€Å"supply creates its own demand† (Best, n.d.). In contrast, Keynes argues that insufficiency in aggregate demand for goods can be featured as the direct cause of general glut which would lead to economic decline and subsequent unemployment difficulties. In this situation, Keynesianism recommends (as cited in Blinder) that thoughtful governmental policies can easily overcome such crises if these policies are effectively employed to increase the aggregate demand. This, in turn, would mitigate the adverse impacts of unemployment and deflation. Similarly, Keynesian economics brings some theoretical basis for a crucial distinction between involuntary unemployment and voluntary unemployment. ... This in turn would mitigate the adverse impacts of unemployment and deflation. Similarly, Keynesian economics brings some theoretical basis for a crucial distinction between involuntary unemployment and voluntary unemployment. From the Keynesian point of view (as cited in Knoop, 2010, p.40), the individuals who seek jobs at the existing wage rates can be grouped into involuntary unemployed. Corry (n.d.) reflects that Keynes’ innovative concepts produced some revolutionary changes in the economic sector since the traditional economists believed that unemployment was resulted from certain labour market rigidities such as ‘excessive wage claim, trade union activities, and unemployment pay’ (ibid). According to Keynesianism, the increasing unemployment rate can be directly attributed to the failure in total spending caused by the inefficient business decisions of private firms. Therefore, it is obvious that government has to play a crucial role in formulating efficien t growth policies which would facilitate sustainable economic growth of the country. In short, Keynesian economics constitutes a demand based economy (Reference for Business). Limitations The Keynesian economics gave greater emphasis on employees’ wage rates without considering the profitability of the firm. Although, it had aided the nation to ensure employee welfare, the constancy of this system was always subject to change. For instance, sometimes, international competition adversely affected the capital requirements and public expenditure of the nation. In such difficult situations, the government failed to meet adequate funds for wage distribution. As