My History about a Guard in the Mall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

My History about a Guard in the Mall - Essay Example The guard looked like part of the furniture by virtue of his immobility. He was an inch or two shies of six feet and had a ruddy face. However, I could only see an outline of his nose and chin as he was not facing my direction. He had which I thought contrasted to his military style hair cut. On his head, he had blond crossly cropped like soldiers would be. He had on a well-starched blue short sleeved shirt and a pair of pants made of the same material. He had regulation boots, but it was the way he positioned his feet that made my neck snap up from my examination. From where I sat, I could tell his right shoe was clearly more buffed than the right one. I tried to play Sherlock Holmes and looked to see if he held his baton with his left hand. He did his holster was on the same side, so I concluded he was right-handed. He lifted up his face to examine something in the distance somewhere across the door his eyes were blue, and he had exceptionally busy eyebrows, which were not quite as brown as his hair. His eyes had a faraway look like a sailor trying to spy a distance inland from the deep sea. I wondered if he had been in the navy, and he seemed to be staring at a point far in the horizon even in an enclosed mall where there was not much of a horizon. His hands, which had shifted the baton to a peg on his belt, they were big pinkish callused hands which could have seen hard labor in the past. The fingernails on his left hand looked like they had been chewed on rather on rather than clipped. He stood with his feet apart, and this seemed to give him an element of stability as well as size. When he stood there, with his feet aside his hands constantly felt at his pockets area.  

Motivational Strategies To Improve Learning Research Paper

Motivational Strategies To Improve Learning - Research Paper Example Motivation in secondary school learners has been termed as one of the factors that define how successful one shall be in their life after, especially in their career fields. However, records indicate that of all issues and problems that have bothered many teachers overtime, motivation remains the most puzzling (Theobald, 2005). Teachers agree that motivation is imperative in any student, but â€Å"generating† it has remained the hardest task for the teachers. As a result, behavioral and cognitive psychologists have carried out colossal research in a bid to establish the strategies that teachers can use to successfully motivate their students. Educational psychology, which can be defined as the keen study and analysis of how human beings learn, forms the base of the researchers and studies that these psychologists carry out (Krause et al, 2013). This work embarks on identifying the various strategies that teachers can adapt to successfully motivate their students. The strategie s shall be backed up by psychological education theories to further explain how they work. To begin with, what is the motivation? It can be defined as the internal aspiration in a person to not just succeed but also the ability to take the steps to engage in activities that will lead to the desired success (Salvin, 2003). It has been said that one characteristic of the people with high levels of motivation is the that they have a kind of energy that is generated from within them, which overflows and has in its power, dynamism and immense knowledge of what one wants, and the direction they have to take to get what they want (Benson, 20080. Motivation can be in two forms, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Uyulgan and Akkuzu, 2014). Intrinsic motivation is the motivation that is generated y the desire to conquer, or the success in overcoming challenges. Some people call it the â€Å"good motivation†. Intrinsic motivation is usually reward based (short term) but in the long run .

Network Installation Proposal

Network Installation Proposal The purpose of this document is to specify the project plan to setup Network Infrastructure for Heath Robinson Web Hosting Company. This document outlines a brief plan about, on how the project is to be shaped and also includes the milestones and deliverables. Heath Robinson Web Hosting Company has acquired second floor in a building, in East Anglia Industrial Estate. The project deliverable is to design and implement the overall setup, which includes refurbishing/construction, Software design and development, Network design and implementation, Hardware and Software testing. The Project plan for time management, cost estimation, resource planning and roles and responsibilities needs to be provided as part of the deliverables. Project goal Objectives The high level goals and objective of the project is to efficient evaluation of the required planning, methodology and approach to achieve the following scope of work Investigating requirements of new installations of required equipment, network cables and software needed for running the network system Constructing/refurbishing the acquired buildings where new equipment will be installed; This part of the project is contracted to a building company and managed by the construction manager who is a part the project team Designing the network for the new building based on the business requirements of the company Investigating and purchasing appropriate hardware and other equipment required for the new installation Developing the software required for the network system Installing the network and computers in the new building Testing Hardware and Software Assumptions and Constraints As the Project Manager for the Project, I have the defined target time for the project completion. The Project needs to start from 1st of April 2010 The Project execution should be in 30 day The approved project budget from the Management is  £200, 000 The Financial Advisor, who is part of the project, has advised a budgetary costing of  £500, 000 to be fixed for project. Any deviation from the approved budget needs approval from the Management committee. Project Deliverables The list of project deliverables is as follows Project Management Plan Cost Estimation Project Feasibility Construction /Refurbishing Software Design and Specification Network Design and Implementation Hardware Software Testing The Team Roles Responsibility The Project Team consists of the 10 members, each from a specific domain and with precise skill set. Each resource will be responsible for completing their task and reporting back to project manager. As the Project Manager the task here is to submit a project proposal for approval by the Company Managerial Committee, with a detailed feasibility analysis report, in particular the economic feasibility of the project, supported with financial calculations of the net profit, payback / bread-even period, return on investment, net present value and internal rate of return for the project. The Roles and Responsibility of the 10 individuals is as follow 1 computer hardware specialist responsible for hardware-related task 1 financial advisor responsible for control financial resources available to the project 1 network designer responsible for designing the network for the company 2 software developers for developing software required by the new installation 2 office assistants, one in charge of purchasing computers and other hardware equipment and the other dealing with paperwork in the office and produce project-related documents 1 construction manager responsible for building and refurbishment work 1 software testing engineer 1 hardware testing engineer Tasks Activity and Miles stones Cost Estimation / Time Management The Project Manager along with the Financial Advisor has come up with the following Cost estimation. The Following are the cost allotted for various activities, which would be one time setup cost, Capital expenditure. Material Cost Cost Allotted Construction ( Material)  £ 30,000.00 Network (Servers, Desktop, Cabling)  £ 20,000.00 Software Development ( Licenses)  £ 20,000.00 Testing( Software hardware)  £ 15,000.00 Office Maintenance  £ 5,000.00 Other Services  £ 5,000.00 Total Cost  £ 92,000.00 The following are the cost allotted for resources, Operational Cost (Direct cost) Resource Resource Cost /Per Month Construction manager  £ 5,000.00 Software Engineer (2)  £ 15,000.00 Hardware Engineer  £ 4,000.00 Network Engineer  £ 6,000.00 Testing Engineers (2)  £ 7,000.00 Office Assistant (2)  £ 2,500.00 Financial Advisor  £ 8,000.00 Total Cost  £ 47,500.00 The following are the cost allotted for office maintenance, Operational Cost (Indirect cost) Utility Cost /Per Month Electricity  £ 750.00 Sanitary  £ 400.00 Stationary  £ 300.00 Maintenance  £ 500.00 Petty Cash  £ 500.00 Total Cost  £ 2,450.00 The Total Project Costing Costing Total Material Cost  £ 92,000.00 Resource  £ 47,500.00 Administration Cost  £ 2,450.00 Total Cost  £ 142,500.00 Project Execution Activity List The whole project execution will be divided into sub- category of activities The Project Execution is sub-divided into following sub -tasks Construction Hardware structure Cabling Network Design Implementation Software Design Coding Testing Construction The Construction is the first task of the project. The activity will begin from the 1st of April and estimated time from is one week. The Construction Manager is designated to take the complete responsibility of planning the construction activity and over look all the activities. The following list of activities will be done during the constriction phase Floor plan Roof and ceiling construction Painting and carpentry Provide Water, Electrical, Pressure air and gas services Install Cabinets Install Wall Cabinets Paint Cabinet Paint Walls Ceilings Hardware structure Cabling As per the project plan, Five Servers will be installed in the server room and the required cabling and racks need to be installed in the switch room. The Hardware engineer along with Network Engineer will be planning the activity and the requirements are as follows No of Data Ports 30+ 5 No of Voice Ports 30 ports No of Redundant ports 30ports The structured cabling activity is planned to start from the 2nd week , 7th of April 2010 and estimated to complete by 10th of April 2010. Network Design Implementation The Network design activity starts parallel to the structured cabling activity and the implementation would kick off as soon the server room wiring is complete. The Implementation activity would start from the 3rd week of April 2010 and estimated to complete in 5 days. The Network is designed using industry standard Star topology. The New floor requires Voice, Data and Video wiring and electronic facilities to support newest form of telecommunications. The Switch room, which houses the Servers, Networking equipments (Switches, Routers, and Firewalls) connects to the each terminal (Desktop) via Horizontal Cabling. The option for Vertical Cabling can be enabled in future for connecting multiple switch rooms The list of activities is as follows Network design Server Installation and mounting Server application configuration Domain and Active directory setup User profiles setup Access privilege creation Network Overview Heath Robinson Web Hosting Company http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRBO9d3_iaiMZfK9Tq1JQUgEbrG7Zt5ay336Cm3ZL2ANMIkAREt=1usg=__amDzGGGK51fLYfo3QCeIcL6XCYA=http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRBO9d3_iaiMZfK9Tq1JQUgEbrG7Zt5ay336Cm3ZL2ANMIkAREt=1usg=__amDzGGGK51fLYfo3QCeIcL6XCYA= http://www.sycamorecomputers.com/img/networkdiag.jpg Software Design Coding The software developers will be assigned the task of designing the software customized to the requirement. The Design and coding activity is intended to start from mid 3rd week after the servers are configured and installed. The activity is estimated to take 5 days. Two Software developers were appointed for creating bespoke software that is tailored specifically to companys need as it is a web hosting company the software were used are .net, Java, PHP and C++.The software developers are skilled on various programming languages and are proficient in design and development of the bug free software. The list of activities for the software developers team is as follows Software design Software coding Software compiling Software Release Testing One hardware testing engineer and software testing engineer were appointed their responsibilities is to setup of test processes including hardware and software deployment, provide technical support and training when required advanced testing, performing complex diagnostic tests on faulty computer. Software testing technician execute test plans to evaluate the performance of software applications and information and telecommunication systems. The Testing will be done by 2 Engineers, one will be conducting Software Testing and the other will be conducting Hardware Testing. The activity will be handled by each individual post Hardware and Software implementations. The Software Testing activity will include Code review Design Review Test Plan Manual Automation Testing Code tweaking and Regression Hardware Testing Activity will include System Definition System Testing Fault Testing Load Testing Office Assistant: The 2 Office assistant were appointed for essentially do whatever office tasks are needed so that the professional doesnt have to. One office assistant will purchase hardware needed to the office and other will do paper works. The Project plan Time Management Project Futuristic Aspect The success of any project is based on few parameters which portrays the efficiency of the project in terms of the objective achieved and sets bench marks for the future project undertaking The followings are very important from the project efficiency point of view Return of Investment Net Present Value Break Even Point The calculations of the above are as follows with respect to the project Return of Investment (ROI) Net Present Value Return of Investment is a performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments with respect to a project. To calculate ROI, the benefit (return) of an investment is divided by the cost of the investment; the result is expressed as a percentage or a ratio ROI = Gain from Investment Cost of Investment __________________________________ Cost of Investment Net Present Value or NPV is used to decide financial viability of an investment. The difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows. NPV is used in capital budgeting to analyse the profitability of an investment or project. Here the NPV and ROI are calculated. The following tables show you the NPV and ROI value. The Project cost and the profit for next five years is as follow. A 30% growth is assumed for our calculation Taking the above The return on investment formula: ROI = Gain from Investment Cost of Investment __________________________________ Cost of Investment ROI = 10,82,725 554,000 - 554,000 = 1.21 Return on investment is a very popular metric because of its versatility and simplicity. That is, if an investment does not have a positive ROI, or if there are other opportunities with a higher ROI, then the investment should be not be undertaken Break Even Point for the First year First year Sales  £1, 75,000 First year Cost (Direct + indirect)  £50,000 Yearly Net Cash Flow Cumulative Net Cash Flow = Yearly Net Cash Flow  £1,75,000  £50,000 = 1,75,000 = 0.79 BEP (1 year) Payback Period: The cumulative cash flow curves above show roughly the point in time when the cumulative cash flow breaks even, that is, when cumulative incoming returns exactly balance cumulative outflows. This point in time (point on the horizontal axis) is Payback period .The payback period is 1 years RISK ASSESSMENT The Risk assessment and the mitigation measure are very important for smooth completion of the project. The Risk assessment phase is carried out at the initial planning phase of the project .The risk assessment need to be continuously monitored and updated throughout the life of the project INITIAL PROJECT RISK ASSESSMENT CONTROL PLAN Requirements Control Plan When changes are to be made in the requirements after the project plan has been released, the changes shall be brought to the attention of the committee and discussed. Any changes that are to be made will be with the prior approval of the committee and only if feasible and permissible within the constraints of the project mentioned Schedule Control Plan If the work scheduled gets behind, the stake holder is ready to spend extra time on the project in between and after the schedules and also to make up for the lost time and deliver the final project on time. Budget Control Plan Any changes to the budget need to be updated to the management committee Quality Control Plan The Project Manager will be assessing the quality of work for each of teh stake holder and will ensure that the required level of quality is achieved in the given time frame Closeout Plan All the details about the post-mortem debriefings, report on the lessons learnt, project objectives and the milestones achieved would be mentioned as part of the Project documentation at the end of the project. The analysis and the lessons learnt will be used for future project success.

Gatsby and the American Dream Essays -- The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitz

The American Dream is what we all aspire to achieve. The idea of starting off with nothing and to become something has caused millions of people from all corners of the world to immigrate to this country for over 300 years. However, what exactly is the American Dream? F Scott Fitzgerald answers this question within his novel The Great Gatsby. Through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald analyses the high class of the 1920s and reveals that the American Dream has been distorted from a pure ideal of security into a convoluted scheme of materialistic power. Fitzgerald incorporates the aspects of both the Ã’old dreamÓ & the Ã’new dreamÓ in his tragic story to depicts how the inflexible dream has been corrupted and lost forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fitzgerald illustrates in The Great Gatsby that the qualities of the original dream are perseverance and hope. The most glorified of these characteristics is that of success against all odd. The ethic of hard work can be found in the life of the young James Gatz. His focus on becoming a great man is thoroughly depicted in his Ã’Hopalong CassidyÓ journal. When Mr. Gatsby showed the tattered book to Nick, Mr. Gatsby said, Ã’Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always has some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what heÕs got about improving his mind? He was always great for thatÓ. The Ã’Hopalong CassidyÓ symbolizes the continual struggle for self-improvement, which has been the basis of America a land of opportunity. Social Classes have always been apparent in civilization and America in the 1920s is no exception. Often those who rank in the lower classes usually feel that their problems will be resolved if they gain enough wealth to reach the upper class. This then offers a false connotation that the American Dream is this passage into to high social status and upon reaching that level, you are then able to abandon all economic worries. However, the American Dream involves more than acquiring wealth and a high social status. The dream involves attaining a balance between the spiritual strength and the physical strength of an individual. In the end of this book Jay GatsbyÕs ultimate goal to have Daisy love him never comes to fruition solely because he chooses to pursue his dream by engaging in a lifestyle of high class. The product of hard work is the longing Jay Gatsby, who contains the purest chara... ...umanityÓ: Ã’So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the pastÓ. The dream is now completely gone without a possibility of being resurrected. Through unfolding events of a doomed romance, F Scott Fitzgerald also depicts the inevitable doom of the American Dream. Gatsby had no balance to the extremes of his material and spiritual sides of himself. His dream of winning over DaisyÕs love is masked by the desire to become rich. Fitzgerald created Gatsby to show the failure of the individual who believes the American Dream requires money. It is well documented America was to be a land of endless opportunity and wealth, however a nation needs more depth than itÕs promise of materialism. The true composition of a nation is the unity of its peopleÕs minds in order to achieve a universal acceptance. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby and the other characters to convey his message- The American Dream, once a pure and noble concept is now dead and buried into the ground by a dehumanized void which revolves around money. Perhaps the book is not a tribute to a man named Jay Gatsby, rather, a tribute of an a noble aspiration of realistic success which is now and forever gone.

Factors of a reaction lab Essay

Hypothesis According to the collision theory, the rate of a reaction depends on the frequency of collisions between reacting particles. The more frequent the collisions, the faster the rate of the reaction. However, in order for the collisions to be effective, the particles must collide with sufficient energy (activation energy). Furthermore, the particles must collide with the proper orientation. The aim of this lab is to increase how often collisions occur. Theoretically, we should be able to achieve this by increasing the HCl concentration. However, we will instead decrease the HCl concentration just because it’s easier by diluting it with water. We thus predict that by decreasing the HCl concentration, it should take longer for the reaction to produce the predetermined amounts of hydrogen gas that we are observing. Variables Independent- the concentration of HCl Dependent- the rate of the reaction Controlled- Size of test tube Syringe type Timer Mass of Zn Volume of HCl Size of the stopper Controlling Variables size of test tube- we used the same test tube for most of the trials syringe type- we used the same syringe for all the trials timer- we used the same timer for all the trials mass of zn- we kept the mass of zn constant 1.00g size of the stopper- we used the same stopper Procedure 1. Grab a test tube rack, a test tube, a stopper that fits snuggly into the test tube and a syringe. 2. Place the test tube into the test tube rack and attach the syringe to the test tube. 3. Using an electric balance, obtain a sample of powdered Zn that weighs 1.00 g exactly. 4. Pour the 1.00g sample of powdered Zn into the test tube. 5. Grab two beakers. Fill one with HCl and the other with non-distilled water. BE SURE TO LABEL THE BEAKERS APPROPRIATELY! 6. Using a 10ml graduated cylinder and pipette, measure out 10 ml of HCl. 7. Pour the HCl into the test tube, quickly cork the test tube with the stopper, and pull slightly on the syringe’s end to make sure the hydrogen gas will flow through. 8. Record the how long it takes for the marker on the syringe to reach, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 cm3. 9. Repeat with HCl concentrations of 0.8 mol dm-3 and 06 mol dm-3. 10. Repeat steps 3-9 a second time in order to obtain a second trial. Data Collection and Processing Raw Data Table Hydrochloric acid, 1.0 mol dm-3 Time taken for corresponding volume of hydrogen gas to be produced/s Volume of hydrogen gas produced/cm3 Observations – Zn clumps together at bottom of test tube – Bubbles are produced – No longer powder – Nothing happens for a while and then all of a sudden there’s like this outward burst of energy which results in small intervals btw the given volumes produced Data Processing Overview I will first determine the average time it took for the different HCl concentration to react and produce the given volumes of hydrogen gas. Next I will calculate the standard deviation for each set of trials to determine the accuracy of the average. Finally, I will graph the average times using a scatter. Sample Calculation Average of different trials for time taken for 1cm3 of hydrogen gas to be produced with 1.0 mol dm-3 of HCl: (118 + 123)/2 = 120.5s Hydrochloric acid, 1 mol dm-3 Volume of hydrogen gas produced/cm3 Average time taken for corresponding volume of hydrogen gas to be produced/s 1 120.5 2 152.0 3 190.5 4 227.0 5 274.0 Hydrochloric acid, 0.8 mol dm-3 Volume of hydrogen gas produced/cm3 Average time taken for corresponding volume of hydrogen gas to be produced/s 1 137.0 2 226.0 3 330.0 4 439.5 5 552.5 Hydrochloric acid, 0.6 mol dm-3 Volume of hydrogen gas produced/cm3 Average time taken for corresponding volume of hydrogen gas to be produced/s 1 202.0 2 209.0 3 242.0 4 309.5 5 382.5 Standard deviations of the averages were determined by using the following formula in a Microsoft Excel program: Standard Deviation for different HCl acid concentrations HCl acid concentration/mol dm-3 Standard Deviation Average time vs. Volume of hydrogen gas produced Conclusion and Evaluation Conclusion: – Hydrochloric acid, 1 mol dm-3 concentration, the highest concentration used in this experiment produced the given volumes of hydrogen gas the fastest out of all three HCl concentrations. – Hydrochloric acid of 0.8 mol dm-3 concentration did produce 1 cm3 of hydrogen gas faster than hydrochloric acid of 0.6 mol dm-3 as predicted. – Hydrochloric acid of 0.6 mol dm-3 concentration produced hydrogen gas faster than hydrogen gas of 0.8 mol dm-3. – Limitations Suggestions for Improvement Some of the Zn powder got stuck to the side of the test tube as we poured it into the test tube. Maybe use a straw or something like that to make sure the Zn gets to the bottom of the test tube. And like blow into the straw (softly!) to ensure that none of the Zn gets stuck to the inside of the straw. We didn’t use the same syringe for all the trials because we were trying to get all the trials in on the same day. Use the same syringe for all trials. We didn’t get all the trials in on the same day. I think it took us three classes. As a result, each day we were working in different room temperatures. Organize ourselves better so that we get all the trials in on the same day. We couldn’t dry the test tube correctly. Each time we dried it there was still water at the bottom of the tube. Maybe like attach a paper towel to a stirrer and swap it around inside the test tube to dry it out. Zn is impure. As a result, the HCl acid could be reacting as well with whatever impurities present are thus slowing down the reaction, perhaps.

Common Ground on Child Beauty Pageants Essay

I’m sure you all have seen the TV show â€Å"Toddlers in Tiaras.† It is a show about young children competing in beauty pageants to win a place in a higher ranked pageant, money, and the ownership of a winning title. Many people think differently about the show and the pageants. Some are all for the pageants and some are against them. People who are against the pageants complain that they should be eliminated because they exploit children and place them in harm’s way. They claim because of major dangers; no one under the age of eighteen should be placed in a beauty pageant. The children who are in the pageants are dressed up in adult’s clothing, have piles of make up on, and are harming their bodies. They are harming their bodies by putting the make up on and tanning. By putting make up on at such young of an age, their face ages faster. By tanning, they begin to get that urge that some adults have to tan, which makes their skin age and have wrinkles early. It also puts them at the risk of having skin cancer at an early age. They say it also appeals the children to sexual predators. When a child is half naked on stage and sometimes on TV, these sexual predators see them and may even try to meet them. Sexual predators are only part of the problem. Studies show that every child who may benefit from the competition, hundreds of others suffer damage to their self-esteem and have warped self-vision of themselves and their bodies. Many times, they use JonBenet, a young child who competed in these pageants at the age of six. She was murdered in the basement of her home by a sexual predator. The suspect claimed he became aware of her by the pageants being on television. People who are for the pageants and the TV shows claim that it brings their children fame and confidence. When a child has worked hard on a routine and they get on stage and accomplish it, there is no better reward than the applause and praise from the audience and family. Some also say that the tanning and make up does not harm their skin, it just makes them feel prettier. Someone once told me that when a person looks at themselves in the mirror, and they have their hair and make-up done, they feel better about themselves. That is what many moms claim their children feel whenever they have their make-up done, outfits on, and hair done. Moms of pageant children say that when their child has worked hard, and they have their name called on stage for a winning title, there is no happier feeling. They have worked and accomplished their goal. Call it what you want, but people have their own opinions. Some people think pageants hurt a child, and some think they help a child. Both of them could be right, depending on the child’s standpoint. If a child’s dream is to be in pageants, I would let that child fulfill their dream. What would you do? Works Cited Page Hilboldt-Stolley, Lise. â€Å"Pretty Babies.† Good Housekeeping 228.2 (1999): 102. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

Aristophanes the Ancient Greek Comedy Writer

Aristophanes the Ancient Greek Comedy Writer Aristophanes is important today because his work is still relevant. People still laugh at modern performances of his comedies. In particular, his famous womens sex strike for peace comedy, Lysistrata, continues to resonate. Pronunciation:  /à ¦.rÉ ª.sta.fÉ™.niz/ Examples:  In Aristophanes  Frogs, Dionysus, like Hercules before him, goes to the Underworld to bring back Euripides. The Old Comedy Old Comedy had been performed for 60 years prior to Aristophanes. In his time, as his work shows, Old Comedy was changing. It was bawdy and topically political, taking license with living people in the public eye. Ordinary humans played the most heroic characters. Gods and heroes could play buffoons. His style of Old Comedy is described as over-the-top, more like Animal House than How I Met Your Mother. The latter has a lineage that could be traced to an important comedy genre that came after Aristophanes. This was New Comedy, the stock character-filled comedy of manners, written by the Greek Menander and his Roman imitators. To be more completely accurate, New Comedy followed Middle Comedy, a little-known genre to which Aristophanes contributed at the end of his career. Aristophanes wrote comedies from 427-386 B.C., which gives us approximate dates for his life: (c. 448-385 B.C.). Unfortunately, we know very little about him, although he lived in Athens during periods of turmoil, beginning his writing career after the death of Pericles, during the Peloponnesian War. In A Handbook of Greek Literature, H.J. Rose says his father was named Philippos. Rose calls Aristophanes a member of the Athenian conservative party. Aristophanes Makes Fun of Socrates Aristophanes knew Socrates and poked fun at him in The Clouds, as an example of a sophist. From the other side, Aristophanes appears in Platos Symposium, comically hiccuping before he comes up with an inspired explanation for why there are are people with different sexual orientations. Of more than 40 plays written by Aristophanes, 11 survive. He won prizes at least six times but not all firsts four at the Lenaea (held roughly, in January), where comedy was added to the events in about 440 B.C., and two at the City Dionysia (roughly, in March), where only tragedy had been performed until about 486 B.C. While Aristophanes produced most of his own plays, he did not initially do so. Not until the Acharnians, a pro-peace play and one of those featuring the character of the great tragedian Euripides, won a prize at the Lenaea, in 425, did he start producing. His previous two plays, the Banqueteers, and the Babylonians do not survive. The Knights (Lenaea of 424), an attack on the political figure Cleon, and Frogs (Lenaia of 405), which also features the character of Euripides in a contest with Aeschylus, also won first prize. The generally irreverent, creative Aristophanes made fun of the gods and of real people. His portrayal of Socrates in The Clouds has been criticized for contributing to the atmosphere that condemned Socrates since he portrays Socrates as a ridiculous sophist teaching the morally worthless topics of philosophy for money. Old Comedy Structure A typical structure for Aristophanes Old Comedy would be prologue, parados, agon, parabasis, episodes, and Exodus, with a chorus of 24. Actors wore masks and had padding front and back. Costumes might include giant phalluses. He used equipment like the mechane or crane and the ekkyklema or platform. He made up long, complicated, compound words where appropriate, like cloudcuckooland. Surviving Comedies by Aristophanes The AcharniansThe BirdsThe CloudsThe EcclesiazusaeThe FrogsThe KnightsLysistrataPeacePlutusThe ThesmophoriazusaeThe Wasps

Similarities Between The Two Political Parties †Political Science Essay

Similarities Between The Two Political Parties – Political Science Essay Free Online Research Papers Similarities Between The Two Political Parties Political Science Essay The way our nation mourned the death of Ronald Reagan has not been seen since Kennedy’s untimely death. The number of people which paid their respects was astonishing and unforeseen. When we reflect on Reagan’s time in office, one word comes to mind. That word is â€Å"conviction†. It does not matter to us today if we agreed with Reagan’s policies. What mattered was he was the last president that stood for something. This is what we remember and respect. Since his tenure, we have had a president that wanted Americans to read his lips not his actions. Then he lost to a man which won the election with less than fifty percent of the vote and four years later, the man was re-elected with less than fifty percent. Then there was the 2000 election. Most people saw Florida as a fiasco, but the real fiasco was the candidates themselves. We had a compassionate conservative running against a moderate liberal, and their shared indecisiveness made Florida and the general election a fiasco. The Democrats and the Republicans presented candidates to entice moderates and the outcome was indecisive voting. Americans do not want to admit it, but mos t of us are moderate. People lean to the left on some issues and to the right on other issues. Any excessive opinions are usually rhetoric that is used to get attention. Even though Democrats and Republicans have many differences, they do not act their differences for fear of alienating voters resulting in indistinguishable candidates and a low voter turnout. There are vast differences between Democrats and Republicans in ideology, but they both lack confidence to act. In the article, â€Å"Public Participation and the Erosion of Democracy† Ralph Nader writes, â€Å" In eight years under Clinton/Gore, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration didn’t issue one chemical toxin control standard†¦.They gave a free ride to the nuclear industry, including not proposing any fuel efficiency standards improvements in eight years† (Public). The lack of toxin control, a free ride to the nuclear industry, and no fuel standards are what a Republican would do. The Democratic platform is pro-environment and pro-labor, but Clinton did not have the fortitude to enforce his party’s platform. The possibility of alienating a section of the voting public fueled his reluctance. In an interview with Steve Kopp, a reporter for The Plain Dealer’s Washington Bureau, he talks about tort reform and how Republicans in th e House got a bill on tort reform passed. Unfortunately, the Senate Republicans will not push this bill instead they have their own bill that has a lot of extras tacked on giving it no chance of passing. They do not want to upset any of their colleagues in the private sector which might be able to sue McDonalds when people spill coffee on their lap. Tort reform laws have been a major issue for the Republican Party; in addition, labor and the environment issues has been the same for Democrats, but their lack of action is a self-preserving tactic for re-election. In an attempt to expand their electorate, candidates modify their positions. Merill J. Adams writes, â€Å"As the Democratic candidate moves in the positive direction (to the right), he draws support away from the Republican candidate in the region near the midpoint between the two candidates† (Journal).This approach is used on both sides to centralize a candidate. According to Martin P. Wattenberg’s findings in his book The Decline of American Political Parties, from 1952- 1980, â€Å"The proportion of voters reporting that hey have voted for different parties in presidential elections has risen from 29 to 57 percent† (20). This strategy works, but the title of his book hints at the result. Wattenberg writes, â€Å"The growth in proportion of the ‘no preference’ response can be most plausibly interpreted as another indication of the declining salience of political parties in the American political process†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Decline 49). When a candidat e centralizes his or her views, he or she loses distinction. Consequentially, voters are left with candidates with no conviction towards any issue, and voters have less enthusiasm for voting. Because candidates are indecisive in their political idealism, the outcome is a lower voter turnout. In his book, Where Have All the Voters Gone? Wattenberg writes, â€Å"The psychological approach has further identified the problem to be primarily one of a lack of motivation to vote, particularly stemming from party decline† (67). When political incumbents and challengers centralize their message, potential voters see this as voting for the lesser of two evils. Our recent presidential elections show that the candidates’ indecisiveness was reflected on the election results. When Bob Dole spoke at the 1996 Republican convention, he only mentioned his party twice, he did not mention the Democrats, and he made only a slight reference to his career as a Republican Senator. When Bill Clinton spoke at the Democrat’s convention, he used a similar strategy (Decline 221). Dole and Clinton down-played their party affiliations to further their centralized message, and as a result, a low turnout and minority vote won the election for Clinton. The first two presidential elections in 1960 had a turnout percentage of 62.4 percent; conversely, the two most recent elections had a turnout of 50.1 percent (Where 28). Wattenberg gathered the voter turnout data from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and it illustrates the percentage of people that actually want to vote has declined. There is evidence to support that a low voter turnout can be linked to how hard it is to vote. Wattenberg writes, â€Å"It is reasonable, I believe, to infer that if voting is difficult for some of those who manage to vote that others must be discouraged from casting a ballot due to the complexity of the task† (Where 142). Regardless of the candidate’s message there is still stanch partisanship, and it is the driving force behind our democratic process. To deny it would be futile. From an article in the New York Times, John Tierney writes, â€Å"As moderates have become an endangered species in Congress and in state legislatures, the parties’ ideological divisions have deepened, and voters have realigned in response† (4.11) Those of us from working class families remember our parents view on political parties, and they were always distinctive. During the 1970’s, the general consensus was that Republicans were for the rich, and Democrats were for eve rybody else. This view has not changed a great deal, and party leaders are wise to these ideals. The tendency to be indecisive has taken a turn recently, and partisan attitudes have increased. It is an election year, so members of Congress need to strengthen their allegiance to their parties in order to maintain their campaign support. Steve Kopp says, â€Å"Most members of congress are moderates [but] there is no bipartisanship today†. Although he believes the majority in Congress is moderate, he acknowledges they have drawn proverbial lines in the sand to insure their position. John Tierney explains Congressional strategy he writes, â€Å"The only threat to incumbents comes from within the party, forcing them to appeal to partisan voters who dominate primaries† (4.11). They need to show their loyalty to insure campaign support in primary elections. The major issues of the day like the Iraq war have polarized the nation and its leaders. As a result, this upcoming elec tion will be a decision on decisive ideals and issues more than the recent past, but what will the winner of this election actually do? The two major parties in American politics have distinct differences, yet they do not decisively employ their diversity for significant change. They would rather use a self-preserving approach, or try to appeal to the broadest range of the electorate. The effect is they become impossible to differentiate, which has a negative consequence. The decline of voter turnout in recent times is the result of similar candidates representing each party. People have been voting for the lesser of two evils until this election year, and the promise of diversity between the candidates is a positive step. It is about time we have something we can truly stand behind or completely oppose. Those of us that promote voting and see it as a civic duty finally have solid issues that they can use to entice the voting public. All we need now is a leader that will follow up on the ideals that wins the election. Someone that stands up for his or her beliefs, bravely conveys those beliefs, and calls out adversity. Imagine going to vote without it feeling like a burden of some kind, but a chance to really feel like you are making a difference instead of an agonizing status quo. Work Cited Adams, J. Merill. â€Å"Voter Turnout and Candidate Strategies in American Elections.† Journal of Politics 65.1 (2003) Kopp, Steve. Telephone interview. 7 July 2004 Nader, Ralph. â€Å"Public Participation and the Erosion of Democracy.† Humanist 64.1 (2004) 20-25 Tierney, John. â€Å"A Nation Divided? Who Says?† New York Times 13 June 2004, late ed.:4.11 Wattenberg, Martin P. The Decline of American Political Parties, 1952-1996. Cambridge: Harvard United Press, 1999 Where Have All The Voters Gone. Cambridge: Harvard United Press, 2002 Research Papers on Similarities Between The Two Political Parties - Political Science EssayQuebec and CanadaMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New Employees19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPETSTEL analysis of IndiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceCapital PunishmentTwilight of the UAWAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Bringing Democracy to AfricaThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

The top three U.S. cities to start a business

The top three U.S. cities to start a business Attention entrepreneurs: We know that you’re eager to kickstart your business idea and build it into the next wildly successful corporate empire. After all, fortune favors the bold, and a commonly shared trait amongst successful entrepreneurs is an unwavering self-confidence at all costs and a capacity to handle risk. However, that doesn’t mean you should blindly leap forward before carefully weighing all of the variables that typically make or break new startups- this includes where you decide to get started, which can be just as important as the how and why parts of the new business equation.  It’s true- when it comes to starting, owning, and operating a business in America, all cities are not created equal. In addition to the obvious things like climate, location, and existing infrastructure in your specific industry, there are a host of key variables to consider when choosing which city is the ideal home for your burgeoning business.Inc. recently ran an article on America’s top surge cities- cities whose high ratings in the following key metrics make them ideal places for starting a new business: job creation, population growth, net business creation, rate of entrepreneurship, wage growth, high-growth company density, and early-stage fundraising.  Whether your goal is a modest one-person operation, the next international mega-corporation, or somewhere in-between, as you build your business plan and look to get your idea off the ground floor and up and running, you may discover that one of these cities is the perfect place to make your move.Austin, TXReferring to Austin as â€Å"the next Silicon Valley† is practically yesterday’s news, as notable tech superstars ranging from Google to Amazon and many others have already established a serious presence in this thriving and talent-rich city. As a result, Austin is experiencing an amazing explosion of business and population development and expansion- with no end in sight.And it isn’t just tech-centric companies planting their flags in Austin. Companies across all industries are eager to set up shop in Austin and get in on the action. The city is abuzz with start-up money and public and private investment opportunities, which only adds to its current draw as the edgy alternative to San Francisco and New York City.And if you’re thinking that Austin is all business, then think again- the city’s fun factor is practically off the charts, with a thriving music scene and nightlife, and bars and restaurant s abounding to serve the needs of all the employees flocking to its borders. If you’re looking for a home for your business, Austin should definitely make your short list.Salt Lake City, UTIf you’re wondering where the â€Å"next, next Silicon Valley† might be, then look no further than Salt Lake City. As San Francisco and Austin continue to evolve and everything from real estate to restaurants get more expensive, companies are giving Salt Lake City a closer look as an affordable alternative. Don’t take our word for it- companies like Electronic Arts, Adobe, and Oracle already have offices here, along with a wide range of other high-valued entrepreneurial startups. If you’re interested in getting in early on the next big thing, then setting up here just might be one of your first prophetic business moves.Raleigh, NCIf you’re looking for a thriving and vibrant home for your new company that’s just a little further off the typical beaten path, consider this edgy corner of the southern Research Triangle.More and more companies are looking at Raleigh and everything it has to offer- a young, well-educated, and talent-rich population of college graduates and seasoned workers, as well as a thriving cultural scene. Most importantly, investment money is following suit. The bottom line: Raleigh is a solid choice as a home for new businesses looking to get going and benefit from its favorable location.If you’re an entrepreneur on the rise and are looking to find the home where to build your business, then consider the choices presented here when you’re making your decision. Good luck!

Business Ethics Case Study - The Nice Guy Essay

Business Ethics Case Study - The Nice Guy - Essay Example eople holding different managerial positions to possess leadership skills so that problem solving and decision making are done effectively and efficiently. This paper addresses the key aspects related to business ethics and discusses the essential leadership qualities required for ethical problem solving and strategic decision making. Let us first understand what business ethics is and how it relates to leadership issues and the overall business environment. In order to understand the relevance of ethical values in business, it is important to first realize the organizational structure as a social institute. An organization is formed by a collective group(s) of individuals with a vision to develop a network of common interest. Managers and executives are responsible for directing the resources of the organization. Shareholders are the owners of the capital, who expect profitable outcomes of their investment. Then there are employees who produce the goods in return of a decent wage and safe working conditions. In other words, all these groups are interlinked to one another, and a perfect balance between them creates the conditions essential for a successful business enterprise. Maintaining this balance is important for the management of the company in the sense that miscalculation in the balance can actually negatively affect the ethical system of the company. As Guy (1990, 4) states, â€Å"For an enterprise to continually give value to human effort and to encourage creative achievements, a balance of all interests is required.† While discussing ethics, it is important to talk about other related terms such as values and morals. Values refer to the core beliefs of what is desirable in an organization. Values considerably affect the choices made in business decisions, which further includes the aspects of ethics or morals. This paper does not aim to distinguish the definitions of ethics or morals. In short, both ‘ethics’ and ‘morals’ signify the codes of

Geographical Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geographical Information Systems - Essay Example The most important part of a GIS is the ‘gencode’ to which information is connected. It represents a geographical code to highlight a place or location anywhere in the world. A GIS shows vital data in a diagrammatic manner, displaying extended spatial locations, territorial divisions, neighborhood vicinities and their inhabitants with unparalleled clearness. The GIS displays structure upon structure of data {such as characteristics and statistics of human population, income levels, voting preferences, poverty levels, pollution rates, and Internet availability}, and the manner in which all structures work in cohesive unity. The GIS user then selects the data to structure according to the queries that need to be solved. The precise information provided by GIS is being increasingly used for public safety purposes. Public safety officials have discovered that its geospatial information is derived much more spontaneously, and is more productive as compared to data supplied by ambiguous orthodox photography due to the very fast rate at which imagery of a certain area can be displayed as well as the cost savings involved. It is estimated that GIS use has resulted in cutting short land-use and field visits by as much as 70%. Tasks like on-the-way and on-the-scene skillful planning, highlighting the precise origin of wireless calls, advance planning of interior safety and security strategies, and re-directing traffic in times of emergencies have become much easier to undertake and solve more quickly and efficiently (Earth Imaging Journal, 2005). The use of GIS as a crime-fighting tool is increasing in the United States. It enables the police to examine and evaluate crime trends and find precise geographic locations where some crimes are concentrated, connect those crimes to the area in which they take place, and highlight the locations

Rock-n-roll and the use of drugs in the period between 1955 and 1966 Essay

Rock-n-roll and the use of drugs in the period between 1955 and 1966 - Essay Example As the counterculture began to emerge, however, an associated interest with mind altering drugs began to be a part of the experience. While the era of drug use and free thinking is often thought of as the 1960s, the counterculture began much earlier, stemming from the gravitation of certain individuals to jazz and folk music which was often expressed by those who were calling themselves beatniks and bohemians. The period of time between 1955 and 1966 were pivotal, however, as the course of social change also saw changes in the way in which intellectualism was pursued, leading to the heavier use of drugs during that time period. In 1966, Grace Slick wrote one of the more iconic songs that projected the connection between literacy, rock and roll, and the drug culture. Referencing Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland she wrote â€Å"One pill makes you larger/One pill makes you small/ And the ones that mother gives you/Don’t do anything at all/Go ask Alice/When she’s ten feet tall† (Farber, 2007, p. 62). At the same time, there has been a struggle between embracing the effects of drug use and the consequences of indulging in drugs with too much intensity. Rock and roll lifestyles are both filled with the hedonism of sex and drugs and written to reflect the spiral downward that is taken through the ’looking glass’ when drug abuse takes over one’s life. One of the more famous quotes about drug use and the early years of rock and roll came from David Crosby who said â€Å"if you can remember the 60s, you weren’t there†, intimating the close connection between the use of drugs, forgetfulness during use and the revolutions of the 1960s which included a high level of drug use (Farber, 2007, p. 63). ... 63). Drug abuse and alcoholism as it was connected to musicians did not begin in the 1960s. Where there are high levels of artistic emotions combined with the pressures of success, drug use and alcohol abuse were often involved. However, cultural groups that specifically aligned themselves with the use of drugs was a relatively new phenomenon in the 1950s. The type of groups that were defined by a sort of intellectualism that was following some of the great writers of the time, as well as following paths towards hedonism and self indulgences were ’beatniks’ and ’bohemians’ of the 1950s. The music of jazz and folk music, two genres that helped to form the structures of rock and roll, were a type of music that drew people towards it that often indulged in drug use. According to Weinstein (1999), â€Å"the initial sparks were struck in the 1940s that set the counterculture ablaze with drugs in the 1960s† (p. 169). When Ardous Huxley wrote Doors of Perc eption in 1954, the counterculture was motivated to seek the perfect high, that state in which transcendence had occurred in which the promise of drug use was finally fulfilled. Seeking to fulfill some sort of intellectual imperative, the book written by Huxley gave a framework of understanding about the nature of mind altering drug use and the advantages of what one can learn from having taken mind altering drugs. Huxley (2009) describes what Spanish conquerors saw when they encountered Native Americans. He states â€Å"they eat a root which they call peyote, and which they venerate as though tit was a deity†(p. 9). The book became centering piece of pop culture from which the pursuit of the ultimate spiritual experience was sought after which included high

Business law, English leagal system, Contract law Essay

Business law, English leagal system, Contract law - Essay Example In the first scenario, it can be noted that The English National Operetta Company entered into a contract with Costumes R Us for the purchase of theatre costumes which were to be made according to designs supplied by the English National Operetta Company. All terms were agreed and the initial deposit was paid where the remaining balance will be paid upon delivery of the goods. Unfortunately, the premises of Costumes R Us were destroyed by fire before the delivery day. By any standard, this scenario represents a typical contract explained in the definition above. This type of contract involves the sale of goods and is governed by the Sale of Goods Act of 1979. Gibson (1988) suggests that the seller has a duty to deliver the goods purchased upon payment and the buyer has a duty to pay for the goods where ownership can be exchanged. The S.2(1) of The Sale of Goods Act 1979 concurs with this assertion and goes on to define a contract for the sale of goods as: ‘A contract by which a seller transfers or agrees to transfer the property (ownership) in goods to a buyer for a money consideration called the price.’ The contracting partners in this case are bound by certain conditions which are very important to the contract so as to protect the victim in the event of breach of contract which entitles him to repudiate and sue for damages. From this given scenario, it can be noted that there is a valid contract between English National Operetta Company and Costumes R Us. Legally, English National Operetta Company is entitled to claim for its refund of the amount paid following the failure by Costumes R Us to deliver the consignment before the date. Though it may be argued that this is a breach of a contract, it can be noted that to a greater extent, this scenario was a result of circumstances that were beyond the control of the suppliers of the costumes. Their premises were gutted by fire which was caused by the children playing so it would be unfair to lay the blame on them. This unfortunate incidence is what is normally called frustration of contract. Macintyre (2010) posits to the effect that the result of an event which occurs after offer and acceptance (the agreement) which prevents performance being carried out and which, as a consequence will terminate the contract legally with no risk to either party to be sued for breach. In this scenario, it will be unfair to say that Costumes R Us has breached a contract given that that the frustrating event involving the outbreak of fire is not the fault or a result of the actions of this organisation in question. It becomes impossible for the other party to fulfil their duty in the event of destruction of the subject matter of the contract for example Taylor v. Caldwell (1863). In such a situation, it is assumed that the contract has been cancelled naturally. Against this background, it is therefore advisable to English National Operetta Company not to sue this company for damages given that there will be likely chances that they will lose the case. It is the duty of the court of law to weigh the circumstances surrounding the frustration of the contract and come with an informed decision hence the chances of winning this case are very few. However, it is advisable that English National

The core challenges of managing diversity in the workplace today Essay - 1

The core challenges of managing diversity in the workplace today - Essay Example Thus, it is important to consider the behavioral aspects of human resources. As important factor that determines their behavior is their backgrounds, which are unique in several ways. Such uniqueness differentiates one from other; and hence the entire workforce becomes diverse in several respects. This essay addresses the issues arising from managing diverse workforce. To place the essay in a perspective, the following section explores the diverse characteristics of workforce. This essay would subsequently explore how best this diverse workforce could be managed. There are several ways of defining diversity of labor force. In a simplest form, the diversity can be associated with the uniqueness of labor force - as every individual tends to exhibit behavior that is unique to the individual concerned. Ferris, Frink and Galang define diversity as, â€Å".. any attribute that humans are likely to use to tell themselves, ‘that person is different from me† (Ferris, Frink and Galang, 1993, p. 42). In this case, individuals are taken as unit of analysis. Considering the number of labors employed by any organization, it is near impossible to address workforce by taking individuals as a category. This requires some aggregation, and the criteria adopted should reflect the diversity. While the individual differences are important, these authors go on to suggest that the larger factors such as race, sex, age, values, and cultural norms should be taken into account while understanding the diversity of workforce. Thus, Westerns workers become one category; whereas Asian workers become another category. Within Western society, the English workers are different from that of German and French Workers. Thus diversity of workforce can be understood in different ways depending upon the context and the analytical purpose. Within America, there is lots of diversity of workforce due to

The Key Differences Between De Beers Old And New Business Model Essay - 24

The Key Differences Between De Beers Old And New Business Model - Essay Example Kodak’s main strategy in this period was to avail to their customer’s high-margin film referred to as the razor blade strategy. This strategy involved Kodak’s development of inexpensive cameras as a way to an end: the company had the objective of facilitating lucrative film sales. In a heart shell, the invention of the digital camera was held back due to management’s worries about the negative effects on film sales. Nonetheless, the developmental dependencies on many other industries were extremely high as microprocessors, advances in electronic storage, and various communication soft wares for the camera and digital data transfer, soft wares for image processing, etc. Microelectronics was a problem for the company during the implementation of its strategy. However, the strategies that the company employed failed. Normally in a perfect market whenever disruptive technology exists, companies always fail to capitalize on the invention of the day for fearing cannibalizing current product sales. For instance, in 1981 when Sony introduced a filmless digital camera into the market, panic permeated Kodak company‘s executive suite. Explicitly, over the next years, the company invested about $5 billion in digital imaging. Through estimation, this was approximately 45% of the company’s R&D budget. Sadly, with disruptive technologies like digital cameras, whenever a company becomes the first-mover it has a lot of advantages and others who follow suit find it very difficult to overcome the competition. The strategy failed since by the time the company realized that their razor-blade strategy was not workable; the lions were by now out of the barn. Kodak was not able to match the competition.

The core challenges of managing diversity in the workplace today Essay - 1

The core challenges of managing diversity in the workplace today - Essay Example Thus, it is important to consider the behavioral aspects of human resources. As important factor that determines their behavior is their backgrounds, which are unique in several ways. Such uniqueness differentiates one from other; and hence the entire workforce becomes diverse in several respects. This essay addresses the issues arising from managing diverse workforce. To place the essay in a perspective, the following section explores the diverse characteristics of workforce. This essay would subsequently explore how best this diverse workforce could be managed. There are several ways of defining diversity of labor force. In a simplest form, the diversity can be associated with the uniqueness of labor force - as every individual tends to exhibit behavior that is unique to the individual concerned. Ferris, Frink and Galang define diversity as, â€Å".. any attribute that humans are likely to use to tell themselves, ‘that person is different from me† (Ferris, Frink and Galang, 1993, p. 42). In this case, individuals are taken as unit of analysis. Considering the number of labors employed by any organization, it is near impossible to address workforce by taking individuals as a category. This requires some aggregation, and the criteria adopted should reflect the diversity. While the individual differences are important, these authors go on to suggest that the larger factors such as race, sex, age, values, and cultural norms should be taken into account while understanding the diversity of workforce. Thus, Westerns workers become one category; whereas Asian workers become another category. Within Western society, the English workers are different from that of German and French Workers. Thus diversity of workforce can be understood in different ways depending upon the context and the analytical purpose. Within America, there is lots of diversity of workforce due to

Bodybuilding Essay Example for Free

Bodybuilding Essay Bodybuilding BY adam5701 When a bodybuilder, fitness, figure, or physique competitor begins to prepare for a contest there are so many different variables that go into how you are supposed to train. From personal experience, exercise order has not made a huge impact for the results I was striving to achieve. As long as I do not work the same muscle group within a 48-hour period (since that is the typical recovery time for your muscles to fully repair), I have achieved amazing results. Here are a few other things I highly recommend doing, which if not done properly it almost makes it impossible to ucceed. First hire a reputable coach, I initially made the mistake of taking a shortcut and hired someone because they were cheap which made me place dead last in my first competition. Since then I paid the money and hired someone who knew the ins and outs of competing and it has done wonders for me. A coachs Job is to typically plan out your diet, workout routine, supplementation, posing routine, and best of all its great to have someone else looking at you once or twice a week to see how you change and what else you need to improve on. Yes, I could have done all this on my own but this outside eye makes a huge difference and trying to plan all this out while youre brain dead from dieting can be difficult at times. Next thing is to plan out every little detail in your workout, diet, and sleep schedule for every hour each day. Consistency is a big part of competing and if you are not consistent you will not see any of the results you desire. When attempting to gain muscle mass or density, most people automatically think they have to lift heavy in order to grow. Personally I have found it much more useful o lift at a lower weight with a rep range from 8-20 depending on the exercise. I still see amazing results because each time I do this I make sure I fatigue the muscle and push it until failure. The way I achieve this is by making my rest time between sets and exercises no more than 60 seconds for a single workout, and up to 90 seconds for a drop set (which is starting off with a high weight for a low amount of reps and increasing the reps as you drop the weight, I typically drop the weight about 3-4 times). There was also a study performed where Regardless of the number of reps erformed, the subjects burned 52% more calories when they rested Just 30 seconds between sets as compared to three minutes or more. Working at 10 reps per set burned about 7% more calories than five-rep sets did (Stoppani, Jim, Flex pg. 1). There are also other things I do in order to fatigue my muscle and cause growth, rather than Just focusing on rest time. As shown in my workout plan notes you will notice that my 1 5 to 20 repetition exercises are more towards the beginning of my workout. I have it set up this way because I do not do conventional stretching before orking out since it essentially lowers the amount of weight or reps I can perform. Instead I do these warm up sets of 15 to 20, and this isnt Just light easy rep weight, I make sure its enough to where once I get to those last two reps I feel as if my muscle will give out. This enables blood to flow into the muscles and essentially gets them warmed up and ready for the heavier tasks. Another thing I love incorporating are three workouts of 1 or 2 muscle groups you are training, which I normally choose exercises that are opposite in movement), focus on the time and length of ontraction, and lastly a rest pause (which if I do not perform all 20 reps and only get to 13, I will rest for 20 seconds and complete the remaining 7). Training with these different intensities on random workouts makes a huge difference for strength and muscle gain. The main reason I have found this effective is because I am constantly tearing down my muscle fibers with a different method each workout. Another big thing to think about when training for competitions, or even Just working out in general is to achieve the mind and body connection. My theory on this s that its impossible to workout the muscle you are targeting if you are unable to feel it. In other words an isometric contraction, because any type of muscle growth and performance depend primarily on the neuromuscular system (Yessis pg. 1). A good way to practice would be Just to attempt to flex each individual muscle, which at first is very difficult for someone who is Just starting out. Also doing this between sets for 6-10 seconds can actually promote muscle growth and density. Flexing the targeted muscle(s) between sets lets you know the feeling you want to duplicate during the set. With practice, this will strengthen your focus so you can better work that area (Flex pg. 98). If you talk to almost any bodybuilder or physique athlete, they would be able to make almost any muscle they train contract on its own and will be the first to tell you its extremely difficult to hold. If you continue to train your muscles with these so-tension types of exercises you essentially get them accustomed to being in that position which is crucial for stage presence. If you do not practice this before going onto a stage, you tend to be more susceptible to cramps or its difficult o hold the pose for minutes and points will be deducted from shaking or relaxing on the pose. When training or developing a program, each muscle group needs to be trained for this sport. For me personally I have a few weak areas, which is why my individual workout I train deltoids twice a week and only incline chest workouts on there respected day. Also notice the time spread between the deltoid workouts, its Monday and Friday so I am staying within that time frame for optimal muscle repair. The reason I have so much attention on these two muscle groups are because Judges in hysique competition love the big rounded shoulder look, and a full chest. I have a disadvantage in these areas mainly because I am still only 21 so I dont have fully matured muscles yet, and many other competitors are 24 and above. The only way I compensate for this lack of size is to focus on them more than everyone else. Also for the deltoids I have a day that is more heavy, but still at that 12 rep range and another that goes up to 20 reps known as my day. I find it great to have two different variations for optimal muscle growth, especially since it is a small muscle group and s extremely easy to over stress with too much weight in turn causing injury (which I had when I first began lifting at 18). When training this muscle group I focus on the contraction, as well as the time it takes me to fully go through the concentric and eccentric motion. This method insures for me ensures optimal stress without the risk The sport of fitness competing is always plagued for injury, and there will always be that risk. Basically every muscle you train will be susceptible to injury, and there is no way to get around it. However, there are ways to significantly minimize the risks. Workout form has to be at the top of this list hands down, I see many people training and sometimes I cringe Just watching them because it looks as if they will snap their back or tear a muscle. Always make sure to have great form and control with each exercise, and this in my opinion should be applied to any workout you do not Just resistance training. Second thing would have to be the amount of weight you choose to use. I see so many individuals, guys in particular try to do so much damn weight in order to impress that pretty girl, and in turn end up getting hurt and making a fool ut of themselves. Always keep in mind everyone has to start somewhere, and remember no girl is going to care how much weight you can bench. Also perform exercises that are plausible and not these ridiculous crossflt types of movement exercises. I am sorry, but I am not a firm believer in picking up 2001b from the ground and lifting it over your head. That to me is an instant sign for so many different injuries, and not to mention the trainers instructing you allow you to do it with the most horrendous form. Make sure to stretch before working out with warm up sets to et the blood flow throughout the muscle, and after working out with conventional stretches to increase flexibility. Lastly, mind your peers when training because you in fact can injure someone else. I had an incident with a New Years resolution individual that was doing 801b with dumbbell press, and he decides it is too heavy and Just throws them on the ground and it almost bounced onto my foot, which most likely would have broken it. Now with all that being said there are some freak accidents I have seen people with perfect form and mediocre weight have one of heir muscles Just tear, and it is one of the most painful things to witness. I personally had an incident when I was doing incline dumbbell press with 1001b, I performed the exercise without any issues. However when I set the weights down on my knees to put them down, my wrist Just snapped and made this loud popping noise and it hurt terribly. I have no idea what happened and Just took a break for a few weeks because it was painful to grip anything, and it slowly went away for the most part. Since then I use wrist straps and weight belts to help stabilize those parts of my body, which I have found to help. The goal with this program is not only strength gains, but to basically look the best you can physically. It is not all about size, you want to find a nice balance between size, lean muscle mass, and proportionality for your specific division. The program I have set up is the one I currently use for my offseason training (typically the time when there are no shows for 4-6 months). This specific one is to help me gain size, while retaining majority of my lean muscle mass and density so when I have to prepare for a show I will be able to do so with an 8 week program. While prepping for show a lot of my training changes, and I add a few plyometric workouts in as well as interval cardiovascular training 4-6 days a week depending how far out I am from competing. Any type of cardiovascular training I typically do fasted in the morning, difference personally. There are millions of different workouts for different individuals, this specific one I wouldnt say should be used by every competitor since I conformed it to address my weaknesses. For a basic individual who is intermediately experienced with training, and is trying to look great however this would be a great tarting point.

Dufays Nuper Rosarum Flores Analysis

Dufays Nuper Rosarum Flores Analysis Guillaum Dufay [Dufay] is described in Guillaume Dufay and the early Renaissance-Howard Mayer Brown as the greatest of the early 15th-century Burgundian composers and one of the great figures in the history of western European music. He is credited as being mainly responsible for initiating the Renaissance [meaning rebirth] in music. Nuper rosarum flores is among the most spectacular musical creations of the period. Giannozzo Manetti, who was a politician, described the first performance of Du Fays Nuper rosarum flores as follows- ...it seemed as though the symphonies and songs of the angels and of divine paradise had been sent forth from Heaven to whisper in our ears an unbelievable celestial sweetness [The Renaissance Idea of Wisdom. by Eugene F. Rice, Jr.] In this essay I will discuss the musical background, function and characteristics of Dufays Nuper rosarum flores. Background In order to understand the musical background of Nuper rosarum flores it is necessary to examine the composer and his music. Dufay was born in 1397 and raised by his mother. It is not certain whether he actually ever knew his father but it would seem that his father was not involved in his life. Dufay spent his early life in Cambrai living with a relative who was a canon of the Cambrai Cathedral, which is situated in Northern France. He became a choir boy at aged 12 and his musical talents quickly impressed. By 1418 he was already a priest and a sub-deacon. In 1428 he joined a papal choir, which was considered a great honour and was one of the highest positions for a musician during the fifteenth century. It is right to recognise that most 15th Century composers were trained as choir boys and many Cathedrals and chapels taught not only singing but also music theory, grammar, mathematics and other subjects. This was only the privilege of men as women did not have such an opportunity. Whilst some Nuns and Novices in convents did receive some musical instruction only a very few were ever regarded as distinguished composers. [ Music in the Renaissance -The History of Modern Music] Dufay quickly became a well-known and much respected composer. He travelled frequently across Europe spending a great deal of time in Italy introducing him to perhaps the most advanced musical thinking of his time which influenced much of his writing. He was Chapel master between 1433-35 and again 1437-39 at the Court of Amadeus VIII, King Duke of Savoy. In 1439 a Church council deposed the then Pope and elected Amadeus as Pope. Dufay escaped from the conflict this created and returned to his principal home in Cambrai where he was ultimately appointed Canon of the Cathedral. [ England and Burgundy in the 15th Century, a History of western Music-J Peter Burnholder, Donald Jay Grout Claude Palisca] Dufays musical background enabled him to write a lot of relatively short sacred pieces, in Latin, the function of which was to accompany the liturgical service of the Mass as well as a number of longer and more detailed motets especially dedicated to the Virgin Mary resembling chant. Many musicians and historians suggest that his most impressive and most complex compositions were his isorhythmic motets which were written for a particular historical occasion or a grand occasion like the wedding of a prince; the signing of a peace treaty; or as was the case with Nuper rosarum flores [The Rose Blossoms] the dedication of a Church. Nuper rosarum flores is seen by many musicologists and historians as a truly brilliant isorhythmic motet. Simply explained the definition of an Isorhythm [Greek for the same rhythm] is a musical technique that arranges a fixed pattern of pitches with a repeating rhythmic pattern and a Motet is an unaccompanied choral work. The isorhythmic motet was intended to be sung as part of the church service. According to McComb, Todd M.- Guillaume Dufay (1397-1474) A discography. During his lifetime Dufay completed seven masses, 28 individual Mass movements, 27 hymns, 22 motets (13 isorhythmic), in addition to a variety of additional pieces from plainchant to secular pieces, all of which were spectacular. Before he died Dufay wrote a Requiem mass [now said to be lost] to be sung at his funeral and asked for the best singers from the cathedral sing his motet Ave regina caelorum [Hail, Queen of Heaven] to him on his deathbed. By the time of his death in 1474 Dufay was an extremely wealthy man. He was buried in the chapel of St. Etienne in the cathedral of Cambrai. His portrait was carved onto his tombstone which is now in a museum in Lille. His music survives because nearly 100 manuscripts were copied in Europe between 15th and 16 the Century to preserve them. Had that not have happened his works would have been lost as existing only in his mind. Thankfully in the late 19th and early 20th Century Dufays music was revived and many of the works were edited and transcribed into modern notation and published again for future generations to enjoy. [Guillaume Dufay and the early Renaissance-Howard Mayer Brown] Function The particular function for which Nuper rosarum flores was commissioned was the consecration of the Cathedral della Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. The piece was written by Dufay especially for this grand occasion and it was probably the first piece of music that greeted Pope Eugene IV as he entered the Cathedral as the piece forms part of the Introit (Latin for entrance) for the commencement of the Mass and used as the clergy process into the church and up to the High alter. In fact, the two tenor voices support the whole structure of the piece which is based on a Gregorian cantus firmus melody which was historically used for the consecration of most Christian churches. The piece, Nuper rosarum flores is a plea to St. Mary of Flowers [as the Virgin Mary was known by the population of Florence], by offering the church to her and asking for her perpetual intercession for her Florentine people. It is widely thought that the dimensions and musical structure of the motet was composed by Dufay with direct reference to the precise measurements and proportions of the cathedral dome, which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the most famous architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. These proportions have been described in this named web based reference as sacred geometry. (AmaranthPublishing.com/dufay) In order to ensure that the piece would meet the high expectation for the function for which it was commissioned, Dufay had to carry out a lot of historical research so that it would work in a modern setting. It would appear that he did this by joining the musical ideas of the Middle Ages with those of the Renaissance and ancient Greece to produce a totally unique piece of music, rather like Brunelleschi had achieved with his dome design, namely to design the dome in a traditional but modern way for that time period. Characteristics The characteristics of Nuper rosarum floreis that of an isorhythmic motet. As stated above an isorhythm composition is one in which a musical technique has a musical arrangement that has a fixed pattern of pitches with a repeating rhythmic pattern. In Nuper rosarum floreis the repeats are in different meters. As Dufay had decided to mix the traditions of the Middles Ages with the ideas of the Renaissance and Ancient Greece this style produced a piece that is seen as more progressive rather than structured. The voices become more and more independent as the piece progresses, unlike in earlier periods where the pieces were heavily structured and had to keep to a certain time signature. It was deliberately notated so that the music increased in volume and therefore did not rely on the structure for this increase. As there are no dynamics on the score the singers had to put in the dynamics themselves. The two tenor parts both still use the original notation of the Gregorian Neumes whilst the Triplum and Motetus use the new notation of crotchets and minims. It is easy to see why there is continued reference to the architecture of the dome when one examines the characteristics of Nuper rosarum floreis because Dufays way of writing re fers back to the old and incorporates the new just like the design for the building the dome on the Cathedral. Nuper rosarum flores is a mensuration canon which means that the main melody is accompanied by one or more imitations of that melody in other voices at different speeds. Accompanying voices may enter simultaneously or successively, as in Le Ray Au Soleyl by Johannes Ciconia,circa late 14c [Harvard anthology of music-Harvard University press 1949]. A very good example can be found in Josquins Agnus Dei [fig 1] each voice sings the same music but at different speeds. This is achieved as follows; the slowest voice is that found in the middle, the lowest voice sings the same music but at twice the speed of the slowest and the highest voice sings the same music at three times the speed of the slowest. This allows the upper voices to move more freely and in a way that can easily be heard. [fig 1 Josquins Agnus Dei] The name for the rhythmic patterns found in Nuper rosarum flores is taleas. A taleas is a freely invented rhythmic pattern which repeats each time in a different meter. The meter is probably better known as the time signature. The rhythm repeats four times and is twenty eight primary measures long. While many might say that the isorhythm was common in the fifteenth century, especially for large occasional pieces, it is also correct to say that music styles were changing rapidly in the 15th century. Another characteristic of this piece is that there are two tenor lines. Each has different rhythmic patterns which retain their own rhythms each time they are repeated. Tenor 1 has 14.5 measures of rest while Tenor 2 has 14 measures of rest. The tenors do not sing at the same time as the upper voices. Here Dufay is displaying the use of contrasting textures. The upper voices are fast moving while the tenors are slow moving. There is an exact balance of the two sections. The duets last 14 primary measures as do the full voices. These contrasting textures became an essential development of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. These full voiced sections were described as tutti [Howard M Brown Music in the Renaissance (1986) ] reflecting the progressive quality of the music of the seventeenth century and later. Another characteristic is that the piece involves the technique referred to as isomelic. Isomelic is a general term identifying reappearances of the same or similar melodic material in the upper voices at corresponding locations with respect to the divisions of the tenor. [Samuel E Brown, Jr New Evidence of Isomelic Design in Dufays Isorythmic Motets (Journal of the American Musicological Society  © 1957] Dufays musical style was without doubt unique and the composition of Nuper rosarum flores was complex and it is here where it was believed that the proportions in which the repeats were written represented the structure of the cathedral. This is where once again music and architecture meet. Having said that not all historians share the view of the association between Nuper rosarum flores with the cathedral dome. The musical piece acquired renewed interest as recently as 1973 as the result of the discovery by Charles Warren of a strong connection between its musical structure and the dimensions and proportions of the new Cathedral arguing that the unique set of ratios of the piece corresponded to the large-scale architectural dimensions of the Cathedral i.e the nave, crossing, apse, and dome. However, this view was not widely accepted and in an article in 1993 by Craig Wright he suggests that the piece more accurately reflects the mystical numbers of Solomons Temple whose overall length, length of nave and sanctuary, and height were 60:40:20:30 cubits [ the durational ratio is 6:4:2:3 in the piece] Another article written in an attempt to restore Warrens theory was written by M. Trachtenberg and found in, Architecture and Music Reunited: A New Reading of Dufays Nuper Ros arum Flores and the Cathedral of Florence, Renaissance Quarterly 54 (2001), 740-775. Thus the mystery continues. Conclusion Dufays music defined the central style of the music of the 15th century. He changed the overall sound by the use of four voice textures, a defining moment being the performance of Nuper rosarum flores at the consecration of Florence Cathedral. He lived in a period of great musical change in Europe. Dufay, in many respects, paved the way for future composers to use greater imagination and ingenuity in musical composition. (Ogan, 2001) Charlotte Lynch 26th October 2010.

Who Is Beloved? :: essays papers

Who Is Beloved? After reading the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison, many readers may find them selves asking who Beloved really was. There are basically three answers that would satisfy this question; that she is the actual baby ghost come back to life, a random woman who came to fulfill the needs of the protagonists, and the view of, does it really matter? These possibilities will be discussed throughout the duration of this essay and it will be left to you to decide what you think. In the support of Beloved actually being the baby ghost re-born, you could use the fact that she knew a song that Sethe made up to sing to her children to prove this theory. " 'I made up that song,' said Sethe. 'I made it up and sang it to my children. Nobody knows that song but me and my children' " Sethe pg. 176 "Beloved turned to look at Sethe. 'I know it,' she said." Beloved pg.176 The fact that Beloved knew about Sethe's earrings also adds to this. How she seemed to know all of the right questions to ask Sethe and when she should ask them. Symbolism also factors into this idea. Beloved came out of the water, Sethe had an experience like her water would break in pregnancy when she saw Beloved, and Beloved drank so much water, as an infant child would have to do. Water in this case refers to life and re-birth. A third piece of evidence would be Beloved's appearance; she had soft unwrinkled skin, like that of a baby; "She had new skin, lineless and smooth, including the knuckles of her hands." Pg. 50 Beloved had what seemed to be little wisps of hair across her forehead, these were decided later to be the imprints of Sethe's nails from where Sethe held Beloved to hold her in place in order to slit her throat. Taking all of this into account, it is enough to convince almost anyone that the facts are too great for Beloved to be anyone but the baby ghost reincarnated. While the facts for Beloved being the actual baby ghost reincarnated seem overwhelming there is also the idea that she might be just some random woman. Beloved's appearance at 124 seemed to have impeccable timing, which brought about the question of "was she was a random woman who heard about the family and took the needed place of the baby ghost." Some of the information brought to the aide of Beloved's being the baby ghost can be contradicted in this theory.

Biography of Pope John Paul the Second Essay -- Popes Religion Religio

Biography of Pope John Paul the Second The most recognised man in the world, His Holiness Pope John Paul II was born in Wadowice, Poland on the 18th May, 1920. When he was born he was given the name Karol Jozef Wojtyla, Karol after his father and Jozef after the father of Jesus Christ. He was referred to affectionately as Lolek. By the age of 21 the Pope had experienced great loss with the deaths of all the immediate members of his family. His mother died when he was only 8 years old, his elder brother, a doctor, when he was 12 and his father when he was just 21. His father had dreamed of seeing his son enter the priesthood, but unfortunately he did not live to see him become a priest. As a schoolboy the Pope was an excellent student and an enthusiastic athlete – he skied, hiked, kayaked and swam. The Pope’s family were strict Catholics, but he had Christian friends and Jewish friends – in a time when many behaved in a racist manner towards Jewish people. After graduating from high school the Pope attended the university in Krakow. While at university studying Literature and Philosophy, he also joined a theatre company. In 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The Nazis closed libraries, and universities – including the one where the Pope studied. They shot people for going to the theatre and even for speaking the Polish language. They even shot priests who opposed them. The Pope also saw his Jewish friends and neighbours being herded into the ghetto. During this time the Pope worked in a quarry and a chemical factory while he studied Theology in secret. â€Å"Any day I could have been picked up on the street, at the factory or at the stone quarry and sent to a concentration camp. Sometimes I asked myself: ‘So many people at my age were losing their lives, why not me?’†. When the Seminary in Krakow re-opened after the war the Pope continued his studies and he was ordained on the 1st November, 1946. Learning was important to the Pope and over the next few years he obtained a number of degrees. As a young priest in Poland the Pope defied the Communist authorities. Privately he advised and encouraged political activists. He developed a Catholic newspaper that conveyed views that opposed those of the communist government. He founded secret clubs for Catholic intellectuals and ran an underground seminary for future priests from ne... ...cognised their importance to the Holy Catholic Church by instituting World Youth day. The first gathering was in 1984 when he invited the youth to gather in Rome for a special celebration - an international jubilee of youth. The following year he invited the youth to come again to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Youth. He was so overwhelmed by the numbers that came that he decided to make it a regular celebration. World Youth Day is held every two years. This year the celebration is being held in Cologne, Germany. The Pope had a large capacity to forgive. In 1981 he was shot in an assassination attempt. The Pope visited his would-be assassinator in gaol offering him his forgiveness. Throughout his 26 papacy he worked tirelessly for mankind to bring peace and justice to the world. He reminded us of the value of individuals in the modern world. In recent years we have seen the Pope struggle as his health has failed him, but he continued to meet the daily challenges of life. It was this humanity, his warmth as a human being and his ability to talk plainly that made people feel close to him, and this is why so many mourn throughout the world at this time.

The Age of Stupid

How many of these Issues were you aware of before? I was aware of global warming; however I was not aware of what the contributing factors were, how severe it was, and how we as Americans are bad consumers and our decisions are effecting our environment. 2. What did you learn? Pick two issues mentioned and describe how they are related. I learned that thousands of years ago, the energy needed to grow our crops and feed our animals was limited by the dally unlighted falling on the earth and we were sustaining but now we use the energy equivalent to hundreds of years of sunlight every single year.Americans now consume twice as much oil than Europeans; nine times more than a Chinese person, fifteen times more than an Indian, and fifty times more than someone from Kenya and in doing so, the level of greenhouse gases and emissions increase pollution and affect the climate which contributes to global warming. It also further puts demands on the economy to produce oil, which is very expensi ve and dangerous to manufacture. 3. How Is business connected to the environment? Name two ways.The movie talks about â€Å"resource curse† when interviewing the young woman from Africa. It was said that finding oil increases countries poverty because as oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of few; the agriculture, education, and health system of the country become neglected and often collapse. Due to the political system, the 13% of revenue that Is supposed to be spent on community development is lost. Profit will always proceed when you have a demand for a product regardless of how It effects an environment.The movie explained that â€Å"flares† emit about 70 million tons of carbon dioxide every year which is more than the annual emission from ten million British homes and is the leading cause of asthma, bronchitis, skin disease, and cancer in areas where oil is found, yet it is easy to transport and sell so business is continued. 4. What do you feel are relevant and useful approaches to Innovation that can make a preference to the direction our planet is going (in relation to information shared here)?And how might we improve that, or build on that? Incorporating and taking advantage of alternative methods of energy such as solar panels, green products, electric cars that don't require fuel/oil and using the remaining oil we have and building a society that can function without It Instead of using tens of billions of barrels each day. As Americans we need to become better consumers and downsize n things we really do not need.The movie talked about consumerism and how it is a continuous cycle of wasting resources we really do not have. In order to improve or build on approaches to innovation, we first must educate ourselves about things like preventing deforestation, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. 5. Find an example of innovation, from any source, to substantiate your idea. (cite your source). Be ready to share this In class. Californ ians climate Is expected to become considerably warmer

Non-Violence

With the simultaneous proliferation of technology and global-poltical danger in the modern world, strategies for countering both political oppression, and the outbreak of political violence and war are urgently needed.   Although the century which has recently slipped away — the Twentieth Century — may be remembered as â€Å"the bloodiest in history† (Martin 625), with hundreds of millions of people killed in wars and with weapons of mass destruction being â€Å"invented, built, deployed and further refined† (Martin 625) during the same century when state-sponsored genocide and terrorism became commonly known quantities.Against this backdrop of chaos, war, and an increasingly dangerous technological landscape, the philosophy of non-violence, or passive resistance, gained   an historical currency which is still unmatched. The activities of important leaders like Gandhi, King, and Mandela revealed the truly earth-changing, paradigm shifting   potential of non-violence resistance as a method for seizing social initiative and political power.Because of the actions of these three important leaders. plus a host of other lesser-known figures, and the action of millions of ordinary activists, â€Å"it can be argued that the rise of nonviolent action was one of the most important developments of the century†Ã‚   (Martin 625), and one which has tremendous potential for application in today's difficult and complex political world.While it is true enough that Gandhi, King, and Mandela over similar models of non-violent leadership and that key tenants of what might be termed a â€Å"universal† sense of non-violence pervade each leaders' philosophies, distinct differences are also recognizable   when a comparison of the three leaders' ideas, activities, and accomplishments is carried out. Such a study of similarities and differences in the philosophies and actions of these important leaders is crucial to understanding how the philosophy of non-violence may be applied in modern times as an antidote to the dangerous and oppressive climate that threatens much of the world.As noted, â€Å"Nonviolent action — including methods such as rallies, strikes, boycotts and sit-ins — has become increasingly important in the past century as a method for waging conflict and promoting social change† (Martin 625) and due to the urgent pressure caused by modern political and social challenges such as terrorism, global warming, the protection of human rights and religious freedom, adapting past approaches of non-violent action to present-day challenges may be beneficial.Non-violent activism may, in fact, help bring about important social changes: â€Å"Some areas for future expansion of the role of nonviolent action include replacing military defence, technological design, challenging capitalism, bureaucratic politics, information struggles and interpersonal behaviour† (Martin 625); the suggesti on of non-violence as an all-pervading philosophy applicable throughout the full strata of political and social issues may sound grandiose, but as we will see, this idea is actually a core-concept for the three leaders in our study.In this regard, non-violent philosophy takes it roots not in social, political or philosophical idea, but in spiritual convictions or even, spiritual revelation. An abstraction of  Ã‚   â€Å"nonviolence principles, building on the core dynamic of political jiu-jitsu in contexts where the opponent does not use physical force† (Martin 625) may be the best way to intuitively understand that non-violence does not indicate non-action of total passivity in the face of aggression. Such a distinction is difficult to pin down, but it is a crucial part of activism, manifest in the breaking of â€Å"unjust† laws, and passive resistant behaviors which, if not violent, certainly imply action by the participants.In order to shed light on some of the mo re challenging aspects of non-violent activism, such as the spiritual aspect, as well as investigate the potential application of non-violent philosophy in modern times, the following brief examination of non-violent philosophy according to each leader: Gandhi, King, and Mandela, will attempt to sketch a general idea of the similarities and differences of each leader's approach and attempt to discover if any type of universal vision of non-violent philosophy can be discovered.GANDHIFor Gandhi, non-violence arises out of an organic human impulse or † basic law of our being† (Gandhi, and Merton 23); such a conviction, foe Gandhi, is based not in genetic or biological assumptions or evidence or in logistical philosophical reasoning, but in spiritual ideas. For Gandhi, â€Å"Ahimsa (non-violence)†Ã‚   (Gandhi, and Merton 23) is the opposite of   â€Å"himsa (violence)†Ã‚   (Gandhi, and Merton 23), and the attributes of each energy are just as distinct. While Ahimsa â€Å"can be used as the most effective principle for social action, since it is in deep accord with the truth of man's nature and corresponds to his innate desire for peace, justice, order, freedom, and personal dignity† (Gandhi, and Merton 23), its opposite energy, himsa, â€Å"degrades and corrupts man† (Gandhi, and Merton 23); therefore to bring himsa energy against himsa energy would be to fight fire with fire.By contrast, the application of ahimsa or non-violent energy to the problem of himsa energy â€Å"heals and restores man's nature, while giving him a means to restore social order and justice† (Gandhi, and Merton 23). The important thing to remember here is that, for Gandhi, ahimsa and himsa energies are not metaphorical reflections or abstract concepts, they are living, spiritual realities.   Although the capacity for ahimsa resides in each person, modern society has left humanity with a much more desperate and disordered reliance on himsa e nergy.For Gandhi such an alienation of man's true capacities has resulted in a culture where â€Å"violence seems to be the very foundation of social order and is â€Å"enthroned as if it were an eternal law,† so that man is called upon by society to reject love† (Gandhi, and Merton 43) and instead embrace a social reality which is enforced by violence or by the threat of violence.To meet this himsa-driven society with ahimsa energy adn non-violence requires supreme courage on behalf of the activist. This extraordinary courage, according to Gandhi, is derived from God:This courage demands nothing short of the ability to face death with complete   Ã‚   fearlessness and to suffer without retaliation. Such a program is meaningless and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   impossible, Gandhi thinks, without belief in God.  (Gandhi, and Merton 43)The implication in Gandhi's ideas is that the activist or the â€Å"Satyagrahi† is enabled, in fact: bound, by God to break the laws of man when they are unjust. The decision as to how it is determined that a law is unjust is murky and unclear, as we will see: this same ambiguity marks both King and Mandela's own approach to non-violent activism. The historical truth is that Gandhi made clear that each â€Å"Satyagrahi was bound to resist all those laws which he considered to be unjust and which were not of a criminal character, in order to bend the Government to the will of the people† (Gandhi 21) and it is this kind of â€Å"twisting† which comprises the active aspect of non-violent activism.KINGThe expression of non-violent activism by King relied as much on spiritual conviction as that of Gandhi. This conviction brought about a similar adherence to   the concept of breaking â€Å"unjust† laws as a method of civil disobedience. King, like Gandhi, found justification for the breaking of social laws by the invocation of Divine Power. The result was that King experienced some difficulty in ma king his racial and social activism truly universal, although such a desire to do so formed an underlying precept of his overall strategy for social and political change.In a rather unique twist of philosophy, King opted to not only resist unjust laws non-violently, but tor each out to his so-called opponents: white racists with language of reconciliation, good-will, and fellowship. King's invocations of â€Å"the good to be achieved† (Wolf, and Rosen) were powerful   counterparts to his criticisms of the social conditions he sought to transform.Since King's goal was to â€Å"to bring the Negro into the mainstream of American life as quickly as possible† (Wolf, and Rosen) his reliance on civil disobedience and the breaking of unjust laws by Divine justification, like Gandhi's, requires a deeper examination. Such revelation is possible due to King's extensive writings; in particular his â€Å"Letter From a Birmingham Jail† a famous document where he addresses t he concern of his fellow clergymen regarding the breaking of laws by civil activists.The letter repeatedly appeals to a shared sense of religion; King also cites Biblical examples to bolster his argument.  Ã‚   Responding to the criticism that his actions and the actions of his followers, even though non-violent in practice, ultimately resulted in violence on the behalf of the white Southerners who beat and jailed the protestor (and sometimes lynched or otherwise killed African Americans), King compared the fight for civil rights with the fight of Jesus to spread the gospel.King's appeal via religion and spirituality was based in a desire for unity and understanding. While he denied accusations of extremity or of inciting violence, he admitted that the impulse for civil rights was, by his reckoning, the will   of God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   King advises that the will of all people is toward freedom and equality.   â€Å"Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro.† (King)By forwarding the notion that civil rights are an inevitable outgrowth of both God's will and the flow of history, King is, in effect, offering a justification for his tactics and philosophies regarding civil rights.The justification for the elements of passive resistance which had led to violent confrontation is also based in King's ideas of justice. King's idea is that God's law is the highest law and that man's laws may be broken when they obviously disagree with or even insult God's law.With the belief that God's Law is the highest law and that history shows that all people will struggle for freedom and liberty, and by appealing to the rational sense of justice and the emotional and spiritual senses of brotherhood and love, King attains justification for his actions but does not seek to evade or subvert laws outright.MANDELAUnlike King, Mandela called for delib erate confrontation with the forces of apartheid which apposed his view of liberation and freedom. Although he repeatedly expressed his opinion that he was not, in fact, a racist himself, Mandela's rhetoric unlike King and Gandhi's, â€Å"was more polarizing† (Wolf, and Rosen); for example, Mandela never attempted â€Å"to appeal to whites† and he sought by confrontational rhetoric coupled with non-violent activism to † through greater polarization to galvanize the situation to crisis levels, thereby compelling action by the international community† (Wolf, and Rosen) which in itself presents a divergence in thought from Gandhi and King both of whom sough reconciliation with their enemies.However, rhetoric was simply another tool in Mandela's non-violent philosophical approach. When, at key moments, he might have called for violence, in actuality, he strove for non-violent change. he might have â€Å"easily have called for a violent overthrow of the South A frican government upon his release after 27 years in prison† (Pierce 1) but rather than do so, he advocated non-violent resistance.The idea of appealing to the world community adds another dimension to the non-violent approach of activism. For Mandela, â€Å"In this scenario, â€Å"the international community† becomes subrogated to the role of â€Å"broader constituency† that Mandela evoked indirectly†Ã‚   (Wolf, and Rosen) but whose support and intervention proved crucial to his success. Because of his sometimes volatile rhetoric, Mandela took special care to â€Å"emphasize his desire for reconciliation across the divide of colour† and repeatedly â€Å"pledged himself anew to work for a multiracial society in which all would have a secure place† (Pierce 175).Contemporary Impact of Non-Violent StrategiesDespite the contributions of great thinkers and activists like those examined in the preceding, brief discussion, the fact is contemporary s ociety seems no less preoccupied with violence than ever before. By examining the media one has the distinct impression that in the world of media and media-related technology, a great deal of concern has been expressed by both everyday observers and specialists in social-psychology over the possible negative impacts that media, and in particular media portrayals of violence, may have upon small children and adolescent children.One of the most complex facets of the issue is the still-unknown impact that new technologies such as 24 hour a day cable programming, widespread Internet access, and the â€Å"digital age† in general will have on the generation of young people who are presently the first to be so overwhelmed by such widespread media and media technologies.An immersive and nearly all-pervading sense of media exists in modern homes that, in fact, the presence of media can be said to form a basis of â€Å"reality† for many people. It is this exact kind of blurred distinction between perceived reality (based on media models and information) and reality (those aspects of life which stand apart from media and media-based models).The distinction between media-reality and reality is not always clear, particularly to small children and adolescent children: â€Å"The boundaries between reality and unreality are especially permeable for small children. They are unable, through at least the age of three or four, to distinguish fact from fantasy. Even older children rarely manage to keep â€Å"real life† and vicarious experience in watertight compartments† (Bok 1999, 38) as we will see in the following discussion.The main impact repeated viewings of media violence seems to exert over small children and adolescents is the conflation of media-violence with organic psychological processes, many of which exist at such a deep, primitive psychological level in humans that manipulation of these emotions, and psychological dispositions remains, for the most part, beyond the conscious perception of the viewer. In conclusion, although the idea of media-responsibility regarding the impact of violent programming on children and young adults is often cited by critics as a form of censorship, ample scientific evidence and research exists to establish media-violence as a certain source of negative influence on young people.The fact of the matter remains despite the right of free speech that media-reality and actual reality are non-distinct at some deep, organic level in human psychology: † weeks earlier the Los Angeles police officers whose roadside beating of motorist Rodney King had been shown on TV screens the world over had been acquitted by an all-white jury[†¦]In that crisis, the boundaries between movies and reality blurred, not only for the public but also for Hollywood producers, directors, and actors who were seeing smoke rising beneath their hillside residences and hearing sirens echo up and down the canyons ,† (Bok 1999, 36); with such a confusing and agitating impact of adult professionals, what can we expect when we expose our children to the same cultural ambiguities through media?If non-violent philosophy according to Gandhi, king, and Mandela is correct then violence is not   a norm in human society, but a constructed evil. If, as the proponents of non-violent philosophy suggest, â€Å"non-violent settlement of conflict is the human norm as we well know from daily experience. We are not programmed in some genetic way to violence† (Kent) than a radical re-visioning of our self-identity and self-image as human beings must take place not only in our media and in our educational facilities, but in our individual psyches as well.The applications of non-violent strategies in contemporary culture can be thought of as being as unknown as the implications of deep-space travel because even though the contributions of such historical leaders as Gandhi, King, and Mandela reveal s the tremendous power of non-violent activism, the full impact of the philosophy as articulated by these men has far-reaching cultural, global-poltical, and spiritual implications which surpass anything which has yet occurred in history.In other words, the â€Å"pioneers† of the â€Å"modern† incarnation of non-violent strategy which we have examined: Gandhi, King, and Mandela represent not the totality of what the non-violent philosophy can or wants to attain, but the mere beginning of a global transformation which is rooted not inly in the basic moral nature of humanity, but in humanity's spiritual destiny and responsibility.Certainly individual leaders and activists continue to utilize the non-violent approach to attain important results in their areas of influence. Modern technology can also help individual activists to promote change by spreading honest information regarding the repercussions of violence and the militarization of political issues. One recent exam ple is when â€Å"a 1991 massacre in the East Timorese capital Dill was recorded on videotape and subsequently broadcast worldwide, this generated enormous support for the resistance† (Martin 625); such applications of technology by individuals represent one small but important aspect of the many avenues of potential non-violent methods of change.Other methods include educational strategies based in the ideas forwarded by Gandhi, King, and Mandela. The recognition of the historical impact of the immensely influential strategies of non-violent change and civil disobedience will also help to inform and empower individuals who, in turn, may adopt some of the strategies and ideas reflected upon in the above discussion to help bring about social and political change through non-violent means.ConclusionThe examination of three important world-leaders who based their activism in non-violent philosophy reveals certain universal traits among the different incarnations of non-violent a ctivism. Among these universal traits is a belief in the breaking of â€Å"unjust† laws for the purpose of bringing about social and political change. This belief is often, if not always, accompanied by an ambiguous but firmly articulated that such a braking of laws is based in Divine Will. Another core belief seems to be that non-violence rather than violence is, in fact, more in keeping with humanity's organic nature. This idea often results in a corresponding belief that the violence evident in human society is the result of a kind of perversion of humanity's natural attributes into an unnatural and unhealthy state.Against this backdrop, it is very difficult if not impossible to envision the philosophies of non-violent activism as we know them today as anything short of a religious and spiritual philosophy with extremely pragmatic roots in social and political activism. Not only is the spiritual aspect of non-violent philosophy seemingly universal in the three historical f igures studied in this short discussion, but the attributes of spirituality embraced by non-violent activists are, in themselves, of great and abiding interest to any observer. A discussion of this aspect alone would probably reveal that the philosophy of non-violence has existed as a spiritual conviction at various times in various cultures throughout the entire history of humanity.Works CitedBarker, Martin and Julian Petley, eds. 2001. Ill Effects: The Media/Violence Debate. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Routledge.Bok, Sissela. 1999. Mayhem Violence as Public Entertainment. Reading, MA: Perseus Books.Gandhi, M. K. Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha). New York: Schocken Books, 1961.Gandhi, Mahatma, and Thomas Merton. Gandhi on Non-Violence. New York: New Directions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pub, 1965.Kent, Bruce. â€Å"Non-Violence: The History of a Dangerous Idea.† History Today Feb. 2007: 62+.Mandela, Tambo, and the African National Congress The Struggle against Apartheid, 1948-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1990. Ed. Sheridan Johns and R. Hunt Davis. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.Martin, Brian. â€Å"Nonviolent Futures.† Futures 33.7 (2001): 625.Pierce, Victoria. â€Å"A Tribute to Dr. King Civil Rights Leader's Legacy of Non- Violence Is Alive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   around the World.† Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) 29 Sept. 2006: 1.Wolf, Charles, and Brian Rosen. â€Å"Public Diplomacy: Lessons from King and Mandela.† Policy Review (2005): 63+. Non-Violence With the simultaneous proliferation of technology and global-poltical danger in the modern world, strategies for countering both political oppression, and the outbreak of political violence and war are urgently needed.   Although the century which has recently slipped away — the Twentieth Century — may be remembered as â€Å"the bloodiest in history† (Martin 625), with hundreds of millions of people killed in wars and with weapons of mass destruction being â€Å"invented, built, deployed and further refined† (Martin 625) during the same century when state-sponsored genocide and terrorism became commonly known quantities.Against this backdrop of chaos, war, and an increasingly dangerous technological landscape, the philosophy of non-violence, or passive resistance, gained   an historical currency which is still unmatched. The activities of important leaders like Gandhi, King, and Mandela revealed the truly earth-changing, paradigm shifting   potential of non-violence resistance as a method for seizing social initiative and political power. Because of the actions of these three important leaders. plus a host of other lesser-known figures, and the action of millions of ordinary activists, â€Å"it can be argued that the rise of nonviolent action was one of the most important developments of the century†Ã‚   (Martin 625), and one which has tremendous potential for application in today's difficult and complex political world.While it is true enough that Gandhi, King, and Mandela over similar models of non-violent leadership and that key tenants of what might be termed a â€Å"universal† sense of non-violence pervade each leaders' philosophies, distinct differences are also recognizable   when a comparison of the three leaders' ideas, activities, and accomplishments is carried out. Such a study of similarities and differences in the philosophies and actions of these important leaders is crucial to understanding how th e philosophy of non-violence may be applied in modern times as an antidote to the dangerous and oppressive climate that threatens much of the world. As noted, â€Å"Nonviolent action — including methods such as rallies, strikes, boycotts and sit-ins — has become increasingly important in the past century as a method for waging conflict and promoting social change† (Martin 625) and due to the urgent pressure caused by modern political and social challenges such as terrorism, global warming, the protection of human rights and religious freedom, adapting past approaches of non-violent action to present-day challenges may be beneficial.Non-violent activism may, in fact, help bring about important social changes: â€Å"Some areas for future expansion of the role of nonviolent action include replacing military defence, technological design, challenging capitalism, bureaucratic politics, information struggles and interpersonal behaviour† (Martin 625); the sugges tion of non-violence as an all-pervading philosophy applicable throughout the full strata of political and social issues may sound grandiose, but as we will see, this idea is actually a core-concept for the three leaders in our study.In this regard, non-violent philosophy takes it roots not in social, political or philosophical idea, but in spiritual convictions or even, spiritual revelation. An abstraction of  Ã‚   â€Å"nonviolence principles, building on the core dynamic of political jiu-jitsu in contexts where the opponent does not use physical force† (Martin 625) may be the best way to intuitively understand that non-violence does not indicate non-action of total passivity in the face of aggression. Such a distinction is difficult to pin down, but it is a crucial part of activism, manifest in the breaking of â€Å"unjust† laws, and passive resistant behaviors which, if not violent, certainly imply action by the participants.In order to shed light on some of the more challenging aspects of non-violent activism, such as the spiritual aspect, as well as investigate the potential application of non-violent philosophy in modern times, the following brief examination of non-violent philosophy according to each leader: Gandhi, King, and Mandela, will attempt to sketch a general idea of the similarities and differences of each leader's approach and attempt to discover if any type of universal vision of non-violent philosophy can be discovered.For Gandhi, non-violence arises out of an organic human impulse or † basic law of our being† (Gandhi, and Merton 23); such a conviction, foe Gandhi, is based not in genetic or biological assumptions or evidence or in logistical philosophical reasoning, but in spiritual ideas. For Gandhi, â€Å"Ahimsa (non-violence)†Ã‚   (Gandhi, and Merton 23) is the opposite of   â€Å"himsa (violence)†Ã‚   (Gandhi, and Merton 23), and the attributes of each energy are just as distinct. While Ahim sa â€Å"can be used as the most effective principle for social action, since it is in deep accord with the truth of man's nature and corresponds to his innate desire for peace, justice, order, freedom, and personal dignity† (Gandhi, and Merton 23), its opposite energy, himsa, â€Å"degrades and corrupts man† (Gandhi, and Merton 23); therefore to bring himsa energy against himsa energy would be to fight fire with fire.By contrast, the application of ahimsa or non-violent energy to the problem of himsa energy â€Å"heals and restores man's nature, while giving him a means to restore social order and justice† (Gandhi, and Merton 23). The important thing to remember here is that, for Gandhi, ahimsa and himsa energies are not metaphorical reflections or abstract concepts, they are living, spiritual realities.   Although the capacity for ahimsa resides in each person, modern society has left humanity with a much more desperate and disordered reliance on himsa energ y. For Gandhi such an alienation of man's true capacities has resulted in a culture where â€Å"violence seems to be the very foundation of social order and is â€Å"enthroned as if it were an eternal law,† so that man is called upon by society to reject love† (Gandhi, and Merton 43) and instead embrace a social reality which is enforced by violence or by the threat of violence.To meet this himsa-driven society with ahimsa energy adn non-violence requires supreme courage on behalf of the activist. This extraordinary courage, according to Gandhi, is derived from God:This courage demands nothing short of the ability to face death with complete fearlessness and to suffer without retaliation. Such a program is meaningless and impossible, Gandhi thinks, without belief in God.The implication in Gandhi's ideas is that the activist or the â€Å"Satyagrahi† is enabled, in fact: bound, by God to break the laws of man when they are unjust. The decision as to how it is dete rmined that a law is unjust is murky and unclear, as we will see: this same ambiguity marks both King and Mandela's own approach to non-violent activism. The historical truth is that Gandhi made clear that each â€Å"Satyagrahi was bound to resist all those laws which he considered to be unjust and which were not of a criminal character, in order to bend the Government to the will of the people† (Gandhi 21) and it is this kind of â€Å"twisting† which comprises the active aspect of non-violent activism.The expression of non-violent activism by King relied as much on spiritual conviction as that of Gandhi. This conviction brought about a similar adherence to   the concept of breaking â€Å"unjust† laws as a method of civil disobedience. King, like Gandhi, found justification for the breaking of social laws by the invocation of Divine Power. The result was that King experienced some difficulty in making his racial and social activism truly universal, although su ch a desire to do so formed an underlying precept of his overall strategy for social and political change. In a rather unique twist of philosophy, King opted to not only resist unjust laws non-violently, but tor each out to his so-called opponents: white racists with language of reconciliation, good-will, and fellowship. King's invocations of â€Å"the good to be achieved† (Wolf, and Rosen) were powerful   counterparts to his criticisms of the social conditions he sought to transform.Since King's goal was to â€Å"to bring the Negro into the mainstream of American life as quickly as possible† (Wolf, and Rosen) his reliance on civil disobedience and the breaking of unjust laws by Divine justification, like Gandhi's, requires a deeper examination. Such revelation is possible due to King's extensive writings; in particular his â€Å"Letter From a Birmingham Jail† a famous document where he addresses the concern of his fellow clergymen regarding the breaking of la ws by civil activists. The letter repeatedly appeals to a shared sense of religion; King also cites Biblical examples to bolster his argument.  Ã‚   Responding to the criticism that his actions and the actions of his followers, even though non-violent in practice, ultimately resulted in violence on the behalf of the white Southerners who beat and jailed the protestor (and sometimes lynched or otherwise killed African Americans), King compared the fight for civil rights with the fight of Jesus to spread the gospel.King's appeal via religion and spirituality was based in a desire for unity and understanding. While he denied accusations of extremity or of inciting violence, he admitted that the impulse for civil rights was, by his reckoning, the will   of God.   Ã‚   King advises that the will of all people is toward freedom and equality.   â€Å"Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happene d to the American Negro.† (King) By forwarding the notion that civil rights are an inevitable outgrowth of both God's will and the flow of history, King is, in effect, offering a justification for his tactics and philosophies regarding civil rights.The justification for the elements of passive resistance which had led to violent confrontation is also based in King's ideas of justice. King's idea is that God's law is the highest law and that man's laws may be broken when they obviously disagree with or even insult God's law.With the belief that God's Law is the highest law and that history shows that all people will struggle for freedom and liberty, and by appealing to the rational sense of justice and the emotional and spiritual senses of brotherhood and love, King attains justification for his actions but does not seek to evade or subvert laws outright.Unlike King, Mandela called for deliberate confrontation with the forces of apartheid which apposed his view of liberation an d freedom. Although he repeatedly expressed his opinion that he was not, in fact, a racist himself, Mandela's rhetoric unlike King and Gandhi's, â€Å"was more polarizing† (Wolf, and Rosen); for example, Mandela never attempted â€Å"to appeal to whites† and he sought by confrontational rhetoric coupled with non-violent activism to † through greater polarization to galvanize the situation to crisis levels, thereby compelling action by the international community† (Wolf, and Rosen) which in itself presents a divergence in thought from Gandhi and King both of whom sough reconciliation with their enemies.However, rhetoric was simply another tool in Mandela's non-violent philosophical approach. When, at key moments, he might have called for violence, in actuality, he strove for non-violent change. he might have â€Å"easily have called for a violent overthrow of the South African government upon his release after 27 years in prison† (Pierce 1) but rather than do so, he advocated non-violent resistance. The idea of appealing to the world community adds another dimension to the non-violent approach of activism. For Mandela, â€Å"In this scenario, â€Å"the international community† becomes subrogated to the role of â€Å"broader constituency† that Mandela evoked indirectly†Ã‚   (Wolf, and Rosen) but whose support and intervention proved crucial to his success. Because of his sometimes volatile rhetoric, Mandela took special care to â€Å"emphasize his desire for reconciliation across the divide of colour† and repeatedly â€Å"pledged himself anew to work for a multiracial society in which all would have a secure place† (Pierce 175).Contemporary Impact of Non-Violent StrategiesDespite the contributions of great thinkers and activists like those examined in the preceding, brief discussion, the fact is contemporary society seems no less preoccupied with violence than ever before. By examining the media one has the distinct impression that in the world of media and media-related technology, a great deal of concern has been expressed by both everyday observers and specialists in social-psychology over the possible negative impacts that media, and in particular media portrayals of violence, may have upon small children and adolescent children. One of the most complex facets of the issue is the still-unknown impact that new technologies such as 24 hour a day cable programming, widespread Internet access, and the â€Å"digital age† in general will have on the generation of young people who are presently the first to be so overwhelmed by such widespread media and media technologies.An immersive and nearly all-pervading sense of media exists in modern homes that, in fact, the presence of media can be said to form a basis of â€Å"reality† for many people. It is this exact kind of blurred distinction between perceived reality (based on media models and information) and real ity (those aspects of life which stand apart from media and media-based models).   The distinction between media-reality and reality is not always clear, particularly to small children and adolescent children: â€Å"The boundaries between reality and unreality are especially permeable for small children. They are unable, through at least the age of three or four, to distinguish fact from fantasy. Even older children rarely manage to keep â€Å"real life† and vicarious experience in watertight compartments† (Bok 1999, 38) as we will see in the following discussion.The main impact repeated viewings of media violence seems to exert over small children and adolescents is the conflation of media-violence with organic psychological processes, many of which exist at such a deep, primitive psychological level in humans that manipulation of these emotions, and psychological dispositions remains, for the most part, beyond the conscious perception of the viewer. In conclusion, although the idea of media-responsibility regarding the impact of violent programming on children and young adults is often cited by critics as a form of censorship, ample scientific evidence and research exists to establish media-violence as a certain source of negative influence on young people.The fact of the matter remains despite the right of free speech that media-reality and actual reality are non-distinct at some deep, organic level in human psychology: † weeks earlier the Los Angeles police officers whose roadside beating of motorist Rodney King had been shown on TV screens the world over had been acquitted by an all-white jury[†¦]In that crisis, the boundaries between movies and reality blurred, not only for the public but also for Hollywood producers, directors, and actors who were seeing smoke rising beneath their hillside residences and hearing sirens echo up and down the canyons,† (Bok 1999, 36); with such a confusing and agitating impact of adult prof essionals, what can we expect when we expose our children to the same cultural ambiguities through media?If non-violent philosophy according to Gandhi, king, and Mandela is correct then violence is not   a norm in human society, but a constructed evil. If, as the proponents of non-violent philosophy suggest, â€Å"non-violent settlement of conflict is the human norm as we well know from daily experience. We are not programmed in some genetic way to violence† (Kent) than a radical re-visioning of our self-identity and self-image as human beings must take place not only in our media and in our educational facilities, but in our individual psyches as well.The applications of non-violent strategies in contemporary culture can be thought of as being as unknown as the implications of deep-space travel because even though the contributions of such historical leaders as Gandhi, King, and Mandela reveals the tremendous power of non-violent activism, the full impact of the philosophy as articulated by these men has far-reaching cultural, global-poltical, and spiritual implications which surpass anything which has yet occurred in history.   In other words, the â€Å"pioneers† of the â€Å"modern† incarnation of non-violent strategy which we have examined: Gandhi, King, and Mandela represent not the totality of what the non-violent philosophy can or wants to attain, but the mere beginning of a global transformation which is rooted not inly in the basic moral nature of humanity, but in humanity's spiritual destiny and responsibility.Certainly individual leaders and activists continue to utilize the non-violent approach to attain important results in their areas of influence. Modern technology can also help individual activists to promote change by spreading honest information regarding the repercussions of violence and the militarization of political issues. One recent example is when â€Å"a 1991 massacre in the East Timorese capital Dill was rec orded on videotape and subsequently broadcast worldwide, this generated enormous support for the resistance† (Martin 625); such applications of technology by individuals represent one small but important aspect of the many avenues of potential non-violent methods of change.Other methods include educational strategies based in the ideas forwarded by Gandhi, King, and Mandela. The recognition of the historical impact of the immensely influential strategies of non-violent change and civil disobedience will also help to inform and empower individuals who, in turn, may adopt some of the strategies and ideas reflected upon in the above discussion to help bring about social and political change through non-violent means.ConclusionThe examination of three important world-leaders who based their activism in non-violent philosophy reveals certain universal traits among the different incarnations of non-violent activism. Among these universal traits is a belief in the breaking of â€Å" unjust† laws for the purpose of bringing about social and political change. This belief is often, if not always, accompanied by an ambiguous but firmly articulated that such a braking of laws is based in Divine Will. Another core belief seems to be that non-violence rather than violence is, in fact, more in keeping with humanity's organic nature. This idea often results in a corresponding belief that the violence evident in human society is the result of a kind of perversion of humanity's natural attributes into an unnatural and unhealthy state.Against this backdrop, it is very difficult if not impossible to envision the philosophies of non-violent activism as we know them today as anything short of a religious and spiritual philosophy with extremely pragmatic roots in social and political activism. Not only is the spiritual aspect of non-violent philosophy seemingly universal in the three historical figures studied in this short discussion, but the attributes of spirituality embraced by non-violent activists are, in themselves, of great and abiding interest to any observer. A discussion of this aspect alone would probably reveal that the philosophy of non-violence has existed as a spiritual conviction at various times in various cultures throughout the entire history of humanity.Works CitedBarker, Martin and Julian Petley, eds. 2001. Ill Effects: The Media/Violence Debate. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Routledge.Bok, Sissela. 1999. Mayhem Violence as Public Entertainment. Reading, MA: Perseus Books.Gandhi, M. K. Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha). New York: Schocken Books, 1961.Gandhi, Mahatma, and Thomas Merton. Gandhi on Non-Violence. New York: New Directions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pub, 1965.Kent, Bruce. â€Å"Non-Violence: The History of a Dangerous Idea.† History Today Feb. 2007: 62+.Mandela, Tambo, and the African National Congress The Struggle against Apartheid, 1948-   1990. Ed. Sheridan Johns and R. Hunt Davis. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.Martin, Brian. â€Å"Nonviolent Futures.† Futures 33.7 (2001): 625.Pierce, Victoria. â€Å"A Tribute to Dr. King Civil Rights Leader's Legacy of Non- Violence Is Alive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   around the World.† Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) 29 Sept. 2006: 1.Wolf, Charles, and Brian Rosen. â€Å"Public Diplomacy: Lessons from King and Mandela.† Policy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Review (2005): 63+.