Wednesday, December 25, 2019

What Was The Overall Impact Of The Harlem Renaissance

21. Why is the Wall Street Crash of 1929 considered the beginning of the end of the Harlem Renaissance? The financial support of African Americans by rich whites came to end after the Wall Street Crash. 22. Who is the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God and when was it published? The author of Their Eyes Was Watching God is Zora Neal Hurston and was published in 1973. 23. What was the overall impact of the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance help to how American view African American and their culture. The integration of black and white cultures during this time marked the beginning of black urban society and set the stage for the Civil Rights Movement and liberty and prosperity for all races. 24. What foundation did African†¦show more content†¦How does he describe the â€Å"New Negro†? Alain Locke was born on September 13, 1885, in Philadelphia. He was a writer, philosopher, and educator. He enjoyed the arts. He attended Harvard University, Hartford College, Oxford and Humboldt University of Berlin. He was a guest editor of for â€Å"Harlem Mecca of the New Negro† in March 1925 and in December of the same year the issue was expanded into The New Negro which is a collection of writings by African Americans. Locke himself contributed five of his essay which was â€Å"Forward†, â€Å"Negro Youth Speaks†, â€Å"The Negro Spirituals†, â€Å"The New Negro† and â€Å"The Legacy of Ancestral Arts†. The essay â€Å"The New Negro† is referring to African Americans who would not accept Jim Crow Laws quietly. They will speak out for justice and dignity. 29. Summarize â€Å"The Negro Digs Up His Past† by Arthur Schomburg. The Negro Digs Up the Past discuss how the generations need to know where they came For upcoming generations to learn about the struggle and freedom and advancement of African American. How African Americans did not receive credit for their contributions To America. 30. Who are the subjects of Claude McKay’s â€Å"Harlem Shadows†? The subject of Harlem Shadows was the Harlem Renaissance. 31. Give two reasons why Langston Hughes was important to the Harlem Renaissance. He helped awaken the culture and spirit of African American through a literary view and display the injustices African America through his writings andShow MoreRelatedThe Harlem Renaissance : A Literary, Artistic, Cultural And Intellectual Movement1485 Words   |  6 PagesDonald English III 26 March 2014 The Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a literary, artistic, cultural and intellectual movement. The word renaissance means rebirth or revival. African Americans during this time were being pressured by Jim Crow Laws in the South. These laws separated the races tremendously (Roses). African Americans appeared ignorant, poor, and servile. Hate groups and hate crimes alarmed families, and they collectively decided it was time to make a change. Blacks, alsoRead MoreThe Negro Movement1364 Words   |  6 Pagesof. From cotton fields to Harlem, â€Å"The New Negro Movement†, sparked a sense of cultural self-determination, with a yearning to strive for economic, political equality, and civic participation. This was a movement that sparked a wide range of advancements in the African American culture. Leaving footprints of great individuals as well as set a path way for future generations to follow; setting a trend for Black greatness. After the American Civil War there was a spark within the AfricanRead MoreBlack Voices : The Harlem Renaissance1587 Words   |  7 PagesVoices: The Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a movement that climaxed during the 1920s. It was a movement North by African Americans, who had lived down in the rural South. Taking place in major cities such as New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh, the industry of the Blacks boomed. The Harlem Renaissance took place when the Blacks showed a longing for equality amongst the Whites and many similar events. The â€Å"National Association got the Advancement of Colored People† was formedRead MoreLangston Hughes and the Civil Rights Movement.1725 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the early 1930s many black writers begin to produce works that helped to shape and define the Civil Rights movement. Among them was Langston Hughes whose poems and writing contributed directly to the rhetoric of the day and inspired many African-Americans, both in and out of the Civil Rights movement. Much of this grew out of what was called the Harlem Renaissance, which emerged during turbulent times for the world, t he United States, and black Americans. World War I and the Bolshevik RevolutionRead More Writers of the Harlem Renaissance Essay2535 Words   |  11 PagesWriters of the Harlem Renaissance During the 1920?s, a ?flowering of creativity,? as many have called it, began to sweep the nation. The movement, now known as ?The Harlem Renaissance,? caught like wildfire. Harlem, a part of Manhattan in New York City, became a hugely successful showcase for African American talent. Starting with black literature, the Harlem Renaissance quickly grew to incredible proportions. W.E.B. Du Bois, Claude McKay, and Langston Hughes, along with many otherRead MoreAn Analysis Of Trumpet Player By Langston Hughes758 Words   |  4 PagesLangston Hughes compositions are known for being the voice of the Harlem Renaissance. A considerable number of his written work shared the feelings of that time. This particular poem Trumpet Player mirrors that music can lift the agony remembered, but one always remembers the hardships. The poem shares that freed blacks still experienced the impacts of slavery. Because of this, they held onto music as a method for soothing the agony they persevered. Trumpet Player is composed in four eight-lineRead MoreHarlem Renaissance the Hip Hop Movement2779 Words   |  12 PagesHarlem Renaissance and the Hip-hop Movement AN OVERVIEW The Harlem Renaissance and the Hip-Hop Movement are a culmination of co-related cultural art forms that have emerged out of the black experience. White people understood black people more through their expression of art during both movements. Both movements brought about a broad cross-racial following and, ironically, in both instances brought about a better understanding of the black experience for white America. The bridge betweenRead MoreHow Culture And Race Affect The Individual1257 Words   |  6 Pages How Culture and Race Affect Overall Meaning in Literature Literature is a big part of all cultures. Society acquires a vast amount of information from what is being read. The way they are composed and the Individuals who wrote them can change the manner in which values are being seen. Every culture and race are unique in their own ways those include language, art, rituals, beliefs plus a great deal more. With all the different race and cultures in the country, it has shaped the American perceptionRead MoreHarlem And The Harlem Renaissance Essay2269 Words   |  10 Pagessouthern African Americans migrated to a city called Harlem in New York. They relocated due to dogmatism and intolerance of melanin diverging out the of pores of many white southerners. The African Americans who migrated found new opportunities both economic and artistic that resulted to the creation of a stable middle class Black –Americans (Dover, 2006). This was the Harlem Renaissance a cultural, social, and artistic explosion. The core of Harlem expressed by Ala in Locke is that through art, â€Å"negroRead MoreProgressivism, The And, And The Stock Market Crash1428 Words   |  6 Pagesconcerned about how America was managed, as conflict was becoming a regular misfortune for the country. Events such as progressivism, the roaring twenties, and the stock market crash may have seemed like a negative time in the United States at face value, but the overall impacts and effects helped establish innovations that still positively influence the lives of citizens today. Progressivism can be loosely defined as a way to progress towards better conditions, which is what many people aspired to

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Founding Of The United States Essay - 1245 Words

Zach Verkem Honors US History 1 Summer Assignment Founding Brothers Preface: The Generation 1. The founding of the United States is so phenomenal because a colony not only won their independence, but won it from the most powerful nation with the most powerful army and navy at the time. According the Ellis’s preface, the founding of this new nation occurred suddenly, rather than gradually. As well as the victory against England, and the sudden creation of the United States, the republic that was formed from the beginning of the nation is still in place today. 2. The paradox that the author talked about was that despite the great advantages from the geographic isolation and a plentiful amount of resources on the continent, the arguments used to justify the breaking off from Great Britain’s rule also weakened the legitimacy of any national government capable of ruling such a large group of people. 3. The Constitutional Convention was criticized for many different reasons. The first of which was because of the secret meetings. Second, the delegates were chosen from the elite wealthy class rather than the entire population. The Convention was criticized for being secretive and for unfairly choosing delegates. 4. When America beat G.B. in the Revolutionary war, everyone in the country was surprised and did not believe that the new country could achieve further success. Everyone believed that the states would break off and form individual countries. In myShow MoreRelatedFounding of the United States708 Words   |  3 Pagesfactors that have immensely contributed to economic, social and political development. These aspects took place at different times and each of these events contributed to development on its own special way. Generally the development we have in the United States is a result of various occurrences that have happened in the past centuries that influenced and changed peoples’ way f thinking and also influenced their behavior thus the development. These particular period were characterized by influential politicalRead MoreThe Founding Fathers Of The United States1705 Words   |  7 Pagescountries including the United States of America. Athenian democracy, created ne ar 400 B.C. in Athens, Greece, was a direct system where participating citizens had the opportunity to vote directly on legislative and executive bills. The founding fathers of the United States took the Athenian’s idea and created the idea of â€Å"representative democracy†, where the citizens of a nation were able to elect representatives who would make decisions for them. In fact, the United States could be considered toRead MoreThe Founding Fathers Of The United States841 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussion with one of the founding fathers of the United States is aa very interest event in my life and time Sir. Benjamin Franklin: You are must welcome. May I ask your name and what year is this? Me: Yes Sir, My name is Pearl Lilly and I am a current Public Administration student and this is the years of 2016and I welcome you. Me: Sir, can you describe your position during the Constitution Convention. Benjamin Franklin: time was surely different, being that there are 10 founding fathers and that IRead MoreThe Founding Fathers Of The United States Government1205 Words   |  5 PagesThe Founding Fathers put their blood, sweat and tears into the making of the Constitution and created a government out of practically nothing, all while having a vision for the future. This future consisted of a government that focused on liberty over security; a government of minimal intervention. To say that the modern version of the United States government is exactly what the Founding Fathers envisioned is a very debatable topic. There are many instances where todays government has followedRead MoreAmerica s Founding Of The United States Of America933 Words   |  4 Pagesstory of America’s founding begins the Founding fathers waged a revolution and created a unique place called the United States of America. This story may include the early Jamestown colony and puritan colonists, and at ti mes deal with the depollution and dispossession of the America’s native inhabitants. However frequently the complex nature of America’s prerevolutionary era is left out. Daniel Richter offers a refreshing non-teleological revision by showing that the United States has a much deeperRead MoreA Comparison of the Founding Documents for the United States of America1147 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparison of the Founding Documents for the United States of America Liberty University A Comparison of the Founding Documents for the United States of America This document will provide a brief comparison and synopsis of some of the most important writings of our time: The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists, and the U.S. Constitution. Also, this will be an analysis of what I believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. ConstitutionRead MoreAmerica s Founding Fathers And The United States Essay1845 Words   |  8 PagesWhen America’s founding fathers broke away from England, they weren’t the first colonial Englishmen on the American continent, there were plenty of French, Spanish, Dutch and even Russian colonial outposts established before them. What makes the English colonies along the Eastern seaboard story so important, was the fact that 13 colonies joined together to form what is now known as the United States. Furthermore, this 13 colonies New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York,Read MoreGriswold V. Connecticut : The Foun ding Fathers Of The United States2438 Words   |  10 PagesGriswold v. Connecticut The Founding Fathers of the United States of America laid the foundation for the basic and fundamental rights that its citizens are entitled to. These principles have been the underlying framework for the United States of America’s government and legal system, where the citizens hold the power. Throughout the country’s history, many laws on both state and federal levels have been challenged and have thus evolved America’s culture. Among these laws that have challenged theRead MoreEssay Founding Fathers of the United States: George Washington 607 Words   |  3 PagesGeorge Washington was the father of the United States of America. He created our country from the beginning. Not only was he a great leader, but he was also a great commander. He helped us win the Revolutionary War, which gave our country independence. We finally became free, and that’s the greatest thing in America. The fact that he motivated regular people to fight a huge army is amazing. In 1732, George Washington was born on his fathers plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His fatherRead MoreThe United States Founding Fathers Created A Unique System Of Government2934 Words   |  12 Pages Over 200 years ago the United States’ Founding Fathers created a unique system of government that allowed a balance to exist between both the federal government and the separate state governments. Through the three branches of government, specifically the executive and legislative branches, the United States has been able to act as a unified body with several varying individual parts. With the executive branch and the legislative branch each having outlined powers of their own the Founders were

Monday, December 9, 2019

Drug Screening and Brief Intervention †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Drug Screening and Brief Intervention. Answer: Introduction: Employee screening is a process that involves investigation on the employee health for excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse. Methods commonly used include urine test and blood test. Screening of employees, especially in an organization which has many employees has both benefits and disadvantages. There are three main benefits of employee screening. First, employee screening ensures compliance with the law. It is a requirement in law that employers comply with an Act on Health and Safety at Work of 1974 which requires that welfare, health and safety of employees should be highly regarded in the workplace. According to the Act, an employer can be prosecuted because of allowing employees to work under influence of alcohol or drugs. Moreover, the Act requires that employees be responsible for their good health and the health of those working with them in their workplace. In addition, it is important that the organization carry out employee screening on a monthly basis so as to ensure that all the three thousand employees work under health condition acceptable by the law (Saitz Galanter, 2015). Furthermore, with the high number of employees, it is essential that the organization carries out screening because failure to comply with this law may result to high loses in terms of fines and compensations. Therefore, for this reason I recommend that the CEO implements a monthly screening program. However, for this implementation to be effectively enacted, the CEO need to consider establishing a company policy that supports the Health and safety Act of 1974 and specifically describe how screening of employees should be conducted. Secondly, screening of employees on a monthly basis increases company productivity through ensuring that all the employees are in good health working conditions and that their potential is maximally utilized. Moreover, screening result assist managers in allocation of duties to their staffs. Therefore, I recommend that the CEO should implement employee screening program on a monthly basis so as to ensure high levels of productivity in the organization. This is possible through establishment of a policy which states that after screening employees under drug influence or under excessive alcohol consumption are expelled. Thirdly, implementation of an employee screening program will assist in risk management within the organization. Researchers have concl uded that employees under substance influence are likely to cause accidents and loses in organizations. Therefore, establishing a monthly screening program will help in reducing chances of risk occurrence. On the other hand, employee screening comes with three main disadvantages. First, it may lead to loss of well skilled and talented employees especially when a policy is put in place stipulating that employees under substance influence should be expelled. However, according to my opinion, this disadvantage should not obstruct the CEO from implementing the screening program because there are many healthy jobless people in the market who can always replace such employees. Secondly, a monthly screening program comes with a huge accompanied cost especially now that the organization has about three thousand workers. This gives the implication that employee screening on a monthly basis is expensive. However, according to my opinion, the CEO should reduce the frequency of the screening to once in three months(Verstraete, 2014) Moreover, the cost of screening is much less compared to the expected fines and compensations that occur due to failure to screen employees. Thirdly, employee screenin g may expose employee personal or private information to the public domain which is very dangerous in regard to employee privacy. However, according to my opinion, the CEO should ensure that proper human resource measure is put in place to ensure that employee information is well protected. A company with an accuracy of 95% drug and alcohol test is a very reliable company. This is because an accuracy of 95% implies that the efficiency of the equipment used is above 95% and the method used is very accurate with an observer having a high experience in results interpretation. However, it is important for the company to produce evidence of such a high level of accuracy. Therefore, it is not just enough to hear about a companys accuracy because accuracy is combination of environmental, physical and process factors. So, the CEO should assess the process and methods used by the various companies. In most cases, screening tests are optimized for sensitivity. The sensitivity of a test shows how well it is capable of detecting a particular condition in a specific population when it is present. An increase in the sensitivity of an instrument increases the number of false positives it is capable to detect. Moreover, the test should be able to identify all the components with the defined condition. For this case, a 95% sensitivity indicates that the equipment is capable to detect the presence of alcohol or drug trace up to a 95% accuracy. This indicates that the specific equipment used is very sensitive. On the other hand, specificity of a given test indicates the tests ability to identify people or staff who do not have the defined condition or disorder. Therefore, these results indicate that the equipment used is capable of detecting staff who do not abuse drug or use alcohol excessively up to an accuracy of 89%. It is also worth noting that both specificity and sensitivity are i mportant parameters used in the selection of a screening instruments depending on the defined condition. Moreover, when an equipment of 89% specificity and 95% sensitivity is used, then positive results will be an indication of persons who are under influence of drug or consume excessive alcohol while negative results will indicate people who are not under drug or alcohol influence. Furthermore, the specificity will be used to predict negative results while sensitivity will be used to predict positive results management. (Fletcher, Fletcher, Fletcher, 2014) Positive screening results should be addressed. Test Result Truth Positive 0.001% (0.03) Negative 99.999%(2999.97) Therefore, according to the table, for every screening, rounding off the truth outcome, there is zero employee in the organization likely to be found in excessive alcohol consumption or drug abuse. I would not recommend for this test to be carried as a regular monthly screening test. This is because the prevalence is very low which implies that there are minimal chances of an employee in this organization to abuse drug or consume alcohol excessively. According to table of results verse truth for this specific company, there are 3000 staffs and considering that there is a 0.001% anticipated prevalence of drug and/or alcohol. Then the predicted positive value = 3000 x 0.001 = 0.03 staffs while the predicted negative value = 3000 x 99.999= 2999.97 staffs. The table below summaries the results. Rounding off the truth outcome, there is zero employee in the organization likely to be found in excessive alcohol consumption or drug abuse. Therefore, this test is not necessary. Moreover, the cost implication of this test may be high because of the large number of employees involved. I recommend that the CEO should not implement the use of this method in as a monthly screening test since it will translate to income investment for less significant result. References Fletcher, R. H., Fletcher, S. W., Fletcher, G. S. (2014). Clinical epidemiology : the essentials. Philadelphia : Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Saitz, R., Galanter, M. (2015). Alcohol/drug screening and brief intervention management: advances in evidence-based practice. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Medical Press. Verstraete, A. G. (2014). Workplace drug testing. London ; Chicago: Pharmaceutical Press,.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Twelfth Night And Crossdressing Essay Example For Students

Twelfth Night And Crossdressing Essay An Imitation of IgnoranceThe play Twelfth Night encapsulates what it meant to be a man and women throughoutthe 16th century. The roles of each gender were set in stone, and one could notpublicly cross over under any circumstances. During Shakespearean times women werenot even allowed to portray themselves on stage, men played their roles instead. Inmy opinion Shakespeare uses the play to show the hypocrisy of the status quo thatheld people from expressing their true identity. Twelfth Night demonstrates thatprofessions should not be given on a gender basis, skill should be the onlyconsideration. During the play one sees that only through imitation of anothergender can a person reverse the roles, which they are bonded to. In Twelfth Nightimitation of another gender is done both out of necessity, and for revenge. InTwelfth Night ones sexual preference was not a reason for gender reversal. Viola/Cesario who has just lost her brother in a shipwreck feels that she needs todress as a man to survive on the island of Illyria. And what should I do inIllyria? My brother he is in Elysium. Perchance his not drownd what you think. Viola changes her name to Cesario and begins her new life as a man. Viola/Cesariocrosses the boundaries and becomes Orsinos best servant. This portrayal of a womansuccessfully imitating a man is an obvious denouncement of the so-called gender rolesof the Elizabethan era. Throughout the play imitation is used for revenge and playsan integral role in the lives of a few supporting characters. In this scenario it isused to deceive Malvolio, a pompous servant, to teach him a lesson in his relationswith other people. Shakespeare makes it clear that deception, when used forentertainment, can be very destructive. Twelfth Night deals with problems that occur when somebody is forced to imitateanother sex, or another person. Pray God defend me! A little thing would make metell them how much I lack of a man. These problems are demonstrated through sexualtensio n between almost all of the characters. The characters seem to accomplish mostof their set goals, but somehow something impedes them from flawless imitation. We will write a custom essay on Twelfth Night And Crossdressing specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Viola/Cesario is distressed and has no idea how to live without a proper income. Shelives in a society that only allows men to work certain types of jobs. Theseprofessions are the ones that bring in most of the money. For this reason she beginsto imitate a man, and goes by the name Cesario. Her profession was to be a servantto the Duke Orsino. Ill serve this Duke; Thou shalt present me as an eunuch tohim, it may be worth thy pains; for I can sing and speak to him in many sorts ofmusic that will allow me very worth his service. The captain that saved her agreedto tutor her in manhood, and she fully comprehended what it is to be a man duringthese times. She picked up her profession extremely quickly. Her imitation did havelimitations however. She ran into problems due to sexual urges and these proved tobe insurmountable. Viola/Cesario fell in love with her master, and could not find away to properly inform him of her true identity. The second problem she encounteredwas Olivia, a rich c ountess, ends up falling in love with her. Viola/Cesario did notknow how to handle these certain situations as a man so she dealt with them as awoman. This becomes evident due to an incident were she almost kisses Orsino; and shedoes not make it clear to Olivia why somebody would not want to kiss her, a beautifulwoman. Throughout the play Shakespeare enlightens his audience by showing alienation, whichoccurs when somebody is forced to imitate a person who they are not. Viola/Cesarionot only alienates Olivia and Orsino, but she also isolates herself from feelingsthat are undefeatable. This causes the characters to be in a confused state and eachbegins to question their sexuality. Olivia considers herself an attractive woman,and many men have always pursued her. Olivia, however, has never felt the samepassionate attraction towards another man. She finally meets a man, or so shethinks, and he is not drawn to her. This leaves her to question if she will everfind true love. Yet come agai n; for thou perhaps mayst move that heart which nowabhors, to like his love. Through this ordeal Orsino also becomes confused by hissexuality. He sees past Viola/Cesario clothing and falls in love with her. After afew moments were Viola/Cesario and Orsino are very close he comes to realize that itwould not be morally right to have sexual passion for another man. He slowly movesaway and begins to question his feelings. When all is resolved true feelings arefinally brought to light, and the characters see both their fates had true love inthe future. It is unfortunate though that heartache was due to a simple societalstructure that holds no basis in the world. .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e , .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .postImageUrl , .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e , .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e:hover , .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e:visited , .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e:active { border:0!important; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e:active , .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u201c199b331ec4deb09196a083b31e5e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Girl EssayMalvolio, a servant of Olivia, is also hurt by an imitation. Contrary toViola/Cesarios imitation this one was not done out of necessity. The imitation isexecuted by acquaintances of Malvolio that seek revenge at the way he had beentreating them. Feste the jester, Maria, Olivias uncle Sir Toby Belch, and Sir Tobysfriend Sir Andrew Aguecheekwho scheme to undermine the high-minded, pompousMalvolio. Malvolio is tricked into believing Olivia is in love with him because of aletter that said just that. Malvolio believes the imitation letter, and hischaracter suddenly changes from arrogant to joyful. Sad lady? I could be sad. Thisdoes make some obstruction in the blood, this cross-gartering, but as the true sonnetis Please one, and please all.' Shakespeare placed this sub-plot to show theaudience how detrimental trickery can be when it is used with love. When Malvoliodiscovers the evil trick he is distraught, and heartbroken. Madam, you have done mewrong, notorious wrong. From Malvolios case one begins to remember instances wherethey have used trickery or imitation for revenge upon another person. Malvolioscharacter shows the damage that can occur to ones psyche. Shakespeare makes it clearthat love is extremely volatile and should not be toiled with. One leaves the theatreremembering previous situations where similar methods were used; hoping that they hadnot caused damage comparable to that of Malvolios. Shakespeare delves into waters that were untested throughout the Elizabethan era. Heasks the audience to see if there is any basis for specific gender roles. Theaudience is never surprised throughout the whole play, and the tone of each of thecharacters does not fluctuate. Even when Orsino finds out his best servant is aman. One must not only look at the tone of the characters, the tone of the audienceis important as well. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a presentation ofTwelfth Night at the University of Wisconsin this past year. Many of the socialissues concerning Twelfth Night (Homophobia, cross-dressing) still remain prevalentin our society today. During scenes involving homosexual contact, the audience didnot seem stunned. The audience appeared to accept that Viola/Cesario was actually awoman, and the love that encapsulated Orsino and Olivia was blind to gender. Theaudience also completely disregarded gender, and agreed with Shakespeare that truelove draws no boundar ies. One also became aware that Viola/Cesario could perform thetasks that were asked of her. She even proved to do her job exceptionally and becameOrsinos best servant. The performance attacked those who are ignorant enough tohold opinions that hinder the advancements of both homosexuals and women. By usingsubtle examples of political viewpoints, Shakespeare addresses issues that areimportant to everyday society. He acknowledges the fact Elizabethan society prohibitshim from making blatant statements, which go against the moral majority. Shakespeareshows his mastery of the English language by eluding these rules and attacking thesubconscious of the audience. One leaves the theatre with a lingering feeling ofguilt, which one cannot be understand at the time. The feeling is comprehended at alater time and one begins to question stereotypes, which are dominant in societytoday.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The impact of hosting the World Expo 2020 on Dubais future economic, social and cultural life The WritePass Journal

The impact of hosting the World Expo 2020 on Dubais future economic, social and cultural life Introduction The impact of hosting the World Expo 2020 on Dubais future economic, social and cultural life ). The possibility that the Expo 2020 will be a crucible for interacting creative forces across the world is, moreover, encapsulated in Dubai’s chosen theme: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ (Big News Network, 2013). Research questions This research will aim to answer the following questions: What factors are likely to contribute to the success or failure of the World Expo 2020? What are the social, economic, and cultural changes that Dubai is a likely to experience? How will be Dubais future in the global stage change as a result of this event? How might Dubai use the World Expo 2020 as a marketing tool? How might Dubai use the symbolic economy to aid its cultural and urban regeneration and shape its new urban identity? Will Expo 2020 commentary and press show Dubai in a positive or negative light? Literature review Due to the very recent nature of the announcement, there is almost no literature dealing directly with the relationship between Dubai and the Expo 2020. However, there has been considerable commentary in the form of political and economic punditry, much of which is academic. Piers Schreiber, Vice President of Corporate Communications Public Affairs at the Jumeirah Group, claimed that ‘the Expo will create up to 270,000 jobs in the region, bringing great economic and social benefits’ (cited in Wilson, 2013). Among these are an injection of roughly â‚ ¬17.7 billion into the economy and a migration of talent from abroad (Wilson, 2013). These estimations are supported by the forecasting group Oxford Economics, which claims that the event will contribute nearly $40 billion to Dubais GDP and create 277,000 new jobs over the next seven years (Big News Network, 2013). A similar argument is put forward by Rose and Spiegel (2009), whose work suggests that ‘mega eventsâ⠂¬â„¢ lead to a substantial increase in trade (approx. 30%); however, they also show that ‘unsuccessful bids to host the Olympics have a similar positive impact on exports†¦trade is attributable to the signal a country sends when bidding to host the games, rather than the act of actually holding a mega-event’ (p1). Although Sheik Mohammed has claimed that the Dubai Expo 2020 will breathe new life into the ancient role of the Middle East as a melting pot for cultures and creativity (Big News Network, 2013), the goal of cultural diversity has been questioned due to the strong emphasis on boosting an ‘Islamic economy’, which suggests continuity more than change (Wilson, 2013). Based on comparisons with other ‘mega events’, it is often argued that the effects of the Expo 2020 are likely to be negative for Dubai. Rose and Spiegel (2009), for example, stress that much of the evidence for the benefits of mega events is commissioned by groups with biasing agendas (e.g., Humphreys and Plummer, 1995; Fuller and Clinch, 2000, both cited in Rose and Spiegel, 2009). The same is argued by Nitsch and Wendland (2013), who also point to the large initial investment in facilities and infrastructure associated with mega events, which can place a considerable burden on the local or national economy; there tends also to be a dramatic and unpredictable effect on property prices. The conclusion of Nitsch and Wendland (2013) is that mega events tend to have an overwhelmingly negative effect on population growth (i.e., a population decline), as measured relative to a control group. However, Nitsch and Wendland (2013), and Rose and Spiegel (2009), point to the difficulty of estimating the impact of major events. Problems quantifying the effects, especially on phenomena such as labour markets, are often exacerbated by the fact that many studies are commissioned ex ante by biased groups. Moreover, in conducting analyses such as this, it is difficult to find an adequate sample size due to the infrequency of mega events. Then there are problems with the intangibility of cultural and social spillover effects, as well as the economic multiplier (Rose and Spiegel, 2009). Methodology The effects of the Expo 2020 are best assessed using a variety of methodological approaches, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. From the quantitative side there will be content analysis-case studies and statistical analyses. From the qualitative, there will be surveys, questionnaires, and interviews. In terms of research philosophy (or methodology, strictly speaking), this research will take both an objectivist and a subjectivist approach (Crotty, 1998). It would be advantageous to use what Nitsch and Wendland (2013: 4) call a ‘difference-in-differences methodology’. This draws ‘before and after’ comparisons, and in this case would entail looking at the effect of former Expos on host nations and cities and extrapolating about the probable effects on Dubai. Bibliography Crotty, M. (1998) The foundation of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in Research Progress. Sage Publications: London Big News Network (Nov 2013) Dubai wins right to host Expo 2020 bignewsnetwork.com/index.php/sid/218715287/scat/3a8a80d6f705f8cc/ht/Dubai-wins-right-to-host-Expo-2020 [Retrieved 03/02/2014]. Nitsch, V. and Wendland, N. (2013) The IOC’s Midas Touch: Summer Olympics and City Growth, CESIFO WORKING PAPER NO. 4378, Centre for Economic Studies Ifo Institute. Expo 2020 Dubai, UAE (2013) Our Bid http://expo2020dubai.ae/en/our_bid [Retrieved 03/02/2014] Rose, A. K. and Spiegel, M. M. (2009) The Olympic Effect, NBER Working Paper No. 14854, The National Bureau of Economic Research nber.org/papers/w14854 [Retrieved 03/02/2014]. Wilson, J. A. J. (Dec 2013) Global Islamic Economy Summit and World Expo 2020 boost Dubais Halal credentials, The Huffington Post huffingtonpost.co.uk/jonathan-aj-wilson/global-islamic-economy_b_4366436.html [Retrieved 03/02/2014].

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The History of How Shoes Are Made

The History of How Shoes Are Made In most early civilizations, sandals were the most common footwear, however, a few early cultures had more substantial shoes. But shoes in ancient- and even not so ancient- civilizations had some major design differences than their modern-day counterparts. In fact, as late as the 1850s, most shoes were constructed on absolutely straight lasts (foot-shaped forms on which shoes were constructed and repaired), which meant that the right and the left shoes were pretty much the same. On the upside, that would make them interchangeable. On the downside, they were likely a lot less comfortable. Shoes in the BC In Mesopotamia, circa 1600 to 1200 BC, mountain people living on the border of Iran wore a type of soft shoes made of wraparound leather that was similar to a moccasin. Egyptians began making shoes from woven reeds as early as 1550 BC. Worn as overshoes, they were boat-shaped and had straps constructed of long, thin reeds covered by wider strips of the same material. Shoes in this style were still being made as late as the 19th century. Meanwhile, in China, shoes made from layers of hemp, circa the final century BC, were made in a process similar to quilting and featured decorative as well as functional stitching. Circa 43-450 AD Roman sandals are believed to be the first footwear specifically designed to fit the foot. Constructed with cork soles and leather straps or lacing, sandals were the same for men and women. Some military sandals known as caligae used hobnails to reinforce the soles. The imprints and patterns they left behind could be read as messages. Circa 937 AD Foot binding was a practice introduced in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) that became increasingly popular in China during the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD). Starting at age 5 to 8, the bones in girls feet were broken and then tightly wrapped to prevent growth. The ideal for womens feet was modeled after the lotus blossom and was decreed to be no more than three to four inches in length. Girls with tiny, highly arched feet were prized as prime marriage material- but the crippling practice left many of them barely able to walk. These tiny feet were adorned with dainty shoes constructed of silk or cotton and richly embroidered. Chinese women of the upper classes were often buried with many pairs of such shoes. While several bans were imposed on the practice (the first by Emperor Chun Chi of the Manchu dynasty in 1645 and the second by Emperor K’ang Hsi in 1662), foot-binding remained a common practice in China into the early 20th century. 12th Century Pointy-tipped Poulianes (â€Å"shoes  in the Polish fashion†) became popular in the middle ages and continued to come and go until the early 15th century. Circa 1350 to 1450 Pattens were overshoes worn to protect them from the elements and filthy street conditions. They were similar in function to more modern galoshes, except that pattens were made in the same shape as the shoes they were fitted over. 1450 to 1550 During the Renaissance, shoe fashions evolved from vertical lines favored by Gothic styles to become more horizontal. Nowhere was this more evident than in the toe shape. The richer and more powerful the wearer, the more extreme and broad the squared toe became. However, while squared toed shoes were prevalent, during this time, round-toed shoes began to emerge. Round-toed shoes were considered a more practical choice for children, however, even some adult shoes of the Tudor period featured the round profile. 17th Century During the mid-17th century, shoe fashions for men were mostly square-toed, however, it was at this time that the fork toe design debuted. Chopines, backless shoes or slippers featuring high platform soles, became popular throughout Renaissance Europe thanks to a revival in ancient Greek culture. The most notable examples from the period come from Spain (where the platforms were sometimes constructed from cork) and Italy. Men, as well as women, wore slip-on indoor slides known as mules, which were available in a variety of materials and colors and featured a slightly flared heel. In 1660, with the restoration of Charles II to the throne of France, fashions from the French courts grew in popularity across the Channel. Red heels, a style allegedly created for Charles himself, came into vogue and remained there well into the next century. 18th Century In the 18th century, shoes for upper-class women, such as salon mules, initially took shape as boudoir fashion but evolved into day and even dancewear. The erotically charged footwear was favored by Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV of France, who was in huge part responsible for the trend. Unfortunately, elegant shoes of the day were constructed of materials such as silk that rendered them inappropriate for outdoor use and as a result, pattens  (also known as clogs) made a big comeback, especially in big cities, such as London, that had yet to deal with the unsanitary conditions of its streets. Fast Facts: Shoe Laces Prior to shoestrings, shoes were commonly fastened with buckles.Modern shoestrings, which employed strings laced through shoe holes and then tied, were invented in England in 1790 (first recorded date, March 27).An aglet (from the Latin word for needle) is a small plastic or fiber tube used to bind the end of a shoelace, or similar cord, to prevent fraying and to allow the lace to be passed through an eyelet or another opening. In the 1780s, a fascination with all things â€Å"Oriental† led to the introduction of shoes with upturned toes known as Kampskatcha slippers. (While billed as an homage to Chinese fashion, they more closely resembled Juttis, the upturned slippers worn by affluent female members of the court of the Mughal Empire.) From the 1780s through the 1790s, the height of heels gradually decreased. With the approach of the French Revolution (1787-99), excess was seen with increasing disdain, and less became more. 19th Century Styles In 1817, the Duke of Wellington commissioned the boots that would become synonymous with his name. Streamlined and free of ornamentation, â€Å"Wellies† became all the rage. The rubberized version, still popular today, was introduced in the 1850s by the North British Rubber Company. In the following decade, the family shoemaking firm of C J Clark Ltd was founded and remains one of Englands leading shoe manufacturers. Prior to 1830, there was no difference between right and left shoes. French shoemakers came up with the idea of placing little labels on the insoles of shoes: â€Å"Gauche† for the left, and â€Å"Droit† for the right. While the shoes were still both straight in shape, since the French style was considered the height of fashion, other countries were quick to emulate the trend. In 1837 by J. Sparkes Hall patented the elastic side boot, which allowed them to be put on and taken off much more easily than those that required buttons or laces. Hall actually presented a pair of them to Queen Victoria, and the style remained popular through the end of the 1850s. By the 1860s, flat, squared-toed shoes featuring side lacing were de rigeur. This left the front of the shoes free for decoration. Rosettes were a popular embellishment of the day for women’s shoes. In the mid- to late-1800s unassembled shoes made with flat sheets of woven straw were produced in Italy and sold across Europe and in America to be put together as shoemakers saw fit. In the mid-1870s, the Manchu people of China (who did not practice foot binding) favored platform shoes that were the precursors to 20th-century fashion styles. Hoof-shaped pedestals afforded increased balance. Women’s shoes were taller and more intricately decorated than those for men. 19th Century Innovations in Shoe Manufacturing 1830s: Plimsolls, canvas-topped shoes with rubber soles, first manufactured by the Liverpool Rubber Company, make their debut as beachwear.June 15, 1844: Inventor and manufacturing engineer Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanized rubber, a chemical process that uses heat to meld rubber to fabric or other components for a sturdier, more permanent bond.1858: Lyman Reed Blake, an American inventor receives a patent for the specialized sewing machine he developed that stitches the soles of shoes to the uppers.January 24, 1871: Charles Goodyear Jrs patents the Goodyear Welt, a machine for sewing boots and shoes.1883: Jan Ernst Matzeliger patents an automatic method for lasting shoes that paves the way for the mass production of affordable shoes.January 24, 1899: Irish-American Humphrey OSullivan patents the first rubber heel for shoes. Later, Elijah McCoy (best known for developing a lubricating system for railroad steam engines that did not require trains to stop) invents an im proved rubber heel. Keds, Converse, and the Evolution of Sneakers In 1892, nine small rubber manufacturing companies consolidated to form the U.S. Rubber Company. Among them was the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company, organized in the 1840s in Naugatuck, Connecticut, the first licensee of Charles Goodyears vulcanization process. While Plimsolls had been on the scene for nearly six decades, vulcanization was a game-changer for rubber-soled canvas shoes. From 1892 to 1913, the rubber footwear divisions of U.S. Rubber were manufacturing their products under 30 different brand names but the company decided to consolidate their brands under a single name. The initial favorite was Peds, from the Latin for foot, but another company already owned that trademark. By 1916, the choice had come down to two final alternatives: ​Veds  or Keds. The k sound won out and Keds were born. The same year, Keds introduced their Champion Sneaker for Women. Keds were first mass-marketed as canvas-top sneakers in 1917. Henry Nelson McKinney, a copywriter who worked for the N. W. Ayer Son Advertising Agency, coined the word sneaker to connote the quiet, stealthy nature of rubber-soled shoes. Other shoes, with the exception of moccasins, were noisy while sneakers were practically silent. (The Keds brand was acquired by the Stride Rite Corporation in 1979, which was in turn purchased by Wolverine World Wide in 2012). 1917 was a banner year for basketball shoes. Converse All Stars, the first shoe specifically designed for the game, were introduced. Soon after, Chuck Taylor, an iconic player of the day, became the brand ambassador. The design has remained pretty much the same over the years, and remain firmly ensconced in the cultural landscape today.   Early 20th Century Styles As at the close of the 19th century, low-heeled shoes began to fall increasingly out of favor and as the new century dawned, higher heels made a huge resurgence. However, not everyone was willing to suffer for fashion. In 1906, Chicago-based podiatrist William Mathias  Scholl  launched his eponymous brand of corrective footwear, Dr. Scholl’s. By the 1910s, morality and fashion were increasingly at odds. Nice girls were expected to play by a stringent set of rules, including those instituted with regard to the heel height of women’s shoes. Anything over three inches was considered â€Å"indecent.† Spectator shoes, the two-toned Oxfords commonly worn by British patrons of sporting events gained huge popularity among the well to do in England at the close of WWI. In America, however, spectators became part of the counterculture instead. By the ’40s, spectators often accompanied Zoot suits, the over-the-top outfits sported by African American and Hispanic men in defiance of the fashion status quo. One of the most innovative shoe designers of the 20th century, Salvatore Ferragamo, rose to fame in the 1930s. In addition to experimenting with unusual materials including kangaroo, crocodile, and fish skin, Ferragamo drew on historic inspiration for his shoes. His cork wedge sandals- often imitated and reimagined- are considered one of the most important shoe designs of the 20th century. Meanwhile, in Norway, a designer named Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger was looking to create a shoe that was truly comfortable and fashionable. His unisex innovation, a slip-on shoe called the Aurland moccasin was inspired by Native American moccasins and slip-ons favored by Norwegian fishermen. The shoes took off, both in Europe and in America. Not long after, the Spaulding family based in New Hampshire launched a similar shoe called The Loafer, which would eventually become the generic term for this slip-on style. In 1934, G. H. Bass debuted his Weejuns (a play on the word â€Å"Norwegian† as a nod to the homeland of the original designer). Weejuns had a distinctive strip of leather across the saddle featuring a cutout design. Kids who wore them started putting pennies or dimes into the slot, and the shoes became known as- you guessed it- Penny Loafers. The boat (or deck) shoe was invented by American boater Paul Sperry in 1935. After watching how his dog was able to maintain stability on ice, Sperry was inspired to cut grooves into the soles of his shoes and a brand was born. Post World War II the Latter Half of the 20th Century WWII was the crucible for a number of shoe trends. Doc Martens, combining comfortable air-cushioned soles with durable uppers were invented by Dr. Klaus Maertens in 1947. In 1949, Brothel creepers, the brainchild of British shoemaker George Cox, transformed the sole of an army boot into a thick exaggerated wedge made their debut. Loafers had long been considered a shoe of the hoi polloi in America but when the style was reinvented in 1953 by the House of Gucci, it became the shoe of choice for formal occasions for affluent fashion enthusiasts of both genders and remained so through the 1980s. Stiletto heels (whose name was a nod to a Sicilian fighting blade) became increasingly popular in the 1950s as the curvy female hourglass figure came back into vogue. Designer Roger Vivier of the House Dior is credited as having the most influence on shoes of this style from the period. While they’ve existed for more than 6,000 years in some form or other, the Y-shaped rubber sandals known as flip-flops became pretty much ubiquitous in the 1960s. The Birkenstock family have been making shoes since 1774, however, it wasn’t until 1964 when Karl Birkenstock transformed the arch support inserts for his shoes into soles for sandals that the company became a household name. During the 1970s disco craze, platform shoes became hot, hot, hot. Taking a leaf from Salvatore Ferragamo’s designs from four decades earlier, men and women hit the dance floor in outrageously high shoes.  One of the most popular brands of the era was Candie’s, a clothing brand that launched in 1978. Ugg boots debut in 1978. Uggs were originally made of sheepskin and worn by Australian surfers to warm up their feet after being in the water. In 1978, after Brian Smith imported Uggs to California under the label UGG Australia, the brand took off and has remained a fashion staple ever since but knockoffs in a variety of synthetic and cheaper materials have flooded the market. With the 1980s came a fitness craze that changed the shape of footwear. Designers such as Reebok increasingly took branding and specialization to heart in hopes of raising both profile and profits. The most successful athletic brand to cash in on this trend is Nike’s Air Jordan, which encompasses basketball shoes and athletic and casual style clothing. The brand was created for five-time NBA MVP Michael Jordan.  Designed for Nike by Peter Moore,  Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore, the original Air Jordan sneakers were produced in 1984 and were solely for Jordan’s use, but were released to the public later that year. The brand continues to thrive in the 2000s. Vintage Air Jordans, especially those with some special personal connection to Michael Jordan, have sold for exorbitant prices (the highest recorded as of 2018 was in excess of $100,000). Sources â€Å"Timeline: A History of Shoes†. Victoria Albert Museumâ€Å"History of the Penny Loafer†. Tricker’s EnglandAcedera, Shane. â€Å"The Most Expensive Air Jordans†. SportOne. May 18, 2018Cartwright, Mark. â€Å"Foot Binding†. Ancient History Encyclopedia. September 27, 2017

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Chinese Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Chinese Culture - Essay Example From the perspective of warfare, the Northern China favored horse troops while on the other hand, South China land favored naval force for battles due to their landscape. The residents of Modern China have been exposed to multiple clans, tribes and countries which have assisted them in evolving culturally, attitudinally and linguistically. Stereotypes have prominently come into existence due to this perceptual dissimilarity; out of which most dominant is appearance of the inhabitants. Northern are categorized as taller, loud, warm-hearted, loyal, open, energetic, expressive, fairer, with small eyes, longer rugged face with a Mandarin dialect and wheat based diet. These attributes can lead to a direction which supports the leadership and heroic charisma of Northerners. Whereas, a southerner is labeled quite distinctly as shorter, darker, clever, cultured, wealthy, artistic, large eyed, round face with a southern dialect and rice based diet. So, Southerners are considered as shrewd, industrious, scholarly yet cunning; entrepreneurial and artistic lifestyle is preferred by such people. Moreover, in terms of agricultural priorities, North harvests apples, melons, peaches, corn, and root-based vegetables;howeverSouth cultivates tropical fruits and leafy vegetables for instance mangoes, bananas, coconuts, tomatoes, and taro roots. China is subject to dramatic diversity in terms of geographical presence and divided into two regions: China Proper and Outer China. China Proper is the most urban and densely populated region which drives the economic and industrial growth for the Chinese economy. According to the Countries and culture encyclopedia, Huang He Chinese culture dominates the region. The alluvial soil, moderate temperature and sufficient river water make the region a basic source of agriculture which has been the driver of Chinese economic growth since earlier times. The sub regions in China Proper add to its

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Role of International Law in Preserving the Environment Essay

The Role of International Law in Preserving the Environment - Essay Example On the one hand, intuition and logic demands that an international or regional response is in many contexts a practical necessity. The nations of the world routinely confront challenges that are global or regional in scope—challenges in areas as diverse as environmental change, communications technology, and regional security. These challenges demand a more coordinated and concerted approach than any single, national solution can provide. Should criminals launch from a server twenty feet into a neighboring sovereign state, it would be foolhardy to believe that the country whose citizens were targeted by such criminals could effectively investigate and prosecute the criminal agents. Should refugees flood into a region because of instability in one-state, the stability, welfare mechanisms, and infrastructure of all affected regional states are challenged by the sudden flux in displaced persons. It would be ignorant to assume that the actions of one state are not directly affecte d by the actions of other states. So it is with the environment. Should carbon dioxide spill out of factories run by Western businesses and make their way into the stratosphere, the areas affected by the resulting greenhouse effect won't be limited to the areas where those factories were built. Should toxic waste be dumped into a river that in turn feeds a lake or an ocean, the water will carry that waste to shores far removed from the polluters. One nation can do little to change the world, when their neighbors or their peers remain unconcerned about their own contributions. On the other hand, these same nations exist as legal entities thanks to a juridical system inherited from a time when legal purviews were far more provincial. As such, the legal regimes in place within each nation-state tend to privilege the sovereignty of that state, which is to say that they accord that state near-absolute control over the legal decisions that occur within their borders. The boundaries of jur isdiction are thus by default the dividing lines between different models or standards for jurisprudence, and should a nation will itself immune to the pressures or legal regimes in other countries, it can do so. Problematically, the incentive to do just that correlates positively with the relative power-status of the country in question. Weaker, smaller, less developed countries may feel that external legal pressures that might compromise national sovereignty are nonetheless in their best interest, since they do not wish to alienate the great military or economic powers, especially if they rely on those power for financial or military assistance, or for regular trade. The more powerful countries, by contrast, have every incentive to view their own sovereignty as inviolate, a reflection of their global standing. These countries also tend to be more effective in resolving problems within their own borders, and as such may feel like their approach to larger-scale problems should be ad opted by less-powerful nations, rather than engaging in cooperative solutions that would compromise their own sovereignty alongside those of other state participants. Sadly, this scenario is precisely what has unfolded with many of our international institutions. The United Nations, for example, gives a select group of countries, the United States chief among them, de facto veto power over the will of the General Assembly. Perhaps most exemplary of this tendency is

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Investment Companies Essay Example for Free

Investment Companies Essay Investors need to consider a lot of factors before investing their money in any firm. Company stability and ability to generate profits is the main attraction for any investor. Bank of America and Apple Inc are some of the most stable companies in their respective fields. Besides these are some of the highest paying industries in the world today. Bank of America Bank of America is the largest brokerage house and consumer banking franchise in the United States (Lewis, 2010, p1) during the financial crisis, bank of America posted huge losses coupled by the untimely purchase of Merrill Lynch. However in April 2010 bank of America reported a $3. 2 billion first quarter profit signifying an imminent complete turnaround for the company. Interestingly, most of the profits were generated from the trading at Merrill Lynch. The gamble to buy Merrill Lynch had paid off. With the worst of the financial crisis over, bank of America is poised to make bigger profits and reclaim its eminence that it lost to JP Chase and Goldman Sachs. Though it is unlikely to continue with the acquisitions that characterized most of its growth phase, the bank no doubt will be a big player in wealth management in the US. Long term investment in bank of America therefore will be a wise decision by an investor who is looking to capitalize to a rising stock price and dividend per share revenue. Besides, the regulations that the administration will introduce will ensure profitability and stability of the banking sector. However, given that the financial markets have not fully recovered, coupled with the impending WallStreet reform by the administration, there is likelihood that resulting volatility may eat into the company’s profits and share price. Besides, the company, like many other banks is still repaying government bailout money, a move that will affect its profits and effectively its investors. Apple Inc Dynamism describes the world of technology today. New information gadgets are introduced to the market every year. Apple is on of the companies that has emerged as a market leader challenging established giants like Microsoft and easily cutting a niche for its itself in the market. Apple prides itself with successes such as the i-Pod, the i-Tunes Store, MacBook sales, and excellent Mac OS X. Innovation to meet the ever demanding market is the main driver of apple and with its cutting edge products like the i-phone, i-pod and recently the i-pad, investing in Apple inc will be a good decision because certainly these are not the last of their products. The company has one of the highest share prices in the New York Stock exchange which stood at $140 pr share as of 2008 (Tyson, 2008, p 11). Every time people buy Apple products, it increases the company sales and profits which in return drive up the stock price (Tyson, 2008, p 11). With the continued good performance, an investor is guaranteed of good returns in the long run. While some computer and software companies saw their profits plunge during the recession, Apple’s strong position ensures continued movement of their products, a clear indicator that the company can whether big economic fluctuations and guarantees an investors returns for their money. Apple Inc. has concentrated on developing mobile gadgets but the same effort is needed in developing products like the Mac desktop. Competition from other computer and software manufacturers is stiff and an information technology company that cannot sustain the innovation trends is likely to post less sales, profits and stock price. Competitors like Microsoft and phone manufacturers like Motorola are likely to come up with gadgets that will target the entertainment industry, enterprise and high performance computing, none of which apple is well prepared for (Martellaro, 2006, p1). Expanding their niche therefore to include more products will secure the future of the company and ensure long-term stability.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Character Reference Letter for a Friend :: Business Character Reference Letters

Character Reference Letter for a Friend The purpose is to provide a character reference for Bob Simmons whom I have known as a classmate, roommate, and friend for a period of six years. I first met Bob our freshman year at State College. We were studying an arts program there and became acquainted through a number of classes that we shared. By the second year, we had become friends and decided to live together in an off-campus apartment. We shared that living arrangement until we graduated last year. Having gotten to know Bob over the past few years, puts me in a position to provide you with a pretty accurate assessment of his character. As a student, Bob was hard-working and highly committed to his education and grades. I believe that his excellent transcripts will attest to that fact. In addition, he was involved in a number of extra-curricular activities including the track and field team and the school newspaper. In his last two years he was Assistant Editor of the "Campus Times". He was always outgoing, willing to help someone out, and was very popular with his fellow students. As a roommate, Bob was a great choice. He was very neat and tidy at all times and he liked things in the apartment to be kept orderly. He made a point of cleaning his own room and the common living areas on a regular basis. He socialized occasionally at home but was always respectful of my needs, and he and his guests kept the noise down and ended their activities at a reasonable hour. As a friend, Bob is as good as they come. He is loyal, honest, respectful, and supportive, and has the ability to see and understand things from another person's perspective, not just his own. He is a great direct communicator and knows how to raise and discuss common living issues and problems in a non-threatening manner. He is hyper-sensitive and is always tuned into how the person might feel in a given situation.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Issue of Lowering of Legal Drinking Age

Cody Schisnewski Final Draft 09/29/09 Period 1 A number of States in the U. S. are considering legislation to lower the legal drinking age from the current age of 21 to 18. The move would defy a generation of federal law and public opinion in America which is strongly opposed to lowering the drinking age. In 1984, congress set the legal drinking age to 21 from 18, threatening to cut highway funding to states which did not comply, mostly to cut down on drunk driving deaths caused each year by drinking and driving. But advocates argue teenagers are going to drink anyway even if changed. Should the drinking age be lowered? In my opinion, the drinking age doesn't need to be reduced to 18, the drinking laws need to be changed completely. I think there should be a public drinking age of 18, and a private or supervised drinking age of 12. This way, children (young adults) can be taught how to drink socially and responsibly from a young age, so alcohol isn't such a mystery and there would be less attraction or desire to being able to drink when they turn 21 with there friends. Children need to be taught how to drink responsibly by there parents, and not by some irresponsible friends. And most parents wouldn’t have to worry about criminal charges or D. U. I. ’s because they chose to teach there children about drinking responsibly when they where younger. I have two very different opinions from two different people. Joel who is pro Age 21, from the Mothers Against Drunk Driving or MADD states â€Å"Back in the late 1960s and early 70s a number of states lowered their drinking age from 21 to 18. In many of these states, research documented a significant increase in highway deaths of the teens affected by these laws. After the law changed back to 21, many of the states were `monitored to check the difference in highway fatalities. Researchers found that teenage deaths in fatal car crashes dropped considerably in some cases up to 28% when the laws were moved back to 21. † (redblueamerica. com) Another person, Ben who is pro Age 18, from Radley Balkdo/Reason Group, has his own opinion, stating â€Å"It makes little sense that America considers an 18-year-old mature enough to marry, to sign a contract, to vote and to fight and die for his country, but not mature enough to decide whether or not to ave a beer. People that are for the drinking age of 21 primary argument is the dramatic drop in the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities since the minimum age first passed Congress in 1984. † (redblueamerica. com) In conclusion, drinking, no matter what age, needs to be treated responsibly. To keep you and the life’s of others out of harms way. And never to drive while under the influence which can lead to serious property damage, other or self injury or in some cases even death. And like I said in the beginning, why don’t we look more into just changing are drinking laws to something completely different, if anything schools should start classes teaching students the danger of underage drinking and driving. This is a very complex argument and both side state very strong opinion and facts, who knows which one is right and which one is wrong, but what I do know is deaths cause by irresponsible drinking is very wrong and we should put all of are minds together to try and stop it from happening.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

High School and Basic Education Essay

According to the K to 12 DepEd Primer (2011), â€Å"K-12 means â€Å"Kindergarten and the 12 years of elementary and secondary education. † Kindergarten points to the 5-year old child who undertakes the standardized curriculum for preschoolers. Elementary education refers to 6 years of primary school (Grades 1-6) while secondary education means four years of junior high school (Grades 7-10 or HS Year 1-4). In addition to this, two years are now allotted for senior high school (Grades 11-12 or HS Year 5-6). Prof. Lorina Calingasan of the College of Education in UP Diliman explains that â€Å"K-12 means extending basic education by two years, so instead of having a high school graduate at 16 (years old), we will have high school graduate at 18. † The DepEd discussion paper (2010) on the enhanced K-12 basic education program explains that this new setup â€Å"seeks to provide a quality 12-year basic education program that each Filipino is entitled to†. Furthermore, the purpose is not simply to add 2 more years of education â€Å"but more importantly to enhance the basic education curriculum†. What is the rationale for this program? There is an urgent need to enhance the quality of basic education in our country as seen in the education outcomes of Filipino students and the comparative disadvantage of the Philippines with regard to other countries. The following data would support this explanation: At present, the Philippines is the only country in Asia and among the three remaining countries in the world that uses a 10-year basic education cycle. According to a presentation made by the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-INNOTECH) on Additional Years in Philippine Basic Education (2010), the comparative data on duration of Basic and Pre-University Education in Asia shows that the Philippines allots 10 years not just for the basic education cycle but also for the pre-university education while all the other countries have either 11 or 12 years in their basic education cycle. Achievement scores highlight our students’ poor performance in national examinations. The National Achievement Test (NAT) results for grade 6 in SY 2009-2010 showed only a 69. 21% passing rate while the NAT results for high school is at a low 46. 38%. Moreover, international tests results in 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS) show that the Philippines ranked 34th out of 38 countries in HS Math and 43rd out of 46 countries in HS II Science. Moreover, the Philippines ranked the lowest in 2008 even with only the science high schools joining the Advanced Mathematics category. Some reasons why not disagree with K- 12 education plan in the Philippines First if K- 12 will be implemented, students will be able to get sufficient instructional time to do subject- related tasks which makes them more prepared and well- trained on that subject area. On the other hand, if we remain on the old system, Filipino students would continually get low achievement scores. For instance, international test results revealed that we often come at the tail end in the exams compared to other countries. Second reason why we should support K- 12 is that the graduates of this program will be more prepared to enter the labor force. As we all noticed, high school graduates of the current curriculum are not yet employable for the reason that they are not yet competent and well – equipped with the skills needed in the workplaces. In addition, most high school graduates are not yet reaching the legal age of 18. With the new curriculum, senior high school students can choose a field that they are good at and that they are interested in. As a result, they will be equipped with the skills needed for a specific job even without a college degree. At the age of 18, the age when they graduate from high school, they will be employable and competitive already. Thus, adding up to the nation’s manpower. Finally, with K- 12, Filipino graduates will be automatically recognized as professionals abroad because we are following the international education standard as practiced by all nations. There will be no need to study again and spend more money in order to qualify to their standards. With this, Filipino professionals who aspire to work abroad will not find a hard time in getting jobs in line with their chosen field and will be able to help their families more in the Philippines as well as the country’s economy with their remittances, property buying, and creation of businesses. Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. While this may be true, our current education system hinders us in becoming more competitive among other countries. The K- 12 education plan offers a great solution to that problem. However, it is undeniable that there seems to be problems arising as we implement the program such as lack of government budget, classrooms and school supplies as well as the teachers. But, if we focus on the long- term effect of K- 12, we can conclude that it is very beneficial to us Filipinos. Therefore, we must have the strong will in supporting K- 12 Educational Plan for the betterment of our education system and economy. Remember, if we want change in our society, we must start it with our education system. Definition of Terms Curriculum refers to the lateral integration of school-based subjects to meet the qualifications demanded by industry. South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) is a chartered international organization that aims to promote cooperation among Southeast Asian nations through education, science and culture. It operates through specialized regional centers, three of which are hosted by the Philippine government and include the Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH). National Achievement Test (NAT) is an annual examination given to both Grade ninth and tenth students in the Philippines. The students’ knowledge and mastery over the subjects Mathematics, Science, Filipino, and Araling Panlipunan is measured using a multiple choice type test. The examination is administered by the Department of Education’s National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC). Trends in International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS) provides reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of U. S. 4th- and 8th-grade students compared to that of students in other countries. Methodology Living this modern world we gather this information by conducting research through internet. We read all the articles that describe k – 12 basic educations. By the help of this modern technology we determine how and why k – 12 basic education help Filipinos to be employed and reduces poverty in our country. Summary of Findings World of K -12 K – 12 Basic Education Program is adding 2 years from K – 10 Basic. Education Program of our country. K – 12 are divided from kindergarten, elementary education (grade 1 – 6), secondary education or junior high school (grade 7 – 10 or HS year 1 – 4 ), and additional 2 years which refers to senior high school (grade 11 – 12 or HS year 5 – 6 ). After 12 years of basic education graduates of this curriculum are prepared to belong to the labor force of the Philippines. Also K – 12 graduates are recognized as professionals abroad because we are now following to the international education standard are practice by all nation. Reference Velasco P. T. (2012). A Primer on the New K-12 Philippine Education Curriculum.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Bias in News Media essays

Bias in News Media essays It is no mystery that the media has much power in setting cultural guidelines and in shaping political discourse. This is why it is very important that the media is challenged every so often to be fair and accurate, in order to avoid bias. One way the media can show bias is in who they choose to interview. More often than not they will over-rely on "official" sources such as government, corporate and establishment think tanks. For example, FAIR found that in 40 months of Nightline programming, the most frequent guests were Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, Elliott Abrams and Jerry Falwell. Progressive and public interest voices were seldomly represented. In order for the media to accurately portray issues, they need to broaden their range of sources. If they do not, those in power have all the say so and the little guys lose out. Another way in which the news can be biased is in lack of diversity. If you really pay attention, how many producers or editors at media outlets are women, colored people, or openly gay or lesbian? For news outlets to fairly and accurately represent a variety of communities, they need to have members of all different races and ethnicities in high up, decision making positions. In a recent study, FAIR's 40-month survey of Nightline found its U.S. guests to be 92 percent white and 89 percent male. A similar survey of PBS's News Hour found its guest list was 90 percent white and 87 percent male. A big problem in news coverage now a days is stereotypes skewing coverage. More and more is seems like coverage of the drug crisis focuses almost all of its attention on African Americans, despite the fact that the majority of drug users are white. Also, coverage of women on welfare focuses tremendously on African-American women, even thought the majority of welfare recipients are not black. More often than not lesbians are shown as "man-hating" and gay men are portrayed as "sexual predators." Interes...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Sample Standard Deviation Example Problem

Sample Standard Deviation Example Problem This is a simple example of how to calculate sample variance and sample standard deviation. First, lets review the steps for calculating the sample standard deviation: Calculate the mean (simple average of the numbers).For each number: subtract the mean. Square the result.Add up all of the squared results.Divide this sum by one less than the number of data points (N - 1). This gives you the sample variance.Take the square root of this value to obtain the sample standard deviation. Example Problem You grow 20 crystals from a solution and measure the length of each crystal in millimeters. Here is your data: 9, 2, 5, 4, 12, 7, 8, 11, 9, 3, 7, 4, 12, 5, 4, 10, 9, 6, 9, 4 Calculate the sample standard deviation of the length of the crystals. Calculate the mean of the data. Add up all the numbers and divide by the total number of data points.(925412781193741254109694) / 20 140/20 7Subtract the mean from each data point (or the other way around, if you prefer... you will be squaring this number, so it does not matter if it is positive or negative).(9 - 7)2 (2)2 4(2 - 7)2 (-5)2 25(5 - 7)2 (-2)2 4(4 - 7)2 (-3)2 9(12 - 7)2 (5)2 25(7 - 7)2 (0)2 0(8 - 7)2 (1)2 1(11 - 7)2 (4)22 16(9 - 7)2 (2)2 4(3 - 7)2 (-4)22 16(7 - 7)2 (0)2 0(4 - 7)2 (-3)2 9(12 - 7)2 (5)2 25(5 - 7)2 (-2)2 4(4 - 7)2 (-3)2 9(10 - 7)2 (3)2 9(9 - 7)2 (2)2 4(6 - 7)2 (-1)2 1(9 - 7)2 (2)2 4(4 - 7)2 (-3)22 9Calculate the mean of the squared differences.(4254925011641609254994149) / 19 178/19 9.368This value is the sample variance. The sample variance is 9.368The population standard deviation is the square root of the variance. Use a calculator to obtain this number.(9.368)1/2 3.061The population standard deviation is 3.061 Compare this with the variance and population standard deviation for the same data.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Do Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) Cause War Research Paper

Do Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) Cause War - Research Paper Example However, there are differences in the beliefs and systems that Jews, Christians and Muslim accept as legitimate. Jews hold that the Abrahamic covenant was carried down onto Isaac (Abraham's second son) and then to Jacob (Isaac's second son) and then down to Jacob's (also known as Israel's) descendants. After years of the Israelite community growing, they merited to receive the Torah, a set of Laws given directly to the Israelites through Moses. The Jews hold the Torah (first five books of the Bible) to be authoritative and the generational interpretation of the Torah from the Prophets to the Rabbis as absolutes (Idel 7). Christianity on the other hand sprouted out of Judaism because the followers believed that Jesus Christ was the son of God and this was a position that most Jews rejected and never accepted. On the other hand, Christians also did not accept the generational interpretation of the Torah as Jews did but rather focused on the life of Jesus Christ as an ideal standard interpreted by the New Testament. Islam on the other hand came up as a result of revelations received by Mohammed, a descendant of Abraham through the line of his first son, Ishmael (Schmidt-Leukel 149). Although there are clear areas that Islam seems to build on Judaism and Christianity, Islam also maintains its distinct features and elements. Islam, Christianity and Judaism cuts across elements of spirituality, morality and nationalism (Oystein, 72). In terms of spirituality, all these Abrahamic Faiths profess some element of control over the supernatural and promises humanity a pleasant life after death. Additionally, these promises comes with some responsibilities that seek to make people live according to some standards and ideals prescribed by these religions. The Jewish have a set of traditions Halackha that must be adhered to at all times in a person's life. Christians have doctrines and principles of holiness that must be followed. Muslims also have the Sunnah which sums up the traditions and instructions a s revealed to Prophet Mohammed. The institutionalization of these principles and practices amongst a group of people professing each of these three Faiths leads to the nationalism aspect of the Abrahamic Faiths. This requires the establishment of the structures of a modern nation, including a military that would protect the interest of a religious state. Based on this, I identify three main issues of misunderstanding and misuse of the Abrahamic religions that led to wars and various forms of violence throughout history. These three matters include the rise of opportunistic leaders in the original kingdoms of the founders of these

Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Use of Nuclear Power Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Use of Nuclear Power - Assignment Example In recent times, various developments have been realized in not only the adoption of nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels but also in related nuclear reactor technology, which has also contributed to the debate. Social implications are obvious and have also been discussed in the current literature. This is a literature review that is focused on the discussion of the adoption of nuclear energy in the world, the recent developments in nuclear reactor technology, and social implications of this type of energy. The 1930s saw the beginning of a long journey to the production of nuclear energy when the understanding of the atom was propagated by Curies, Ernest Rutherford, and Bohr. Prior to the Second World War, there emerged a large incentive and funding, which precipitated the popular Manhattan project. This is the same project that saw the materialization of the first nuclear reaction to be controlled by the man in 1942, which took place at the University of Chicago (Mahaffey, 2010). The development of nuclear reactors was inspired by this historical breakthrough, which saw further efforts directed towards more funding in an effort to advance the creation of advanced reactor technology as well as the developments of the fuel cycle and nuclear material. This development saw the installation of the first nuclear power plant in the United States, which was established in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, the operations of which kicked off in 1957 (Mahaffey, 2010). A major issue that occurred at the plant resulted in its complete closure and decommissioning in 1982, which involved vehement contaminations and extremely low thermal efficiency compared to the energy it was producing – thermal efficiency was 29 percent. The original reactors were Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), which functioned by keeping liquid water around the core fuel reactor.This literature review has been focused on the development of a basic understanding of nuclear power and how it has developed since its discovery in the 1930s. Recent developments have various social, economic, and environmental implications. An important dimension that this review has taken to account is that do design, which has been used and will be continued to be used in future in dealing with social, economic, and environmental problems related with nuclear energy. In this regard, the problems mentioned, for instance, in the Fukushima Daiichi case, can be avoided in the design phase. Â  

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Labor Econ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Labor Econ - Essay Example pecting that women will go out of the labor force during and after pregnancy, bosses are hesitant to give women the best training possible, which can simply be explained by the cost and benefit analysis. The intermittent attendance of women in the labor force would mean less return for the employer for every training and additional knowledge that it has given a female employee. The lack of training on the part of the women explains this difference in wages. Another inevitable result of the intermittent attendance of women to the labor force is their inability to be promoted to higher position as this would mean greater chaos in the office every time the women leave for child-bearing and child-rearing. The popular books on labor economics agree on this very important explanation for the male-female wage difference. With all other determinants equal, the reason why women are still promoted to lower position and still receive lower salaries than men is discrimination. The gender discrimination is not only observed in large countries like the USA but also in small but booming countries such as the Singapore, particularly observed in the form of pre-existing structural differences, sexism and male protecting their success by excluding women from high-paying jobs (Lee). 2. The comparable worth law is defined as â€Å"A theory holding that compensation for job classifications filled chiefly by women should be the same as for those classifications filled chiefly by men if the jobs, albeit dissimilar, are regarded as having equal value. According to this theory, workers salaries should be calculated on a scale of socioeconomic value that transcends traditional supply and demand† (Answers.com). The impetus of the law is to demolish any form of gender discrimination against women. But women having a low salary and coming from a different job than men may not neccesarily be a form of discrimination. What can be seen clearly as discrimination is the unequal pay between

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Internet Freedom of Speech and Censorship

Internet Freedom of Speech and Censorship The United States, a bastion of democracy to the world, has long recognized the importance of freedom of expression to safeguard democracy and grow as a nation. It is a right enshrined in the very first provision of the United States Constitution. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution, adopted in 1791, provides that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Although freedom of speech enjoys heightened protection from the government, this protection is not really absolute. The Supreme Court imposes some very narrow restrictions which are deemed not fully protected under the First Amendment. These include advocacy of imminent illegal conduct, defamation, obscenity, and fraudulent misrepresentation. In any of these categories, the speech should be suppressed because of its harmful content (Wang, page 1). Freedom of speech is equally a dangerous right because with it goes the freedom to deviate against established rules and norms or to go against the status quo and advocate change. As such, all over the world, it is also the most threatened right. Many in the United States today, that include several citizens groups with specific advocacies, are pushing for censorship of the freedom of speech which interestingly finds expression in many varied forms. The internet is one arena that has lately been the target of these efforts as it provides practically everyone with the ability to communicate their ideas to wide audiences and conveniently escapes the ability of the state to control it. The internet, composed of millions of computers and telephone lines that are inter-connected and networked, have scant rules regarding what can be said and done with no one tasked to supervise the users as well no certain authority that controls it Time and again, court cases have ruled against censorship but many still continue to fight to limit the freedom of expression. Government, for one, regularly undertakes efforts to regulate, restrict, or even prohibit a great many types of speech, often with popular support from the public. One reason for censorship of speech that is gaining strong following among the citizenry is the widespread proliferation and publication of extremely offensive materials that glorify violence and pornography. In his essay â€Å"Censorship Can Be Beneficial,† Thomas Stork says, â€Å"Now if we can identify certain evils and if advocacy of those evils seems likely to encourage people to commit them, then why should we not take the next and logical step and prohibit such advocacy†¦ Must the authorities be helpless to restrain the source of the evil?† (As cited in Planet Papers, page 1). The general American public certainly wants not only to be protected from violence, but they also want to keep material out of the hands of those who are unable to handle the ideas and themes presented in such material. For instance, it can not be argued that small children do not have the maturity to view pornographic material or be exposed to extreme violence on television and that exposing them to such kind of â€Å"entertainment† is detrimental to their development. Many believe that pornography is equally harmful to adults. The issue of censorship versus free speech has been, since time immemorial, a hotly contested subject.  With the dawn of the electronic age, the birth and progress of the internet and the increasing use of electronic media for the dissemination of information, new questions over First Amendment rights are being raised.  A lot of issues and concerns have been raised that borders around Web access to pornographic materials by minors, gambling on the Internet and the posting of abusive content on newsgroups. Web sites have been created promoting censorship in the Internet like â€Å"Filtering Facts†, an online source for information on making Internet access in libraries safe for children and communities and â€Å"Enough is Enough† which aims to protect children and families from illegal pornography on the Internet. Filtering, rests on the premise that technology can solve the problem technology created. Filters block out Web sites with offensive content, usually based on keywords or lists complied by the filter developer. Filter supporters say the technology is ideal because it empowers parents and blocks out speech without silencing the speaker. In February 1996, Congress moved to pass a law, the Communications Decency Act (CDA) which prohibited the posting of indecent or patently offensive materials in a public forum on the Internet including web pages, newsgroups, chat rooms, or online discussion lists. The Children’s Online Protection Act, tried to ban material harmful to minors and In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA) which requires schools and public libraries receiving federal funding to install internet filters or blocking software. Another way of making Internet communications more secure is encryption, which is a technique for encoding messages, making the person who has the encryption key the only one who can read the message. These programs have been available for years, but law enforcement officials were concerned that criminals and terrorists will use the programs to send messages they cant break. Under heavy pressure from the technology industry, and after a 1999 appeals court ruling that said creating encryption programs is a form of free speech, the federal government essentially gave up trying to control encryption technology. In the wake of Sept. 11, the debate over encryption has been reopened, and Congress has made it easier for authorities to use electronic surveillance. Forums and Chatrooms frequently have moderators, who will edit or remove material against the rules of that community. The scope of these rules varies from community to community some will want material to be suitable for a specif ic audience, whilst others only require discussions to be kept within the law. In a landmark decision on June 26, 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that the Internet is a unique medium entitled to the highest protection under the free speech protections of the First Amendment giving it the same free speech protection as print. It was a victory for the Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition (CIEC), a broad coalition of library and civil liberties groups, online service providers, newspaper, book, magazine and recording industry associations, and over 56,000 individual Internet users which represents the entire breadth of the Internet community. The CIEC was assembled in February 1996 to challenge the CDA on the grounds that the Internet is a unique communications medium, different from traditional broadcast mass media which deserves broad First Amendment protections. Rejoicing with the CIEC in their victory are the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) which has been promoting the future of the First Amendment and free expression in the Information age and the Electronic Frontier Foundation which protects rights and freedom in the electronic environment. Clamor for censorship of the freedom of speech, whether in broadcast or print media, in television or motion picture, in culture or arts, or in the electronic medium of the Web or the Net, are mostly based on moral and ethical considerations which can be highly subjective depending on the individual’s beliefs, culture, principles, and many other factors. However, if we are to read and understand every word in the First Amendment, there was no mention of any restriction whatsoever; the emphasis rather was on providing equal rights to everyone. If this is so, neither the government nor individuals have the constitutional right to censor the other on the basis that his or her statements may be hateful or prejudicial because the law guarantees the right to express one’s thoughts vocally or in writing without fear of retaliation. What one may say need not be popular or correct. I really do not think that censorship is a solution to the atmosphere of violence, obscenity and other social concerns pervading American society today. Censorship may even be harmful as it gives a temporary feeling of false security. Freedom of speech is just among the many rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The risk, however, is allowing our other rights to be diminished in the end. This is in contravention to the fundamentals of democracy and right to dignity which have been specifically enshrined in our Constitution for us to exercise our liberty and live without fear and prejudice. Today, millions of people are combating internet censorship through writing Blogs as well as by forming organizations that raise the people’s awareness regarding Internet censorship. An example would be the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which opposes Internet censorship and as such, has filled several lawsuits against censorship laws. In 2007, the Childrens Online Protection Act (COPA) which made information that can be harmful to minors illegal even if the same information is necessary to adults, was brought to the federal court by the UCLA saying that it was unconstitutional. The development of a new medium always creates new anxieties. Gutenbergs press prompted two centuries of debate over whether the spread of books would corrupt society. Privacy and free speech are already among the nations most difficult social issues; and it would be startling if the Internet did not raise new concerns about both of them. Even the Internet itself is only the beginning. The electronic age is creating an entirely new medium, one that combines the interactive Internet with older media like TV, radio, print, mail, and the telephone. he questions of how to balance personal privacy and public safety have become all the more urgent since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The â€Å"war on terrorism† evolves daily, even as the technology continues to evolve. The publics opinions about this medium are in flux and their views on free speech and privacy were far from settled to begin with. A Planet of Publishers Press critic A.J. Liebling once said that freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one. Thanks to the Internet, millions of individuals now have the power that formerly only belonged to the owners of printing presses and broadcast licenses the power to spread their views, whether profound or profane, to a worldwide audience. That has prompted a remarkable burst of creativity, but it has also provided hate groups and pornographers with a low-cost way of spreading their messages to anyone, including children, with a personal computer. So far, the U.S. government has supported two approaches to dealing with offensive content: regulation and filtering. Two major attempts at regulation have been struck down by the courts, either in whole or in part. The first, the Communications Decency Act of 1996, would have made publishing indecent or patently offensive material on the Internet a federal offense. The U.S. Supreme Court, in ACLU vs. Reno, came down firmly on the side of granting the highest free-speech protection to the Internet and struck down the indecency portions of the law. A second law, the Children’s Online Protection Act, tried to ban material harmful to minors. The Supreme Court sent the law back to a lower court for further review in May 2002, effectively blocking enforcement for the time being. The other tactic, filtering, rests on the premise that technology can solve the problem technology created. Filters block out Web sites with offensive content, usually based on keywords or lists complied by the filter developer. Filter supporters say the technology is ideal because it empowers parents and blocks out speech without silencing the speaker. Critics say filters are a crude tool at best because they depend on keywords that could crop up on perfectly legitimate sites devoted to breast cancer, AIDS prevention, or the novel Moby Dick. A third federal law would have required all public libraries to use filters, but a federal court threw out the law in 2002, saying filters would block porn and protected speech alike. Your Personal Fish Bowl The Internet itself may seem anonymous, but it is far from private. E-mail can be easily intercepted by anyone with enough technical skill, and Web sites can track substantial information about users, either by voluntary registration or involuntarily through the use of cookies files quietly stored on a visitors computer that will identify them to the Web site on their next visit. One way of making Internet communications more secure is encryption, the technique for coding messages so they can only be read by someone who has the encryption key. Encryption programs have been available for years, and businesses contend that strong encryption is critical to keeping online commerce secure. But even before Sept. 11, law enforcement officials were concerned that criminals and terrorists will use the programs to send messages they cant break. Under heavy pressure from the technology industry, and after a 1999 appeals court ruling that said creating encryption programs is a form of free speech, the federal government essentially gave up trying to control encryption technology. In the wake of Sept. 11, the debate over encryption has been reopened, and Congress has already made it easier for authorities to use electronic surveillance. But the ability of Web sites and hackers to collect information pales next to the newfound power technology gives to governments and marketers. Data warehouses are able to mix information from different sources to create a single, detailed profile of an individual, including vital statistics, how much they earn, what they buy, the state of their health, their interests, what they read, and more. And all of that information is for sale to direct marketers, current and potential employers, or just anybody willing to pay for it. Already, as part of the war on terrorism, the federal government and financial services companies are discussing how to use their databases to flag suspicious activity. Current privacy laws are rarely enforced and would offer spotty protection even if they were. The Supreme Court has upheld a federal law barring states from selling information they collect, such as voter registrations and motor vehicle records, to direct marketers. References: Communications Decency Act. Center for Democracy Technology. 2008. 2 May 2008 . â€Å"Speak Your Mind: The Censorship Controversy in American Culture. Planet Papers. 2006. 1 May 2008 http://www.planetpapers.com/Assets/5616.php â€Å"Supreme Court Rules CDA Unconstitutional.† Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition. 2008. 2 May 2008 . Wang, Xinyi. Freedom of Speech in the United States Constitution. Perspectives. 30 Apr 2001. 2 May 2008 .