SUMMARY OF ENIEST MARTINEZ ARTICAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SUMMARY OF ENIEST MARTINEZ ARTICAL - Essay Example These activities include but are not limited to drunk driving, driving without license, being in the company of wrong people, and hiding assets from the tax-imposing agencies. All of us do such things and are not caught only because we are lucky enough to get away with them, while the prison in-mates are not quite as lucky. It is wrong to conclude that prison in-mates are people different from us. Many of the prison in-mates are just like us who ended up in jail because they could not deal with the circumstances. There is a shortage of skilled and talented people out there in the market, while many of the prison in-mates hope to start a second chapter in their life where they can play a positive role in the society by benefiting themselves as well as others with their talents, skills, traits, abilities, and aspirations. Human resource is one of the most important resources of any successful company. Companies today are not advancing only on the basis of their technology or equipment. Skilled and talented workforce is actually what is fundamentally taking the businesses to the next level. The interpersonal relationships of between the consumers and the company personnel help improve the company’s sales. Management and business gurus like Dr. Peter Drucker emphasize upon the importance of workforce as the asset of a company. In order to expand the business, it is imperative that we consider people as our greatest asset. Ernest Martinez believes that many prison in-mates have all it takes to make a company successful. They are talented, technically and intellectually gifted, and many are eager to work diligently. Not all in-mates are worthy of a second chapter in their life. It is indeed hard for them to establish themselves given their circumstances. The prisons are pools of many talented men and women who qualify as productive employees. While this cannot be generalized for all in-mates, there is need to search for

Cytomegalovirus Overview

Cytomegalovirus Overview 1. unocompromised host Cytomegalovirus is a significant opportunistic pathogen in immuno-compromised patients. Primary infection, reactivation of latent virus, and reinfection are possible and are often clinically silent. The onset of infection is marked by spiking pyrexia, which may resolve in a few days. Its severity is parallel with the level of immunosuppression, and is greatest in bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients and AIDS patients with low CD4+ T-cell counts. Solid organ transplant recipients, patients receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy, and subjects with congenital immunodeficiencies may also be symptomatic (Landolfo et al., 2003). Organ transplantation Cytomegalovirus is one of the most important pathogens that infect (SOT) recipients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality (Beam and Razonable, 2012). Solid organ transplant recipients are particularly susceptible to CMV-related disease due to the immunosuppression necessary to prevent organ rejection. Patients receiving T-cell depleting therapies are at the highest risk The major risk factor for CMV pneumonia is a CMV-seronegative transplant recipient receiving a CMV-seropositive organ. Because of the multiple human strains of CMV, seropositive organ recipients are at risk of re-infection with a different strain of virus. The clinical syndrome is then usually less severe than in primary infection and the onset of disease is often delayed to approximately 6-8 weeks post-transplantation (Alexopouloset al., 2012). Clinical signs of HCMV infection in transplant recipients may be absent or severe, although severe infection is now less frequent as a result of better prophylaxis. HCMV is initially localized in the transplanted organ, but then spreads throughout the gastrointestinal tract and to the retina, skin, endometrium, lungs, and CNS. HCMV disease is more difficult to treat in BMT compared with SOT recipients, and HCMV pneumonia has a high mortality rate, despite the recent introduction of specific antiviral drugs (Landolfo et al., 2003). Lastly, an immunosuppressive syndrome often related to HCMV infection in the late post-transplant period is characterized by superinfection with bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, perhaps due to disturbance of both the humoral and cellular immune response by HCMV (Landolfo et al., 2003). Cytomegalovirus and HIV infection CMV can cause very serious infection in HIV infection (Barrett et al., 2012). Retinitis: Retinitis is the most common manifestation of CMV disease in HIV positive patients. It presents with decreased visual acuity, floaters, and loss of visual fields on one side. It begins as a unilateral disease, but in many cases it progresses to bilateral involvement. It may be accompanied by systemic CMV disease. (Barrett et al., 2012). CMV pneumonia in patients who are HIV positive is uncommon. The reason for this is unknown (Barrett et al., 2012). Gastrointestinal tract: In the upper gastrointestinal tract, CMV has been isolated from oesophageal, gastric and duodenal ulcers. Patients with oesophageal disease may present with painful dysphagia. In the lower gastrointestinal tract, patients with CMV may present with diarrhoea due to colitis (Barrett et al., 2012). CMV may cause disease in the peripheral and central nervous system (Barrett et al., 2012). Replication in the CNS of AIDS patients produces some of the symptoms observed in congenital infection, and is often followed by encephalopathy (Landolfo et al., 2003). Laboratory Diagnosis It is difficult to diagnose CMV infection in immunocompromised patients as it requires not only detection of virus but also determining whether CMV is causing disease. CMV shedding and viremia are common in patients with impaired cellular immunity even when disease due to CMV is not present (Jahan, 2010). Rapid and sensitive technique for diagnosis of CMV infection is of vital importance for the management of immunocompromised patients. A number of rapid and sensitive methods have been developed. These includes DNA probe techniques (Spector and Vacqier, 1983) , Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Zipeto et al., 1992), CMV antigen detection in biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage (Emanuel et al., 1986) and immunofluorescence technique for detection of CMV early antigens in cell (Vander et al., 1988). Moreover, an assay has been developed for CMV antigenemia based on the detection of CMV immediate early antigen (pp65 ) in circulating leucocytes (Boeckh et al., 1996). Histopathology: Histopathology remains the reference standard for diagnosis of tissue-invasive CMV disease (Razonable and Hayden, 2013). CMV infection is indicated by cellular and nuclear enlargement (cytomegalic cells) and the presence of amphophilic to basophilic cytoplasmic inclusions (aggregates of CMV nucleoproteins that are produced during viral replication) (Eid et al., 2010). The severity of CMV infection can be assessed based on the degree of histological involvement (Mattes et al., 2000). While these histopathologic findings are highly characteristic of CMV infection (Mattes et al., 2000), atypical features may be present and may overlap in appearance both with reactive changes and with inclusions of other intracellular viruses. Hence, the diagnosis can be confirmed further by in situ hybridization (ISH) or immunohistochemical (IHC) testing (Razonable and Hayden, 2013). The ISH uses CMV-specific cDNA probes that bind to viral DNA in the cellular materialÂÂ   (Razonable and Hayden, 2013). Likewise, IHC uses monoclonal or polyclonal antibody against early CMV antigen (ChemalyÂÂ   et al., 2004 Histopathology requires an invasive procedure to obtain tissue samples for testing (Eid et al., 2010). As a result, clinicians are often hesitant to perform it. Moreover, repeated biopsies cannot be performed serially to assess the response to treatment (Eid et al., 2010). Accordingly, many clinicians rely on the demonstration of CMV in the peripheral blood by Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) or antigen testing to support the clinical diagnosis of tissue-invasive CMV disease in patients with compatible clinical signs and symptoms (Razonable and Humar, 2013). Serology: Serology relies on the sensitive detection of antibodies against CMV in the blood (Vauloup-Fellous et al., 2013). CMV immunoglobulin M (CMV-IgM) is initially secreted during early CMV infection, and the detection of CMV-IgM by serologic assays is indicative of active, acute, or recent infection. Weeks into the course of primary infection, CMV-IgG antibody is secreted, and this antibody persists for life. The detection of CMV-IgG is indicative of previous or past infection (Vauloup-Fellous et al., 2013). Many different assays have been described and evaluated for the detection of CMV IgG antibodies. Among these are complement fixation, ELISA, anticomplement immunofluorescence, radioimmunoassay, and indirect hemagglutination (Ross et al., 2011). Many different assays are available for IgM detection, but enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are the most widely used. Recombinant IgM assays using recombinant HCMV proteins and peptides have been developed in an attempt to standardize serological assays. However, studies have shown poor correlation of results obtained with different commercial kits for IgM testing. In addition, assays for IgM antibody lack specificity for primary infection because of false-positive results, because IgM can persist for months after primary infection, and because IgM can be positive in reactivated CMV infections (Ross et al., 2011). Because of the limitations of the IgM assays, IgG avidity assays are utilized in some populations to help distinguish primary from non-primary CMV infection. These assays are based on the observation that IgG antibodies of low avidity are present during the first few months after the onset of infection and avidity increases over time reflecting maturation of the immune response. Thus, high anti-CMV IgG avidity represents longstanding infection in an individual. Avidity levels are reported as the avidity index which is the percentage of IgG bound to the antigen following treatment with denaturing agents (Ross et al., 2011). Seroconversion remains a reliable means of diagnosing primary CMV infection but usually practical only for closely monitored patients such as transplant recipients, for whom pre and post infection sera are readily available (ONeill et al., 1988 and Pass et al., 1983). Culture: This is highly specific for the diagnosis of CMV infection (Razonable and Humar, 2013). Culture can be performed using the conventional plaque assay or the more rapid shell vial centrifugation culture system (Razonable et al., 2002). Isolation of CMV from most clinical samples (other than urine, saliva, and stool) is highly predictive of the diagnosis of CMV disease or the risk of progression from CMV infection into clinical illness (Razonable et al., 2002). In contrast, the use of urine, saliva, and stool samples for CMV culture is of limited clinical utility because viral shedding may be detected in these specimens in CMV-seropositive patients even in the absence of clinical illness (Razonable and Humar, 2013). For CMV-seronegative patients (seen most commonly in pediatric age groups), however, the isolation of CMV in urine (and other samples) may be clinically relevant, since it is suggestive of active primary infection (instead of shedding) (Razonable and Humar, 2013). The major drawbacks to viral culture are its low to modest sensitivity and long turnaround time (Razonable et al., 2002). Accordingly, the clinical use of viral culture is minimal in the contemporary era, when molecular assays are most commonly used in the clinical setting (Razonable et al., 2002). The remaining major clinical use of viral culture is in the diagnosis of CMV infection by use of samples that have not been validated or optimized for molecular testing (Razonable and Humar, 2013). Viral culture may also be required when phenotypic antiviral drug resistance testing is needed, although advances in molecular genotypic assays have emerged for detecting antiviral drug resistance (Hakki and Chou, 2011). Antigen Testing: CMV antigen detection in the blood is the most commonly used phenotypic method for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of CMV infection (Razonable and Humar, 2013). CMV antigenemia assay uses monoclonal antibodies to detect the CMV pp65 antigen that is expressed in CMV-infected leukocytes during the early phase of the CMV replication process (Razonable et al., 2002). The result of the test is reported as the number of positive cells per total number of cells counted (Razonable and Humar, 2013). Because pp65 is secreted during viral replication, its detection in peripheral blood leukocytes generally signifies active CMV infection. The CMV antigen assay is a rapid and easy test to perform and has a higher sensitivity than that of virus culture (Razonable and Hayden, 2013). It is able to detect CMV infection earlier than virus culture, with some studies reporting the detection of antigenemia an average of 5 to 14 days before the onset of CMV disease (Razonable and Hayden, 2013). Thus, it can be used to detect early CMV replication and to guide the initiation of preemptive therapy (Singh, 2001). In general, the degree of pp65 antigenemia correlates with the risk of subsequent CMV disease. However, there is a lack of consensus as to the threshold of pp65-positive cells that should trigger the initiation of antiviral therapy (Razonable and Hayden, 2013). In some studies, the sensitivity of pp65 antigenemia testing for the diagnosis of CMV infection was comparable to that of CMV NAT by PCR (Garrigue et al., 2006). One of these studies reported a strong correlation between pp65 antigenemia and CMV PCR performed on whole-blood specimens (Garrigue et al., 2006). Other studies, however, have reported a significantly lower sensitivity of antigenemia testing than those of molecular tests (Pang et al., 2009). Moreover, the plasma PCR assay detected CMV infection 12 days earlier than the antigenemia test (Hadaya et al., 2003). The disadvantages of CMV antigenemia testing are its labor-intensive and manual nature. The interpretation of the test is subjective, and there is limited interlaboratory standardization of thresholds of positive cell counts to guide various clinical actions (Razonable et al., 2002). Blood samples being subjected to pp65 antigenemia testing should be processed rapidly (ideally within 6 h) to optimize sensitivity, since test results depend on the life span of leukocytes ex vivo. Delays in the processing of a sample for longer than 24 h may lead to a significant decrease in the number of detectable pp65-positive cells in the blood (Razonable and Hayden, 2013).

Racism In Huck Finn Essay -- essays research papers fc

Racism in Huck Finn Ever since it was written, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn has been a novel that many people have found disturbing. Although some argue that the novel is extremely racist, careful reading will prove just the opposite. In recent years especially, there has been an increasing debate over what some will call the racist ideas in the novel. In some cases the novel has even been banned by public school systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for the debate is how Jim, a black slave and one of the main characters, is depicted. However, if one was to look at the underlying themes in the novel, they would realize that it is not racist and could even be considered an anti - slavery novel. The most popular problem people have with this book is the use of the word â€Å"nigger†. It must be remebered that during this time period it was not considered much of an insullt. You can also notice in the book it was not meant offensively by Huck, or taken offensively by Jim. This is what Stephan Shepard had to say about the banning of the book and the use of the word â€Å"nigger†: In addition to removing Mark Twain's novel from the required reading list, the district decided to use a censored version of the novel on its optional list. Admittedly, the censorship is minor the infamous "n-word" is deleted throughout the novel - however, it is not only a dishonest alteration of Twain's craft, it is also an unfair attempt to enforce the tastes of a few upon all students in the district. (Shepard 1) Also a column in The New York Times pointed out, "Huckleberry Finn is in constant trouble with teachers, librarians and parents because of its iterations of â€Å"nigger†, a word that has a preemptive force today that it did not have in Huck Finn's Mississippi Valley of the 1840s" (Ritter 2). Another aspect of the novel that some consider racist is the description of Jim. The first time the reader meets Jim, a very negative description is given. It is said that Jim is illiterate, childlike, not very bright and extremely superstitious. However, it is important not to lose sight of who is giving this description. Although Huck is not exactly a racist ... ... Twain meant no disrespect to black people in his novel Huckleberry Finn. It can even be said that this book was anti - slavery and did more disrespect to whites than blacks. Works Cited Allen, Micheal. Classic Literary Criticisms. New York: Oxford University Press. 1981 Baldanza, Frank. Mark Twain. New York: Barnes and Noble, Inc., 1961. Conn, Peter. Literature in America. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Fishkin, Shelley F., Was Huck Black? (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), p.3. Marx, Leo, "Huck at 100," The Nation, Aug. 31, 1985. Nichols, Timothy. Classic Criticism. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1976 Ritter, Frank. â€Å"Polically Correct†. Op - ed page, Tennessean Times. September 18th 1996. Shepherd, Stephen (Oak Leaf Staff Writer) â€Å"Was Mark Twain Racist?†. New York: Oxford university Press. 1983 Smiley, Jane, "Say It Ain't So, Huck," Harper's, January 1996. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Norton Anthology of American Literature_. 2 vols. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. 4th. ed. New York: Norton, 1994. 29-214. Wallace John H, The Case Against Huck Finn

limitations of first amendment

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America speaks of certain guaranteed freedoms of the citizens. Said freedoms, are of paramount importance, and having been guaranteed by the supreme law of the land, it means that intrusions into said rights can not be countenanced. The First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 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. It appears that the First Amendment speaks mainly of three fundamental rights of the citizens namely, the right to freely exercise one’s religion; freedom of speech and of the press; and the right to peaceably assemble. By virtue of the Constitution, intrusions respecting said rights cannot be allowed. It bears to stress that the First Amendment serves as a reminder that the branches of the government, in exercising their powers, must not step or intrude into said guaranteed rights. However, it must be borne in mind that the freedom granted to the citizens under the First Amendment is not absolute in character. There are certain limitations to the exercise of First Amendment rights wherein reasonable intrusion by the State is permitted in order to prevent dissension among the citizens and to avoid causing undue injury. In formulating laws, the primordial concern of the lawmakers is the furtherance and protection of the interests of the public in general. Hence, the laws, most especially the Constitution, cannot be used as a shield in justifying one’s act of injuring another. As will be discussed, law and jurisprudence have laid down the guidelines in exercising the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. So also, the limitations as to the exercise of First Amendment rights have been affirmed as necessary in order to regulate the conduct of citizens within the State. The first right mentioned under the First Amendment is the freedom of religion. The free exercise clause proscribes the State from sponsoring a certain form of religion. The State must be impartial as regards the different forms of religion within the State.   But more importantly, this clause grants to the citizens the freedom to be respected in their choice of belief. A citizen cannot be compelled by the State to choose and to practice a certain type of religion. A citizen is free to choose his own religion and is free to do acts in accordance with his or her belief. The limitation imposed upon the free exercise clause is aptly stated by the Court in the case of Cantwell vs. Connecticut thus, Freedom of conscience and freedom to adhere to such religious organization or form of worship as the individual may choose cannot be restricted by law. On the other hand, it safeguards the free exercise of the chosen form of religion. Thus, the amendment embraces two concepts—freedom to believe and freedom to act. The first is absolute, but in the nature of things, the second cannot be (310 US 296 (1940)). Hence, it appears that while an individual is granted by the Constitution the freedom to believe and to act in accordance to one’s belief, the exercise of said right cannot be limitless. The acts of an individual must be regulated by the State, even if the same be done as a way of professing his belief, if the same is already detrimental or prejudicial the interests of the public in general. If an individual does an act which is in contravention with a prohibitive law, he cannot use his religion as a defense. Infringement of said freedom is permitted when the unreasonable exercise of said right can cause danger and harm to the public interest. Although his freedom to believe is guaranteed by the Constitution, the same law cannot permit prejudice and injustice to prevail to spring from said freedom. An individual shall not be excused from complying with a law by reason of his religious belief, especially if the object of the law is a legitimate purpose, and if the same is not an attack against religion. It must always be borne in mind that the paramount concern of our laws is to promote and serve public interest. Hence, if a certain action on the part of a citizen can be characterized as a frustration of the interest of the public in general, it cannot be considered as protected by the First Amendment. The second part of the First Amendment speaks of the freedom of speech. Under this clause, one is free to express his own views and opinions. This clause indeed strengthens the State’s belief in the concept of democracy as the opinion of citizens is given weight and importance. Under the Constitution, an individual cannot be restrained when it comes to airing out his opinions and views either orally, in print, or through other mediums of communication. It is noteworthy, however, that this right is also limited in operation in the sense that not every form or speech or communication is protected by the law. It is settled that â€Å"there are certain well-defined and narrowly limited classes of speech, the prevention and punishment of which has never been thought to raise any Constitutional problems† (Chaplinsky vs. New Hapshire, 315 US 568 (1942)). It thus appears that not every utterance enjoys the freedom granted by the First Amendment. Examples of said unprotected speeches are libel and obscenity. Libelous words and statements cannot be countenanced under the law. The First Amendment cannot be used, for instance, as a justification for violating the right of another to privacy and to be free from undue vexations. It must not be forgotten that the freedom of speech is granted in order to recognize the value of the voice and views of the citizens. There can be no value as regards speech that are damaging to other parties. As the same already inflicts injury to another person, the perpetrator is not permitted to seek shelter under the First Amendment. The same can be said about obscene publications, being in contravention and offensive to the concept of chastity and decency. It is because of the grave injury caused by said utterances to the public in general that made them fall outside the ambit of the First Amendment protection. Lastly, the First Amendment speaks of the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for the redress of their grievances. This is a fundamental right as the citizens are not restricted from gathering themselves in order for them to air out their opinions and bring their concerns to the government. In a number of cases, it has been settled that this right is connected to the freedom of expression since assembling and petitioning the government for redress is a form of expression. Hence, it can be said that the same limits imposed on the freedom of expression clause in the First Amendment can be applied to the freedom to peaceably assemble and petition the government. In the exercise of this right, the assembly must not be tainted with any form of violence which could bring undue injury to the public. So also, in petitioning the government for redress of their grievances, the same must be for valid grounds and must not amount to seditious acts. Otherwise, the same shall fall outside the scope of the First Amendment and will not merit any protection under the law. In the last analysis, it appears that the fundamental rights of religion, speech and peaceful assembly, although guaranteed by the First Amendment, cannot be exercised without limits. Said rights, while promoting the democratic character of our nation, must necessarily be regulated in order to avoid dissension among the citizens and in order to prevent undue injury. A certain level of restriction is necessary for the purpose of making sure that the exercise of said rights is done in furtherance of the objectives of the Constitution—promote peace, order and unity in the society, and not to create conflict and injustice within the State. If said freedoms are accorded without any form of regulation, abuse cannot be avoided, and hence, the very instruments formulated to further public interest can even cause the frustration of said interests.

Impact of Literature on my Personal Growth Essay

The select readings that the class has discussed this semester have covered a variety of literature that has made an impact on how I now view life and the world around me. The stories of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s The Aeneid, Jonathan Kirsch’s God against the Gods and Elaine Pagels’ Origin of Satan have affected my personal beliefs to the extent that I have started to think more critically about certain moral issues in life. Impact of Literature Personal Growth In Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, I have finally realized several points and issues about fighting for something and protecting it. I also learned how much risks and sacrifices that these characters of Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus can lay down for the sake of keeping what is rightfully theirs. Each character possesses braveness and honor that enable them to become stronger in their pursuits and battles. The role of women is also notable in these epic stories as their status supports the development of the male characters. Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls, reat fighters’ souls, but made their bodies carrion, feasts for the dogs and birds, (Iliad, lines 1-5) Achilles, a skillful warrior is introduced in the opening of Homer’s The Iliad. He represents a stereotypical masculinity which is often known as bold, daring, brave, and egotistical. I realized that men of Homer’s time are likely to become more established based on the battle skills that they possessed. When he defeated Hector in public in a single battle, he earns further respect from his colleagues and enemies. Odysseus, on the other hand, is just like any other real man who has a defining character of what a leader should be; nobility, courage, intellect, thirst for glory and authority. He has a loving wife Penelope who perfectly fulfills domestic roles back home. Though she has not seen Odysseus in twenty years, she never loses faith that her husband will come back and that they will live happy again. Her faithfulness and loyalty illustrates a perfect representation of a wife who is truly in love and a woman who is dutiful to her husband. Aenas in The Aeneid, is one of the heroes of classical literature. At some point his character can be associated with that of Jesus Christ. To fully grasp and understand the context of their characters as heroes, one must understand their societal and cultural background. A hero should not be aloof and removed to their present reality. They should conform and adjust but should make a difference. Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Mark and Aenas in the poem of Virgil are heroic characters that illustrate acceptance of the workings and providence of the Gods as fate. They both represent the virtue of accepting and performing one’s duty. Though Aenas is a son of the goddess Venus and who receives special providence from the gods, Aenas is still considered mortal while Jesus is both God and man. Aenas is sometimes driven by his unhappiness and emotional impulses to accept his destined path but he chooses obey and follow still. Aenas is for the glory of Rome but Jesus Christ is for the glory of God, the Father. Meanwhile, Kirsch’s God against the Gods made me think twice about the nature of monotheism and polytheism in our country. Kirsch points out in this book that monotheism is the one responsible for the world war problems today. monotheism turned out to inspire a ferocity and even a fanaticism that are mostly absent from polytheism† (Kirsch 2). I support his claim that monotheism is really a problem if this world needs peace. People have different beliefs and to tell the other that his or her belief is wrong is very crucial to a relationship. With the examples that he pointed out in his book about Jews, Muslims and Christians, I realized that these religions are actually just worshipping a god that has common features. I came to a conclusion that religion is not as important to a person’s spirituality as one’s personal relationship with God. No matter what a person’s religion is, it does not really matter as long as people believe in something and they respect other people’s beliefs as well. Pagels’ Origin of Satan made me realize that amidst the promises of stories about love in The New Testament, the power of Satan is present amongst its stories especially in the crucifixion story. I came to a realization that biblical stories tell more than what meets the eye. With an in-depth analysis, it got me into thinking that to be able to fully understand and comprehend what the Bible really has to offer, I have to finish the book and consult scholarly sources. Conclusion  These stories enable me to think and analyze the world around me and its history in a much critical way. History is written in these books and their still manifesting significance in our society today. Personally, as a Christian I still believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. I eventually conform to the idea of heaven and hell, of the Second Coming, of the body of Sacred Writings but I was restricted to the limits of what my religion teaches me and tells me what to do. However, upon reading these literary works, I realized that as an individual, I must think for myself and conform to the ideas which I think is right as a human being.

Beach Burial Kenneth Slessor Essays

Beach Burial Kenneth Slessor Essays Beach Burial Kenneth Slessor Paper Beach Burial Kenneth Slessor Paper Beach Burial – Kenneth Slessor 1944 Kenneth Slessor, author of Beach Burial, was the Australian Official Correspondent in El Alamein, the Middle East during WWII. The author drew from his own experiences to write Beach Burial, a poem about the aftermath of a battle during WWII. It is a realistic and somber tribute to soldiers of all nations that died in the war. It illustrates how they are all united by one common enemy; death. It breaks the conventional war poem structure, as it is not a celebration of heroes, and shows no nationalistic or patriotic devotion. Instead, Kenneth Slessor has written about how soldiers lose their identity in war. He has chosen to start the poem lulling the readers into a false sense of calm, and by understating the calamity, we slowly realize he is talking about the dead soldiers, whether it be allies or enemies, being united. In Beach Burial, the author stresses the importance of all the soldiers being one, with them losing their identity during war, and them being joined together after death. The convoys of dead sailors come imply a repetitiveness and routine in the deaths, where he has dehumanizing them through the blunt language. The breath of wet season has washed their inscriptions/As blue as browned mens lips,. Through his descriptive language and simile, he has illustrated the soldiers washed away, and that their tombstones have no writing on them anymore, making them anonymous. Whether as enemies they fought,/Or fought with us, or neither; the sand joins them together, demonstrates that the men buried in the sands are not only anonymous but are joined together by the sand, whether they were friends or foes. Unknown seaman the ghostly pencil wavers and fades gives anonymity, and the word ghostly echoes the deaths. It shows that the pencil is indelible, and that although their bodies will decay, they wont be forgotten because they shall live on through the writing. Slessor utilizes a variety of literary devices and techniques to create a subdued tone. Long, slow, soft sounds (softly, humbly, convoys, sway, wander, rolls, foam) create a melancholy and passive tone. Sibilance in the next stanza of sob, someone and seem supports this ambience, as well as the alliteration of soft sounds and internal rhyme of the words shallows and burrows. The rhyme structure (ABCB) and the use of enjambment create a free flowing poem that suggests that it is very natural, similar to the sea. Phrases like sway and wander and wavers and fades also recreate the waves of the sea, setting the scene of the battleground. The author has incorporated a variety of symbols and imagery to add depth to the poem, writing a more thoughtful tribute. There is irony in the title Beach Burial as the beach is usually associated with fun and enjoyable memories, not devastating ones. The word nakedness in And tread the sand upon their nakedness; depicts the soldiers as being exposed to the elements and therefore vulnerable. And each cross, the driven stake of tidewood. The cross is a symbol of Christs suffering and pain of war, and the stake represents destruction and evil. Purple drips signifies royalty, suggesting that these men should be treated like kings after the service theyve put into their country. Kenneth Slessor has produced a solemn and sincere poem to soldiers that died at war during WWII. He has conveyed the unity between soldiers of all nations through literary devices and techniques.

buy custom Knowledge, Education, and Scholarship on and through the Web essay

buy custom Knowledge, Education, and Scholarship on and through the Web essay Abstract Good communication is vital for the facilitation of effective learning. The embracing of the web in the learning has opened up a new chapter in the education sector and above all introduced new ways of scholarship that is not bounded by the walls of the class and the distance between the teacher and the learner. The increased access to the ICTs, especially the web has transformed the way people, work, learn, play and communicate thereby revolutionizing the education sector as the knowledge becomes more and more critical to our lives. The overall acceptance of the internet, and the ever advancing education applications, has also created new ways of knowledge transfer and scholarship through the web. Universities have taken the advantage of the internet, and developed courses that rely only on the access to the internet. These courses have improved the access and also reduced the cost of scholarship Author Keywords: Knowledge; education; internet; scholarship; web; Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Introduction The rapid advancement of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has dramatically affected the economic and social activities as well as in the acquisition of the, creation, dissemination and the use of knowledge. This advancement affects the way in which the manufacturers, service providers, and governments are organized, controlled and how they in turn perform their functions. Knowledge has become an increasingly important aspect in our competitiveness in the world arena. The use of the ICTs has reduced the transaction costs, time, and space barriers thereby allowing the mass production of customized goods and services and thereby overcoming the limiting factors of production and use. With investments in the ICTs, growth in the internet use has also risen. In addition, the rapid advancements in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the web use over the course of the last decade has affected a significant number of issues of our contemporary lives including the education. These new information technologies have the potential to change post-secondary education through the use of virtual universities and learning institutions (universities and institutions that offer courses exclusively through the web), distance education and new instructional practices offered through the traditional setting (this may include the normal teaching by the virtual teacher through the web in a classroom set-up). Nowadays, the educational material or knowledge can be found anywhere, anytime and by everybody who has access to the web. Its common knowledge that the web is packed with information of uncertain quality and importance and therefore, every web user should be able to pick out viable and useful information efficiently from this poo l of unsorted information. Its also essential for any web user to know how and where to obtain useful and qualitative information regarding their interests. This fact has found its way into universities and educational institutions that make the use these developments to their advantage by involving themselves in on-demand web based education and training. The course delivery is done through course delivery platforms such as Ariadne web based learning environment and electronics books which in turn make use of authoring tools such as InterBook. The Internet facilitates two way communications. The students can receive their course resources, content, and exams online as well as being updated on any small change in the versions of the curriculum. The accessibility to the web allows for the assessment of the quality of the exams and the curriculum offered. The learners can also be given potential access to learning from a variety of providers on the comfort of his or her home. The web use has significantly expanded the field of education provision and scholarship to the point where leading universities now host comprehensive online and distace education programs offering their courses at international marketplace. This borderless education or simply edgeless university ensures that same quality education can be accessed by the mass audience regardless of location, time, or space. Web usage has also led to new opportunities for informal exchange of expertise, knowledge and folk wisdom between individuals and independent institutions. Through social media applications like Wikipedia, for example, knowledge has changed from being a realm of the few to being accessible and created by all. Therefore, leaning has now shifted from taking place at the same place and at the same time to taking place anywhere and at any time. It also offers the learners the possibility of speeding or slowing down their courses depending on the content and therefore, being more learn er-centered than teacher-centered. World Bank has estimated that by the year 2020, around ninety (90) million students will be taking degrees or shorter qualifications via distance learning. It also estimates that the market of education could be worth more than one hundred billion dollars ($100b). According to John Chambers, the chief executive officer of cisco network and systems, termed the rise of the internet based learning application to be the next big thing. The major drivers of e learning are the substantial benefits that accompany it. These include: Lower costs ; Enhanced business responsiveness; Messages that are consistent or customized depending on the needs; Timely or dependable content; Prolonged study periods; No ramp up time; Universality; The build-up of the community; Scaleability; The leverage of corporate investment on the web; The provision of an increasingly valuable customer service. The use of ICTs in education can stimulate creativity, thereby providing a medium of thinking differently. The hyperlinks and related information sources can be navigated with a lot of ease and at any point thereby allowing non-linear learning that is learner centered and customized learning that has not been known before. The use of the web has also led to the development of E-psychology in which the internet technologies is incorporated with the ICTs. In E-psychology, the web constitutes the transmission medium in psychological intervention, assessment, orientation, and specialized counseling as a means of interaction between a patient and the therapist. In addition to e-psychology, the web has also found another use as a source of knowledge in the issues pertaining to health. According to a recent study, web users were found to trust entirely the results of the prominent and well known websites when they were gathering the information of their health issues without consulting their physical therapists or internet experts.These virtual environments use tools like e-mails, chat rooms, discussion forums audio and video conferencing for their interaction between the therapists and patients or in the integration of other tools for educational purposes in the e-learning environments. The numerous advantages of e-learning or education as a learner- centered over the teacher-centered learning includes the students ability to learn by discovery as opposed to instruction, learning how to learn as opposed to absorbing of the materials presented and also the teacher as a facilitator as opposed to the teacher as a transmitter. In addition, e-learning is a lifelong learning as there are no barriers to it. The students enjoy thhe courses at their own convenient time opposed to the institution based learning where the students must be available at designated time and places. The concept of digital scholarships has been on the upswing with the technologies that are core to it. These technologies that include the internet, the world wide web, computing grids and digital libraries all exist in the social and political contexts and have significantly evolved over time. The research universities are central to the internet and to the issuance of scholarship in the research discovery, integration, application and knowledge transfers all of which require the web for research and development of the research. In discovery, those awarded the scholarships must advance specific, specialized knowledge. Discovery not only contributes to the overall knowledge but also on the intellectual atmosphere of an institution or a department. In the integration, the individuals awarded the scholarship look for the new relationship between the parts and the whole and thus, bring about new insights to sustain the original research. Its the scholarships of integrations that make vi tal connections between disciplines by altering the contexts in which people view knowledge, and offsetting the inclination of to split knowledge into ever more esoteric bits and pieces. In application scholarships, the new way of knowledge utilization are addressed. In addition, the interaction between theory and the practice is addressed. The scholarship of the application consists in using the knowledge for the benefit of the individuals, institutions, and society. The main aim in this scholarship is the dissemination of useful, testable, and reproducible information to others. And lastly in the knowledge transfers scholarships the new ways of transmitting and extending the knowledge are addressed. The standards of assessment of scholarly work are the clear goals, adequate preparations, usage of the appropriate methods, significant results, effective presentation and reflective critique. These are meant to help the scholar to state the basic purpose of his work, to define the objectives that are realistic and achievable thereby identifying the important questions to use in the field. Also to show an understanding of the existing scholarship in the field, bring skills and resources to the body of the work, utilize a methodology that is appropriate to goals effectively and thereby modify the procedures depending on the changing circumstances among others in the preparation and the conduct of the research. During the presentation of the results, these guidelines help the scholar to achieve his or her set goals, utilize a suitable style and organization to present the findings clearly and with integrity and lastly to critically evaluate his or her work thereby bringing in the breat h of evidence. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge all who helped me in any way in the writing of this doctoral thesis. It would not have been possible to write this doctoral thesis without the help, support and encouragement of the kind and supportive people around me. And for any errors or the inadequacies that may arise in the course of my work, the responsibility lies entirely on me. Conclusion The Internet and the web have now become an integral component of academic life. From all aspects of education, learning and scholarship, people rely on the internet connections for access to information resources, for the interpersonal communication, in search for support of research and learning, access to administrative resources, entertainment, and simple day-to- day tasks . In order to ensure the competitiveness of the web services, the countries involved need to ensure fair pricing and appropriate legal infrastructure to deal with online transactions. Its therefore crucial to incorporate the government, the telecommunication and service providers, business, and individual users when formulating these strategies. Buy custom Knowledge, Education, and Scholarship on and through the Web essay

How to Calculate the Density of a Gas

How to Calculate the Density of a Gas If the  molecular mass  of a gas  is known, the ideal gas law can be manipulated to find the density of the gas. Its just a matter of plugging in the right variables and performing a few calculations. How to Calculate Gas Density What is the density of a gas with molar mass 100 g/mol at 0.5 atm and 27 degrees Celsius? Before you begin, keep in mind what youre looking for as an answer in terms of units. Density is defined as mass per unit volume, which can be expressed in terms of grams per liter or grams per milliliter. You may need to do unit conversions. Keep on the lookout for unit mismatches when you plug values into equations. First, start with the ideal gas law: PV nRT where P pressure,  V volume,  n number of moles of gas,  R gas constant 0.0821 L ·atm/mol ·K, and  T absolute temperature  (in Kelvin). Examine the units of R carefully. This is where many people get into trouble. Youll get an incorrect answer if you enter a temperature in Celsius or pressure in Pascals, etc. Always use atmosphere for pressure, liters for volume, and Kelvin for temperature. To find the density of the gas, you  need to know the mass of the gas and the volume. First, find the volume. Here is the ideal gas law equation rearranged to solve for V: V nRT/P After you have found the volume, you must find the mass. The number of moles is the place to start. The number of moles is the mass (m) of the gas divided by its molecular mass (MM): n m/MM Substitute this mass value into the volume equation in place of n: V mRT/MM ·P Density (Ï ) is mass per volume. Divide both sides by m: V/m RT/MM ·P Then invert the equation: m/V MM ·P/RTÏ  MM ·P/RT Now you have the ideal gas law rewritten in a form you can use with the information you were given. To find the density of the gas, just plug in the values of the known variables. Remember to use absolute temperature for T: 27 degrees Celsius   273 300 KelvinÏ  (100 g/mol)(0.5 atm)/(0.0821 L ·atm/mol ·K)(300 K) Ï  2.03 g/L The density of the gas is 2.03 g/L at 0.5 atm and 27 degrees Celsius. How to Decide If You Have a Real Gas The ideal gas law is written for ideal or perfect gases. You can use values for real gases so long as they act like ideal gases. To use the formula for a real gas, it must be at low pressure and low temperature. Increasing pressure or temperature raises the kinetic energy of the gas  and forces the molecules to interact. While the ideal gas law can still offer an approximation under these conditions, it becomes less accurate when molecules are close together and excited.

Internet as a social media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet as a social media - Essay Example Orkut emphasized on making social friends and brought the domain of Internet interactions closer than Microsoft Messengers and other instant messaging toolboxes. Social media websites were designed to be more intuitive for people to people interaction. During the days of Instant Messaging, the interaction was limited to a private chat box, which could only extend to a particular number of people at a time. It was not a theatre of people to people communication since communication on the Instant Messaging chat boxes was an instantly private affair. However, Orkut changed all that. Now, people were given the opportunity to create their identity on the Internet, which went beyond the possibility of a P2P interaction. People created their own user identities, which were open for others to have a look at them. This allowed like-minded people to come together and interact. The social media websites created a hub for humans to find each other and communicate just like they would in their real lives, by making new friends in their official or social circle and then indulging in various relationships. â€Å"Social media are Internet sites where people interact freely, sharing and discussing information about each other and their lives, using a multimedia mix of personal words, pictures, videos and audio.† Orkut was extremely open in the way it carried out its affairs. Social privacy was not given much of an importance and this was the root cause as to why people shifted their focus from Orkut to Facebook, which had just started off in the year of 2006. I joined Facebook from Orkut in 2007 and even that at that time Orkut was a big deal, as there were more number of people logged in on Orkut than Facebook, but Facebook was catching up fast since it provided an even more intuitive, and friendly user interface which gave the user better command at his user identity on

Shaping Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shaping Behavior - Essay Example Skinner whose work with behavior modification earned him the moniker of Father of Behaviorism develop the theory of operant conditioning. The theory postulates that all behavior is essentially governed by the constant application of punishing and reinforcing stimuli. Behavior modification is designed to use a scheduled approach that consistently punishes undesirable behavior while rewarding desired behavior (Snowman, McCown & Biehler, 2012). . This concept as developed by Skinner is seen to be widely used in not only therapy, but also in a number of psychological settings. It can effectively be used in the treatment of a number of disorders including oppositional defiant disorder, autism and attention deficit disorder. In addition to this, the fundamentals of behavior modification can essentially be used to try and increase desired behavior in a given individual regardless of the person’s functional level. Reinforcement and punishment as based on the operant conditioning theory have been demonstrated to be effective in shaping behavior. In classical conditioning, organisms are trained to learn to associate a given new stimuli with biological and natural responses such as fear or salivation. The organism does not essentially learn something new, but instead is seen to being performing in what is an existing behavior in the presence of a given new signal. Operant conditioning takes a different approach as learning is based on the consequences of behavior and can at times involve the learning of new actions (Miltenberger, 2011). Punishment can be used to stop negative behavior among children. In operant conditioning, positive is seen to refer to the addition of a consequence that will serve to deter a child from repeating what is deemed to be negative behavior. Although positive punishment is essential in healthy discipline it

Diffrence between ABC costing and the Time Driven ABC costing (HBR) Article

Diffrence between ABC costing and the Time Driven ABC costing (HBR) - Article Example Time Driven ABC was proposed by Robert S. Kaplan and Steven R. Anderson, in 2004. Although ABC had been a trend setter in guiding companies and organizations, still it was unable to keep pace with the ever expanding production lines of companies. Time driven ABC is actually a simplification of the ABC methodology (Kaplan & Bruns). Time Driven ABC requires only the estimation of the practical capacity of resources and the time required for transactional activities. Where ABC does not account for the unused capacity in the organization, Time Driven ABC accounts for the unused capacities, thus opening avenues for the allocation of these capacities to new products or cutting them down. It is easier to maintain and gather the data through this model, as the work force required is far less and also the gathering of the data does not require the employees to be surveyed. The manager can allocate the time for an activity based n his professional observation rather than subjective accounts of the employees. It is easier to calculate and validate as compared to the traditional ABC. The data can also be easily updated. The Time driven ABC method allows for the incorporation of a wide variety of elements in the time equation. It is able to cope with more than just a local department with limited number of activities. It also reduces chances of budget slack, created by withholding of private information held by

Detail summary of the movie Freedom Writers Review - 1

Detail summary of the Freedom Writers - Movie Review Example reedom Writers, in which the real-life story of Erin Gruwell and her inspirational teaching efforts in Long Beach, California is dramatized and somewhat fictionalized so as to convey the transformational effects of her approach to teaching inner city kids. The film starts out with images from the 1992 Los Angeles riots, thus establishing the run-down and desperate living conditions of the kids who comprise the student body of Woodrow Wilson High School. Camera shots always work to emphasize the dirty streets, the low quality living quarters of the various students, the sense of danger and violence that stalks them wherever they go. There are many examples of this violence and desperation, such as the drive-by shooting at the convenience store committed by one kid from the high school that kills another kid from the high school in front of two girls from the high school. One of these girls is expected to testify in court as to who was guilty of the murder, but the problem is that he was of her same race. She and the killer were Hispanic and the murdered boy was Asian. It was expected in the street that you protected your own kind and so this girl has to struggle with her decision through a good deal of the film. Although she is friends with the girlfriend of the murdered boy and she knows it is only right that people should be punished for violent crimes, she must also fear for her own safety and the safety of her family as they must continue living in the same streets. This very valid concern is emphasized as she is even confronted in a very threatening manner by other kids from the high school warning her that she better do what is expected. The main action of the film follows the efforts of a young teacher, Erin Gruwell, who is excited to make a change in the world. Having grown up in the world of privilege in Newport Beach, Gruwell is recently married and recently graduated and sure she can bring positive change to the inner city. However, instead of

Gaming Industry in Macao Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gaming Industry in Macao - Essay Example Monopoly to Liberalisation In the year 1961, the monopoly offered to Tai Hing Company expired. As a consequence, new tenders were invited for the casino operation in Macao. In the year 1962, the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) was allowed to have casino concession. On the first January of the same year, STDM was able to successfully take over the gambling franchise. Since the time, gambling has established its own industry. In the process, western games like roulette, blackjack, and craps were introduced as significant games. Undoubtedly, with the passing time, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) has emerged as the best known and largest business group in Macao and at the same time it has played a significant role in the territory’s development. The group was established as well as managed by Stanley Ho, who put his effort to introduce it as a mere gambling character, rather as an entity to develop tourism and the entertainment business encouragin g new prosperity for Macao by enhancement of the welfare and living standard of the common citizen of Macao (World Casino Directory Staff, 2011). The Gaming Industry: New Pattern In the month of August, 2001, the Legislative Assembly had officially established Gaming Industry Regulatory Framework. The framework had given an appropriate meaning to the ‘casino’ and ‘ gaming’. The framework had also laid out regulations for concessions system as well as introduced conditions and process for bidding. At the same time, the Casino Concessions Committee was established to be responsible for the works which are responsible to tender invitation and bidding. After a series of tender invitation and evaluation across the globe,... The gaming industry in Macao started back in the year 1934, when for the first time the government in there granted monopoly rights for casino operation. The first monopoly right or exclusive franchise went to Tai Hing Company. At the very first stage, Chinese games were played in Macao. The most ancient game played in the region was believed to be Fantan. The game was supposed to be played with buttons. In this game, the players are required to guess the number of remaining buttons in a cup of buttons with the total number of buttons being divided by four. Another Chinese domino game named as Pai Kao was also considerably popular. The recent recession has put an adverse effect on the industry. The region’s gross gambling revenue from the year 2007 to the year 2008 has increased by 31 %. However, from thereon, the gambling industry has witnessed an obvious downturn trends due to the global financial crisis. Macao is blessed with rich and contrasting cultural characteristics and can be vividly described. The place is strategically located at the Pearl River Delta at the South-eastern coast of Mainland China. This has also been significant to make it an important tourist place. Since many years, the place is known for its enriched gaming Industry. The place is exemplary in exhibiting the tuneful co-existence of both gaming and cultural attractions. Undoubtedly, the industry has been considerable contributor in the economic growth of this region. However, at the same time, it must look at the adverse impacts arising from the expansion of the gaming industry in there. The government must look into the matter carefully to enhance the positive impacts of the gaming industry by curbing out the adverse effects of the same.

Learning to read and write Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning to read and write - Essay Example The desire to read and learn how to write was also a primary factor in Douglass’s life. His whole life in Master Hugh’s family was spent conflicting with anyone who stood in the path of his desire to read and write. As a matter of fact, Douglass knew the effects of learning to read and write after seeing the changes in his mistress’s actions. The mistress changed from the tender-hearted, pious woman into a tiger-like fierce person who was more violent in her oppositions to the slaves than her husband (Douglas 1). The stories by Rodriguez and Douglass illustrate that education and the ability to learn and write were the only measures as stressed by the people around them to improve their lives. The world viewed education as the primary factor that could change the life of an individual. The master in Douglass’s case opposed the desire to educate the slaves and influenced the wife to do the same because they never considered it efficient to train a slave. Through education, the slaves would develop a sense of worthiness that would be damaging to the masters. The masters knew the power of learning to read and write and the consequences they would face had the slaves managed to do so. Douglas seemed to have a strong affinity to books and preferred facing the consequences than avoiding reading a book. He seemed to have an idea that books would be the key to his salvation. However, Douglas and Rodriguez failed to understand the adverse effects their actions would cause to their life. They failed to realise that there are two sides to every coin and that what has the power to make one free had the ability to blind and destroy them. Reading and writing abilities seemed to be the key to their success. However, soon after achieving their desires, they realized that they had achieved totally different results from what they expected. Douglas realized that he had been dreaming for most of his life and the ability to not understand the

Gaming Industry in Macao Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gaming Industry in Macao - Essay Example Monopoly to Liberalisation In the year 1961, the monopoly offered to Tai Hing Company expired. As a consequence, new tenders were invited for the casino operation in Macao. In the year 1962, the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) was allowed to have casino concession. On the first January of the same year, STDM was able to successfully take over the gambling franchise. Since the time, gambling has established its own industry. In the process, western games like roulette, blackjack, and craps were introduced as significant games. Undoubtedly, with the passing time, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao (STDM) has emerged as the best known and largest business group in Macao and at the same time it has played a significant role in the territory’s development. The group was established as well as managed by Stanley Ho, who put his effort to introduce it as a mere gambling character, rather as an entity to develop tourism and the entertainment business encouragin g new prosperity for Macao by enhancement of the welfare and living standard of the common citizen of Macao (World Casino Directory Staff, 2011). The Gaming Industry: New Pattern In the month of August, 2001, the Legislative Assembly had officially established Gaming Industry Regulatory Framework. The framework had given an appropriate meaning to the ‘casino’ and ‘ gaming’. The framework had also laid out regulations for concessions system as well as introduced conditions and process for bidding. At the same time, the Casino Concessions Committee was established to be responsible for the works which are responsible to tender invitation and bidding. After a series of tender invitation and evaluation across the globe,... The gaming industry in Macao started back in the year 1934, when for the first time the government in there granted monopoly rights for casino operation. The first monopoly right or exclusive franchise went to Tai Hing Company. At the very first stage, Chinese games were played in Macao. The most ancient game played in the region was believed to be Fantan. The game was supposed to be played with buttons. In this game, the players are required to guess the number of remaining buttons in a cup of buttons with the total number of buttons being divided by four. Another Chinese domino game named as Pai Kao was also considerably popular. The recent recession has put an adverse effect on the industry. The region’s gross gambling revenue from the year 2007 to the year 2008 has increased by 31 %. However, from thereon, the gambling industry has witnessed an obvious downturn trends due to the global financial crisis. Macao is blessed with rich and contrasting cultural characteristics and can be vividly described. The place is strategically located at the Pearl River Delta at the South-eastern coast of Mainland China. This has also been significant to make it an important tourist place. Since many years, the place is known for its enriched gaming Industry. The place is exemplary in exhibiting the tuneful co-existence of both gaming and cultural attractions. Undoubtedly, the industry has been considerable contributor in the economic growth of this region. However, at the same time, it must look at the adverse impacts arising from the expansion of the gaming industry in there. The government must look into the matter carefully to enhance the positive impacts of the gaming industry by curbing out the adverse effects of the same.

Copyright And Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Copyright And Ethics - Research Paper Example The concept of whether copyrighting is unethical is a relatively new controversy. There are no religious references regarding this. Religious texts only state that use of another person’s property without his permission is illegal. It does not specifically state about the ownership of intellectual property. The only arguments regarding the ethics of copyright are either moral or social in nature. Those who support IP copyrights are of the opinion that any creation whether real or electronic should be protected legally. Most countries also take this stand including the United States. According to Warwick, the issue of the ethics of copyright is no longer an issue. The current stand is granting rights to the creator/owners will result in a balance of rights between them and the end users. The copyright period protects the rights of the creator/owner. When the duration ends and the work enters the public domain, then the rights of the users come into force. This view is expressed in another article as well. The author states that copyright (and IP) laws in the United States are based on utilitarian concepts whereby everyone or the maximum number of people benefits. A copyrighted material has two distinct parameters, the creator/owner and the user. Due to its uniqueness, it can be read, used or seen by a number of people at the same time. In the case of software, there is practically no limit to the number of users, unlike a film or book. Taking the utilitarian approach, both the creator/owner and the user should benefit.

Geographic Climate of Basketo, Ethiopia

Geographic Climate of Basketo, Ethiopia Outline Introduction The Geography of Basketo Transport, trade and infrastructures Spiritual aspect of the area Church statistics Openness to the gospel Opportunities and threats of the geography to the expansion of the gospel Socio- cultural aspects Influence of geography on the culture Conclusion and Recommendation Introduction Basketo is an area (a Wereda) found in South Western part of Ethiopia under the administration of South Nations Nationalities and People group region (SNNPR), 562 Km from the capital Addis Ababa. The Wereda is not part of any administrative zone. It is an autonomous area known as Basketo Special Wereda. Basketo is bordered on the South and West by South Omo Zone; and on the North by the Gamo Gofa Zone. The administrative town is known as Laska. The Basketo people are an Omotic-speaking ethnic group whose homeland lies in the southern part of the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Basketo Wereda (district) is named after the ethnic group. According to the 2007 Ethiopian National census, the ethnic group has 78,284 members.[1] The linguistic neighbors of Basketo are Melo in the North, Gofa in the East, Dime and Bodi in the West and Aari and Gayil (Galila) in the South. (see figure 1) People in Gofa and Bulki refer both to the people and the language as ‘Mesketo’ but the native speakers identify themselves as ‘Basketo’ claiming that this was originally the name of a kind of sorghum which is typical of the area.[2] Traditionally, the people of Basketo are organized as a segmentary clan society handed by a divine king called Kati. The people worship a sky-god called â€Å"Tsosi†. This Tsosi is believed to be a creator of everything and can be reached only through a mediators such as ancestors through a proper sacrifices. There is also earth-god who is worshipped as a goddess. She is called â€Å"Indak-Kacharonde† The economic activity of Basketo is based on Agriculture but most families keep livestock. The main crops grow in the area include: cash crops: coffee, spices of different types; Cereals: wheat, Barely, teff; and others like yams, sweet potatoes, banana etc are grown. In addition to the cereals, pulses and root crops, there are highly demanded markeTable crops such as coffee, Spices (affaramom, ginger, â€Å"tikur Azmud† and â€Å"Hel†), fruits and banana. Unique genetic resources are found in the Wereda such as: organic coffee, gum trees (incense and rubber) and forest honey. The livestock population and the availability of grazing lands are potential for the development of modern livestock production activities.[3] In the past Basketo was part of the North Omo Zone and the 1994 national census counted its inhabitants as part of that zone. However, the Basketo people didn’t like it because they consider themselves different in many ways from those who are included in the zone. One of the significant factor of the it was the language difference. Despite the effort of the ruling party to emphasize the need to unite the smaller ethnic groups in order to bring consolidation and coordination to use the scarce government resources efficiently, the zone was divided into many smaller chunks. Then as a result of a lot of friction on the issue, Basketo was recognized as a special Wereda. In 2004 Basketo, because of its rich in mineral soil and spacious farm land, it was selected as one of several Weredas for voluntary resettlement of farmers from overpopulated areas. Since then Basketo has become a home for Wolaytta, Haddiyya and Konso people. A total of 7,000 household and 28,000 total family members.[4] II. The Geography of Basketo Basketo lies in an altitude of 700-2200. It is situated in a plateau. The landscape of Basketo includes all types of land forms. This makes it favorable for the growth of any type of crop and the production of annual and perennial crops. The climate that ranges from dega (highland) up to Qolla (lowland) makes it possible for the Basketo people to have a variety of food and export crops. Rivers in Basketo include Ergino, Sirso, Berso and Usino. Some of these rivers can be used for irrigation in the low land of Basketo. Even though the amount of the underground water is very high, the water if full of iron mineral and not healthy to drink. Therefore there is a lack of clean drinking water despite of the rich water resource underground. There are also valuable unexplored natural resources such as iron and gold in the area.[5] There are also dense forests and natural vegetations that covered a large part of the Wereda. However, after people from Hadiyya, Wolaytta and Konso resettled in the area a large part of the forest is destroyed for farm land, timber, fuel and building housing. Some of the resettled people cut trees for charcoal. Now this phenomena is creating a diverse effect on the climate and the existence of wild animals and bringing a long lasting problem contrary to what was expected by the government. Therefore, unless a solution is found soon, it will get worse and the Basketo people itself will be displaced from the area in the future. Transport, trade and infrastructures The Wereda has good potential for echo-tourism development. There are attractive land scenery and colorful cultures unique to the community. Unexplored but high economic value minerals such as gold and iron are available in the Wereda. Therefore, there is a good opportunity of attracting investors to the area. However, social services and existing infrastructure facilities are very weak. There are poor road networks connecting the kebeles with the Wereda capital and connecting Wereda to other neighboring Weredas. It has only 27 kilometers all weather road and 180 kilometers dry weather roads, for an average road density of 1803 km per square kilometers.[6] Agriculture is the major economic and livelihood system of the Wereda and the geographical features of the land is very suitable for crop production. The area has all types of climate. Dega, Kolla and Weynadega. In these different climatic areas different types of crops are produced. However, as it is said above, the infrastructure problem especially the road problem is hindering the people from selling their products for a good price. There is a market problem because of the road. If the people of Basketo had a good all-season road, many exporters would come to the area and invest their money there and the area could have been a source of income not only for the Basketo people but also for the country. Because of market problem, the people of Basketo does not have the trend of doing a large farming. They farm on a very small land to feed just their family. A few people farm a little bit wider and bring it to the market. Nowadays, agricultural products are very expensive in Basketo c ompared to many similar remote areas. The reason for this is because the farmers do not do enough farming that can sustain the market. The climate and drainage of the Wereda is conducive for the development of irrigation farms. The agricultural activities in the Wereda are mainly dependent on rainfall. As a result, the special Wereda was not able to produce sufficient food for consumption in the Wereda although the prevailing rivers would offer a good opportunity to enhance irrigated agriculture. Telecommunication facilities are underdeveloped. This makes communication very hard with other areas for trade and investment opportunities. But recently the Wereda has become mobile telephone and semi-automatic fixed telephone user. This is a good beginning to attract people to the area and make trade effective. On the other hand, the majority of the Wereda population depends on traditional energy sources, which have adverse impact on the environment. Mainly the poor infrastructure facilities have hampered the development of trade and industry in the Wereda. Education, health and potable water provisions are also inadequate in terms of quality and coverage.[7] Spiritual aspect of the area Church statistics Basketo was first evangelized by evangelists came from the neighboring areas (Weredas) Wolaytta and Goffa around 1945. Now in Basketo there are about 4 different evangelical church denominations and more than 70 congregations and of them the majority is Kale-Heywet Church which has more than 50 congregations. There are also Ethiopian Orthodox churches in the area. They are about 8 congregations. A Catholic church is planting a church in the resettlement area. Openness to the gospel The people of Basketo had been highly oppressed by witchcrafts, demonic worships and different costly sacrifices, they were highly burdened and many of them were looking for someone to rescue them. If they did not present an offering like money or animal which they were told to do so, they would suffer a loss of their children or their animals. They had no way to escape from the clasp of the devil. The area was full of witches and magicians. Even though the Ethiopian Orthodox church existed there for many years before the evangelical churches were established in the area, the people did not stop consulting witchdoctors. When the Land Lords from the Northern part of Ethiopia went to Basketo they introduced the Christian religion in the area. Many people of Basketo accepted Christianity forcefully. They were enforced to be baptized as a mass. However, since many of them did not willingly accepted it, they have no strong relation with God. They went to church to please their masters. Moreover, they did not receive any strong teaching about God by the priests. Most of the church’s services were conducted in Geez. Yet the people did not understand Amharic let alone Geez. This language gap widened the estrangement of Orthodox Christianity with the local people. Until recently all of the priests come from Amhara region. There was no local priest who is able to teach the people in their local language. Since they did not understand Christianity, the faith was syncretized with their pagan practices. They go to church on Sundays and on the rest of the week they go to consult magicians and witchcrafts. For so many decades Christianity became a mix of pagan practices and some elements from Christianity. It was in this context that evangelical Christians came to the scene with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who accepted the true gospel began to get free from demonic operations and raise the children without any harm. As the people observed this great miracle they began to respond to the gospel. As a result many people came to Christ. Witchcrafts and magicians, who have been a major threat for the people, began to disappear. Nowadays more than 80% of the population is Christian. Opportunities and threats of the geography to the expansion of the gospel The topography of Basketo is mountainous and valley. It is not easy to go from one place to the other by car. Infrastructure is not much developed in the area. Mostly the people walks on foot or very few people use horses or mules as a means of transportation. The people has very limited contact with other people groups mainly because of lack of modern transportation. This in turn has an adverse effect on the expansion of the gospel to the area and from the area to other neighboring areas. The Basketo church is now sending evangelists to different neighboring areas like Dime, Salamago Wereda, and other areas. However, transportation is a big issue in those areas. It is hard to visit these areas as often. Without a frequent travel and visit it is hard to provide the people with necessary spiritual growth materials and trainings. It is even hard to visit the evangelists working there and provide them with important materials whenever they need them. These area are very close to Basketo kilometer wise, but very far because of lack of transportation and the topography. Socio- cultural aspects The Influence of geography on the culture, language and intermarriage Basketo, as it is topographically and infrastructure wise not easily accessible, first of all, the culture is not highly influenced with other cultures. The people still holds on to its older cultural values very strongly. Intermarriage between Basketo and other people group is also very limited. More than 96% of the population lives in Basketo. Therefore marriage happens almost exclusively among themselves. Secondly, The geographical setting of Basketo makes hard for the people to communicate with other people very easily. The population is highly monolingual because of its less contact with speakers of other languages. Of course the neighboring areas like Galila and Melo people come to Basketo on market days and the Basketo traders go to these area on their market days. However, they spent there not more than half day. Therefore, except those who are frequent travelers, regular residents in that area and the bordering people, they do not have a lot of time to learn languages. Because of lack of transportation to those area, except some business people and those who have cousins there to visit, most people do not usually travel to these areas. Moreover it is not widely spoken by other people group outside the Basketo area. The people have a very limited contact with other language groups as it is mentioned. Many of them do not speak more than one language. Basketo is the main and the on ly language for all types of communication. Children at home and outside with their friends speak Basketo. In the market places and in the government offices the people use Basketo. Only those children who go to school learn Amharic as a second language. Therefore I can say that geography has in some ways a positive influence for the growth of the language. It may be seen as negative if one is concerned about the benefits of multilingualism. However, multilingualism can be gained from schools as students learn Amharic and English as a subject and as they interact with their teachers and some non-native people they encounter in the schools. For those who are more concerned about language maintenance and culture preservation, the geography of Basketo has a very positive contribution so far. From now on if infrastructure in improved, the influence can be minimal because Basketo language is given as one subject in all elementary students. The difficulty in accessibility of the area has a lot of implication on the culture change, language maintenance and change and intermarriage. As it is said above, the people is mostly monolingual and language shift does not seem possible in the near future. This is mainly because of the geography of the area. However new technologies and basic infrastructures play a big role for the expansion of God’s kingdom. Basketo is now reached with the gospel. However the church of Basketo needs to take the gospel to its neighboring areas. The church is sending evangelists to other areas. However, accessibility of those areas is still an issue for a rapid expansion of the gospel to a wider area and effective ministry. Conclusion and Recommendation Basketo is a land where we can find all the favorable climactic and geographical features that are necessary for the well being of human life. Its topography and landscape has given it its beauty of attraction. Basketo has never been drought stricken so far mainly because of its wonderful climactic features. However, the lack of infrastructures such as all weather roads that connects Basketo with the neighboring areas makes it difficult for the economical growth of the area as well as the expansion of the gospel. Basketo has all the natural gifts that can be a tourist attraction and investment opportunities. However, the challenge of the remoteness and topographic problems have not been dealt with the government. The geographical features of Basketo are God’s gift. We should not take the accessibility problem as impossibility. If infrastructures are made available all the challenges will be solved. But despite the fact that the area is one of the major potential areas of spice and food crop producer, the government did not take that part of the country very seriously. The church has the upper hand in the area, as it constitutes more than 90% of the population, but did not use the opportunity to influence the government. Our recommendation is that: first, the church should work with the government very closely to solve infrastructure problems. When this problem is solved it will serve the needs of both the government and the church. Basic infrastructures are very essential for the expansion of the gospel to that part of the country. Most of the neighboring areas are not reached with the gospel and we think that Basketo can play a major role in sending evangelists. Secondly, the church also needs to guard the natural resources of the area by teaching its people and working closely with the government and development organizations. The church also needs to involve in natural conservation and development works in order to tackle the changing climate because of the deforestation going on in the new resettlement areas. Bibliography Amha, Azeb. African languages and cultures 8. â€Å"CASE IN BASKETO† Taylor and Francis Ltd. 1995 http://www.jstor.org/action/showJournals#43693380 accessed April 25, 2012. SNNPR Bureau of Finance and economic development. â€Å"Detailed statistics on roads† http://uk.ask.com/wiki/Basketo_special_woreda (accessed 15 September 2009) SNNPR investment bureau. â€Å"Guide 2000† SNNPR resource potential and investment opportunities. http://www.southinvest.gov.et/Publications/guide%202000%20English.pdf accessed on April 20, 2012. Jordan, Linda. Gayil servey report. (Unpublished), 2007. DPPA. â€Å"Resettlement 2004† Disaster prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misketto_language (accessed 26 November 2006) Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misketto_language accessed on April 20, 2012. 1 [1] Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia accessed on April 20, 2012. [2] Azeb Amha. African languages and cultures. â€Å"CASE IN BASKETO† p. 8,1995 pp. [3] â€Å"Guide 2000† SNNPR resource potential and investment opportunities. p.52 [4] â€Å"Resettlement 2004† Disaster prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) (accessed 26 November 2006) [5] Guide 2000. P. 52 [6] â€Å"Detailed statistics on roads† SNNPR Bureau of Finance and economic development website (accessed 15 September 2009) [7] â€Å"Guide 2000† SNNPR resource potential and investment opportunities. pp. 52-53

Northern Sung Dynasty: Landscape Painting Influences Essay -- Art Hist

" This was the standard, which lasted until the Tang dynasty (618-907). During the Five Dynasties (907-960), between the ninth and tenth centuries, the trend of using ink to express ideas slowly took over the use of colors in the mainstream of Chinese landscape paintings. In other words, the tradition of using colors and the use of ink each lasted for one thousand years. Yet the emphasis on using colors actually lasted a little longer. This is because the tradition of color painting did not end even during the height of monochrome ink painting. While colors form the central elements in Tang paintings, beginning in the Five Dynasties period, ink played a dominant role. During the Song dynasty (960-1279), colors became important for a short period during the end of the Northern Song (960-1127). Usami notes that all paintings require forms. In the history of the Chinese theory of painting, however, the principal focus was a concern not with form, but with 'something beyond form'. (Usami, 1998) Chinese thinkers generally conceived of form in terms of a process of 'becoming solid'. But in the artistic production of 'chaotic forms', Chinese painting actually came more closely to resemble the processes of creation and change in nature. Thus painters themselves offered a visual interpretation of the creative act that differed radically from that formulated in the philosophical discourse of concepts and words. Mi Fu a southern Song Literati painter however, interpreted the phrase 'bamboo in mind' as a statement concerned solely with that, which existed in the mind. The form achieved in the painting thus came to be understood not as derived from the real world, but as originating from within the painter. This liberation of form from an ... ...ly Chinese Landscape Painting, (Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies) , Vol. 18, No. 3/4 (Dec., 1955), pp. 422-446, Harvard-Yenching Institute http://www.jstor.org/stable/2718439 Sullivan, Michael. â€Å"The Arts of China† Berkeley : University of California Press. 2008 5th ed. Sullivan, Michael. â€Å"Chinese landscape Painting† Berkeley: University of California Press,1980 Usami, Bunri, â€Å"A summary of "The Problem of Form in Song Dynasty Theories of Painting" (Faculty of ArtsShinshu University) Bulletin of the Sinological Society of Japan No.50, 1998 *Usami, Bunri â€Å"A summary of "The Problem of Form in Song Dynasty Theories of Painting" (Faculty of Arts, Shinshu University) Bulletin of the Sinological Society of Japan No.50, 1998 Northern Sung Dynasty: Landscape Painting Influences Essay -- Art Hist " This was the standard, which lasted until the Tang dynasty (618-907). During the Five Dynasties (907-960), between the ninth and tenth centuries, the trend of using ink to express ideas slowly took over the use of colors in the mainstream of Chinese landscape paintings. In other words, the tradition of using colors and the use of ink each lasted for one thousand years. Yet the emphasis on using colors actually lasted a little longer. This is because the tradition of color painting did not end even during the height of monochrome ink painting. While colors form the central elements in Tang paintings, beginning in the Five Dynasties period, ink played a dominant role. During the Song dynasty (960-1279), colors became important for a short period during the end of the Northern Song (960-1127). Usami notes that all paintings require forms. In the history of the Chinese theory of painting, however, the principal focus was a concern not with form, but with 'something beyond form'. (Usami, 1998) Chinese thinkers generally conceived of form in terms of a process of 'becoming solid'. But in the artistic production of 'chaotic forms', Chinese painting actually came more closely to resemble the processes of creation and change in nature. Thus painters themselves offered a visual interpretation of the creative act that differed radically from that formulated in the philosophical discourse of concepts and words. Mi Fu a southern Song Literati painter however, interpreted the phrase 'bamboo in mind' as a statement concerned solely with that, which existed in the mind. The form achieved in the painting thus came to be understood not as derived from the real world, but as originating from within the painter. This liberation of form from an ... ...ly Chinese Landscape Painting, (Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies) , Vol. 18, No. 3/4 (Dec., 1955), pp. 422-446, Harvard-Yenching Institute http://www.jstor.org/stable/2718439 Sullivan, Michael. â€Å"The Arts of China† Berkeley : University of California Press. 2008 5th ed. Sullivan, Michael. â€Å"Chinese landscape Painting† Berkeley: University of California Press,1980 Usami, Bunri, â€Å"A summary of "The Problem of Form in Song Dynasty Theories of Painting" (Faculty of ArtsShinshu University) Bulletin of the Sinological Society of Japan No.50, 1998 *Usami, Bunri â€Å"A summary of "The Problem of Form in Song Dynasty Theories of Painting" (Faculty of Arts, Shinshu University) Bulletin of the Sinological Society of Japan No.50, 1998

The Effectiveness Of The Opening To Hamlet Essay example -- essays res

Hamlet is launched extremely well because there is no long drawn out introduction to the plot. The story begins almost immediately with a brief yet concise 5-scene Act entailing the state of affairs within the Court of Denmark. Each scene contributes to the overall exposition significantly and Act 1 effectively captures the interest of the audience, introduces the key characters, establishes the conflicts and creates and maintains the dominant atmosphere of the play. In Act 1 – Scene 1, the audience is instantly shocked into interest by the exchange of short, sharp speeches between the very nervous sentries of the castle. What follows is the audience’s discovery of the frequenting appearance of a Ghost and the sentries’ plans to have Horatio, a scholar, attempt to communicate with it. The setting for this scene is atop a castle, resting upon cliffs high above the ocean. It is midnight, creating a more sinister atmosphere, apt for following story and the medieval time period to which it is set. When the ghost finally appears to Horatio and the others, the audience discovers through their inferences that the ghost has a strong likeness to the late King Hamlet of Denmark. The conversation that follows gives the audience a brief understanding of the current situation in Denmark, involving the details of preparations for war and revelations of conflict with Fortinbras of Norway. Scene 1 therefore serves as part of a good exposition in that it: Captures the interest of the audience with the short stabs of nervous speech between the sentries, It introduces the characters of the Ghost, the sentries (Marcellus, Barnardo, Francesco) and Horatio, It establishes the situation with Fortinbras and the appearances of the mysterious Ghost as points of interest and future conflict, And it contributes through mood and setting to the dominant atmosphere of tragedy within the play. Scene 2 jumps to within the castle, where the court mourning for King Hamlet has seemingly just finished and the newly appointed King Claudius is apparently making his first address to his nobility. During this gallant speech, the audience becomes informed that Claudius has married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, rather hastily after King Hamlet’s death – attention is then drawn to Hamlet, still in deep mourning for his father. He drifts into a soliloquy where he contemplates the act of suicide rat... ...escribes how the murder was performed and implies a plan for revenge to Hamlet involving the feigning of insanity. This scene serves as part of a good exposition in that it deeply captures the attention of the audience with the stunning revelations of Claudius’ deceit and betrayal of his own blood. The conformation that the ghost is Hamlet’s father is what first grabs the audience’s attention. The exposà © that follows ensures their captivation within the plot. The scene establishes the impending conflict that will occur between Hamlet and Claudius later on in the play, due to the light that the ghost has just thrown upon Claudius’ integrity. The scene contributes to the dominant tragic atmosphere in that there is the realisation that seeing as Hamlet is now on a quest for revenge, there is only one way in which it can end – death, which is tragic in itself, but made out to be more so in the play. Act 1 effectively captures the interest of the audience, introduces the key characters, establishes the conflicts and creates and maintains the dominant atmosphere of the play. Each of the 5 scenes contribute significantly to the overall exposition which launches the play extremely well.

Social Effects of the American Revolution

The Patriots’ victory of the American Revolution changed the lives of the colonists. The effects of the Revolution were both positive and negative. Women were positively changed because of the American Revolution. They obtained more rights; property rights moved within reach. Women were granted more than they ever had. Women, like Abigail Adams, hoped to have men remember that they had talents and abilities beyond those of a housekeeper. In addition to women, the lives of slaves were affected by the Revolution. Because many slaves had enlisted in the Continental Army, slaves in the north were liberated; however, the south viewed slaves as a necessity to benefit the economy and were not so generous in freeing slaves. Slaves that served with the British left with them at the end of the war. Many slaves left America and journeyed to the British West Indies, Canada and Africa. Although the Revolution positively affected the lives of women and African Americans, there were negative consequences for Native Americans. Because the Proclamation Line was no longer valid, white settlers rushed into Native American territory. The flood of settlers induced conflicts with groups like the Cherokee and the Shawnee. Since many Native Americans had joined sides with the British in the Revolution, America claimed that the Native Americans had lost all their rights. Because of this, Native Americans were considered a â€Å"conquered† nation. The Native Americans didn’t have a representative at the Treaty of Paris and felt that they were not part of the ‘surrender’ agreement. The American Revolution drastically changed the lives of many. It positively affected women and African Americans, but it proved to be detrimental to the Native Americans.

Lokpal Bill

KONERU LAKSHMAIAH UNIVERSITY SEMINAR PRESENTION TOPIC: LOKPAL BILL SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY: Dr. V. SARADA B. SEKHAR BABU M. C. A [2ND YEAR] Lokpal Bill is not a new word for Indian people. It is frequently used against corruption. Anna Hazare creates a new history for the demand of Jan Lokpal Bill in the year of 2011. There is a discussion about a struggling history of Jan Lokpal Bill and important of Lokpal Bill in India in the context of corruption. What is Jan Lokpal Bill? Jan Lokpal Bill is a proposed anti-corruption law drowns up by prominent civil society activists to deter corruption effectively. Word of Jan Lokpal Bill derives from Lokpal which means ombudsman (Legal Representative) in India. Lokpal word has been derived from the Sanskrit words â€Å"loka† (people) and â€Å"pala† (protector/caretaker). So Lokpal is meant as the ‘protector of people’. Jan Lokpal Bill is referred as citizens' ombudsman bill also in India. Ombudsman would create the law called the Lokpal Bill. It would be an independent body similar to the Election Commission of India. The Lokpal will have a three-member body with a chairperson. The chairperson will be a chief justice or Supreme Court judge. Other two members will be high courts judges or chief justices. Importance of Jan Lokpal Bill: It is being expected that Lokpal bill will reduce corruption in India. The Jan Lokpal bill provides powers to of filing complaints of corruption against the prime minister, other ministers and members of parliament with the ombudsman. The Lokpal Bill gives us a right, except for a public servant, to file a complaint and the Lokpal has to complete the inquiry within six months. History of Lokpal Bill: There is a struggle for Lokpal Bill of last 42 years. First time, the bill was presented during the fourth Lok Sabha in 1968. It was passed there in 1969. Lokpal Bill was revived in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008. In 2010, Lokpal Bill, awaits an okay from a select committee. According to former chief justice of Delhi high court and rights activist Rajinder Sachar, Lokpal Bill is â€Å"shamefully toothless and meant to give a false reassurance to the people that the government is serious in its fight against corruption†. But former chief justice of India M N Venkatachelliah said that the PM must be out of its purview. Statement of M N Venkatachelliah was supported by Rahul Gandhi also. Role of Anna Hazare in Jan Lokpal Bill: Who is Anna Hazare? Kisan Bapat Baburao Hazare or Anna Hazare, is a social activist and a social worker. He used to work as a driver in the Indian Army and has been greatly influenced by Swami Vivekanada, Ghandiji and Acharya Vinobha Bhave. He is especially recognized for his contribution to the development of Ralegan Siddhi, a village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. After voluntary retirement from the army, Hazare came to Ralegan Siddhi  village in 1975. Initially, he led a movement to eradicate alcoholism from the village. Next, he motivated the residents of the village intoshramdan (voluntary labour) to build canals, small-scale check-dams and percolation tanks in the nearby hills for watershed development; efforts that solved the problem of scarcity of water in the village that also made irrigation possible. He helped farmers of more than 70 villages in drought-prone region in the state of Maharashtra since 1975. He also motivated the residents of the village to build a secondary school in the village through voluntary labour. Lokpal Bill movement In 2011, Anna Hazare led a movement for passing a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal (ombudsman) bill in the Indian Parliament. As a part of this movement, N. Santosh Hegde, a former justice of the Supreme Court of India and Lokayukta of Karnataka, Prashant Bhushan, a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court along with the members of the India Against Corruption movement drafted an alternate bill, named as the Jan Lokpal Bill (People’s Ombudsman Bill) with more stringent provisions and wider power to the  Lokpal  (Ombudsman). Hazare has started a fast up to death from 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, to press for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of the Government and the civil society to draft a new bill with more stronger penal actions and more independenceto the  Lokpal  and  Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. The movement attracted attention very quickly through various media. It has been reported that thousands of people joined to support Hazare’s effort. Almost 150 people are reported to join Hazare in his fast. He said that he   Ã‚  would not allow any politician to sit with him in this movement. Many social activists including Medha Patkar,Arvind Kejriwal and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi have lent their support to Hazare’s hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. This movement has also been joined by many people providing their support in Internet social media such as twitter and facebook. In addition to spiritual leaders Swami Ramdev,Swami Agnivesh and former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev,   many bollywood celebrities like Shekhar Kapur, Siddharth Narayan, Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar, Pritish Nandy, Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Raj,Aamir Khan, Chetan Bhagat showed their public support through twitter. As an outcome of this movement, on 6 April, 2011 Sharad Pawar resigned from the  group of ministers  formed for reviewing the draft Lokpal bill 2010. Anna Hazare started his â€Å"Fast until Death† at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, stating â€Å"I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed† The movement gathered quite a significant amount of support from India’s youth visible through the local support and on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Differences between Government’s Lokpal and Jan Lokpal Bill: Lokpal Bill: ->Government will not have any power: ->To initiate action suo motu in any case ->To receive complaints of corruption from public ->To register an FIR ->Police powers >To investigate any case against PM in foreign affairs, security and defence ->To jurisdiction over bureaucrats and government officers Jan Lokpal Bill 2011: ->The Jan Lokpal Bill will have power: ->To initiate investigations suo motu in any case ->To complaints from the public ->To initiate prosecution after completion of investigations ->Police powers ->To register FIR, proceed with criminal investigations and launch prosecution ->To jurisdiction over politicians, officials and even judges ->To merge the entire vigilance machinery into Lokpal Recent Updates about Jan Lokpal Bill: Once again, Anna Hazare has announced to fast unto death at Jantar Mantar from August 16 if the government doesn’t pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. It will be the second battle of independence for him. He suggests his followers to opt the path of non-violence. About Jan Lokpal Bill: The Jan Lokpal Bill 2011 is a draft anti-corruption bill. The bill is drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist). The draft Bill predicts a system where a corrupt person would go to jail within two years if he found guilty. It seeks power to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission. Features of Jan Lokpal Bill: 1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up 2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations. 3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years. 4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction. 5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant. . So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month’s time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years. 7. But won’t the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won’t be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process. 8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months. 9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician. 10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption. To summarise, we can say, it will give more power to RTI act, corruption will be tackled and dealt with quickly, whistle blowers will (most likely) also get some protection for raising their voice against corruption. What is the need of Lokpal Bill in our society? Do you think Lokpal Bill is really needed in our society to make an ideal state? Government has already CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI to stop corruption. What would be moral line of Lokpal Bill? Why a person will not be corrupt where money is everything? How an anti-corrupt society or state will fulfill the basic needs of people? Can a capitalist state be anti-corrupt which motive is nothing but profit? How a profit oriented society can serve basic need of people? How the difference between rich and poor will be filled? Government has already exposed the power of ‘STATE’ demolishing strike of Ram Dev Baba at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi. We have seen the monopoly of Indian government in union budget 2011 also. In this context, people should think about the future of Lokpal Bill. Jan Lokpal Bill will improve existing anti-corruption systems. Existing System| System Proposed by civil society| No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence  because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or initiating prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated. | Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyone’s permission. Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail. No corrupt officer is dismissed from the jobbecause Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented. | Lokpal and Lokayukta will have  complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt officer. CVC and all departmental vigilance will be merged into Lokpal and state vigilance will be merged into Lokayukta. | No action is taken against corrupt judgesbecause permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even register an FIR against corrupt judges. Lokpal & Lokayukta shall have  powers to investigate and prosecute any judge  without needing anyone’s permission. | Nowhere to go  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ People expose corruption but no action is taken on their complaints. | Lokpal & Lokayukta will have to  enquire into and hear every complaint. | There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages corruption within these agencies. | All investigations in Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall be open to public. Complaint against any staff of Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months. | Weak and corrupt people are appointed as heads  of anti-corruption agencies. | Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections  of Chairperson and members of Lokpal & Lokayukta. Selections will take place through a transparent and public participatory process. | Citizens face harassment  in government offices. Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complaint to senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior officers also get their cut. Lokpal & Lokayukta will get  public grievances resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen. | Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money. | Loss  caused to the government due to corruptionwil l be recovered  from all accused. | Small punishment for corruption-  Punishment for corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years. | Enhanced punishment –  The punishment would be minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment. |