Gun Control Is The Devil Essays - Gun Politics In The United States

Gun Control Is The Devil Gun-control, term that refers to the management of firearms in an effort to reduce criminal use of weapons. Gun-control generally is concerned with the passage of legislation- on a local, state, or national level-that places restrictions on legal ownership of certain firearms. These restrictions often involve mandatory waiting periods for prospective gun buyers or banning the sale of some weapons altogether. In the early 1990s there were more than 200 million privately owned guns in the United States alone. Even with the restrictions on guns ownership there are still more than 65 million handguns in circulation. Even with the supporters of gun-control law as myself and many law-enforcement groups, the efforts to enact national gun-control laws will meet fierce opposition from the gun lobby, because it does not meet the standard of the Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In United States guns are widely available for purchase, even mail orders for guns are available without going through a waiting period, except for some states. It is the example of handguns related crime are higher than any other crime in the U.S, and the law is not stopping people from buying guns. Many politicians and citizens believe that the number of handguns in the U.S. is too high, and are making an effort to reduce the number of handguns in circulation is unimaginable. According to the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees that the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed. Those opposed to controls interpret this to mean that the government has no right to limit or ban ownership of guns. The opponents of the Gun Control Act, the National Rifle Association (NRA), believing that the rights of law-abiding citizens to buy, own, and use guns for recreational purposes or self-protection are threatened if the government bans the keeping of handguns in homes. But what the NRA does not realize that if we don't have a law to bans the ownership of guns, the crime rates will increase. Gun related accidents and suicides are also a common problem that we are facing in this country. Many people believe that buying guns for self-protection are the only answer for their security purposes. Without knowing that a person wishing to possess a gun for protection is more threatened by their own weapon than the crime they may not even encounter in their lifetime. More kids are accidentally shot by their friend or family is very common because their parents keep a gun at home for safety. Law-enforcement group are among the most influential supporters of stricter gun-control laws. For example- they provided a nationwide screening program for buyers of handguns, including a waiting period, verification of a buyer's identity, and a mandatory criminal-record check. Some law even prohibits mail-order purchase of guns and residents of one state from buying firearms in another state. Some U.S. cities, such as Washington D.C., Chicago, and New York City, place restrictions on handgun ownership. However, few cities have banned handguns entirely. Because some opponents of the law have developed an effective lobbying group that opposes most gun-control legislation. Their position is that stronger anti-crime measures, rather than anti-gun. They assume that crime is the basic problem, not guns, and even with the gun-control law, the crime rate still continues to rise. It is true for this case, even with the gun restrictions law it will eventually stop people from buying guns but the circulation of 65 million guns will still generate crime rates and accidents. For the most part of battle over the banning of handguns, there are some success. In 1993, the Congress of the United States passed the so-called Brady bill, which requires prospective gun buyers to wait five working days before taking possession of their weapon. Although it slows down the circulation of handguns, it still does not stop people from buying it as long as guns exist. Speech and Communication Essays

Essay on Freud and Surrealism

Essay on Freud and Surrealism Essay on Freud and Surrealism Essay on Freud and SurrealismDr. Sigmund Freud takes a special place among the psychologists of the 20th century: his works have radically changed the look of contemporary psychology, covered the issues of individual’s inner organization, one’s motives and feelings, conflicts between personal desires and needs to follow public morality, as well as showed the ephemeral nature of individual’s understanding of oneself as a person and the vision of others. As a psychological doctrine, Freudism was aimed at studying the hidden links and foundations of individual’s psychic life basing on the idea of suppression of the whole set of pathological representations (including sexual ones) beyond consciousness and repressing them in the unconscious. The ideas of Viennese psychologist and philosopher couldn’t help having special meaning to the representatives of the Surrealist circle, who sought to introduce Surrealism not as a new aesthetic approach to art, but as a new way of seeing the world: their aim was to reconcile an individual with one’s own subconscious mind first, and then with the outside world as a whole. However, it would be simplistic to think that the surrealists worked under Freud’s prescription or illustrated his ideas. Deeply influenced by the psychoanalytic discoveries of Freud, Surrealism rather was assisted in the formation of invaluable techniques of separation from reality and methods of indulging into the twilight world of instincts and intuition.  Freudianist methodology in the art of 1920’s-1930’sDeeply psychological prism of surrealism, its expression of unconscious fantasies, sexual fears and complexes, the transfer of childhood and personal life experiences to the language of allegory – these internal aspects were considered to be determining quality of Surrealism at its dawn in the 1920-30’s. Back in 1924, Andrà © Breton, the founder of the Surrealist movement, wrot e that the Manifesto of Surrealism basically links roots, aspirations, inner freedom, and creative courage of the new movement with the discoveries of Freud. Indeed, Freudianism provided Surrealism with the brilliant conceptual basis and grounded validation of its ideas, thus filling the key messages of emerging art trends with sophisticated meaning (Eagle 31-55).In particular, the Surrealists could not help but notice that the â€Å"incidental† techniques of early Surrealism and the chaotic Dada movement, such as exquisite corpse, frottage, or dripping (i.e. arbitrary spraying of paint on canvas, fully complied with the Freudian method of free associations used in the study of individual’s inner world. Later, when the principle of illusionist photographing of the unconscious was asserted in the art of Dali, Magritte, Tanguy, and Delvaux, it was impossible not to recall that psychoanalysis developed a technique of documentary reconstruction of dreams (Durozoi 53-57). I nterconnections and similarities were significant, especially considering the fact that psychoanalysis paid utmost attention on the same states of mind that the Surrealists were primarily interested in (dreams, visionary, mental health, child mentality, and psyche of primitive type, i.e., the one that is free from restrictions and prohibitions established by the civilization), and thus, we have to admit the initial parallelism of interests, perspectives, methods and conclusions between Freudianism and Surrealism.Furthermore, following the logic of Freud’s philosophy and the flow of subconscious ideas, the Surrealists put themselves outside the art as a form of reflection over the reality. Thus, in Max Ernst paintings Ubu Imperator (1923) and The Hat Makes the Man (1920), the dry and lifeless imagery shows the illogical combination of people and things. Later, in his Natural History series (1925), Ernst used Surrealist automatist technique where he gave meanings to the random lines arising out of the frottage by finding their similarities with the scenery, fantastic birds and plants, destruction from earthquakes and other natural phenomena. The artist then argued that during the process of creating these collotypes he tried to bring himself to the state of hallucination to imagine order inside chaos. Another influential representative of Dada movement, Francis Picabia used this approach in his early Surrealist works Broderie (1922) and Sunrise (1924). These and other works are obviously a glimpse into the confused and anarchic rebellion of artists against boring and at the same time necessary and inevitable reality, and eventually, against the entire human past and present. On this basis, the notion of the pure nature of the creative unconscious was shaped. The understanding of Surrealism thus receives its groundings in the belief of a higher reality of certain forms previously not taken into account, such as associations manifested in dreams or in the f ree play of thought, etc. (Wintle 167-73)Eventually, Surrealist artists started to pay paramount attention to the Freudian method of dreams analysis, by which a painting was written or sketched immediately after waking up, before recent hallucinations and subliminal images were affected by comprehension, real consciousness. In particular, this method was widely applied by Salvador Dali, who, clearly imitating psychoanalysis and even competing with it, ended up with creating a paranoid-critical method, according to which originally pure images could be placed in the context of chaotic unconscious impulses (Auster 74-75). For instance, his The Birth of Liquid Fears (1932), Nostalgia of the Cannibal (1932) and Atavism at Twilight (1934), as well as many others, obviously conceal the real world from the world, which can be considered ideal. Similarly to the logic of dreams, most often Surrealist paintings reveal either personal desires or secret fears: bleeding ulcers, loss of viscera, faces corroded with cancer, hungry ants, hermaphrodites feeding on excrement, etc. All of whose metaphors they are clearly the symbols of anxiety; the deformation of forms, like in The Persistence of Memory (1931), expresses the reality of pain, death, inhibition, and suppression of desires which destroys life like death itself does. At yet, as Dali puts it, the painting appeared due to the associations he had when looking at Camembert cheese melting in the sun ( Durozoi 117-124).Another typical example of creating Surrealist works can serve a painting Person Throwing a Stone at a Bird (1926) by Joan Miro, which by artist’s own admission, was painted under the influence of hallucinations caused by hunger. In his turn, Yves Tanguy set himself the task of creating works based on childishly naive worldview. Translating abstract metaphysical concepts by means of painting, he created The Furniture of Time (1939) on a regular blue-gray background, revealing the emptiness of alien l andscapes and the helplessness of the small figures through depicting abstract shapes and inadequate forms (Paglia 122-127). In whole, Surrealism becomes committed to the destruction of all other psychic mechanisms, aiming to replace them in the process of resolving any existing fundamental problems of life.Moreover, the adoption of the Freudian position on the absence of fundamental differences between the healthy and the mentally ill led to the recognition of insanity condition as the most favorable to the Surrealist art, as soon as this condition cannot be controlled by reason. Defining of art as a form of insanity, the subject of art as purely personal complexes, and its content as imagery not related to the real world, but rather based on repressed personal aspirations and fantasies, has finally resulted in the denial of the social role of art (Wintle 93-94). Using the analogy drawn by Freud between dreams and art, Surrealist artists were factually putting themselves outside art as a form of reflection of reality.   ConclusionAs a prominent psychiatrist of early 20th century, Freud created the theoretical ground for the emergence of Surrealism, while surrealist artists found sources of inspiration in his theory and attempted to free their subconscious through illogical, surrealistic imagery. Following Freud’s explanations of human nature, Surrealists understood their art as psychic automatism in its true state, the real process of thought on seeing the world. In other words, being a record of thought in the absence of control from the mind and beyond any aesthetic and moral considerations, a work of art could express the direct flow of associations emerging in the unconscious. In this perspective, the unconscious was recognized as the only absolute meaning, life with all its peculiar laws that had emerged long before there were fundamental concepts of good and evil, God and reason. The development of Freudianism served as an additional argument that the significance of the subconscious should not be underestimated or considered as something minor. Due to Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, Surrealism had the opportunity to insist that it is not a groundless fantasy fiction and the movement of anarchists from art, but a new word in the understanding of man, art, history and thought. Having obtained a solid ideological support, Surrealism further prevailed and largely influenced art around the world up to the mid-20th century, successfully applying such Freudian ideas as the logic of dreams, the denial of separation of ugliness and beauty, good and evil, sublimation of desires, etc. At the same time, these ideas put Surrealists into the opposition to the social role of art, developing a revolutionary and unique form of art without rules.

Business Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Business Ethics - Article Example By using private companies which it purchased, slush funds, and sham contracts the company was able to reroute the brides through extra levels of corporate disguise. The obvious moral issue here is that bribery is wrong. 2. Johnson and Johnson executives had a string of emails and other written communication explaining that the paying of bribes was a usual procedure of doing business in the countries. One email revealed that practically 95% of business in Greece is done this way. Also it is apparent that the method was so open that Greece accountants could not understand why it needed be hidden in their written notes. Brides were used to pay for the expenses of doctors going on medical conference trips. Johnson is a behemoth of a company and certainly other companies follow their leadership role. Their leadership role is based on experience with proven business techniques developed for surviving in a competitive market. One of these techniques, which Johnson as a well financed compan y can do well is bribing. 3. One can use the utilitarian rule of ethics here, the greatest good for the greatest number. It would be the variety of action based utilitarianism in which one's action would produce such a good.

How the Roman Republic decayed and became the Roman Empire Essay

How the Roman Republic decayed and became the Roman Empire - Essay Example The prominence of Rome Rome was a small province town which after many wars became the focus and command center of the vast empire of Rome. However, history tells us that it took hundreds of years and a combat of many wars to rise to this prominence. It gained influence over a significant portion of southern Europe, northern Africa, and Middle East. Rome conquered nearly all the surrounding territories going beyond the Mediterranean Sea. It was this military dominance in the region that helped the Roman republic rise and became a formidable force of influence. The republic had appeasing methods of keeping her citizens happy and content. In this endeavor, Rome respected and protected the people’s local cultures with the sole purpose of keeping the people pacified. The Romans in their quest for improved stability, offered a healthier way of life to her war captives, giving them protection, improved mode of doing business, and the freedom to share in her civilization, like the hi gh quality road network. The import market was enhanced, and more affordable goods were made available to the citizens. Under the roman rule, the public enjoyed better and improved livelihood than in their previous regimes. The Roman social planners developed a plan on how to facilitate distribution of economical products such as food that used to contribute to widespread riots. This proper food allocation to its citizens that spread across the whole regime made it gain prominence. Rome’s geographical location’s place of control was another contributing factor. Its control over the Mediterranean Sea gave the regime sizeable amount of dominance. The Roman Republic The founding of Rome is not conclusively documented, in that there is scanty information on how it was initially conceived to its prominence. Nonetheless, mythical explanations state that Rome was initially ruled by kings as a monarchy for many years. As a republic, it began by the overthrow of the traditional roman monarchy, an event that ushered in the introduction of a government that was headed by two representatives. Annual elections were conducted to elect new representatives to head the government. Subsequently, a constitution representing the will of the people was developed. The enactment of this constitution was largely as a result of the struggle between the Patricians and the Plebeians in the effort of the Plebeians trying to prevent Patricians dominance of power. The constitution enabled the participation and representation of everyone at the national level of public affairs, without dominance of a party or ethical group. The fall of Roman Republic The fall of the republic of Rome was motivated by social reasons, military reasons, political reasons, and economic reasons. The fall began with political rivalry within the ranks of power which spread to the city where rival gangs supporting their leaders furthered the rivalry. The two political leaders were Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar. Their rivalry was promoted by their indifference in political leadership when Pompey was appointed, against the spirit of the constitution, to head the consul alone. This angered Caesar who waged war against Rome forcing Pompey to flee. Military Reasons During the roman republic, the army was comprised of citizen soldiers who went to war in defense for their country for some years. This was the product of Rome spreading its territorial control, where the soldiers were

Research Topics with Explanation Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topics with Explanation - Research Paper Example overnment is in a dilemma of either eliminating farm subsidies on the basis that the farmers have the capacity to fund their activities, or increasing this funding for the better of the country. The debate about nuclear energy has been ongoing for a long time. Thus, there are many resource materials about this topic. Additionally, many people have interest on issues concerning nuclear power. Information gathered would be highly invaluable to me and other people as well. The world faces a mounting task of preserving energy sources as the needs for energy keeps on rising. Scientists have proved that nuclear energy is one of the most clean and efficient sources of energy available to humankind. The same scientists are quick to add that the use of this source of energy pose the greatest threat to the same people it is supposed to be benefiting. Crime rates in America is said to be one of the highest in the World. The fact that it is affecting the minor is even more worrying. A lot of research has been done on the issues facilitating this kind of behavior. Communities living in the U.S are very much aware of this situation. Although the government is doing a lot to help the situation, they seem to be failing in the mission. This topic has the potential to provide an understanding of the problems young people are facing and how to respond to them. It is with no doubt that, there has been an upward trend of minor getting involved in violent criminal activities. However, the debate has been whether these kids should be held responsible for their action or simply put the blame on some other

Principles and Influences of Gastronomy

Principles and Influences of Gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine. Modern gastronomy has its roots in several French texts published in the 1800s, but the idea of relating food, science, society, and the arts has been around much longer. True gastronomy is a demanding multidisciplinary art examining food itself along with its context, presentation, freshness, and history. While commonly associated with gourmets and gluttony, gastronomy is actually its own discipline, although some gourmets are certainly gastronomes, as are some gluttons. The principle of gastronomy is that food is a science, in addition to an art form. By understanding how all of the senses contribute to an experience, a gastronome can more completely understand what is happening when a consumer claims to dislike or enjoy a particular food item. Gastronomy also examines the sociological implications of food, along with integrating other social science disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, and philosophy. The role of food in the fine arts such as performance art, painting, and sculpture is also examined, as part of a closer look at the role of food in society in general. INFLUENCE ON NATIONAL FOOD CULTURE People mostly connect to their cultural or ethnic group through food patterns. For Immigrants food now become the means of retaining their cultural identity. Each and every individual have different cultural backgrounds and have different eating habits. The ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques, and types of food eaten at different meals are different among cultures. The areas and the climate factors in which families live- and geographical location where their ancestors originated also influence food likes and dislikes. These food preferences result in varieties of food choices within a different cultural or regional group. Food items themselves have meaning and some cultural identity attached to them. For example in many Western countries a box of chocolates would be viewed as an appropriate gift while in other countries chocolates might be a less appropriate gift. Different nations or countries are frequently associated with certain foods. For example, many people associate Italy with pizza and pasta but Italians eat many other foods, and types of pasta dishes are popular throughout Italy. Methods of preparation and types of food also vary by regions and culture of a nation. Some families in the United States prefer to eat meat and potatoes, but in some families meat and potatoes are not eaten on a regular basis, nor even preferred, by many in the United States, so would not be labelled as a national cuisine. Grits, a coarsely ground corn that is boiled, is eaten in the southern United States. A package of grits is only available in the largest supermarkets in the upper Midwest and its difficult to find even in large Midwestern supermarkets a long time ago. This may be called as the geographical effect. Regional food habits also exist in nations and countries but they also change by time. As people travel from place to place food habits and preferences are imported and exported. Families move to other nations, countries or places bringing their food preferences with them. They follow their old recipes with new ingredients available at different places or experiment with new recipes, incorporating ingredients to match their own tastes. In addition, food itself is imported from other countries. Nevertheless, what is considered edible or even a delicacy in some parts of the world might be considered inedible in other parts. Although most of the times food is selected with some attention to physical need, the values or beliefs by which society attaches to potential food items and define what families within a cultural group will eat. For example, both plant and animal sources may contribute to meeting nutritional requirements for protein; soybeans, beef, horsemeat, and dog meat are all adequate protein sources. Yet, due to the some values and beliefs attached to these protein sources, they are not considered in all societies. Moreover, even when the foods perceived to be undesirable are available, they are not eaten by people who have a strong emotional reaction against those potential food item. CULTURE AND RELIGION Types and food associated to British culture: British cuisine encompasses the cooking traditions of the British Isles. It reflects the cultural influence of the colonial era as well as post-war immigrations. British cuisine boasts of a rich variety of sumptuous dishes from its different regions. Staple foods include chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish, served with potatoes and other vegetables. The most popular dishes are fish and chips, sandwiches, trifles, pies and roast As the result of both globalization and global environmental change food systems face dramatic transformations. Change in global environment influence the physical and socioeconomic conditions that underpin terrestrial and marine food systems., Globalization is also responsible for transforming the production and storage of food, , access to and consumption of food, and the quality and safety measures associated with food and eating habits. Both processes also have direct effects on agricultural production, livelihoods, and the agricultural economies as well. More important, both processes can take place at the same time and interacting to create dynamic conditions that influence vulnerability to both rapid and gradual environmental changes. Global environmental change affects food systems through the loss of productive farmland, depletion of traditional seed stocks, loss of biodiversity, and changing climate conditions, including increasing frequency of extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods. Globalization-related changes include liberalization of trade in agriculture products, reduction of domestic subsidies and supports for agricultural production, expansion of the role of multinational corporations and supermarkets in food production and distribution, shifts toward urban and industrial land uses, and the growing influence of consumer movements in matters such as use of GMO technologies. Food is an important part of religious observance and spiritual ritual of many faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The role of food in cultural practices and religious beliefs is complex and varies among individuals and communities. Any introduction to such a diverse and complex topic will not be able to include everything. Instead, here is a sample of some ways in which various religious groups include food a vital part of their faith. Understanding the role of food in cultural and religious practice is an important part of showing respect and responding to needs of people from a range of religious communities. However, it is important to void assumptions about persons culture and beliefs. The various faiths of Christianity include Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. The regulations governing food and drink differ from one of the next, including some faiths that dont advocate any restrictions. Though todays avant-garde chefs are sometimes accused of turning their kitchens into scientific laboratories, theres no doubt that when a piece of meat is heated, the reaction that takes place is a chemical one. Science and cooking are processes that go hand-in-hand, now more than ever before. The link between science and cuisine is nothing new. Disciplines such as chemistry, physics, biology and botany have always been closely related to cooking. Debates about the existence of science-based cuisine or the controversy over the terms molecular gastronomy and molecular cuisine; have made the subject a topical one. To analyze it, we need to consider the approach adopted by certain chefs and other experts who want to know why things happen. Technology has dramatically improved and reshaped every part of our lives. It has hardly left any aspect of our existence untouched. It has revolutionized the way we work, entertain ourselves and even the things we eat. The food industry has increasingly developed by adopting more advanced technologies that can deliver us healthier, fresher and more varied food. Currently, the marketplace offers a vast variety of foods we can choose from, at a better quality and lower prices than in the past. By introducing new technologies, businesses can offer better products and services in increasingly larger quantities and thus, satisfy a wider range of clients. The same holds true for the companies in the food industry. Advanced technologies are used in all the stages of food production. The first step is to help evaluate and improve the quality of the raw ingredients used. Next, theyre used in the preparation stage, where they aid at shipping and handling the materials. The last stage of processing food will make use of methods like conservation and separation, potentially adding new ingredients to create the final product. The science of molecular gastronomy has given us knowledge about why foods do what they do, under what circumstances, and how. And it has fascinated us by busting myths such as these: Oil added to boiling water prevents pasta from sticking to the pan (it doesnt) The consistency of an egg that makes it hard The expression nouvelle cuisine has been used several times in the course of the history of cooking, particularly in France in the middle of the eighteenth century. It was introduced to subordinate the practice of cooking to principles of chemistry that were to be established by Lavoisier later on. People had mixed feelings about it: for instance, Voltaire wrote I must say that my stomach does not at all agree with the nouvelle cuisine.' Today nouvelle cuisine refers to a trend of opinion that appeared in France in the 1960s. At the time, it caught on rapidly and was a great international success. Yet, as it got tangled up in its contradiction, it stopped being fashionable, and nowadays it has a negative connotation. In spite of that, it was an innovative and quite important movement, which brought about a revolution within the grande cuisine whose lessons are still present in the grand chefs minds. http://www.enotes.com/nouvelle-cuisine-reference/nouvelle-cuisine Michael Symons (1999) recent analysis of Australian neo-global cuisine is an example of gastronomy studies at work in tourism contexts. The critical examination of this review of a current gastronomic debate of particular relevance to the tourism industry (Symons 1999:333) will ease the understanding of gastronomic terms of tourism issue. These terms are of a fundamental importance in any further development of research on gastronomic tourism. Culture in general means the attitudes and behaviour that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization. Its an environment to cultivate or build oneself ethically, socially and in all other aspects that lead an all over human development. Every culture is a combination of some good and bad features. All in one, culture means a way of life. Every geographical body has its own custom viz. culture. People of different nations are recognized by their culture. One should be proud on its impressive traditions. It is the responsibility of all citizens to preserve their own ethnicity. Indian culture is richly known in other parts of the world since the ancient age. Its  multi-diverse flavour has been consistently unique in its very own way. Manners, traditions, living and trading patterns etc. are one of the graceful components of Indian culture. The most important feature of Indian culture is its values. These values are deeply rooted within the heart, mind, body and soul of its dwellers. Western culture, considered as the most advanced culture on globe, has started surmounting its flavour on Indian roots. Western culture has always shown its influence on Indian society. This could be for the multiple reasons like fascination, dreamy autonomy etc., which are somehow absent in Indian culture. Western culture conveys and promotes the ideas and values of advanced civilization across people of India. There are ample of good things found in the western culture, which every Indian should proudly learn and adopt. But what about the negative influences of the western culture? Every package comes with pros and cons. Indians should definitely use the culture strain before getting diluted under the flow of any cultural influence. The leading reasons for such impact are pursuit of wealth and power of Western media. Source Used Symons, M. (1998) The Pudding that took a Thousand Cooks: The story of cooking in civilisation and daily life, Melbourne: Viking

The Pass Fail System of Standardized Tests Essay examples -- Standardiz

The Pass Fail System of Standardized Tests Standardized tests have historically been used as measures of how students compare with each other or how much of a particular curriculum they have learned. Increasingly, standardized tests are being used to make major decisions about students, such as grade promotion or high school graduation, and schools. More and more often, they also are intended to shape the curriculum and instruction. Students across America have had to repeat classes because of the way standardized tests are used to pass or fail students. Students have had to rely on just one test to pass them for the whole semester (FairTest). Although the tests require students to retain information until the end of the semester, I believe it is wrong to allow just a single test to decide whether an entire semester’s work will be rewarded will the credit that may have been well earned. Even general standardized tests such as the SAT, which almost every high school student has taken, are not fair to students who may come from a poor educational background (Standardized Minds). Students are at a disadvantage if they have test taking anxiety, a condition that many students suffer from. If a student is having a bad day or going through a rough time on a test day, this may also determine their entire semester’s work. Standardized tests are often based on one topic, giving the student little room to express their strong points. Tests are called "high-stakes" when they used to make major decisions about a student, such as high school graduation or grade promotion. Tests are called "standardized" when all students answer the same questions under similar conditions and their responses are scored in the same way. Research has shown that high-stakes testing causes damage to individual students and education. It is not a reasonable method for improving schools. Test-taking anxiety is common among high school and college students. The anxiety can be quite stressful and sometimes weakening, both personally and academically. It is a condition that thousands of students suffer from and it is something that they cannot help or overcome by the time of a test. Students who suffer from this often get very panicked by exams, and most of the time they draw a blank during a test, even though they know the material... ...n a test score. High-stakes testing punishes students, and often teachers, for things they cannot control. It drives students and teachers away from learning, and at times from school (FairTest). Assessments of educational strengths and weaknesses can be useful at the individual, classroom, school or district levels. However, information the needs to be sufficiently timely, accurate, meaningful, detailed and comprehensive for the kind of diagnosis being made. Even outstanding students with high grade point averages are highly capable of failing a final exam due to anxieties and other conditions that almost every student experiences. Although standardized tests will still be given to students everywhere, the pass fail system must stop. There are alternatives that may be taken to give every student a fair chance while still keeping the effectiveness of the tests. One possibility could be to make the final exam a large part of the student’s grade but not a determinant of whether the student passes or fails. A student who understands and learned the material over the entire semester should not have to repeat a course just because of one bad test result.

Corruption in India

Corruption in India is a major issue and adversely affects its economy. [1] A 2005 study conducted by Transparency International in India found that more than 62% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices successfully. [2][3] In its 2008 study, Transparency International reports about 40% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or using a contact to get a job done in public office. 4] In 2012 India has ranked 94th out of 176 countries in Transparency International'sCorruption Perceptions Index, tied with Benin, Colombia, Djibouti, Greece, Moldova, Mongolia, and Senegal. [5] Most of the largest sources of corruption in India are entitlement programmes and social spending schemes enacted by the Indian government. Examples include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and National Rural Health Mission. [6][7] Other daily sources of corruption include India's trucking industry which is forced to pay billions in bribes annually to numerous regulatory and police stops on its interstate highways. 8] Indian media has widely published allegations of corrupt Indian citizens stashing trillions of dollars in Swiss banks. Swiss authorities, however, deny these allegations. [9][10] The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated taxes and licensing systems, numerous government departments each with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly by government controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes. 11][12] There are significant variations in level of corruption as well as in state government efforts to reduce corruption across India. The economy of India was under socialist-inspired policies for an entire generation from the 1950s until the late 1980s. The economy was characterised by extensive regulation,protectionism, and public ownership, policies vulnerable to pervasive corruption and slow growth. [13][14][15][16] In 1960s, Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari suggested License Raj was often at the core of corruption. 17] The Vohra Report, submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary, N. N. Vohra, in October 1993, studied the problem of the criminalisation of politics and of the nexus among criminals, politicians and bureaucrats in India. [18] The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government. It also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of politicians — of all political parties — and the protection of government functionaries. 19] According to Jitendra Singh, â€Å"in the bad old days, particularly pre-1991, when the License Raj held sway, and by design, all kinds of free market mechanisms were hobbled or stymied, and corruption emerged almost as an illegitimate price mechanism, a shadowy quasi-market, such that scarce resources could still be allocated within the economy, and decisions could get made. †¦ These were largely distortions created by the politico-economic regime. While a sea change has occurred in the years following 1991, some of the distorted cultural norms that took hold during the earlier period are slowly being repaired by the sheer forces of competition. The process will be long and slow, however. It will not change overnight. â€Å"[20] One of the major problems and obstacles to development in India has been endemic corruption and political inertia to change. [21] As of December 2008, 120 of India's 523 parliament members were accused of crimes, under India's First Information Report procedure wherein anyone can allege another of committing a crime. 22] Many of the biggest scandals since 2010 have involved very high levels of government, including Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers, such as in the 2G spectrum scam, the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam and the Adarsh Housing Society scam, Coal Mining Scam, mining scandal in Karnataka and cash for vote scam. A variety of organisations have been created in India to actively fight against corrupt government and business practices. Notable organisations include: * Bharat Swabhiman Trust established by well known Yog Guru Swami Ramdev running a large campaign against black money and corruption since last 10 years. 5th Pillar is most known for the creation of the zero rupee note, a valueless note designed to be given to corrupt officials when they request bribes. * India Against Corruption is a movement created by a citizens from a variety of professions and statuses to work against corruption in India. It is currently headed by Anna Hazare. [67] * Jaago Re! One Billion Votes is an organisation originally founded by Tata Tea and Janaagraha to increase youth voter registration. [68] They have since expanded their work to include other social issues, including corruption. 69] * Association for Social Transparency, Rights and Action (ASTRA) is an NGO focused on grass-roots work to fight corruption in Karnataka. One organisation, the Lok Satta Movement, has transformed itself from a civil organisation to a full-fledged political party, the Lok Satta Party. The party has fielded candidates in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Bangalore. In 2009, it obtained its first elected post, whenJayaprakash Narayan won the election for the Kukatpally Assembly Constituency in Andhra Pradesh. Corruption in India Corruption in India is a major issue and adversely affects its economy. [1] A 2005 study conducted by Transparency International in India found that more than 62% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices successfully. [2][3] In its 2008 study, Transparency International reports about 40% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or using a contact to get a job done in public office. 4] In 2012 India has ranked 94th out of 176 countries in Transparency International'sCorruption Perceptions Index, tied with Benin, Colombia, Djibouti, Greece, Moldova, Mongolia, and Senegal. [5] Most of the largest sources of corruption in India are entitlement programmes and social spending schemes enacted by the Indian government. Examples include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and National Rural Health Mission. [6][7] Other daily sources of corruption include India's trucking industry which is forced to pay billions in bribes annually to numerous regulatory and police stops on its interstate highways. 8] Indian media has widely published allegations of corrupt Indian citizens stashing trillions of dollars in Swiss banks. Swiss authorities, however, deny these allegations. [9][10] The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated taxes and licensing systems, numerous government departments each with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly by government controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes. 11][12] There are significant variations in level of corruption as well as in state government efforts to reduce corruption across India. The economy of India was under socialist-inspired policies for an entire generation from the 1950s until the late 1980s. The economy was characterised by extensive regulation,protectionism, and public ownership, policies vulnerable to pervasive corruption and slow growth. [13][14][15][16] In 1960s, Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari suggested License Raj was often at the core of corruption. 17] The Vohra Report, submitted by the former Indian Union Home Secretary, N. N. Vohra, in October 1993, studied the problem of the criminalisation of politics and of the nexus among criminals, politicians and bureaucrats in India. [18] The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government. It also discussed criminal gangs who enjoyed the patronage of politicians — of all political parties — and the protection of government functionaries. 19] According to Jitendra Singh, â€Å"in the bad old days, particularly pre-1991, when the License Raj held sway, and by design, all kinds of free market mechanisms were hobbled or stymied, and corruption emerged almost as an illegitimate price mechanism, a shadowy quasi-market, such that scarce resources could still be allocated within the economy, and decisions could get made. †¦ These were largely distortions created by the politico-economic regime. While a sea change has occurred in the years following 1991, some of the distorted cultural norms that took hold during the earlier period are slowly being repaired by the sheer forces of competition. The process will be long and slow, however. It will not change overnight. â€Å"[20] One of the major problems and obstacles to development in India has been endemic corruption and political inertia to change. [21] As of December 2008, 120 of India's 523 parliament members were accused of crimes, under India's First Information Report procedure wherein anyone can allege another of committing a crime. 22] Many of the biggest scandals since 2010 have involved very high levels of government, including Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers, such as in the 2G spectrum scam, the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam and the Adarsh Housing Society scam, Coal Mining Scam, mining scandal in Karnataka and cash for vote scam. A variety of organisations have been created in India to actively fight against corrupt government and business practices. Notable organisations include: * Bharat Swabhiman Trust established by well known Yog Guru Swami Ramdev running a large campaign against black money and corruption since last 10 years. 5th Pillar is most known for the creation of the zero rupee note, a valueless note designed to be given to corrupt officials when they request bribes. * India Against Corruption is a movement created by a citizens from a variety of professions and statuses to work against corruption in India. It is currently headed by Anna Hazare. [67] * Jaago Re! One Billion Votes is an organisation originally founded by Tata Tea and Janaagraha to increase youth voter registration. [68] They have since expanded their work to include other social issues, including corruption. 69] * Association for Social Transparency, Rights and Action (ASTRA) is an NGO focused on grass-roots work to fight corruption in Karnataka. One organisation, the Lok Satta Movement, has transformed itself from a civil organisation to a full-fledged political party, the Lok Satta Party. The party has fielded candidates in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Bangalore. In 2009, it obtained its first elected post, whenJayaprakash Narayan won the election for the Kukatpally Assembly Constituency in Andhra Pradesh.

Captain Nemos Thirst for Revenge Essays

Captain Nemos Thirst for Revenge Essays Captain Nemos Thirst for Revenge Essay Captain Nemos Thirst for Revenge Essay Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, written by Jules Verne, is one the most interesting books that I have read. It is full of adventures and great ideas. Author Jules Verne created the high powerful submarine vessel for Captain Nemo. Instead of using the submarine for the better good, Captain Nemo used it to attack what he considered to be threats to him. The story is about one mans hatred for everything that he considers evil in this world. Captain Nemo goes out of his way to build a war machine of which he has control and uses it to combat anything that gets in his way. Captain Nemo, who is full of hatred, goes to one extreme and is pessimistic toward the oppressors. The story begins in 1866, however, the setting really starts during the summer of 1867 on the vessel Nautilus. The submarine travels throughout the worlds ocean including the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic and Antarctic Oceans, and the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land, also referred to as the trio, and Captain Nemo are the main characters in the book. Professor Pierre Aronnax is a scientist of marine biology who was invited onto the Abraham Lincoln warship to help search for and capture the mysterious sea creature. Professor Aronnax brought along his assistant Conseil whose job is to classify marine animals. Ned Land is the professional harpooner from Canada. Later on the trio meets Captain Nemo who is a rich and powerful madman that built a powerful vessel that cruises the deep ocean. One of the major conflicts of the story is Captain Nemos battles with the forces of nature that gets in his way. Captain Nemo faced giant squids, hungry cannibals, huge blocks of ice, violent whales, and scary whirlpools. Captain Nemo will stop and kill anything that gets in his way. After the trio was faced with the possibility of drowning, they meet Captain Nemo and later realize that he is no ordinary sea captain. They soon find out he is a craz

On Being Tentative

On Being Tentative If you are afraid to write, then dont. If you are afraid to submit, then dont. If you are afraid to publish, then dont. Youre getting in the way of the glut of writers out there whove decided fear is not an option. I get riled at many programs, classes, and blog posts that tell you magically how to overcome fear, how to make yourself do any of the writing tasks required of a serious writer. If a writer has to pay someone else to remove that fear, then chances are that fear will return after payment has been rendered and the writer is left alone again. In other words, when the crutch is gone, the writer flounders again, seeking someone, something, some entity that will prop him up again and hold his hand to the finish line. When the motivation ought to organically come from within. Im not making light of the fear involved in this profession. We bare our hearts and souls to strangers then hold our arms open for the potential lashing. Yes, its hard. Everything that tests us, challenges us, or strengthens us is an obstacle, and in the end, we are the only ones that can decide to dig in, overcome,  and make it happen. So when I see the titles that say something like How to get over the fear of publishing, . . . I get mad. The lone writer is the only soul who can fix fear. Learn a lesson, tuck it into your tool box, and move on. Reach inside yourself and make your own decision to improve, submit, publish. At the end of the day, you are the only one left standing to make the decision on where to take your writing. This job is lonely. The only way you can get inside your head and tap those luscious words that sell is to be alone, edit alone, submit alone. You make the choices. You make the changes. You make the long-term decision to stick this crap out and make it happen. At the moment I hear a hundred voices shouting But followed While this editorial might raise the blood pressure of a few readers, so be it. Face reality. Writing is not a group effort. Sure, you hire people or sign contracts with others along the way, even thinking an agent is your life vest, but the bottom line is that you pen the words. This is all on you. We all like the pat on the back and the positive reinforcement. Thats human nature. But if you need someone  petting you on the head every day to keep going, maybe this isnt the job for you. There are too many others out there who show up everyday to make their dream happen. And they left their mommas in the other room.

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

Economcs - Essay Example The company is especially famous for its contribution of the assembly line, granting the mass production of automobiles by 1913 (Ford motor, n.d.). For decades, it remained to be the second largest automaker worldwide, only behind General Motors (Freysennet, 1998). Today Ford has major operations in America, Asia Pacific Africa, and Europe. It used to manufacture diverse car and truck brands, to wit, Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo, Land Rover and Mercury (Freysennet, 1998). Recently, however, it is streamlining (though less than an overhauling) its global and domestic approach to avert unwanted outcomes. Ford sold off Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Volvo; and conclusive in ceasing the production of Mercury by the end of this year (Weaver, 2010). Threat of Substitutes. Automobiles give the end-users a sense of individuality which other modes of transportation (e.g. trains, and buses) don’t inherently offer. However this doesn’t give them an entire advantage. Owning private vehicles doesn’t only involve a costly purchase but also entails a probably costly responsibility as well in sustaining its usability mainly in times like repairing damaged parts/areas, or supplying gasoline. Moreover, in a global perspective, people are culturally and/or socially distinct (Bradley, et al., 2005). Not all people find automobiles a commodity. Thus, the threat of substitutes is only fair and varies greatly in different geographic market locations. Rivalry between Established Competitors. Though the oligopolistic structure of the automotive industry should partly eliminate price-based competition, the concentration ratios could no longer disguise the ongoing competition (Bradley, et al., 2005). This may not even be some sleazy plan to reinforce competition but a by-product of the economic slumps such that companies ultimately attempted to generate maximum sales to finance its operations. With Honda, Toyota,

Psychological theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychological theories - Essay Example The probability of an individual being born with certain personality features is very thin in the context of self theories. This implies that the diverse individual experiences that people in a society opens up a probability of having several personality types. Every individual has a specific and unique chance of building a different personality, based on their own experiences and interpretation of the experiences. This paper will analyze the applicability of the Person centered theory to African American women given that they are faced with several problems including racial and gender segregation. A classical self theory is as outlined in Carl Rogers’ theory; person centered theory, variously referred to as person centered theory. In his theory, Carl defines a person as the product of experiences and perceptions. If life is full of experiences, then it can comfortably be predicted to be learning and a growing encounter (integration of experiences into one’s life using perceptions). It is therefore easy to predict that the nature of experiences in different people’s lives could result in markedly similar or characteristic growth. In his theory, Carl makes assumptions to the effect that human beings can be trustworthy and have potential to resolve their problems when they understand themselves without interventions, which makes therapeutic intervention a highly influential part of molding clients. In order for the intervention therapy to take course and effect, there must be a positive attitude from the client’s part, as well as a good relationship between the therapist and the client. Proficiency in theory and counseling techniques was not important according to Carl, as it is for the therapist to understand the potential possessed by clients in their recovery. Apparently, it is the most powerful tool that a therapist can use, as opposed to the views of Bohart and Tallman (1999), (as cited in Corey, 2009,