Free Essays on Survival In Auschwitz Review

Survival in Auschwitz In 1944, Primo Levi was abducted by the fascist government in Italy and shipped off to Auschwitz, Nazi death camp. Many people do not know that the concentration camps were not only for those of Jewish descent. Unfortunately, political prisoners, criminals, gypsies, and homosexuals were also tossed away. Until reading this book, I had a vague idea of what went on inside of the Nazi concentration camps. Most of my knowledge of the Holocaust stems from textbooks or from firsthand accounts that do not center around camp life. This book gives a vivid account of the atrocities committed by the Nazis. One of the more striking aspects of this work is the attitudes toward each other the â€Å"inmates† have. Every man is really for himself, and the newer detainees have to learn the camp rules the hard way. Levi is even left wanting his spoon, bowl, and gloves upon entrance to the Ka-Be, because no one told him that personal effects were forbidden. He speaks of the practice, which everyone learns, of bundling everything one owns in their jacket and keeping it under their head as a pillow so that no one would steal it. I would have thought there would have been more a sense of camaraderie among the inmates. Levi states, however, that when one’s humanity is stripped from them, they live for themselves and themselves only. He finally catches a glimpse of humanity toward the end of the novel, when a young Franco-Pole, Towarowski, offers those who helped carry the stove to their hut a little extra of his bread and suggests that everyone else do the same. Levi is touch ed by this move, and mused â€Å"only a day before a similar event would have been inconceivable. The law of the Lager said: ‘eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbour’, and left no room for gratitude. It really meant that the Lager was dead.† (Levi, 160). This book affected me a great deal. I have never read a firsthand ... Free Essays on Survival In Auschwitz Review Free Essays on Survival In Auschwitz Review Survival in Auschwitz In 1944, Primo Levi was abducted by the fascist government in Italy and shipped off to Auschwitz, Nazi death camp. Many people do not know that the concentration camps were not only for those of Jewish descent. Unfortunately, political prisoners, criminals, gypsies, and homosexuals were also tossed away. Until reading this book, I had a vague idea of what went on inside of the Nazi concentration camps. Most of my knowledge of the Holocaust stems from textbooks or from firsthand accounts that do not center around camp life. This book gives a vivid account of the atrocities committed by the Nazis. One of the more striking aspects of this work is the attitudes toward each other the â€Å"inmates† have. Every man is really for himself, and the newer detainees have to learn the camp rules the hard way. Levi is even left wanting his spoon, bowl, and gloves upon entrance to the Ka-Be, because no one told him that personal effects were forbidden. He speaks of the practice, which everyone learns, of bundling everything one owns in their jacket and keeping it under their head as a pillow so that no one would steal it. I would have thought there would have been more a sense of camaraderie among the inmates. Levi states, however, that when one’s humanity is stripped from them, they live for themselves and themselves only. He finally catches a glimpse of humanity toward the end of the novel, when a young Franco-Pole, Towarowski, offers those who helped carry the stove to their hut a little extra of his bread and suggests that everyone else do the same. Levi is touch ed by this move, and mused â€Å"only a day before a similar event would have been inconceivable. The law of the Lager said: ‘eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbour’, and left no room for gratitude. It really meant that the Lager was dead.† (Levi, 160). This book affected me a great deal. I have never read a firsthand ...

The eNotes Blog Letters to Juliet A Project of Love for theLovelorn

Letters to Juliet A Project of Love for theLovelorn One of my favorite things that has been going around the internet for some time is the EMO person who posted, What if hes your Romeo, but youre not his Juliet? The lightning-fast response was, That means youre his Rosaline and you survive the friggin play. Despite the reality of what happens to the star crossd lovers, the persistence in thinking of them as the romantic ideal lives on. See? Most people, even those who have never read or seen the play, are more likely to conjure up this image, or something close to it, than gruesome deaths: I didnt know, however, until I heard a story on NPRs Morning Edition yesterday, that men (mostly, I guess) have been penning letters to Juliet for  centuries.   Initially, shortly after the plays performances, people left notes at what was thought to be her tomb. The numbers of letters left became so great that the post office of Verona established a special office to handle the volume.   The remarkable thing about the letters left for Juliet is that she actually answers.  Well, understudies for Juliet do.  Dozens of volunteers in Verona, who call themselves The Juliet Club answer, by hand, each of the 6,000+ letters addressed to Shakespeares heroine each year.   All of the letters are retained in a massive archive, to which more letters are regularly added. The job must be tough but many of the volunteers have been at it for ten and twenty years, some even longer. What do they say to these heartbroken people? Here is one of their answers to someone who was driving herself crazy asking, What if? What and If are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if? What if? I dont know how your story ended but if what you felt then was true love, then its never too late. If it was true then, why wouldnt it be true now? You need only the courage to follow your heart. I dont know what a love like Juliets feels like love to leave loved ones for, love to cross oceans for but Id like to believe if I ever were to feel it, that I will have the courage to seize it. And, Claire, if you didnt, I hope one day that you will. All my love, Juliet† You can read more about the long history of the Juliet Project in Lise Friedmans study,  Ã‚  Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeares Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love

Change has to be planned and directed from the top or otherwise the Essay

Change has to be planned and directed from the top or otherwise the organisation would be out of control. Discuss reasons for agreeing and disagreeing with this statement. Use examples - Essay Example ever, in order to understand the needs of the organization and implement the required changes within the company, it is necessary that the leaders of the organization are capable of anticipating, identifying, strategizing, planning and implementing them in an organized and timely manner. While it might be of a general view that only the top management is more capable of planning and directing changes within an organization, studies have also focused on the fact that any individual who is a member of the organization might initiate a needed change. Moreover, in the present context of changing working environment, the employees prefer to get involved in the decision making processes as well (Stadtlà ¤nder, 2006, p.17). The present study focuses on an understanding whether organizational change has to be planned and directed from the top or otherwise the organisation would be out of control. Management of change within an organization requires considerate planning, performance and effective discussion as well with all those people who would be affected owing to the changes. The changes need to be sensible, attainable and assessable. The individuals or the authorities implementing the changes need to understand and manage the changes in such a manner such that the members of the organization can easily handle and accept those changes for the betterment of the organizational objectives as a whole. In this context, there is logical thinking necessary for the correct decision making. Thus, while considering such changes, the opinions and acceptance of all the people who might be affected also need to be considered (Change Management, 2012). It can be realized that in order to consider these above mentioned understanding and implementation of changes, matured minds would be required to take the decisions, to involve all other members in choosing the right changing policies. The employees or organizational members other than the top management might not have the sufficient

The Presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Presidency - Essay Example According to Neustadt, the presidency is an institution, and therefore the main tenet of institutionalism is a focus on the office of the presidency, as opposed to the person occupying the office of the presidency (Dickson, 260). In as much as Dickson (278) agrees with this notion that the presidency is an institution, he doesn’t denote that there are other factors that might influence an individual who hold an office, apart from the rules that guide the operations of the presidency. These factors are the inter-personal factors of the leader, which might include their academic levels, childhood experiences, religious believes, etc. On this basis, Neustadt has some bias in his study of the presidency, by insisting that it is the rules that guide the office which affect the manner in which an individual operates. Dickson (261) recognizes the immense role that Neustadt has played in the advancement of the studies involving the presidency. This is because other scholars borrowed f rom the tenets of institutionalism to develop other theories of the presidency. The theory under consideration is the new institutional theory. Dickson (260) argues that due to the inefficiencies of institutionalism, other theorists developed the new institutional theory for purposes of guiding the presidency, in their attempt to collect information, for bargaining purposes. However, Dickson (287) is quick to denote that new institutional theory has failed to help the presidency in acquiring information that can be used for bargaining purposes. This is because new institutionalism has failed to develop efficient and proper channels in which the office of the presidency can follow for purposes of collecting information to use for bargaining. Dickson (260) therefore prefers older channels of presidential communication, as opposed to the newer methods of presidential control. For instance, Dickson advocates for institutionalism theory, as opposed to new institutional theories of the pr esidency. This is despite the failure of new institutional theory to factor in the cognitive and personality of the leader in their decision making process. However, in explaining in his points, Dickson goes back to history, and analyzes the presidency of Roosevelt, Lyndon’s presidency, etc. Dickson (266) argues that institutional theory arose out of the need of the presidency to acquire information, and use that information for bargaining purposes. Access of accurate information is a very valuable tool for any leader. The manner in which a leader acquires and disseminates information is a crucial factor on whether he or she will succeed during their presidency. Neustadt knew of the value of information, and he thus developed his ideas based on the desire to develop an efficient method in which the aides of a president can help him or her to acquire the necessary information for bargaining purposes (p. 277). This article manages to use relevant examples in articulating the va rious points contained in it. For example, Dickson (262) manages to explain the various bureaucratic processes that occur at white house. This is in regard to acquisition of information, and its subsequent dissemination. For example, he denotes that when Roosevelt took the office of the presidency, he managed to create an office referred to as the executive office of the presidency (Dickson, 262). This office was responsible for personnel, policy planning and budgeting. He manages to effectively compare the

Reform Movement in the United States Essay Example for Free

Reform Movement in the United States Essay The protestant revival movement that began in the 1790s in New England caused reforms in America. Between 1825 and 1850, the United States government made reforms that greatly increased the influence of democratic ideals: universal suffrage and individual rights. Such reforms included prisons, churches, women suffrage, temperance, and education. Prison reforms expanded democratic ideals through the change in policies and mission statements. Debtor prisons were abolished, the number of capitol crimes was reduced, and prison became a place of reform as well as punishment. As shown in document A, the Fourth Annual Report, Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents in the City of New York, 1829, stated, To confine these youthful criminals . . . where little can be leaned but the ways of the wicked. It is saying that the prisons originally were bad and that reforming people would be useless and therefore the reform of the prisons would fix this problem and therefore be able to save individual rights and become clean. Church reforms also expanded democratic ideals through allowing freedom of religion and expansion of different sects. As Charles G. Finney in 1834 said, When the churches are . . . awakened and reformed . . . the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow. He is saying that because the church reformed, the people will reform in the same way. Therefore, by using this information, one can say that because the churchs rights were more readily expressed, the people would also have more individual rights. Woman suffrage was the most dominate traits that greatly increased the democratic ideals of United States. As woman rights began to increase, women showed that they were more independent as shown through the cult of domesticity. Women were original similar to the status of slaves because they had no voice. This is shown in the engraving by Patrick Reason in 1835 where a woman is in shackles. It shows the original status of women which changes slightly to more universal suffrage in America. Temperance also expanded democratic ideals in that it gave people more rights to form what they felt was correct. Because it was lead by women, a group of  society usually suppressed, it was unique in that women started to voice their opinions. In the painting The Drunkards Progress, From the First Glass to the Grave in 1846, it shows that women were most affected by it and that they were motivated to change it. Women were able to speak out and affect the world and that shows individual rights. Education also played a role in expanding democratic ideals. Education was improved through new textbooks, publicized, and improved teaching training facilities increase the average education of the masses. This created a more knowledgeable mass and therefore universal male suffrage was more possible. Through the reforms of prisons, churches, women suffrage, temperance, and education, democratic ideals were expanded. Democratic ideals of universal suffrage and individual rights were spread throughout America. The reforms between 1825 and 1850 expanded democratic ideals.

photovoltaic cells :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Photovoltaic cells are solid state devices that convert light directly into electricity. Photovoltaic literally means â€Å"light electricity.† These devices can be commonly found providing power for small scale devices such as calculators, watches, and small radios. However, they are not limited to small scale systems. They are also used to power satellites, communications equipment, houses and many other things, especially in remote locations where a power grid is not readily available. In isolated locations the only power attainable comes from the sun. The sun shines approximately 1000 watts of energy per square meter of the planets surface, which if harnessed could power any city.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The commercial development of the photovoltaic cell took more then a hundred years to begin. A french physicist Edmond Becquerel first described the photovoltaic effect in 1839. At the age of 19 Becquerel found that certain materials when exposed to light produced small measurable currents. Henrich Hertz also studied the effect in solids in the 1870's and he managed to produce photoelectric cells with an efficiency of about 1%. In the 1940's the new Czochralski process made generating highly pure crystalline silicon possible and furthermore made commercializing photovoltaic cells an option. Development really started however, in 1954 when Bell Laboratories used the Czochralski process to produce a 4% efficient crystalline silicon cell, which was essentially for application in space. This was the beginning of photovoltaic cells.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Photovoltaic cells generally consist of five layers. Two of these layers are semiconductors and the remaining three are merely for protection and to aid absorption of light. The top layer is generally a glass cover for protection against the elements since photovoltaic cells are used outside. Underneath this is an anti-reflective coating. Since most photovoltaic cells are made of silicon and silicon is reflective this prevents the photons from merely being bounced off the cell and allows the highest amount of absorption possible. These two layers are secured with a transparent adhesive. Transparent, obviously, so the photons can pass through it. Surrounding the entire cell is a metallic grid on top and a metal contact on bottom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two layers of semiconductor are the most important. Semiconductors are materials that have electrical conductivity intermediate between the high conductivity of metals and the low conductivity of insulators. Conductivity is decided by how many free electrons are available to carry charge, and in turn how tightly electrons are bound to the parent atom.

Dealing with culture Essay

It has already been mentioned earlier that for effective intelligence work there must be an ability to understand other people’s culture especially that of the enemy. But there is also another type of culture that must be addressed and understood – it is the culture that exists within the US intelligence community. It must be made clear though that no organization or community does not develop values or norms overnight. This only means that any initiator for change must be ready for the long haul because it will not away that easily. There is always organizational culture, it helps define the group and guides its members on the proper course of action. According to Amy Zegart the culture that exists within the intelligence community can be described as parochialism, risk aversion, resistance to change, and that â€Å"need to know trumps need to share† (2007, p. 64). All of these need to be transformed in order to have a much improved intelligence community. Coordination The 9/11 fiasco as seen in the nine-one-one report clearly calls for better coordination among the different counter-terror agencies of the US government. This realization leads to the recommendation that for America to be safer there is a great need for more coordination among the said groups. But as many have known this is easier said than done. According to Zegart the CIA from the onset was not really given the power to coordinate all government agencies related to intelligence gathering and as a result: The existence of so many separate agencies and the absence of formal mechanisms to integrate them became reinforced by bureaucratic procedures over time. Throughout the Cold War, different intelligence agencies developed their own budgets and set their own priorities, hired their own staffs and trained them in separate programs, communicated by separate e-mail systems and kept intelligence in incompatible databases (2007, p. 66). Jurisdiction is one of the major stumbling blocks in solving a crime or gathering data. When this term comes up immediately more barriers will shoot up immediately preventing the agency with a significant lead to pursue even further. Now, there is a good explanation for jurisdiction and it is the need for order, focus, and responsibility. But most of the time it only serves one thing and it is to be sure who to blame when there is a failure in the system. One of the painful realizations in 9/11 is the fact that terrorists do not respect jurisdiction, they come and go as they please and successfully exploited the civil liberties offered to individuals living in this country. So a member of a terror group can be living in Asia for one year and then at the end of that period decides to fly to Los Angeles and then from there move around the country in preparation for a major attack. Who then is in charge to track this guy? Sharing of Information Aside from the lack of coordination, another related problem is the strong dislike for information sharing. And again this is understandable; each group is rewarded for their effort. If one has caught a huge quantity of fish by being up all night on a fishing expedition there is no logic to sharing it with others who did not put up the same effort. On the other hand there are cases wherein the failure of one agency is the failure of all. Take for instance 9/11, there is no use shifting blame or pointing fingers at the CIA because the destruction is close to the heart of America where everyone is affected. This leads to the argument that information should not be the standard-operating-procedure but there are cases where information sharing is a must. And one way of doing this is by classifying cases, finding out which one requires the collaboration of those working internationally, on the national level or local level. Improvements The preceding pages clearly demonstrated that there is a need for positive change in the US Intelligence community. If civilians and those who are from the outside looking in can provide key observations on areas that needed change then those who are working within the intelligence community are painfully aware of their shortcomings. The following pages will describe the improvements made by various counter-terror groups within the fold of the Federal Government. Need to Share Information One of the areas that requires overhaul is with regards to information sharing. This has not been lost to the analysts and strategists working under the U. S. Department of Homeland Security and its think tank the Homeland Security Advisory Council who proposed the Intelligence and Information Sharing Initiative: Homeland Security Intelligence and Information Fusion. The key term here is fusion and this program calls for the: †¦ managing of flow of information and intelligence across levels and sectors of government and the private sector to support the rapid identification of emerging terrorism-related threats and other circumstances requiring intervention by government and private-sector authorities. It is more than the one-time collection of law enforcement and/or terrorism-related intelligence information and it goes beyond establishing an intelligence center or creating a computer network (see Homeland Security Advisory Council). This relatively recent move by the DHS is not only audacious but shows how they have completely acknowledged the error of their ways. There is no single or central agency that can do all the work when it comes to apprehending terrorists. The lowly policeman may not be wearing fancy suits and may not even pull top dollar from his work but a police officer does the dirty work. The operatives of counter-terror groups may have the firepower and the resources apprehend a terror group but they can be far away; it will take them precious time to leave their offices in and pursue. Whereas the local police department is in close proximity to the terrorist cell and therefore there is no reason why they could not be dispatched to stop the said terror group from executing their plans. To get a better idea with regards to how serious DHS is in improving their capabilities, the anti-terror agency is not only acknowledging the need for sharing information and intelligence but they are also admitting that crucial data can come from anywhere. The DHS pointed out the sources of relevant information to be coming from: a) Federal; b) State; c) local; d) tribal; e) various government entities; f) General public; and g) Private-sector entities. Therefore, there is a great need to improve on the process of information analysis and information dissemination. The following steps are designed to jump-start the said process (see Homeland Security Advisory Council): †¢ The use of common terminology, definitions, and lexicon by all stakeholders; †¢ Identifying critical information repositories and establishing the process, protocols, procedures, and technical capabilities to extract information and/or intelligence from those repositories; †¢ Understanding and elimination of impediments to information collection and sharing (i. e. , it should be a priority for the Federal Government to provide State, local, and tribal entities unclassified terrorism-related information); †¢ Extensive and continuous interaction with the private sector and with the public at large. The FBI It was mentioned earlier that in the decades of the 70s and 80s the Federal Bureau of Investigation was forced to mellow down its tough investigative stance. The lack of aggressiveness was criticized in the aftermath of 9/11. Today new laws are giving new life to the FBI invigorating the said agency to pursue suspected terrorists. Aside from the new mandate – following 9/11 – that allow the FBI to step on the accelerator the President of the United States issued a new directive in 2005 that would forever transform the FBI. On June 28, 2005 the President directed the FBI to create the National Security Branch within the FBI that will result in, â€Å"Integrating investigative and intelligence activities against current and emerging national security threats†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (see National Security Branch Overview, 2006). This new mandate from the President allows for the creation of the following: a) the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division (CTD); b) the Counterintelligence Division (CD); c) the Directorate of Intelligence (DI); and d) the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD). This simply means that the FBI is no longer typecast as the main investigative body of Federal government it now also functions as counterintelligence and counterterrorism arm of the government as well as the main agency that will handle weapons of mass destruction in the domestic sphere. Conclusion The United States of America, its leaders and its citizens must come to terms with its new found status. And it is the sole superpower in the global arena. There is nothing that comes close to the US in terms of economic and military might. This is good news for those who come to enjoy the protection of a superpower – a protector who believes in democracy and the rule of law. But this is not a welcome thought for American citizens who are now perceived as enemies by those who have a sick worldview such as extremists. These fanatics are frighteningly angry at the US and their blabbering and crazed invectives show that they may not be coherent at times but are dead serious in causing harm. The US Army is capable pulverizing a small country into smithereens and even able to bring a powerful enemy nation to its knees e. g. Iraq but it does not have the moral authority to simply barge in and decimate suspected enemies. The Federal Government is therefore dependent on an effective and efficient intelligence gathering arm. It has been shown earlier that it is no longer possible to rely on one single agency to combat terrorism and therefore what is needed is coordination and information sharing. One of the major issues that was resolved was in dealing with a prevailing culture of fragmentation, parochialism, and the insistence of need to know versus sharing of information. After 9/11 it is easy to consider changing negative attitudes and adopting a new view on coordination and information sharing. Thus, after 9/11 the U. S. Department of Homeland Security was tasked to break down barriers as it has become painfully clear that the lack of coordination was the simple explanation as to why suspected terrorists were able to undergo flight training under the noses of Federal officials. Concrete steps are made to ensure information dissemination as well as the creation of structures and human resources that will be able to analyze data coming from different parts of the world. Aside from these the U. S. Intelligence community acknowledged the fact that everyone is involved including the State, local and even tribal entities. The big wigs from the Federal Government are also acknowledging the importance of local law enforcement agencies as a deterrent as well as the most effective and efficient aspect of the whole counter-terrorism apparatus of the US. A welcome development was the strengthening of the capabilities of the CIA and the FBI. Special mention is appropriate for the President’s directive to vastly improve the ability of the FBI not only as an investigative arm of the Federal Government but also as a counter-intelligence as well as counter-terrorism agency especially when it comes to weapons of mass destruction that could be potentially deployed in the homeland. All of these changes and improvements combined will greatly deter terrorist activity and would help in the speedy arrest as well as dismantling of terror cells before these groups can wreak havoc in the same magnitude as September 11, another day that will also live in infamy. References Carafano, J. & M. Sauter (2005). Homeland Security. New York: McGraw-Hill. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2006). National Security Branch Overview. Retrieved 07 February 2008 from http://www. fbi. gov/hq/nsb/whitepaper12-06/whitepaper. pdf. Ganor, B. (2005). The Counter-Terrorism Puzzle: A Guide For Decision Makers. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Hulnick, A. (2004). Keeping Us Safe: Secret Intelligence and Homeland Security. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Paine, T. (2005). Homeland Security: The American Tradition. In M. Sauter & J. J. Carafano (Eds. ). Homeland Security. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Perl. R. (2007). Terrorism and National Security: Issues and Trends. In A. L. Fitzgerald (Ed. ). Terrorism and National Security. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Posner, R. (2006). Uncertain Shield: The U. S. Intelligence System in the Throes of Reform. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Sands, A. (2005). Integrating Open Sources into Transnational Threat Assessments. In J. E. Sims & B. Gerber (Eds. ). Transforming U. S. Intelligence. Washington, D. C. : Georgetown University Press. Sims, J. & B. Gerber. (2005). Transforming U. S. Intelligence. Washington, D. C. : Georgetown University Press. The 9/11 Commission Report. Retrieved 08 February 2008 from http://www. 911commission. gov/report/911Report. pdf. Turner, M. (2005). Why Secret Intelligence Fails. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, Inc. U. S. Department of Homeland Security. (2005). Intelligence and Information Sharing Initiative: Homeland Security Intelligence & Information Fusion. Retrieved 07 February 2008 from http://www. dhs. gov/xlibrary/assets/HSAC_HSIntelInfoFusion_Apr05. pdf . Warner, M. & J. K. McDonald. (2005). US Intelligence Community Reform Studies Since 1947. Washington, D. C. : Center for the Study of Intelligence. Zegart, A. (2007). Spying Blind: The CIA, the FBI, and the Origins of 9/11. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Lowering the Drinking Age

â€Å"Nearly 10 million youths, ages 12 to 20, in this country report they have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. † (â€Å"City Council†) Teens use alcohol for a numerous amount of reasons, ranging from celebration to stress to boredom and underage drinking has now become a hobby done behind closed doors. The legal limit today in the United states has been 21 since the 1984, requiring all states to raise the minimum age for purchase and possession of alcohol to 21, but that is not stopping teens from underage drinking. The Minimum Legal Drinking Age is largely ineffective because teens are going to drink whether it is legal or not. The minimum drinking age limit should be lowered to 18 because 18 year olds are adults, teens would drink in a more controlled manner, and there would be less unsafe incidents. In the US, 18 is the age of adulthood, so adults should have to right to make their own decisions, especially pertaining to alcohol consumption. â€Å"Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military. † (Chiappetta) Some of these rights even put you at the risk of death. If at the age of 18, you are allowed to make all of those decisions for yourself, then why not with alcohol? This question still remains unanswered. Republican Richard Marron states, â€Å"It just doesn't sit right with me that people [at the age of 18] have the right to do everything else, including serve their country, but don't have the right to consume alcohol, it's a form of age discrimination. † Being an adult means making your own choices. If 18 year olds are held mature old enough to enlist or vote, it should be held consistent allowing them to buy and drink alcohol. Many argue against the claim that you are old enough to drink at 18. Opponents of lowering the drinking age argue that teens have not yet reached an acceptable age where they can handle alcohol responsibly. â€Å"The discrepancy between the MLDA and the age of majority–and its many responsibilities and authorities–along with continued incidents of alcohol abuse reported on college campuses have fueled debate that setting the MLDA at 21 is fair, smart, and effective. † (Drinking Age Procon. org) The age of 21 should not make a significant impact on anything. A three year age difference doesn’t decide whether someone is ature or responsible enough to drink. That is solely based off their decision, and if the make that choice to drink, than they will face any of the consequences that may come with it. Lowering the drinking age would also increase teens drinking in a controlled, responsible manner. â€Å"Prohibiting this age group from drinking in bars, resta urants, and other licensed locations causes them to drink in unsupervised places such as fraternity houses or house parties where they may be more prone to binge drinking and other unsafe behavior. † (â€Å"The Time Has Come to Address the Reality of Alcohol in America†). Young adults will sneak around if they are not allowed the chance to drink responsibly in a supervised situation. It is no secret that teens drink, so why not just make it legal instead of them taking the risk of trying to hide it? â€Å"Reality is reality and the fact is that 18-20 year olds drink. We need to create a safe and open environment for that reality to take place. † (Henig) Teens do not want to hide it, but if the want to drink they have to, and being supervised is going to result in less binge drinking and engaging in less dangerous activities. The age of 21 treats them and causes to handle things in an untrusting way. How are they ever going to act responsibly if they aren’t trusted? It is argued that lowering the drinking age is only going to create even more dangerous incidents, and that the 21 age minimum is preventing them from happening. â€Å"MLDA 21 helps prevent underage binge drinking. † (â€Å"Drinking Age Pro Con†) Statistics show that â€Å"Binge drinking peaks among 21- to 25-year-olds at 45. 9%, while the binge drinking rates of those aged 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, and 18-20 are 1. 5%, 7. 8%, 19. 4%, and 35. 7% respectively. (â€Å"Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:National Findings†) If the age limit were change, that would not necessarily raise the percentage, especially if the teens are supervised and being responsible enough. Even if the teens are responsible though, people still think that, â€Å"Lowering the drinking age would make alcohol more accessi ble to teens and increase the amount of binge drinking. † (Dean-Mooney) While the age limit may make it more difficult for them to buy it, teens already have access to alcohol, being 21 or not. It is in their homes, their friends homes, restaurants, and everywhere else they go. Teens are constantly surrounded by alcohol, and there is no stopping them from obtaining it, and being around an adult with it is only going to make it more safe, stopping them from making any destructive decisions. Another reason the limit should be lowered is because there would be an decrease in unsafe activities. There are less traffic accidents with countries who have a Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 18. â€Å"Although the United States increased the MLDA to 21 in 1984, its rate of traffic accidents and fatalities in the 1980s decreased less than that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than 21. (Dee, Evans). That is because allowing them to drink younger where they are supervised is going to stop them from getting in a car. They will have that consent over them to make sure that they do not, but it is not just 18 year olds that are at risk. â€Å"In 2009, the 21- to 24-year-old age group had the highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes with blood-al cohol concentration (BAC) levels of . 08 or higher – 35 percent. † (Asch, Levy). Anyone who drinks is at risk, whether you’re a new drinker, or you have been drinking your whole life. If anyone is at risk, then why is lowering the drinking age raising so many problems? With lowering the drinking age, it is proposed that the right to drink needs to be a higher age due to the dangers posed by drinking. â€Å"100 of the 102 analyses (98%) in a 2002 meta-study of the legal drinking age and traffic accidents found higher legal drinking ages associated with lower rates of traffic accidents. † (Wagenaar, Toomey). This is a major proponent for why the age limit should remain at 21, but again, anyone is in danger of an accident if they drink and drive. While an older aged person may be more experienced with alcohol and with driving, all the same risks still remain. Underage drinking is also said to be more linked to risky behavior and injury. According to the U. S. Surgeon General, â€Å"About 5,000 kids under 21 die every year as a result of underage drinking – from crashes, homicides, and suicides. † (â€Å"Did You Know? Dangers of Teen Drinking†) It has actually been proven though, that alcohol is not statistically rates of homicides or suicides, despite claims that lowering the legal drinking age to 18 would increase suicide and criminal activities by adolescents. Evidence proves to show that the Minimum Legal Drinking Age should be lowered to the age of 18 because 18 is the age of adults, young adults drinking in a controlled manner, and a decrease in unsafe drinking activities. Lowering the drinking age is definitely something that should be considered. The issues that come with lowering the age limit may be evident but being in control of these issues will help the success of passing this new law.

Analysis of sexuality as liberator in The Company of Wolves Essays

Analysis of sexuality as liberator in The Company of Wolves Essays Analysis of sexuality as liberator in The Company of Wolves Paper Analysis of sexuality as liberator in The Company of Wolves Paper Under the Wolfs Skin The wolf is carnivore incarnate and hes as cunning as he is ferocious; once hes had a taste of flesh then nothing else will do quotes Angela Carter, in her reimagining of the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood in her short story The Company of Wolves. The original tale by Charles Perrault served as a thinly veiled cautionary tale for young women to suppress their sexuality which comes in the form of the wolf, and submit to the servile situations, or else they come to a bad end. In Carters version though, she turns the tale on its head and does the opposite; Angela Carters tory states that sexuality can neither be stigmatized nor evaded, as it is biological. She talks of how the women were taught to fear their sexuality, to run away from it as if the devil himself was pursuing behind. If you spy a naked man among the pines, you must run as if the Devil were after you. The image of a naked man (signifying sexual desire) is transposed on that of a raving beast who is to be eluded or escaped from. The reference to the Devil too perhaps isnt entirely unplanned. What better way to impose iron-clad chastity on women if not reminding them of the Devil in tandem with sexual desire, the ultimate forbidden fruit? However, as Carter puts it, the wolves have ways of arriving at your own hearthside. We try and we try but sometimes we cannot keep them out and this is perhaps the best example of Carters allusion to the attempt at repressing human sexuality. Like the wolves, she states, the desire ends up dogging at your heels, no matter how much a person might attempt to keep it out. This blatant attempt on the authors part is an attempt at restructuring the roles of the women so that they are more than Just set in their gender roles which teaches them sexuality is to be reviled or feared; sheltered in ne form or another for centuries, out of which they are beginning to emerge. Thus, in The Company of Wolves the author uses the wolf as a metaphor for sexual desire as a tool of independence for women. She uses the proverbial wolf as a sexual liberator to show the women embracing or attempting to embrace independence through sexuality by eschewing gender specific roles and by having them avow their independence by celebrating their sexuality without servility or shame. Carter uses the wolf as the sexual liberator by showing women who embrace or, attempt to mbrace their sexuality in a bid for independence from patriarchal society. In the first part of Carters story, the narrator speaks of a woman who was bitten in her own kitchen while straining the macaroni. Previous to this anecdote, as well as after it, the story stays well ensconced in the past, separating the reader from it. This image of a woman straining macaroni however, manages to Jar the reader into the present day, in which it is the rare person who fears wolves (or, their sexuality). Rather, fears of rape, murder and robbery are in abundance. Yet we find that it is the woman, deeply nsconced in her social role as a woman, in this modern day and age who fall victim the kitchen, the very symbol of servile shackles that Carter reviles. Thus, when she is bitten by the wolf, she is in accordance to the law of the lycanthropes transformed into a wolf herself. A wolf who we see is described as The wolf is carnivore incarnate and hes as cunning as he is ferocious; once hes had a taste of flesh then nothing else will do. From the lines it can be inferred that wolf is an elemental, sexual creature that is beyond societal trappings of proprieties. When the taste of flesh trikes, nothing can hold it back. In Christianity, the word flesh is used in English as a metaphor to describe sinful tendencies. A related turn of phrase identifies certain sins as carnal sins, from Latin caro, carnis, meaning flesh in the King Jamess Bible; For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16) Therefore, it can be agreed that taste of flesh may mean sexual desire. This very desire which liberates her from the role she had been well ensconced in, introducing to her to a rand new role of the aggressor in the form of the wolf who would spread desire through her bite rather than the meek, subservient female in the kitchen passively waiting for something. The wolf or, her desire introduces her to danger and passion, of walking outside the realm of sexual proprieties as decided upon by the society, instead of the mundane of routine like macaroni washing. Through this woman Angela Carter shows women bound in servitude of one form or another, those confined to their limiting roles can be, and are attacked by the wolf, as if desire at rodding at them to break free, finally manages to make them do so, even after years of oppression at times. Thus, it can be understood this wolf can be the sexual liberator that can at least make women try and embrace independence through their sexuality. Another example of such an act of independence through a womans sexuality would be the tale of the witch. The witch whose lover had spurned her for another woman turned an entire wedding party into wolves and used to order them to visit her, at night, from spite, and they would sit and howl around her cottage for her, serenading her with their misery. The author again uses the word wolf as an allusion for sexuality. The witch, instead of succumbing to the set gender-sexual paradigm, where she is to revile her sexuality now that a man had chosen another woman over her, casts a spell instead. She turns the wedding party into wolves perhaps becomes the object of their desire using her feminine wiles, regardless of their sexual orientation and breaks out of the mold of playing untutored victim. Rather she entraps them sexually, willing them to come to her over and over again allowing the character to depart from the usual gender role of a woman. Also, the author uses the metaphorical wolf of sexual desire to describe women who shun gender-specific roles and celebrate their independence through sexuality. Therefore, in her story Angela Carter uses the wolf or the sexual desire to embody a change the kind we see in the girl in the red hood. Through the wolf we see Angela Carter introducing a breed of women who revel in their sexuality without shame. The girl signifying Little Red Riding Hood is young -she is a sealed vessel she is a closed system; she does not know how to shiver. (6) The girl therefore is spared of the ultural conditioning of shaming and shunning of the female sexuality and is therefore more open to change. She comes across the huntsman and we immediately reach her grandmothers cottage before her, which she accepts. Upon arrival, when she realizes that things werent the way they should be, we see that the girl shunning all that she was ever taught, and, since her fear did her no good, she ceased to be afraid. He is the sum of all she had been taught to fear, and yet she gives him the kiss owed, and begins to take off her clothing and throw it into the fire, symbolically bandoning all she had ever been taught regarding repressing her sexuality. When she comments on his teeth, and he reminds her that they are they are there to eat her with, we do not see him scream in fear like the original Red Riding Hood. She knows that she has nothing to fear, that she knew she was nobodys meat. She laughed at him full in the face, she ripped off his shirt for him and flung it into the fire. It is here we see the powers shift; the girl embraces her sexuality within the wolf, instead of fearing it. We find her freely exercising her sexuality and desire as he sees fit. She relies solely on these for protection, and for salvation. Looking at the story even in its most basic, we do not find her imploring to God or bowing down in servitude to a man. Rather, she embraces her own nature and, see! Sweet and sound she sleeps in grannys bed, between the paws of the tender wolf. That not only saves her, but helps her discover herself as an equal, in bed with her desire rather than haunted by it, or shamed by it afterwards. The wolf therefore ends up signifying the young womans stepping out of her socio-cultural taboos such as ender-role, religion and morality, and the its role in her celebration of her sexuality, without guilt. Of course, it can be argued that the wolf instead of a sexual liberator can instead be a commentary on the parallel between men and wolves. She portrays men as the carnivore incarnate repetitively and shows them as savage, lusty, rabid beings that are all starving. Statements such as once hes had the taste of flesh, nothing else will do and worst of all he cannot listen to reason are frightening in context and leave no room for question in this blatant link between the wild wolves nd the male sex. Thus, it can be argued that instead of the role of the sexual liberator, the wolf plays the role of a rabid, but manageable social construct; men who are only appeased by immaculate flesh yet, a girl could lay his fearful head on her lap. Here we can see, I suppose, where postmodern feminism confronts the violence inherent in these narratives that construct and regulate gender and sexuality, exposing misleading totalities inherent in fairy tales, myths, and other such dominant narratives (B rooke 18). Yet, despite the arguments raised, the role of the olf as a sexual liberator still stands strong. Taking into account the cases of the woman bitten and thus, introduced to independence through her sexual desires, the witch who embraced her sexuality and independence, and even the young woman implementing her sexuality to proclaim her independence, is a stronger account of the wolf standing for a positive change. In Carters The Company of Wolves the wolf itself signifies feminine independence and deviation from patriarchal role through sexuality and the change is certainly a positive one and the arguments given more han meets the ones that can be raised against the set definition given. To conclude, Angela Carters The Company of Wolves is a feminist restructuring of an old moralistic tale warning women of their sexuality. She rewrites it so that instead of being haunted by the proverbial wolf of their sexuality here the females attempt to role and, to enjoy their sexuality without servility or shame. The wolf of desire isnt something to be reviled, loathed or to run away from. Rather, like the young girl, Angela Carter wants women to embrace their liberation and take their destiny in their own hands. She wants them to use the power of their sexuality without shame or fear and, like Red to survive the encounter with the savage wolf unscathed. Angela Carter wants women to welcome their independence with open arms and The Company of Wolves is her way of declaring the separation from cookie cutter gender roles of women as non-sexual beings driven by others decisions to sexually independent ones capable of making choices of their own. Work Cited Brooke, Patricia. Lions and Tigers and Wolves Oh My! Reversionary Fairy Tales in the Work of Angela Carter Critical Survey. Berghahn Books. Jstor. November 2013 Jstor. org/stable/41 55725 Carter, Angela. The Company of Wolves. The Bloody Chamber. Victor Gollancz Ltd. 1979. Litgothic. 20 November 2013 http:// www. litgothic. com/PDFOther/carter_company_wolves. pdf Film. In the Company of Wolves. April 18, 2005. 10 November 2013 The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York: Oxford Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2008. 1 December 2013 http:// www. king]amesbibleonline. org/. Perrault, Charles. Little Red Riding Hood Tales from Perraul 1697. Pitt. 15 November 2013. pitt. edu/†dash/ type0333. html#perrault

Henderson Hasselbalch Equation Definition

Henderson Hasselbalch Equation Definition The Henderson Hasselbalch equation is an approximate equation that shows the relationship between the pH or pOH of a solution and the pKa or pKb and the ratio of the concentrations of the dissociated chemical species. In order to use the equation, the acid dissociation constant must be known. Equation There are multiple ways to write the equation. Two of the most common are: pH pKa log ([conjugate base]/[weak acid]) pOH pKa log ([conjugate acid]/[weak base]) History An equation to calculate the pH of a buffer solution was derived by Lawrence Joseph Henderson in 1908. Karl Albert Hasselbalch rewrote this formula in logarithmic terms in 1917. Sources Hasselbalch, K. A. (1917). Die Berechnung der Wasserstoffzahl des Blutes aus der freien und gebundenen Kohlensure desselben, und die Sauerstoffbindung des Blutes als Funktion der Wasserstoffzahl. Biochemische Zeitschrift. 78: 112–144.Henderson, Lawrence J. (1908). Concerning the relationship between the strength of acids and their capacity to preserve neutrality. Am. J. Physiol. 21: 173–179.

A 2,000 report exploring and critically analysing the complex needs of Essay

A 2,000 report exploring and critically analysing the complex needs of offenders and rehabilitative practices which promote desistance - Essay Example These may include substance abuse problems, unemployment or financial problems, difficult family backgrounds, homelessness, or even psychiatrist problems. It is important for the institutions management to acknowledge that these factors are interlinked in most cases and will vary mostly along age and gender lines (David 2004; Warr 2002). Theoretical evidence affirms that a combination of individual and social factors can be linked to an increased probability of reoffending and should be routinely reassessed. Also referred to as ‘criminogenic’ needs, they can be attributed to certain types of crime. For example, heroin use is closely linked with shoplifting and other acquisitive offending while alcohol binge drinking is often associated with violence and other petty crimes. These factors can be further classified into static or dynamic. Factors such as employment, drug misuse, or education are subject to change and are thus, classified under dynamic while strong predictor s of reoffending such as gender, age, or criminal history are static. So, what helps individuals stay away from crime? Maruna et al (2008) propose that desistance can only work out if the complex needs of the offenders are met. As such, there is a strong correlation between the social or external aspects of an offender’s life (such as the support of those around them), as well as, the psychological or internal (what they subscribe to and what they want to achieve with their lives) and relapsing or desisting. Factors that might work in favour of desistance are such as: i) Family and relationships: studies have suggested that establishing supportive bonds with spouse or family members appears to boost chances of desisting from crime on condition that the family members are not involved in crime or substance abuse themselves. These good relationships are crucial to recidivism owing to a number of reasons. First, they minimise the amount of time and interactions spent with

Investor Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Investor Protection - Essay Example When there is strong investor protection, there is low insider expropriation, which in turn leads to lower profits appropriation, lower tunnelling of assets as well as reduced dilutions (DeFond & Hung, 2007); in return, minority and external shareholders enjoy lower agency costs, thereby reinforcing investor’s confidence. Better investor confidence eventually culminates in many benefits including higher profitability, lower costs of debt and equity, higher access to capital, higher valuation and liquidity. Moreover, better investor confidence leads to increased savings, productive investment of savings, and enhanced capital accumulation. Investor protection can be achieved through the legal approach to corporate governance, which provides laws and regulations for the protection of external investors (Spindler, 2011). Investors often feel safer to invest in countries where their rights are protected under the law, because they understand their vulnerability to expropriation. Unlike employees or suppliers who are less likely to be mistreated by firms due to their continued usefulness to the firms’ operations and sustainability, external investors must rely on the law for protection in an unfamiliar environment. Legal protection of external investors undermines expropriation technologies and mechanisms, while in an environment with no legal protection the so-called insiders (managers and controlling stockholders) can easily steal a company’s profits (La Porta et al., 2000). In that respect, investor protection renders the diversion techniques ineffective so that the insiders expropriate less, thereby crea ting a positive reputation for their organizations and obtaining external financing on better terms than when expropriation is high. The legal framework provides laws and regulations that mandate certain rights or powers belonging to