On Quake, Marilyn Manson, Doom, The Matrix, And How They Corrupt Ameri

On Quake, Marilyn Manson, Doom, The Matrix, And How They Corrupt America's Youth Disclaimer: I do not promote youth violence, but even if I did, it's the parent's job to make sure my opinion doesn't affect their children. Do I really have to say anything else? The disclaimer say enough, but to drive my point across, I'll repeat it in several different ways in the next few paragraphs. First of all, I want to say that I am 100% against censorship. It totally goes against a little law called THE 1ST AMENDMENT! And as for pressuring the movie, music, television and video game industries into producing cleaner content goes, we do need some of that. But I must say, ratings aren't there because companies put them there for fun. For each of the above mentioned, there are rating and parental advisory systems. If you need a little refreshment on what they are, write me and I'll send you a copy of them. But that really isn't necessary considering that: every single movie you've ever seen has its rating on the box, on the posters, on the ticket, next to it in your TV guide, and sometimes shows it nice and big right before the movie; every single CD or cassette you have bought in the last few years, if it contained what was deemed inappropriate material for people under 18, had a warning label on the packaging; all TV shows now show a rating at the top of your screen at the beginning of the program and after commercials, and ratings are also listed with the title in TV listings; every video game you 've bought since the second phase of Super Nintendo games has a rating on the packaging and on the game itself. So booya if you say there's no way of knowing if the material is inappropriate for your kid or not! Wise up and pay attention! I know what you're saying, ?The ratings are there, but who is deciding these ratings and what sort of standards are they using The people who decide this stuff aren't idiots. They judge the content of every line in the film, making note of every curse word, sexual reference, and violent suggestion. Sometimes they screw up and leave out a little detail, or don't recognize the offensive reference because of the way a line is used or the modern language used. Some examples: ? On Nickelodeon, there was a character on ?All That? who sat in a bathtub with a rubber duck and wore a yellow rain hat. He would say things like ? Do you want to squeeze my ducky? and make references to monkeys a lot. I couldn't believe this was even on Nickelodeon, much less rated TV Y. ? The review panel may not recognize ?roll up a fatty? or another modern term as a drug reference. ? Mufasa's death in ?The Lion King? did not cause the movie to receive a PG rating because the battle scene towards the end of the movie (in which another character dies) was deemed suitable, and so therefore Mufasa's death was also suitable. Those are only specifics, but I have seen a few cartoons I didn't think were for the younger crowd because of the violence or situations the characters were faced with. So here's the solution to safe-guarding your kids if you think ratings don't help enough: watch the show or movie with them, listen to the music before you give it to them, and find out what a game is about before you buy it. Lastly, PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR KIDS!!! Just because we are teenagers and you think we are pretty grown up doesn't mean we won't be affected by the stuff we are exposed to. It also doesn't mean that we always make the best decisions concerning what we watch, listen to, or play. Lastly, if you don't notice that your child is building bombs in your basement, he should blow YOU up. At least then the problem will be half solved. Bibliography -All above is from my6 own experiences Movies and Television

What You Should Know About Kants Ethics in a Nutshell

What You Should Know About Kants Ethics in a Nutshell Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is, by common consent, one of the most profound and original philosophers who ever lived. He is equally well known for his metaphysics–the subject of his Critique of Pure Reason-and for his moral philosophy which is set out in his Groundwork to the Metaphysics of Morals and the Critique of Practical Reason. Of these last two works, the Groundwork is by far the easier to understand. A Problem for the Enlightenment To understand Kant’s moral philosophy it is crucial first of all to understand the problem that he, like other thinkers of the time, was trying to deal with. From time immemorial, people’s moral beliefs and practices had been based on religion. Scriptures like the bible or the Koran laid out moral rules that were thought to be handed down from God: Don’t kill. Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery, and so on. The fact that the rules came from God gave them their authority. They were not just somebody’s arbitrary opinion: they gave humanity an objectively valid code of conduct. Moreover, everyone had an incentive to obey them.  If you â€Å"walked in the ways of the Lord,† you would be rewarded, either in this life or the next. If you violated His commandments, you would be punished. So any sensible person would abide by the moral rules that religion taught. With the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the great cultural movement known as the Enlightenment which followed, a problem arose for this way of thinking. Simply put, faith in God, scripture, and organized religion began to decline among the intelligentsia–that is, the educated elite. This is the development that Nietzsche famously described as â€Å"the death of God.† And it created a problem for moral philosophy. For if religion wasn’t the foundation that gave our moral beliefs their validity, what other foundation could there be? And if there is no God, and therefore no guarantee of cosmic justice ensuring that the good guys are rewarded and the bad guys are punished, why should anyone bother trying to be good? The Scottish moral philosopher Alisdair MacIntrye called this â€Å"the Enlightenment problem.† The problem is to come up with a secular–that is, a non-religious–account of what morality is and why we should be moral. Three Responses to the Enlightenment Problem 1.  Social Contract Theory One response was pioneered by the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). He argued that morality was essentially a set of rules that human beings agreed upon among themselves in order to make living together possible. If we didn’t have these rules, many of which are laws enforced by the government, life would be absolutely horrible for everyone. 2.  Utilitarianism Another attempt give morality a non-religious foundation was pioneered by thinkers like David Hume (1711-1776) and Jeremy Bentham (1748-1742). This theory holds that pleasure and happiness have intrinsic value. They are what we all want and are the ultimate goals that all our actions aim at.  Something is good if it promotes happiness, and it is bad if it produces suffering. Our basic duty is to try to do things that add to the amount of happiness or reduce the amount of misery in the world.   3.  Kantian Ethics Kant had no time for utilitarianism.  He thought that in placing the emphasis on happiness it completely misunderstood the nature of morality.  In his view, the basis for our sense of what is good or bad, right or wrong, is our awareness that human beings are free, rational agents who should be given the respect appropriate to such beings.  Let’s see in closer detail what this means and what it entails. The Problem With Utilitarianism The basic problem with utilitarianism, in Kant’s view, is that it judges actions by their consequences.  If your action makes people happy, it’s good; if it does the reverse, it’s bad.  But this is actually contrary to what we might call moral common sense.  Consider this question.  Who do you think is the better person, the millionaire who gives $1,000 to charity in order to look good in front of his girlfriend, or the minimum wage worker who donates a day’s pay to charity because he thinks it is is duty to help the needy? If consequences are all that matter, then the millionaire’s action is better.  But that’s not what most people think.  Most of us judge actions more by their motives than by their consequences.  The reason is obvious: the consequences of our actions are often out of our control, just as the ball is out of the pitcher’s control once it has left his hand.  I could save a life at the risk of my own, and the person I save could turn out to be serial killer.  Or I could kill someone in the course of stealing from them, and in doing so might accidentally save the world from a terrible tyrant. The Good Will The first sentence of Kant’s Groundwork states: â€Å"the only thing that is unconditionally good is a good will.† Kant’s argument for this is quite plausible. Consider anything you think of as good: health, wealth, beauty, intelligence, etc. In every case, you can imagine a situation in which this good thing is not good after all. A person can be corrupted by their wealth. The robust health of a bully makes it easier for him to abuse his victims. A person’s beauty may lead them to become vain and fail to develop their talents. Even happiness is not good if it is the happiness of a sadist torturing his victims. A good will, by contrast, says Kant, is always good in all circumstances. But what, exactly, does he mean by a good will? The answer is fairly simple. A person acts from a good will when they do what they do because they think it is their duty: when they act from a sense of moral obligation. Duty v. Inclination Obviously, we don’t perform every little act we do out of a sense of obligation. Much of the time we are simply following our inclinations, acting out of self-interest. There is nothing wrong with this. But no-one deserves any credit for pursuing their own interests. That comes naturally to us, just as it comes naturally to every animal. What is remarkable about human beings, though, is that we can, and sometimes do, perform an action from purely moral motives. E.g. a soldier throws himself on a grenade, sacrificing his life to save the lives of others. Or less dramatically, I pay back a debt as I promised to do even though this will leave me short of money. In Kant’s eyes, when a person freely chooses to do the right thing just because it is the right thing to do, their action adds value to the world; it lights it up, so to speak, with a brief glow of moral goodness. Knowing What Your Duty Is Saying that people should do their duty from a sense of duty is easy. But how are we supposed to know what our duty is? Sometimes we may find ourselves facing moral dilemmas where it isn’t obvious which course of action is right. According to Kant, however, in most situations are duty is obvious. And if we are uncertain we can work it out by reflecting on a general principle that he calls the â€Å"Categorical Imperative.† This, he claims, is the fundamental principle of morality. All other rules and precepts can be deduced from it. He offers several different versions of this categorical imperative. One runs as follows: â€Å"Act only on that maxim that you can will as a universal law.† What this means, basically, is that we should only ask ourselves: how would it be if everyone acted the way I’m acting? Could I sincerely and consistently wish for a world in which everyone behaved this way? According to Kant, if our action is morally wrong we would not b able to do this. For instance, suppose I’m thinking of breaking a promise. Could I wish for a world in which everyone broke their promises when keeping them was inconvenient? Kant argues that I could not want this, not least because in such a world no-one would make promises since everyone would know that a promise meant nothing. The Ends Principle Another version of the Categorical Imperative that Kant offers states that one should â€Å"always treat people as ends in themselves, never merely as a means to one’s own ends. This is commonly referred to as the â€Å"ends principle.† But what does it mean, exactly?   The key to it is Kant’s belief that what makes us moral beings is the fact that we are free and rational. To treat someone as a means to your own ends or purposes is to not respect this fact about them. For instance, if I get you to agree to do something by making a false promise, I am manipulating you. Your decision to help me is based on false information (the idea that I’m going to keep my promise). In this way, I have undermined your rationality. This is even more obvious if I steal from you or kidnap you in order to claim a ransom. Treating someone as an end, by contrast, involves always respecting the fact that they are capable of free rational choices which may be  different from the choices you wish them to make. So if I want you to do something, the only moral course of action is to explain the situation, explain what I want, and let you make your own decision. Kant’s Concept of Enlightenment In a famous essay entitled â€Å"What is Enlightenment?† Kant defined enlightenment as â€Å"man’s emancipation from his self-imposed immaturity.† What does this mean? And what does it have to do with his ethics? The answer goes back to the issue of religion no longer providing a satisfactory foundation for morality. What Kant calls humanity’s â€Å"immaturity† is the period when people did not truly think for themselves.  They typically accepted moral rules handed down to them by religion, by tradition, or by authorities like the Bible, the church, or the king. Many people have lamented the fact that many have lost their faith in these authorities. The result is viewed as a spiritual crisis for Western civilization. If â€Å"God is dead,† how do we know what is true and what is right? Kant’s answer is that we have to work these things out for ourselves. But this is not something to lament.  Ultimately it is something to celebrate. Morality is not a matter of subjective whim. What he calls â€Å"the moral law† –the categorical imperative and everything it implies–can be discovered by reason. But it is a law that we, as rational beings, impose on ourselves. It is not imposed on us from without. This is why one of our deepest feelings is reverence for the moral law. And when we act as we do out of respect for it–in other words, from a sense of duty–we fulfill ourselves as rational beings.

Geology and Topography of Antarctica

Geology and Topography of Antarctica Antarctica is not an ideal place for a geologist to work - it is widely considered one of the coldest, driest, windiest and, during winter, darkest places on Earth. The kilometers-thick ice sheet sitting on top of 98 percent of the continent makes geologic study even more difficult. Despite these uninviting conditions, geologists are slowly gaining a better understanding of the fifth-largest continent through the use of gravity meters, ice-penetrating radar, magnetometers, and seismic instruments. Geodynamic Setting and History Continental Antarctica makes up just a portion of the much larger Antarctic Plate, which is surrounded by mostly mid-ocean ridge boundaries with six other major plates. The continent has an interesting geologic history - it was part of the supercontinent Gondwana as recently as 170 million years ago and made a final split from South America 29 million years ago. Antarctica has not always been covered in ice. At numerous times in its geologic history, the continent was warmer due to a more equatorial location and differing paleoclimates. It is not rare to find fossil evidence of vegetation and  dinosaurs  on the now-desolate continent. The most recent large-scale glaciation is thought to have begun around 35 million years ago. Antarctica has traditionally been thought of as sitting on a stable, continental shield with little geologic activity. Recently, scientists installed 13 weather-resistant seismic stations on the continent that measured the speed of earthquake waves through underlying bedrock and mantle. These waves change speed and direction whenever they encounter a different temperature or pressure in the mantle or a different composition in the bedrock, allowing geologists to create a virtual image of the underlying geology. The evidence revealed deep trenches, dormant volcanoes, and warm anomalies, suggesting that the area may be more geologically active than once thought. From space, Antarcticas geographic features seem, for lack of a better word, nonexistent. Underneath all of that snow and ice, however, lie several mountain ranges. The most prominent of these, the  Transantarctic  Mountains, are over 2,200 miles long and split the continent into two distinct halves: East Antarctica and West Antarctica. East Antarctica sits on top of a Precambrian craton, made up of mostly metamorphic rocks like gneiss and schist.  Sedimentary deposits from the Paleozoic to Early Cenozoic age lie above it.  Western Antarctica, on the other hand, is made up of orogenic belts from the past 500 million years. The summits and high valleys of the Transantarctic Mountains are some of the only places on the entire continent not covered in ice.  The other areas that are free from ice can be found on the  warmer Antarctic Peninsula, which extends 250 miles northward from West Antarctica  towards South America. Another mountain range, the  Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, rises almost 9,000 feet above sea level over a 750-mile expanse in East Antarctica. These mountains, however, are covered by several thousand feet of ice. Radar imaging reveals sharp peaks and low valleys with topography comparable to the European Alps. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet has encased the mountains and protected them from erosion rather than smoothing them into glacial valleys. Glacial Activity Glaciers affect not only the topography of Antarctica but also its underlying geology. The weight of ice in West Antarctica literally pushes the bedrock down, depressing low-lying areas below sea level. Seawater near the edge of the ice sheet creeps between the rock and glacier, causing the ice to move much faster towards the sea. Antarctica is completely surrounded by an ocean, allowing sea ice to greatly expand in winter. Ice normally covers around 18 million square miles at the September maximum (its winter) and decreases to 3 million square miles during the February minimum (its summer).  NASAs Earth Observatory has a nice side-by-side graphic comparing the maximum and minimum sea ice cover of the past 15 years. Antarctica is almost a geographic opposite of the Arctic, which is an ocean semi-enclosed by landmasses. These surrounding landmasses inhibit sea ice mobility, causing it to pile up into high and thick ridges during the winter. Come summer, these thick ridges stay frozen longer. The Arctic retains around 47 percent (2.7 of 5.8 million square miles) of its ice during warmer months. The extent of Antarcticas sea ice has increased by approximately one percent per decade since 1979 and reached record-breaking levels in 2012 to 2014. These gains do not make up for diminishing sea ice in the Arctic, however, and global sea ice continues to disappear at a rate of 13,500 square miles (larger than the state of Maryland) per year.

What Led to the Loss of Many lives During the Waco Siege Research Paper

What Led to the Loss of Many lives During the Waco Siege - Research Paper Example The result of the 51-day siege resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people including 4 ATF agents. The 4 agents died due to gunfire exchange with the members of the Cult on the first day of the raid. The agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had waited until the last day of the expiry of the warrant issued by a Texas judge on the Mount Carmel establishment. Surviving members of the Koresh organization have always blamed the ATF and the federal officials for the handling of the situation. The justice department, which came under fire after the events have always pointed the finger at the Branch Davidian’s and their suicidal attempts for the massacre.... The report suggests that Koresh had wives who were in teen years and the raid was carried out in order to save the young children. Evidence also suggests that Koresh punished the children in the compound and told them it was a privilege for them to have sex with him. Food was also withheld from children who went against his orders. The assumption by the department according to the report does not indicate if the abuse continued even during the 51-day siege, in which the Justice department authorized the use of CS gas in order to stop the siege. However, Tausch (33) argues that the real reason for the raid as indicated by the warrant was to confiscate the weapons held by the Branch Davidian’s because of failing to pay a small fee. Tausch further argues that the reason unearthed by the justice department after the raid were fabricated to show that the ATF, the FBI and the Justice Department were right to invade the private Christian commune (72). Reavis (1o7), supports Tausch ar gument that the ATF and the justice department are to blame for the loss of the many lives at Waco. He argues that the ATF and the local police unit were much disorganized and no one was in total command during the raid on the first day. He argues that the loss of 4 officers and 16 others who were hurt could have been avoided if there was good communications. He further argues that Koresh was intimidated by the ATF and the other agents involved in the raid because they came guns blazing. Reavis also argues that the ATF did not walk to the doors of the Koresh establishment to serve him the warrant but instead, they went for a firefight. This prompted Koresh to fight back. In addition to this, the FBI who took over the running of the mission after the first day, kept communication with Koresh

Art Consumption in Ghana by African Americans Research Paper

Art Consumption in Ghana by African Americans - Research Paper Example The exploration of patterns of consumption is one which can lead those associated with the art of Ghana to have more connections for the indigenous expressions. Consumption of Art of Ghana The African art that is in various regions of the world is known to associate directly with the identity of culture and social status. The consumption which occurs with the Ghana art is one which directly links to the identity of the African culture. The exploration of this is based on a creation of African art that creates a direct link to the roots of African – Americans. The circuits that are known to identify through the art from Ghana directly associates with the anthropology of the region. Those that have the art are directly linking to a space of African art that links to the roots of culture and society. This is furthered with the understanding that the African – American link to Ghana is directly associated with the perception of art that is a part of the heritage of those in the United States (Stoller, 2003). Not only is the consumption based on the anthropological links to social and cultural identity. ... The art form of culture that is associated with this attracts African – Americans that recognize the philosophies and functions that are a part of the cultural ideologies. The consumption then becomes linked to a variety of dimensions, including the philosophical, traditional, cultural, social and belief systems that are a part of the heritage and roots of all Africans. It is noted that the continuous growth of consumption of art from Ghana is attributed to the link to the heritage of the area (Adjaye 2003). Growing Interest in Artifacts The basis of consumption that is associated with the culture of Ghana is one which is continuing to grow with the philosophies of African – Americans that link to this. The African – American identity is continuing to grow toward recognizing the beliefs and philosophies through the artwork, combined with the ideologies of meaning of culture. As the culture is emerged and recognized among African – Americans are other ideol ogies which attract individuals to the artwork. Many believe that by consuming more of the work, knowledge of the heritage and history is available. This combines with the information which is readily available about the indigenous cultures and which links to African - American heritage. As these links continue to emerge into society, a stronger sense of consumption emerges as a recognized identity from African – Americans. It is expected that the knowledge will allow the links to history to continue to build the amount of consumption by African – Americans (Rovine, 2001). The growing consumption is not only identified with more knowledge about the heritage and traditions that African – Americans claim as their own. There is also an

The Red Room Essay Example for Free

The Red Room Essay The story ‘The Red Room’ is written by H. G. Wells in 1896. The story is written in first person narrative the narrator is the 28 year old male who is very arrogant and boastful about never seeing a ghost. The story is being told by the main male character. The Red Room is based in a suspected haunted house called Lorraine Castle. The character is in Lorraine castle because he has been told it is haunted so is there to investigate if there are actually ghosts in the castle as he has been told there is. During the story the only thing that haunts him is his own fear and imagination. The man says â€Å"in all its nakedness fear that will not have light nor sound, that will not bear with reason, that deafens and darkens and overwhelms† this is saying that he wasn’t scared by anything but the fear of being haunted by something. After his experiences in the red room he concludes that the castle is not haunted by the ghost of earl nor the ghost of countess. The other characters in the story are the old people, this includes an old woman and two old men. The old woman is a very wise woman who lives in the house she has very pale eyes wide open which see gaze into the fire, she chooses the ignore the second old mans comments. The first old man has a withered arm and is wrinkled in the face, he dislikes the second old man as well. Then there is the last of the old people, the second old man. He walks with a crutch and is very wrinkled and old, the description we get of this old man in the story is â€Å"He supported himself by a single crutch, his eyes were covered by a shade, and his lower lip, half averted, hung pale and pink from his decaying yellow teeth†. He also has a nasty cough. The old people talk to the man like they have experience seeing the ghosts themselves repeating â€Å"its your own choosing† meaning whatever happens to him in the red room will be a consequence of his actions in that room. Although the old woman is a very wise woman she says â€Å"this night of all nights! † maybe she is referring to an event happening that same night years ago like the death of the countess after her husband played a joke on her â€Å"the tale of a timid wife and the tragic end that came to her husband‘s jest of frightening herâ€Å". The man says ‘I half suspected the old people were trying to enhance the spiritual terror of their house by their droning insistence’. here he is referring to how the old people make him feel, he also suspects the old people of making more of the ghosts. Lorraine castle is a very big dark place with shadows overlooking every move you make. One of the old men gives the young man a list of directions to get to the red room this is showing that the castle is big. The rooms are big and decorated with â€Å"deep-toned, old fashioned† furniture, the young man suspects a statue of a Ganymede and an Eagle is â€Å"someone crouching to waylay† him. The long, chilly and dusty corridors lead to the spiralling staircase which takes you to the red room, the most haunted room in the house. The doors are covered with baize making these room look forbidden . The castle is lit up by candles and the moonlight which shines through the big windows. The red room is a very shadowy place coloured red and black with big bay windows. The candles and fire flicker with the draught coming in from the windows barely lighting up the room, rescuing it from the shadows that haunt the room â€Å"had that indefinable quality of a presence, that odd suggestion of a lurking, living thingâ€Å". The young man is very threatened by the darkness of the castle. â€Å"Tonight of all nights† that night could resemble the death of the young countess after her encounter with her husband. The fear of getting haunted by something got to much for the young man, making him go a bit crazy. Running back and forth to keep the room light relighting the candles that get blown out by the draught coming from both the young man running and the windows. He was so afraid of being haunted by the shadows â€Å"the shadows I feared and fought against returned, and crept in upon meâ€Å". When all the candles are fading out the man panics to get out of the red room quick, he ends up injuring himself on all the furniture ‘a vague memory of battering myself thus, to and fro in the darkness’. Eventually he knocks himself out â€Å"a horrible sensation of falling that lasted an age, of my last frantic effort to keep my footing, and then I remember no moreâ€Å". When he wakes up, he is found my the old man with a withered arm, not being able to remember who he is ‘I seen to remember you, and yet I cannot remember who you are’. The man soon recovers his memory and is able to tell the old man about his experience in the red room. The young mans character changed dramatically during the story, he went from being over confident, arrogant not believing in ghosts to somebody that is absolutely terrified at the thought of being haunted and seeing a ghost. When the man tells the others that the room â€Å"is haunted† it seems like he is going to carry on and admit that the room is haunted, going back on what he said at the beginning of the story but he doesn’t, he builds up the tension â€Å"there is neither ghost of earl nor ghost of countess in that room, there is no ghost there at all; but worse, far worse-† and then tells them that the room is haunted by fear. So we don’t know what actually happened to the narrator in the red room, was he imagining it or was there actually a ghost?. My opinion on the effectiveness of the text as a ghost story is that it is not actually a ghost story, there isn’t a ghost that haunts the young man, it is fear. It is a classic scary story with darkness and fear lurking around, not knowing what is going to happen. Fear is uncontrollable, maybe it was fear that killed the young duke sending in flying down the stairs, just like it nearly killed the young man. Making him lose all his senses and go mad but he fought it and got out alive. Fear will always be there â€Å"you can feel it even I the daytime, even of a bright summers day, in the hangings, in the curtains, keeping behind you however you face about it† â€Å" there is Fear in that room of hersblack Fear, and there will beso long as this house of sin endures†. Fear will be there until the house is destroyed.

Essay --

Jeff Leone The Colorado River â€Å"Don’t waste that water! Kids in Africa don’t even have water to drink!† Almost every American has heard this saying before. We have heard this because there are water shortages in third world countries like Africa, as seen in the movie â€Å"Blue Gold†. But why have we developed this notion that there are only water shortages in third world countries? When in reality, there is a shortage of water right here in our home country. The Colorado River’s water is high in demand as it serves millions of people, powers industries, and is home to all different kinds of wildlife. The Colorado River will not be able to keep up with the increasing demand of water and soon enough the river will go dry. Organizations like the Colorado River Water Users Association are trying to change the way that the water is used and adjust how it is managed. The Colorado River is drying up and the western states are running out of water, however, public policy is trying to regulate and preserve the Colorado River to make it more sustainable in the future. The Colorado River, which has so many uses and serves so many, is running out of water. The river delivers water and power to nearly 30 million people who live in the basin states. (River Uses) That includes people who live in Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, California, Wyoming and Mexico. In addition, the river is crucial to the economy because â€Å"throughout the seven basin states, the Colorado River provides water for people and for business and industry - creating jobs for millions, jobs that contribute to local economies and billions of dollars to the nation.† (River Uses) The river is also important as it provides irrigation to about 1.4 million acres of land for fa... ...ld 17.5 million acre-feet (5.7 trillion gallons) of water. However†¦ The river now averages about 14.7 million acre-feet per year† (National geographic) In addition, the water level of the rivers two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have dropped over the past couple of years. (National Geographic) One of the biggest signs that the river is struggling is that it discharges little to no water to the sea for months at a time. (National Geographic) The Colorado River is on a path that will take it to its end. The river is running out of water and cannot keep up with the high demand. New technology and growing industries require more water and more power. Organizations are attempting to solve the problem through public policy but the task may prove too large. Humans have changed the coarse of nature and it is up to us to come together and fight for change.

Positive Impact of Woman Labor in Economic Growth Essay

Labor – one of the factors of production and serves as the source of competitive advantage of various countries in attracting foreign investors. Alongside with labor is the concept of productivity which is the largest single component of economic growth especially for those labor intensive countries. Therefore, government of various countries around the globe a lot enough focus on maintaining the equilibrium condition of their labor market in order to achieve impressive economic growth. But with the advent of globalization, the demand for laborers extended up to such point wherein the labor market has to accommodate woman on the pool of labor. But why is that so? Are there any benefits that can be derived from hiring a woman on a certain business firm? This paper aims to identify the effects of woman’s entrance to labor pool to economic growth as well as the factor/s that contributed in order for such event to occur in the labor market. Relationship of Woman Labor and Economic Growth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gender bias in labor force is a large factor to some of the countries especially in the Middle East wherein the labor pool is still being dominated by men and discrimination and injustices to women is very much accepted into their society. But there are still those liberal countries that welcome the entrance of women to labor force. Like for instance in UK, women serve as one of the source of higher productivity and economic growth (Walby, 2002). For the past decades, UK is relatively stable in terms of market success due to the improvement of the skills of their labor force and women made a significant contribution for the attainment of such impressive productivity and high performance. The characteristics of women like being keen to details and always want to take their time in order to attain the highest possible quality improved the efficiency and effectiveness of UK’s labor force.   Furthermore, though women are physically weak as compared to men, they are more productive when it comes to making planning and strategies on how to solve various problems concerning the welfare of the company or a business firms. This distinct characteristic of women serves as an avenue towards the improvement of the entire labor pool of UK for the past years. Moreover, it was identified that deficit in the labor force in the UK market provided a room for the market system to accept the entrance of women into the labor force despite of the fact that women have fewer educational qualifications than men; but this draw back on women was already settled by the present young women. Women nowadays compete at par with men in terms of attaining higher positions in the corporate world as they start to attain higher academic degrees. With this increase on productivity of labor force in UK industries started to generate more income and becomes more profitable. Moreover, domestic production is deemed to boost by the time skilled women entered the labor force of UK. In this regard, it is clear that the entry of women to labor force did provide positive impacts on the economic growth of the country. This insight do not suggest that men are already less efficient as compared to women, the point is, with the entry of women in the labor pool, the efficiency and effectiveness of men is further improved by the women. But with regards to physical productivity, still, men are still the one who dominates in the said area. Moreover, with the entrance of women in the labor force, flexibility of the labor pool improves since there were some tasks that only women can perform or requires the experiences of a woman. As a result, the productivity of the labor forces increase and so with the entire economy. At the end of the day, the entrance of women to labor force increases the volume of domestic production as more laborers can now be hired by domestic and foreign firms; as well as the improvement on the quality of the products being produced in the economy due to the innate characteristics of women like their keen attention to details provides lesser rooms for mistakes or errors. Moreover, those increases in the domestic production and higher quality of products will make the GDP of the country to increase which in return will improve the economic and social welfare of every laborers in the market. References Walby, S. (2002). The Impact of Women’s Position in the Labor Market on Pay and Implications for UK Productivity. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/publications/weu_pay_and_productivity.pdf

Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe

China Achebe, has achieved textual Integrity through a set of core Ideas which are developed through the characters and events In the novel. The novel shows the drastic effect of white missionaries who colonies an African clan of Bib people; bringing with them a new religion as well as laws, punishments and very deferent customs. Events described In the narrative highlight that a community and or an Individual must at some point adapt to change and a new environment or face being marginal's by the society.Awoken also works ere hard to show his strength, as an individuals fear of failure and social humiliation may influence their behavior in society as well as isolate them. Particular characters In the novel manifest how religion and spirituality create a sense of safety and stability In society as well as something to fear. Achebe has portrayed these concepts in the community of the Bib people through the coming of the missionaries and the downfall of the protagonist, Awoken. A commu nity and or individual must at some point adapt to change and a new environment or face being marginal's by the society.When the white missionaries come to the village of Ambulant they eventually build a hospital and a school, and welcome everyone to ]Olin In their beliefs bringing the Isolated and the deserted together and giving them meaning in their lives. This is in harsh contrast to Awoken who wants to resist and bring back the familiar and known ways of the clan. â€Å"Awoken said that ‘until the abominable gang was chased out of the village with whips there would be no peace†. This harsh statement conveys his unbending personality and his narrow view of the way the situation should be dealt with: as he its contrary to his clansmen.This inability to adapt and accept the changes in his community lead to Ginkgo's ultimate downfall. â€Å"That man was one of the greatest men In Mafia. You drove him to kill himself;† The white Commissioner was blamed for the de ath of Awoken; blamed for his seclude. At some point it becomes a necessity to change adapt or even simply accept new arrivals and change or face not being able to live. An individuals fear of failure and social humiliation may influence their behavior in society as well as isolate them. Awoken has worked his whole life to be different to is father and show the strength he has in him.It plays a huge part in his personality and affects how he treats people and how he reacts to things; always trying to be the opposite of his father who in his eyes was a failure. â€Å"Fortunately among these people a man was judged according to his worth and not according to the worth of his father. † Achebe's dramatic irony reveals Awoken has nothing to fear as his people will only Judge him on his individual worth and not his fathers actions. Awoken never showed weakness or any emotion that was not anger. He had no patience for ND a temper, which his family lived in fear of. But his whole lif e was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness†¦ It (his fear) was not external but lay deep within himself†¦ It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father†. This consuming fear of himself dominated his life, made him who he was and influenced his behavior so much so it lead to regrettable mistakes. Religion and spirituality create a sense of safety and stability in society as well as something to fear. â€Å"It (Muffin) was feared by all it's neighbors. It was powerful in war and in magic.The fear of magic is strong and protects Muffle from war, and well as defends it. Their religious beliefs gave them strength when it came to their enemies; no one wishes to wage war with a magic so powerful. This creates a fear driven law abidance. â€Å"She (The Priestess of Cabala) was full of the power of her God, and she was greatly feared†. Spirituality can give an individual power and a revered status. The Priestess of Cabala Juxtaposes other women in this book, differentiating herself from the crowd with her ability to communicate with the spiritual realm and the Goddess Cabala.Spirituality and religious beliefs constitute an unquestionable power and a fear no one can contradict. One must be able to accommodate change and conform to society to a certain extent to allow improvement in oneself and even ones culture which is ever changing, ever improving otherwise one can face being left behind, being marginal's or unable to endure the lasting effects. Awoken could not change or accept the changes in is community, he concentrated on not failing himself and avoiding social humiliation and keeping a stable and respected status in community which can influence ones behavior in society, or lead to isolation.Spirituality creates a sure sense of balance and security and a fear that establishes order in a society which Achebe provokes through the novel and states the idea in many forms as to be accessible by all . Achebe's novel ‘Things Fall Apart' has these core concepts which achieve its textual integrity and are displayed through the Bib people in Africa however can be expanded and applied to the whole. ‘Things Fall Apart', a novel by China Achebe, has achieved textual integrity through a et of core ideas which are developed through the characters and events in the punishments and very different customs.Events described in the narrative highlight in the novel manifest how religion and spirituality create a sense of safety and stability in society as well as something to fear. Achebe has portrayed these concepts welcome everyone to Join in their beliefs bringing the isolated and the deserted personality and his narrow view of the way the situation should be dealt with; as he men in Mafia. You drove him to kill himself;† The white Commissioner was blamed or the death of Awoken; blamed for his suicide.At some point it becomes a a man was Judged according to his worth and n ot according to the worth of his his ‘lazy son Known and always ran his household with a tough and hard set of rules something to fear. â€Å"It (Muffle) was feared by all it's neighbors. It was powerful in that a community and or an individual must at some point adapt to change and a war and in magic. † The fear of magic is strong and protects Muffin from war, and men in Comfit. You drove him to kill himself;† The white Commissioner was blamed

St. Olaf College Admissions and Acceptance Rate

St. Olaf College Admissions and Acceptance Rate Students interested in attending St. Olaf College will need to submit an application (the school accepts the Common Application), SAT or ACT scores, official high school transcripts, a letter of recommendation, and a personal essay. The school is fairly selective; it has a low acceptance rate of 45  percent, and successful applicants will generally need above-average grades and standardized test scores. For more information about applying, be sure to visit the schools website, or contact the admissions office for assistance. Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) St. Olaf College Acceptance Rate: 45  percentSAT, ACT and GPA graph for St. OlafTest Scores : 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 550 / 700SAT Math: 570 / 700What these SAT numbers meanTop Minnesota colleges SAT score comparisonACT Composite: 26 / 31ACT English: 26  / 33ACT Math: 25  / 30What these ACT numbers meanTop Minnesota colleges ACT score comparison St. Olaf College Description St. Olaf College shares its small hometown of Northfield, Minnesota with rival  Carlton College. St. Olaf prides itself on its excellent programs in music, mathematics, and the natural sciences. Environmental sustainability is a top priority for the school. Like most private colleges, St. Olaf isnt cheap, but the school managed to provide a substantial financial aid package to students who demonstrated need. The college was featured in Lauren Popes Colleges That Change Lives. St. Olaf is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 3,040  (all undergraduate)Gender Breakdown: 44% Male / 56% Female98% Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $44,180Books: $1,000 (why so much?)Room and Board: $10,080Other Expenses: $900Total Cost: $56,160 St. Olaf College Financial Aid (2015- 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 94  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 92 percentLoans: 51  percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $27,346Loans: $6,944 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English, History, Math, Music, Political Science, Psychology, ReligionWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Retention and Graduation Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 92  percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 85  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 88  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Skiing, Baseball, Football, Golf, Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis, SwimmingWomens Sports:  Tennis, Softball, Track and Field, Skiing, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf More Minnesota Colleges - Information and Admissions Data Augsburg  | Bethel  | Carleton  | Concordia  College  Moorhead  | Concordia  University  Saint  Paul  | Crown  | Gustavus  Adolphus  | Hamline  | Macalester  | Minnesota  State  Mankato  | North  Central  | Northwestern  College  | Saint  Benedict  | St.  Catherine  | Saint  Johns  | Saint  Marys  | St.  Olaf  | St.  Scholastica  | St.  Thomas  | UM  Crookston  | UM  Duluth  | UM  Morris  | UM  Twin  Cities  | Winona  State St. Olaf College Mission Statement: The complete mission statement can be found at   stolaf.edu/about/mission.html St. Olaf, a four-year college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, provides an education committed to the liberal arts, rooted in the Christian Gospel, and incorporating a global perspective. In the conviction that life is more than a livelihood, it focuses on what is ultimately worthwhile and fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit. Now in its second century, St. Olaf College remains dedicated to the high standards set by its Norwegian immigrant founders. In the spirit of free inquiry and free expression, it offers a distinctive environment that integrates teaching, scholarship, creative activity, and opportunities for encounter with the Christian Gospel and Gods call to faith. The college intends that its graduates combine academic excellence and theological literacy with a commitment to lifelong learning. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

An Empty Hook

As the years go by and new technologies come and go, the world seems to be moving at a constant frantic pace. In our modern, consumer driven society its sometimes hard to find the time to stop and appreciate what we have. The American working world is thriving and competitive, every obstacle we face consumes us, making it easy to get trapped in the seemingly non-stop race of life, forgetting what really matters. For our own sake, it is time to take a step back from our frantic life style and learn to appreciate the little things in life. Its a commonplace story to hear of the work alcoholic man or woman who worked and worked until they were old and rich, and then realized they had nothing in the end. If more people took the time to appreciate the little things, more often then not they’ll find life is a lot more rewarding. Of course that reward can comes in many different forms: Love†¦memories†¦fish. Fishing is a fine art. It takes the refining of cast off methods, and the honing of the proper technique to fully master the art of the reel in, not to forget lots of patience. Nothing is slower than waiting for that subtle tug at the end of your line. My dad taught me how to fish. My twin brother and I used to practice in the front yard with a rod and a weight in the place of a hook, fishing for twigs. Ive caught lots of things before, grass, rocks, other fishing rods, but never a fish. After spending some time with a fisherman you learn that they mean serious business and youre mad to think that theyd share tips or bait. Over the past summer, my dad and grandma and I went fishing together. We needed a break from the constant rhythm of our everyday life. I was having my usual luck, which is no luck at all, and my dad had already caught three fish, my grandma, one. Wed been fishing for hours and still no luck I was sun burnt and riddled with mosquito bites. Id cast off my line and reeled it in hundreds of times and my patience was wearing thin. My dad suddenly felt a jerk in his line, another fish. He was starting to reel it in when he called me over. He handed me the rod. I was excited and scared at the same time. After several c lose calls I finally managed to reel in the fish. My dad came over and untangled the hook from the fishs mouth. My grandma replied, thats true love, meaning my dad must really love me to have let me reel in his fish. Even though this took place in the span of a few minutes, now when I look back I can remember in great detail the feel of the fishs scales and the resistance as I pulled it in. I can recall these moments with more ease and meaning than what happened last week or who did what to who. With applications and auditions upon me I dont look back on my frantic, routine school days but moments like this that are singular and unique. Catching a fish may seem like a small thing but Ive often found that it is the little things in life that make hardship worth while and when you take the time life is given purpose, however whimsical a purpose that may be, but if I constantly cast off and reel in all Ill pull out is grass and an empty hook.

Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Branding - Essay Example The TBI magazine is sold by the vendors who are homeless in UK (Big Issue, 2013d). Brand Audit A brand audit is conducted to examine the current strategic position of the company, identify the areas which are of additional value and suggest recommendations to improve the brand image of the company. A brand audit is conducted periodically by the management of the company to assess the market position of the company and that of its competitors. The study will conduct a brand audit of the TBI magazine to understand its current market position and suggest ways to strengthen its brand image further. Brand Score Card Firstly, The Brand Score Card would be conducted to measure the performance of TBI. The four major dimensions of the scorecard would be functional performance, convenience of access of the products, brand personality and pricing of the product (Pfoertsch and Kotler, 2006). Functional Performance TBI is the only street entertainment magazine in UK; it provides employment opport unities, financial assistance and housing facilities to the homeless people of UK. Apart from being a magazine seller, TBI also acts a charitable organization accepting donations from individual for providing facilities for the homeless people. Currently, the TBI magazine provides employment opportunities to more than 2000 homeless people of UK. ... TBI is solely dependent on charitable donations made by individuals, other charitable organizations, corporations, government etc. Since, the operations of TBI are solely based on the donations the company does not have the opportunity to expand its activities further. Being a social organization TBI does not lay special emphasis on the logo, brand ambassador, packaging and promotional activities. The organization is supported extensively by various other charitable organizations, government etc for funding purposes. For example GISDA has decided to collaborate with TBI to help the homeless people especially aged between 16 to 25 years old (Big Issue, 2013a). Pricing Value Component The magazine is bought at a price of 75 pence by the vendors and sold for ?1.50 making a profit of 50 percent per issue. It is one of the least expensive entertainment magazines of UK (O2, 2010). The minimum value of donating money to TBI is ?10 which is deducted through SMS facility of the donor. Quantit ative &Qualitative Brand Elements Profitability TBI is a social enterprise which aims at providing monetary and non monetary benefits to the homeless people of UK and the main objective of the organization is not to yield profits. The organization runs most of its operation through donations. As per the annual report of TBI in the year 2012 the organization received voluntary donations and statutory grants of ?1273475 (Big Issue, 2013b). The organization incurred an expenditure of ?112008; the received donation was spent providing financial, housing, legal and health benefits to the homeless people (Big Issue, 2013b). A certain proportion of the money is spent on the up gradation of the