Friday, November 29, 2019

Justifiable Vengeance

‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ and ‘Mother Savage’ are two short stories depicting Vengeance as expressed in the perceptions of the writers; Roald Dahl and Guy De Maupassant respectively. Both stories reflect aspects of human cruelty, perversity, and violence displayed by female characters. Lamb to the Slaughter published in 1953, tells the story of Mary Maloney, who deliberately clubs her detective husband Patrick to death, after he had revealed to her his plan to abandon her.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Justifiable Vengeance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More ‘Mother Savage’ on the other hand, tells the story of a widowed woman who is driven by her son’s death in war to kill four Prussian soldiers she had been quartering. To express the character of the woman, Guy observes her to be â€Å"made of a stuff similar to that of the men from the country side- a hardy old† (12).This paper offers a brief analysis of appeal of logos as expressed in Dahl’s ‘Lamb to the Slaughter.’ A perfect appeal of logos in Roald Dahl’s ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is well expressed by Mary Maloney in her persuasive way to stay out of guilty. Having killed her husband, Mrs. Maloney takes her time to rehearse several times in front of her bedroom mirror on how to come up with a smart impression that will never raise any doubts about what she had just done. This is before she went out to pick some items from the grocery, to create an alibi by making the grocery owner believe that everything was fine. â€Å"Patrick’s said he’s a bit exhausted and doesn’t want to go out tonight, and he’s caught me having no vegetables tonight† (Dahl 5). In all this while, Mrs. Maloney appeared normal and her unusual happiness would not pass as a gesture of suspicion to Sam. The power of reasoning applied in this setti ng is finally seen when the detectives investigating her husband’s death approach the grocer for questioning. Coming out clear from the observation of the grocer, â€Å"The lady had acted normal and a bit cheerful and there was no doubt that she was going to give her husband a wonderful supper† (Dahl 16). This assurance by the grocer had removed any doubts which the detectives would be having about Mrs. Maloney. Through this intelligent logical approach, Mary Maloney succeeds in confusing the detectives’ further attempts to establish the circumstances leading to the death of Mr. Maloney (Rich A23). In real sense, she is the killer of her husband but no one could think of her that way. This setting however, is certain to raise serious arguments. It raises much controversy just how the appeal of logos is expressed in the story. The style is made to create a big fuss on the work of the detectives whose combined effort does not seem to come anywhere near the truth. The detectives are searching the killer from outside while in real sense, she is there with them and there is no way they could have suspected it.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another thing, the appeal of logos in this setting was well crafted but it failed to meet the requirements of high reasoning from the side of the detectives and there was no way this would convince the readers about its intended meaning. The writer has made the detectives to appear sympathetic with Mrs. Maloney, just the same way he makes readers to feel and this underestimates the role of detectives in the society. Even though they have manifested great expertise in their work so far, they have failed in their obligation completely. The truth of the matter here is that, the detectives had been caught in the charm of the woman who seemed to manipulate them the way she liked. The appeal of logos ha s been exaggerated a bit by making the woman more elusive in her persuasions. For instance, as we all know, it is not easy for investigative officers to accept food or incentives from their suspects, but in this case, it would happen. After a little convincing from Mrs. Maloney, the detectives were happily feasting on the same Lamb’s leg that was used to club Patrick thus spoiling the only possible piece of evidence that could have led them to the truth. As a result of this, Maloney is convinced that there is no way her secrets will ever be discovered. Another outstanding failure in the way logos apply in the story is that, they have been carried up to the end and this makes the story lack of the most significant component of stories; the resolution. Taking the view of Dahl’s ‘Lamb to the Slaughter,’ the killing of Patrick’s is a first degree murder. As the killer would perceive it, this was indeed the best way to satisfy her hopeless feelings. Acco rding to Bentham, â€Å"humans would be guided by the desire to achieve peace and happiness by carrying out revenge† and there is no any doubt that Mrs. Maloney had planned for the death of her husband since the moment he revealed to her about his plans to abandon her (36). Considering her expectant status, this would be the worst news she would expect to hear from her partner in life. That same evening, she clubbed her husband to death and she seemed satisfied in the mischievous action. To the nature of things, she’d better kill her husband rather than facing the humiliating feeling of losing him to the outside world, and probably to another woman. Mrs. Maloney was primarily motivated by the surging urge of recovering her peace normal by doing something that would avert her suffering. However, was innocent and his punishment in this brutal manner was not justified and he didn’t deserve it in the first place. Works Cited Bentham, Jeremy. An introduction to the p rinciples of morals and legislation. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Justifiable Vengeance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dahl, Roald. Lamb to the Slaughter. New York: Penguin Books, 1995. Print. Guy, Maupassant. Old Mother Savage: a tale of the Franco-Prussian War. New York: Frail Sister Comics, 2008. Print. Rich, Ferdinand. â€Å"Lamb to the slaughter.† The New York Times 12. 13 (1997): A23. Print. This essay on Justifiable Vengeance was written and submitted by user D0rmammu to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Essay on MONEY AND INFLATION

Essay on MONEY AND INFLATION Essay on MONEY AND INFLATION Essay on MONEY AND INFLATIONInflation and deflation, in fact, are two sides of the same coin: inflation shows how prices of goods and services have risen, and deflation how they fell. Both these conditions may adversely affect the return on investment, and therefore these are the economic factors that must be taken into account when planning and managing investments. While in the apparent predominance of one trend (rising or falling of prices) the actions of an investor to protect one’s portfolio are quite obvious, if both deflation and inflation threaten the portfolio at the same time, it is necessary to undertake more complex steps to protect the investment. Below, we will consider in detail how the prediction of inflation or deflation will affect our personal investment decisions.Expecting inflationOver time, the prices of almost all commodities are growing. However, when this growth is too rapid, consumers as well as investors face difficulties: their purchasing power is f alling, therefore they cannot purchase the desired amount of goods. In addition, inflation negates return on investment: the amount received as profit is no longer sufficient to acquire the necessary goods and services (Hellerstein, 1997).In our view, there are several effective strategies to protect investments from inflation. In particular, investors who seek to receive a fixed income from investments often choose the inflation-protected state treasury securities: these bonds guarantee the increase in payments along with the increase of inflation. You can also invest in foreign bonds and currency, thus diversifying the portfolio and gaining access to the markets of those countries that are experiencing the negative effects of inflation to a lesser extent, or do not have them at all (Amadeo, 2010).Another popular way to hedge is gold. This metal has always served as the most reliable tool for conservation of savings, and today the price of gold increases with increasing instability , inflation and negative sentiment in the market. One more beneficial way of investment during inflation includes other tools of commodity market. Investing in shares of companies from developing countries who are engaged in the export of raw materials, investors may receive income from rising prices for oil, gas, gold, metals and others (Correa, 2012). In general, in anticipation of the depreciation of money, investors seek to find more cost-effective use of money, in particular, investing in business expansion, commodity assets, and real estate.Expecting deflationDeflation occurs when the low level of demand leads to a significant drop in prices. Anticipation of the coming fall in prices leads to postponement of current consumption of goods and services by the population. People delay shopping expecting the prices to go down, thereby the total consumption falls with all the consequences (Hellerstein, 1997). For example, the increase of the money purchasing power leads to lower com mitment of companies to invest with all other conditions being equal, employers begin to reduce their workforce, lenders begin to wind down their lending programs, and central banks will cut interest rates to encourage consumers to take credits and spend more.Under these conditions, investors can take advantage of the bonds as tools to protect their investments, as well as invest in shares of companies producing essential goods (Hellerstein, 1997). Indeed people will buy basic food, medicine, hygiene products, etc., no matter what, which means that the shares of such companies will be able to go through difficult times with minimal loss. Such securities are often called protective.Conditions of uncertaintySometimes it is difficult to determine whether inflation or deflation will bring more threats to investments. Such a situation could be seen during the global crisis of 2008-2009, when the real estate market and raw materials experienced deflation, while prices of consumer goods gr ew very rapidly (Hellerstein, 1997). The best solution in this situation is to prepare an investment portfolio for both situations to draw the portfolio including both, securities giving good results in periods of deflation, and the tools to protect against inflation. If the investor does not have a desire or sufficient skills to rapidly and accurately determine the cycle of inflation/deflation, diversification can provide income and preservation of funds regardless of the trends that will develop in the economy (Correa, 2012). In particular, we can recommend to invest in the securities of â€Å"blue chips†: they are more persistent to deflation and pay dividends more often than other companies during inflation. Another way is investing in foreign emerging markets: companies from these countries are often exporting commodity, which are in high demand (protection against inflation) and are not too much attached to their national economy (which will protect investments in the case of deflation).At the same time, time factor plays an important role in the choice of ways to protect the investments. When making a long-term investment in the future, perhaps, one should not react to the slightest changes in the economy (Hellerstein, 1997). However, if the return on investment is a serious budget item, there is no time to wait for economic recovery. In order to continue to earn income and feel stable it is necessary to promptly take measures to protect one’s investments and diversify the portfolio in line with the current market situation.ConclusionWhen the prices of goods and services are rising and the purchasing power of money falls, we call this phenomenon inflation. When prices are falling and the purchasing power of money grows, it is deflation. General assumptions of investors about future changes in the price level affect their assessment of rate of return, and thus get reflected in the market value of assets. Thus, financial investments that br ing fixed incomes could be seriously damaged by a sudden rise in inflation, and conversely, could provide additional benefit in unexpected deflation. Unanticipated inflation reduces the value of the coupon payments on bonds as well as other fixed payments received by pension plans, annuities and insurance policies. Sudden deflation affects these payments in the opposite direction: the value of fixed payments such as interest on bonds rises, and therefore, the price of fixed income securities grows (Correa, 2012). In turn, during periods of sudden burst of inflation the most profitable are the investments in real estate, long-lived commodities, gold, and shares of commodity companies. To the extent in which prices in other countries change independently from the prices in the country of the investor, the possession of foreign currency or foreign securities can also protect from the effects of inflation and deflation.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business management - Essay Example Without doubt, scholars have focused on understanding the structure of the electricity industry because it contributes significantly to the United Kingdom economy. This paper will describe the current structure of the electricity industry in the United Kingdom and highlight its contribution to the economy. In addition, the paper will discuss how sustainability affects the business plan of Centrica, one of the companies in this industry. The United Kingdom Electricity Industry has undergone a rigorous transformation process after the privatization efforts of 1989. Privatization of the industry brought forth two types of changes. It led to the privatization of most of the companies in the industry, a factor that introduced a high level of competition. Prior to the privatization, many companies had operated in the public sector. After privatization, it was only logical for the industry to undergo complete restructuring. Some of the objectives that triggered the restructuring of the industry included the creation of a highly competitive electricity market in the United Kingdom. In addition, restructuring would serve to present the industry with financial independence, terminating the reliance on the government. Other supporters of the restructuring process highlighted that it would allow a wider share of ownership. Restructuring of the industry also enabled employees to be actively involved in the success of the differ ent companies. Most importantly, the restructuring of the industry brought forth new realms of possibilities. For example, customer choice became a possibility, and the process separated the monopolies that had existed in the electricity business (Electricity Industry Profile: United Kingdom 2014, p. 29). The privatization reforms in 1989 focused on changing ownership from state to private companies and transferring employees

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Implication of Legalization or Reduction of Punishment Severity Essay

The Implication of Legalization or Reduction of Punishment Severity for Drug Use and Drug-Related Offenses - Essay Example rmined researcher among those presenting estimates, Herbert Kleber, basically claimed that â€Å"if cocaine were legally available, as alcohol and nicotine are now, the number of cocaine abusers would probably rise to a point somewhere between the number of users of the other two agents, perhaps 20 to 25 million† (MacCoun & Reuter, 2001, 72). This study analyzes and reveals what is known about the effect of harsh prison sentences or the aggressive enforcement levels of drug prohibitions in contemporary America. This study makes two arguments. It is possible that harsh drug penalties could be significantly lessened without substantially escalating use and reoffending but also that legalization could result in considerable escalations in use and reoffending. The two arguments are not conflicting, nor is this study attempting to take up a guarded ‘neutral’ position. Significantly reduced user authorizations may have qualitatively diverse impacts than modifications in the legal position of drug production and sales. To a lot of people, it may appear apparent that reduction of harsh prison sentences or penalties would increase drug use and reoffending. But MacCoun (1993 as cited in MacCoun & Reuter, 2001) claimed that this may not be the case. Similar to the premises of this study, the article enumerated seven different processes by which drug penalties influence drug use and reoffending and analyzed the existing empirical and theoretical literature on each process. Most of these processes put off drug use and reoffending, but hardly any seem to really support it; they are among the numerous accidental outcomes of harsh drug penalties (MacCoun & Reuter, 2001). MacCoun (1993) asserted that lack of knowledge regarding the enormity of each these outcomes- in particular at the legal-illegal threshold—prevented any certain inferences about whether legalization would affect drug use and reoffending, much less the scale of any escalation. But from 1993 thereon, a

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Vietnam War affected America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Vietnam War affected America - Essay Example The Northern Vietnamese were communists and consequently had the support of the USSR and its allies, while the South received support from the US given that they were capitalists ideologically. Even though the war was fought outside the boundaries of the US, the USA got involved in it following the pursuit of the Marshall plan. This plan provided for military and financial assistance to countries that were at risk of being coerced to accept communism policy that the US was vehemently against (Anderson 86). Effect of the War on America Economy The Vietnam War had several significant effects on the US ranging from heavy economic expenditure during the war to loss of substantial number of solders in the military combat. As recognized in the Marshal plan in the United States countries that are under coercion by the communist allies would be accorded military and monetary help to come out of their situation, the US in these regard spent billions of dollars in fulfilling their commitment i n the Vietnam situations. Within the period of the war, the US spent close to $ 170 billion dollars. This was incurred in terms of the military support and financial aids during the war to the southern Vietnam. This expenditure was more than anticipated and in the eventual consideration, it had a negative impact on the economy of the US where it was pushed to the limits, and it should be noted that the expenses were only incurred in a span of 11 years in which the war was fought. The amount of money that was spent by the US mainly was incurred in military related costs; for instance, it was used mainly in the purchase of military equipment, training, and general logistics of managing a military combat, and this is according to the congressional research information following the end of the war in 1975. The hefty cost incurred in the war is a manifestation of how directly the war led to economic down falls in the US. Indirectly, the war also led to economic hindrance in a more disgui sed manner (Moyar 41). Obviously, during the times of war, there is persistent demand of military equipments and other materials. The fact that industries are always in the business of making profit given a looming demand of a product, they will not waste any of such opportunities to make money. In this relation, most companies in the US that were involved in manufacturing of other products switched their production to conform to the then military equipment demands, which included ammunition and bullets. In the end of the war, the companies had no opportunity for the markets as they had configured their companies to suit production of military materials at the expense of other economic goods. This situation led to widespread inflation in the US, leading to economic problems in the country because of the Vietnam War. Division in the US In the initial periods, the US citizens approved the Vietnam War on the basis that it was championing for the ideological freedom of the nations and o bjected the unlimited spread of the communism by the Russians-a period before the media started making coverage of the situation in the country. When the situation of the war was transmitted via television to the citizen and horrors of the war became apparent, many of the US citizens appreciated the need to end the war as it subjected humanity to unnecessary suffering that could be avoided. Through television, the US

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Mission Command Military Utility Leadership Management Essay

Mission Command Military Utility Leadership Management Essay When organizations are experiencing rapid change and economic pressure, leadership plays an essential role in helping to survive economic and operational hard times. Contemporary definitions of leaderships involve effective leaders, good communication skills, managers able to inspire their employees, making possible a vision where other people can identify. According to Ussem (2001), leadership is at its best when the vision is strategic, the voice persuasive and results tangible. In the study of leadership an exact definition is not essential but guiding concepts are needed. The concepts should be general enough to apply to many situations, but specific enough to have tangible implications for what we do. Visionary leadership, managers able to provide trust, empower employees and create a will to succeed are the key factors in order to survive such a challenging business environment. Mission command is a leadership methodology originally created for military organisations, Yardley and Kakabase ( 2007) state that Mission command, has the power to transform a traditional employer employee relationship into a responsibility based system which previously required orders being given, now progresses to just the information being passed down, employees will then be responsible for deciding themselves what actions need to be carried out allowing to them contribute and bring forward their innovative ideas. This system allows employees to develop an interest in what they do as they feel responsibility for the outcomes. In this essay I intend to explain how this leadership methodology works, characteristics and benefits followed by the possibility of implementation within commercial organizations What is Mission Command? Mission Command is the leadership philosophy used by the British Army it has been proven to be effective in difficult and high pressure environments over several years. It is also a management methodology and a system to deal with environmental volatility, by allowing individuals to make quick decisions in uncertain and continuing changing environment. It provides a frame work in which the individual can make decisions and translate them, without delay as the situation progresses. As a philosophy tries to maximise vision, initiative and diligence. Yardley and Kakabase state the four key elements of this leadership Philosophy are. a. A commander gives his orders in a manner that ensures that his subordinates understand his intentions, their own missions and the context of those missions. b. Subordinates are told what effect they are to achieve and the reason why it needs to be achieved. c. Subordinates are allocated the appropriate resources to carry out their missions. d. A commander uses a minimum of control measures so as not to limit unnecessarily the freedom of action of his subordinates. e. Subordinates then decide within their delegated freedom of action how best to achieve their missions. These principles can be translated into a four steps system to be used by organisations: A ) The leader promotes understanding of the tasks, the level of importance, a framework of action, as subordinates feel involved at the same time as understanding expectations of their superiors. B ) Subordinates know what they are expected to achieve by understanding reasons of the task and the outcome needed, they will be in line with their objective. C ) Individuals will be provide with the assets they need in order to perform their task effectively. D) Once the task is been understood, subordinates know what to achieve and the resources to do so the manager can take a passive position, providing guidance when it is needed. E) Employees will have the autonomy to decide how to use the resources and when is this appropriate in order to be successful. This will increase their initiative and commitment towards what is required to do. Mission command states by performing these elements organisations will experience fluid communication between managers and subordinates, clear goals, knowing what is require from them, the tools and resources to achieve it. Subordinates are able to use their free will to determinate how to perform effectively their tasks, understanding what they have to achieve and also have knowledge of what resources are available. All this will be achieved by having a supportive and informative leader. Employees will be empower by taking a very active role, this is an extremely essential characteristic in a continuing changing environment. Managers will then simply supervise, giving assistance only when it needed. Positive effects: Fluent communication, promoting understanding based on comprehension and discernment of the task, Individual must understand the purpose, the process and how to perform in order to achieve it.   Clinton O. and Sonny S (2009) explains that, the interaction can enhance an employees understanding of the situation, can calm their fears, reduce their stress levels and can let the employee know that they are an integral and valued part of the turnaround process. Trust communication will be clear only when there is a high level of trust, mutual understanding between managers and employees. The leader must build trust in order to practice Mission command. Yardley (2010),Trust is built by behaving with integrity, consistency, and by setting and maintaining high standards of behaviour and having to follow through on the difficult decisions where you know you have a choice between the right and the expedient. Its probably one of those truisms that it takes a long, long time to build up trust and you can quite quickly throw it away if you take the wrong action. In order to build trust managers have to be aware of their behaviours and attitudes, basically because they need to be the example to follow in terms of showing values, becoming a model and guide for subordinates to imitate. Empowering : enable employees to make decisions without having to consult the leader, involving employees in the process , how things are getting done. Managers have to encourage employees to play a more active role. Decentralisation: establishing a less centralized, task oriented approach to operational leadership and decision making. Taking initiative promoting freedom of speed and action. Giving clear direction that explains the why and the what but letting employees to decide how. Timely Effective Decision Making: employees having the power to adapt to a constantly changing environment are crucial to answer the challenges organizations face experiencing rapid change and economic pressure. Can Mission Command work in any type of organization? Difficulties to implement Mission Command. Within a military structure mutual trust is much easier to develop than in a commercial organisation. This is because commanders and soldiers are experiencing a life threatening experience. Under this circumstances trust is a need in order to communicate clearly and coordinate effort to succeed. In relation with critical circumstances, organisation had experience in the past year the effects of an economy crisis. Many companies were not clear regarding how they will manage this situation, causing lack of trust from employees towards their organisation. Individuals felt insecure on their jobs, less motivated as a result of the redundancies, feeling under stress and pressure to prove they were worth in order to secure their job. This experience confirms how difficult is for managers to promote trust under stressing circumstances, without trust, communication between managers and employees will not be effective, consequently it will be very difficult to empower employees. Mission command promotes employee empowerment; this is a strategy and philosophy that enables employees to make decisions about their jobs, giving the opportunity to decide how they will perform a task. The problem is not every employee is ready to take responsibility for making decisions, employees might not be interest to gain more responsibilities, if this is the case they will experience a feeling of stress and discontent when performing the task. Also there are jobs where is specially needed to attach to the pre establish rules, like workers in a factory performing operational activities, there is no opportunity to decide how to achieve the task in the best possible way, if an employee does not follow the procedures to manipulate a machine his / her health and safety will be compromised. This leadership methodology does not consider the multiple roles of an individual in a society. Misti Stoddard Susan R. Madsen (2007) In order for employers to attract and retain the most capable human resources, attention must focus on the relationships among the interdependencies of the work-family interface and a variety of constructs, including individual health. Understanding the benefits of combining work and family will assist men and women in their quests for greater satisfaction in life. It will also help employers understand how to cultivate greater job satisfaction among their employees and improve individual and organizational performance. Individuals within a company are also parents, students, professionals, athletes. They do have others interest outside the organisation. In contrast, armies operates in a different context, when in a mission individuals are normally travelling to distant destination, they live within military bases. It can be said while working in the army individuals are able to interact merely with other soldiers, they are limited to act only with other in the army forces, under this circumstances there is no possibility to play any other role individuals take part in a society with like enjoy social activities or been able to spend time with their families. While in a mission they just play their actions as soldiers. Mission command propose decentralisation as part of the leadership style, this characteristic refers to the ability to delegate. Some organizations managers often feel the need to retain control simply because they are uncomfortable with delegating power, by doing that they feel as if control is being lost and that unnecessary risk is being introduced to the job. This type of managers might be very good in terms of creating budget, reducing costs but does not necessary mean they are good as leaders. Furthermore organisation working with line production, this is a fabrication design for the creation of large amounts of standardized products, will not find necessary to delegate as they had a system based in simple and repetitive task design to maximise production. Conclusions To facilitate the implementation of Mission Command it is necessary to create trust within individuals. Without it individuals will not experience fluid communication. A combat is a life threatening scene, under this experience trust between soldiers and commanders will not be difficult to achieve. Organisation experience a different context, further research has to be done in order to discuss the characteristics of trust in commercial organisations. The diversity of roles individuals can play in society, has to be taking into account, their interest and reason to work can differ from an individual to another. Understanding the benefits of combining these roles will bring positive outcomes for organisations. Mission command leadership style, requires managers ready to provide guidance towards employees if autonomy is expected. In reality not every manager is a good leader, additionally not every job requires individuals able to discern methodologies, in this cases organisations will not find suitable to empower employees as they might require people to carry operational activities, a good example can be mass production, organisations will define the best ways to use all the resources. To conclude further investigation has to be done in other to find a solution to issues such as the difficulty to build trust, how to promote leaders able to provide guidance and the multiplicity of roles individuals plays in todays society.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Capital Punishment Essay: Retardation and Capital Punishment

Retardation and Capital Punishment      Ã‚  Ã‚   One can agree (or not) with the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that the death penalty should not apply to retarded citizens because it violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment," and still be troubled by the twisted road the court took to reach its destination. Reading the history of the Eighth Amendment shows that it proceeded from concerns over the methods the state could use to take the life of a convicted criminal -- not the intelligence level of the criminal.    When the Constitution was adopted, the British penalty for high treason was to have the convicted person "hanged by the neck and then cut down alive, then he was disemboweled while yet living. His head was cut off and his body divided into four parts for disposition by the King"(Norton). Among punishments for other crimes, English law provided for cutting off the ears, flogging, cutting off hands, castrating, standing in the pillory, slitting of the nose and branding on the cheek. Now THAT was cruel and unusual punishment.    The Supreme Court, in its decision, said that persons deemed retarded -- with an IQ of 70 or less -- and judged guilty of a capital crime, cannot be executed. In so rul... ...Retarded citizens who do not know right from wrong should be exempted from the death penalty -- but not given blanket absolution by a Supreme Court, which has relied in this latest of many recent rulings not on the Constitution, but on a preferred outcome. Such "reasoning" will come back to haunt us in situations where the outcome is less desirable.      WORKS CITED:    Atkins v Virginia. http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-8452.ZS.html    Norton, Thomas James. "The Constitution of the United States," p. 224.    Trop v. Dulles. http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/meiklejohn/meik-1_4/index.html

Monday, November 11, 2019

Othello by William Shakespeare Essay

Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragic story of envy, hatred and giving trusting to a very iniquitous person. It tells a tale of two people who loved each other despite the fact that they are worlds apart in terms of race, age and experience. Othello was a Moor, and Desdemona was the prettiest woman. Envied by Roderigo and Iago, the latter devised a plan to deceive Othello that his wife is cheating on him with his most trusted lieutenant Cassio. Unfortunately for the main characters, the plan worked and Othello ended up killing his faithful wife. Learning about what a fool he had become, not believing his own wife, Othello killed himself and died in his wife’s embrace. Roderigo was killed by Cassio and Iago was tortured to death. I have chosen to discuss Act V, Scene II of the play Othello, where Othello was convinced his wife was unfaithful and made up his mind to kill her. For him, this was the only honorable thing to do. The first part showed Othello looking at his sleeping wife amidst a flickering candle. He states: It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,– Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars! — It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood; Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. In this speech, Othello is trying to convince himself that it was Desdemona who was at fault that is why killing her must be done. He accuses his wife’s beauty as the cause of her infidelity. And because of this beauty that he will kill her with honor, and not damage any part of her splendor. He is obviously confused, hesitant, trying to make sense of what he is about to do. Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light: If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, When I have pluck’d the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again. It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree. In these lines, Othello has affirmed reasons for him to kill his wife, and convinced himself that by killing her, he is relieving her of her sins, bringing back her purity and innocence, as if being born again. He then kissed his wife and this awakened her. Desdemona, quite feeling there is something wrong, tried to capture her husband’s love once again by inviting him to lay beside her but instead, Othello asked her whether she had already prayed because he does not want to kill an unprepared spirit. When Desdemona appeared confused, Othello told her that is has been proven that she has betrayed him by being with Cassio and that he has the handkerchief that Othello so lovingly gave her. Despite Desdemona’s pleadings of innocence, Othello’s mind has already been poisoned by Iago’s stories, and he killed his wife. This scene, I believe is the umbrella of the whole play. Even though it was not actually stated in Act V, Scene II, it was obvious that Othello was a great man but was blinded by jealousy. And this blindness is a solid proof of Iago’s cunningness in manipulating the different characters. It was also shown here how Desdemona truly loves her husband by admitting suicide and not revealing that it was Othello who killed her. The painting that I have chosen (above) somehow shows the entirety of scene II of Act V. By looking at it, one can clearly see the difference in Othello and Desdemona’s lives. She was almost a goddess, sleeping in her white wedding sheets, and he looks like a confused peasant wearing a suit that is fit for him. There was hesitation, uncertainty and doubt in his eyes. He was holding a dagger evidently implying that he is about to kill her (although this was actually used to kill himself). His pose seems like he was sneaking in to steal a look of his stunning wife. Desdemona on the other hand, looks so peaceful, almost illuminating in just a faint light of a flickering candle. Although the painting pretty much illustrated the scene from the play, it was still lacking of life and dimension. In a third person point of view, it would not be as effective in delivering the message unless the person really knows the story. Therefore, while I consider myself as a visual person, I still much prefer the written form of this particular scene. It is more dramatic and touching to be able to create a scene with your own imagination. A major factor for this choice is that I have always loved reading because it can really take me on a journey where I can be in control. Also, I can have my own interpretation of different chapters in a book or novel whereas in watching a movie to looking at a photograph or painting, you can only interpret up to the limit of what the artist or director. Written literary works can give you limitless possibilities, and that is the challenge I treasure in reading.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Heating Design essays

Heating Design essays In this task we were asked to make a house that would be thermally efficient and thus energy efficient to heat and cool. Energy is transferred through three mediums, conduction surfaces contacting and transferring energy through them, convection natural air cycles etc, and radiation energy transferred without a medium. I have firstly focused on convection, pumping insulation into the walls and fiberglass roofing insulation as well as think underlay insulation underneath the think carpet. Reverse cycle air conditioning which provides the house with heating and cooling, ducts are placed in most rooms alongside reversible ceiling fans, using the fans air can be cycled around, and hot air can be recycled and cool air more effectively cool and heat rooms. In the roof there are tiles with a reflective foil underneath which helps to insulate and with fiberglass insulation in the ceiling, the roof cavity would then be a huge insulator so a large extracting fan is in the roof with a cover so in summer it can extract heat and in winter it can be covered to avoid heat loss. The windows are double-glazed which saves a lot of heat escaping or keeps the heat out. On the interior the windows have heavy curtains, which are lined to help insulate. In summer the west side of the house is receiving lots of sun light and energy because the sun is in that part of its cycle by the afternoon so the house heats up more in the afternoon in summer than any other time. Evergreen trees are placed to the west of the house and no windows so heat transfer is reduced on the west walls. On the south walls the windows are small and unobstructed. On the east, grass replaces concrete; grass does not reflect as well as concrete so it avoids heat reflection into the small windows, which I did not include because it is even more effective to have no east and no westerly facing windows. ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on Benito Mussolini

BENITO MUSSOLINI (1883-1945), Fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He centralized all power in himself as the leader â€Å"Il duce† of the Fascist party and attempted to create an Italian empire, ultimately in alliance with Hitler’s Germany. The defeat of Italian arms in World War II brought an end to his imperial dream and led to his downfall. BENITO MUSSOLINI Born in Predappio, near Forli, in Romagna, Northwestern Italy on July 29,1883. His father, Alessandro, was a blacksmith, and his mother, Rosa, was a schoolteacher. Like his father, Benito became a fervent socialist. He qualified as an elementary schoolmaster in 1901. In 1902 he emigrated to Switzerland where he increased his knowledge of socialism. Unable to find a permanent job there and arrested for vagrancy, he was expelled and returned to Italy to do his military service and then taught school again and became a local socialist leader. After further trouble with the police, he joined the staff of a newspaper in the Austrian town of Trento in 1908 and worked for a socialist newspaper. At this time he wrote a novel, subsequently translated into English as The Cardinal's Mistress. SOCIALIST AFFILIATIONS In 1912, Mussolini became editor of the Italian Socialist Party's official newspaper. In this paper, he supported Italian involvement in World War I (1914-1918). Many socialists criticized this position. He then resigned as editor and, in November 1914, founded his own newspaper, Il Popolo d'Italia, in which he urged Italy to enter the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. When World War I broke out in 1914, Mussolini agreed with the other Socialists that Italy should not join it. Only a class war was acceptable to him, and he threatened to lead a revolution if the government decided to fight. But several months later he unexpectedly changed his position on the war, leaving the Socialist party and his editorial chair. Later that month, the Sociali... Free Essays on Benito Mussolini Free Essays on Benito Mussolini BENITO MUSSOLINI (1883-1945), Fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He centralized all power in himself as the leader â€Å"Il duce† of the Fascist party and attempted to create an Italian empire, ultimately in alliance with Hitler’s Germany. The defeat of Italian arms in World War II brought an end to his imperial dream and led to his downfall. BENITO MUSSOLINI Born in Predappio, near Forli, in Romagna, Northwestern Italy on July 29,1883. His father, Alessandro, was a blacksmith, and his mother, Rosa, was a schoolteacher. Like his father, Benito became a fervent socialist. He qualified as an elementary schoolmaster in 1901. In 1902 he emigrated to Switzerland where he increased his knowledge of socialism. Unable to find a permanent job there and arrested for vagrancy, he was expelled and returned to Italy to do his military service and then taught school again and became a local socialist leader. After further trouble with the police, he joined the staff of a newspaper in the Austrian town of Trento in 1908 and worked for a socialist newspaper. At this time he wrote a novel, subsequently translated into English as The Cardinal's Mistress. SOCIALIST AFFILIATIONS In 1912, Mussolini became editor of the Italian Socialist Party's official newspaper. In this paper, he supported Italian involvement in World War I (1914-1918). Many socialists criticized this position. He then resigned as editor and, in November 1914, founded his own newspaper, Il Popolo d'Italia, in which he urged Italy to enter the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. When World War I broke out in 1914, Mussolini agreed with the other Socialists that Italy should not join it. Only a class war was acceptable to him, and he threatened to lead a revolution if the government decided to fight. But several months later he unexpectedly changed his position on the war, leaving the Socialist party and his editorial chair. Later that month, the Sociali... Free Essays on Benito Mussolini Benito Mussolini’s Rise and Fall to Power Benito Mussolini had a large impact on World War II. He wasn’t always a powerful dictator though. At first he was a school teacher and a socialist journalist. He later married Rachele Guide and had 5 children. He was the editor of the Avanti, which was a socialist party newspaper in Milan. Benito Mussolini founded the Fasci di Combattimento on March of 1919. â€Å"This was a nationalistic, anti liberal, and anti socialist movement. This movement attracted mainly the lower middle class.†1 Fascism was spreading across Europe. Mussolini was winning sympathy from King Victor Emmanuel III. Mussolini then threatened to march on Rome. This persuaded King Victor Emmanuel III to invite Mussolini to join a coalition, which strongly helped him gain more power. Benito Mussolini brought Austria on Germany's side by a formal alliance. â€Å"In 1937, he accepted a German alliance. The name of this alliance was the Anti Comntern Pact. On April 13, 1937 Benito Mussolini annexed Albania. He then told the British ambassador that not even the bribe of France and North Africa would keep him neutral.†2 The British ambassador was appalled and dismayed. On May 28, 1937, Mussolini strongly gave thought to declaring war. He then attacked the Riviera across the Maritime. â€Å"On September 13, 1937 he opened an offensive into British-garrisoned Egypt from Libya.†3 On October 4, 1937, while the offensive still seemed to promise success, Benito Mussolini met Adolf Hitler at the Brenner Pass, on their joint frontier. â€Å"The two of them discussed how the war in the Mediterranean, Britain’s principal foothold outside its island base, might be turned to her decisive disadvantage. Hitler suggested to Mussolini that Spain might be coaxed on the axis side, thus giving Germany free use of the British Rock of Gibraltar, by offering Franco part of French North Africa, and that France might be persuaded to accept that conce... Free Essays on Benito Mussolini Benito Mussolini In my perspective, my biography is based on one of the most interesting men of the 20th Century. My biography would not have been done without the knowledge of Edwin Hoyt. He was the author of the biography based on Benito Mussolini called â€Å"Mussolini’s Empire.† This 298-page book describes Mussolini’s rise and fall of the Fascist Empire. Benito Mussolini also known as il duce, was born in Predappio, Romagna on July 29, 1883. His father Alessandro was a blacksmith, and his mother Rosa was a Schoolteacher. Mussolini followed in his father’s footsteps and became a devoted socialist. In 1901 he qualified as an elementary schoolmaster. In 1902 he went to Switzerland to find a job. They arrested him and kicked him out of the country because he was vagabonding. They took him back to Italy where he joined a staff of a newspaper in the Austrian town of Trento in 1908. Mussolini’s contributions to society weren’t really contributions; they were mo re like threats to society. One of the biggest threats that he introduced was in March 1919 when he founded the Fasci de Combattimento. This brought him up for elections in 1919, where he failed to enter the parliament. In 1921, Mussolini was introduced to the parliament as a right-wing member. Italy was growing in revolutionary confusion, and it was up for the liberal governments to prevent the spread of anarchy because Mussolini gave his approval in strikebreaking, so that meant that the Fascisti also known as armed squads would be stagnant and not try to prevent any revolutionary agitation. The liberal governments failed to stop the spread of anarchy. Due to their failure the king had no choice but to ask Mussolini to form his own government. In 1925-1926 he was able to assume dictatorial parties and dissolve all other political parties. Now you might ask yourself â€Å"How is this a threat to society?† Well, this was not only a threat to society but also a threat to hi...

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Ways Of Competitive Advantage Development Assignment

The Ways Of Competitive Advantage Development - Assignment Example The government through its trade and finance departments play a significant role in making sure all SMEs obtain relevant information about the orientations. In addition, commercial banks, investment banks, and other financial institutions help the enterprises through the provision of credit facilities and guidance on feasible investment destinations (Reijonen 2012). The most significant aspect of orientation is developing a comprehensible understanding of how SMEs perceive and put the concept of marketing into practice. The practices of SMEs will determine their distinctive size, industry or even the crop of customers. Enterprises have adopted unique policies and practices that have to ensure their stability or growth. Bad decisions have resulted to decline in the performance of certain SMEs. However, the government plays important role in the process of ensuring all SMEs have equal opportunities to expand if they have attained all legal formalities. Market orientation is a business approach whose focus is to identify and meet the affirmed wants or needs of prospective customers. According to the philosophy of market orientation, all SMEs must create strategies and policies that are in consensus with the changing demands and expectations of consumers within its niche in the market. These enterprises are vital to the process of driving innovation and competition not only in the US but also in the world at large. They are arguably the backbone of major economies of the world, US included.... According to the philosophy of market orientation, all SMEs must create strategies and policies that are in consensus with the changing demands and expectations of consumers within its niche in the market (Porter & Kramer 62). These enterprises are vital to the process of driving innovation and competition not only in the US but also in the world at large. They are arguably the backbone of major economies of the world, US included. The enterprises provide the biggest chunk of employment opportunities to Americans (Porter & Kramer 2011). Besides, they account for the largest group of exporters in the US and largely rely on imported goods for production processes. The market outlook compliments the market orientation towards examining and resolving poor performance in the past, consumer demand, existing economic aspects, and business opinion. Interactions between market orientation and brand orientation will either promote or derail the competitive advantage of SMEs (Porter & Kramer 20 11). The brand orientation is identity-driven and always views the brand as the hub for a business organization together with its strategy. For enterprises whose major concern is brand orientation, it is inevitable to design brands that excel in the market against competitor’s which then appear less superior (Porter & Kramer 2011). Brand orientation is a costly process since it demands extensive and all-inclusive consultations. In contrast, market orientation is image-driven. The image of an organization will determine whether it is marketable and has incredible niche in the highly competitive market. Over the past few decades, brand orientation and market orientation appeared to have diverse strategic options. However, the perception has changed over the

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Genetically Modified Crops) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Genetically Modified Crops) - Research Paper Example When it comes to food, one has to be absolutely sure about safety and health of human beings. Absence of surety makes GMC unsafe for human health. There are also risks that some genetically modified crops can increase resistance of different antibiotics and this can lead to health issues (Conway, 2000). This type of resistance can render any antibiotic useless and can prolong illness. In genetically mutated crop, different genes are artificially introduced and some of these genes can increase resistance to important medicines like antibiotics. Genetically modified crops are also unpredictable because no one knows how they will be reacting with natural human genes and our bodily function. The pose risk to human health because modified genes can react with human body and lead to health issues and other types of illnesses. GMC has also been found to produce health defects and organ failures in animal testing (Dona & Nitoyannis, 2009). This is also a significant reason to worry about genetically modified food and crop. Animal testing has showed its dangers and therefore it is only logical to assume that these crops might also pose risk of organ failures in human beings. One of the main benefits if genetically modified crops is that that it can end famine and shortage of food problem from the developing countries. Most developing countries face shortage of food and this can be eradicated through use of genetically modified crop as it increases efficiency of crops and make it more resistant to pests. Genetically mutated crops can also help farmers of developing countries where soil is not fertile enough to sustain good crop yields. Through these crops, farmers can increase their output which can in turn lead to prosperity for farmers. There are also economic benefits of the crop as it offers protection from pests. Farmers can save significant amount of money on pesticides. Also these crops increase output and this makes it more economical