Greener Forms of Generating Electricity

A power station is a facility which is used to generate electric power. iAt the center of nearly all power stations is a generator, a rotating machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by creating relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor. In Bosnia there is a lot of hydro power plants, the biggest ones are: Grabovica, Jablanica, Salkovac, Visegrad etc. There are three different types of power plants, thermal power plants, hydro power plants and solar power plants. In order to make our lives and the lives of our offspring better, we need to investigate and design new greener ways of converting mass amounts of energy into electricity. Solar power plants use an endless power, which is the sun. Beams from the sun hit mirrors which convert the suns energy into electricity. Approximately, every 7. 2 hours, 3. 6kWh electricity is produced. Solar power is clean and green and it can provide enough energy. However, the downside to this type of power is that it isn't cheap. Building a single mirror of 3. 8 meters by 1. 6 can cost up to $60. 00. These mirrors are state of the art which capture the suns light, and turn it into energy. Thermal power plants are bad for the environment because they contribute to global warming by burning fossil fuels. These power plants are still in use today, because they provide a lot of energy and coal is cheap, so it can be burned in large quantities. Most houses today are supplied either by thermal or hydro. Thermal is very bad for the environment and since the industrial revolution kicked in global temperatures have been rising. Another type of power is wind power. Wind turbines are rotary devices that get provide energy using the air. This type of technology is not to be sniffed at as wind power can sometimes provide more energy than burning coal. There is a downside to this as well. Staying green and using wind powered turbines can cost a lot of money. Staying green and investing in these ideas will matter in the future. By burning excess fossil fuels we are creating green house gasses which are heating up the planet, thus destroying a lot of environments. (2) In Bosnia, the biggest hydro power plant produces around 170. 00 cubic meters of water that reach speeds of 60 km per hour. This is enough water to fill up around 100. 000 Olympic swimming pools every day. Hydroelectric stations have been up and running for about 100 years, and since been scientists have been searching for a way to harvest the energy better. The main idea behind these power stations is to convert the energy of flowing water into the flow of electrons or electricity. Most hydroelectric stations use either water diverted around the natural drop of the river such as a waterfall or rapids. In addition to this a damn is also built across the river to raise the river to create the drop needed to provide a force. Water in the higher level is collected in the reservoir, which flows into the pipe called the pen star which carries it down to a turbine water wheel at the lower water level. The water pressure increases as it flows down the pen star, it is this pressure and flow that drives the turbine which is connected to the generator. Inside the generator is the rotor which is spun by the turbine. Electro magnets are attached to the rotor located within coils of copper wires called a starter. AS the generator rotors spin the magnets, a flow of electrons is created in the coils of the starter. This produces electricity that can be stepped up in voltage through the stations transformers and sent to this transmission lines. The following water the proceeds down the river. Most of our energy comes from the spinning of the rotor of the AC generator in power stations like Nuclear power stations, thermal and hydro power stations. An AC generator is a device which converts mechanical energy into electricity. The working of an AC generator is based on electromagnetic induction which states that whenever the flux passing through a circuit changes, an EMF is induced in it and a current begins to flow. The direction of this is given by Lenz`s law or Flemings right hand rule. Lenz`s law which is more commonly used states that the direction of the induced current is such as to oppose the very cause producing it. (1) In our homes we use open electrical circuits which is very important as with them we do not use direct current. If we were to use direct current many more fires caused by electricity would happen and appliances would not function well and they would simple burn out. We need electric circuits for everything, they are what keeps our appliances running safely. Today using thermal power plants is a big problem as it affects many factors. Countries in the EU have to follow certain conduct when it comes to power plants. For instance Nuclear power plants have to have the right materials, funding etc, thermal power plants have to have filters, can`t produced to many greenhouse gasses etc. the waste that comes out of these plants are often dumped into the rivers or oceans, this kills a lot of marine wildlife which local farmers depend on. These power plants also affect our environment; they can both help and destroy our environment. The waste produced in power plants is often thrown out in the forest, or lakes and seas. On the other hand solar and wind power can help with the environment by providing a clean way to get energy.

The Significance of Spring and Summer in Thomas Hardy’s Poems

Weathers By Thomas Hardy This is the weather the cuckoo likes, And so do I; When showers betumble the chestnut spikes, And nestlings fly; And the little brown nightingale bills his best, And they sit outside at ‘The Traveller's Rest,' And maids come forth sprig-muslin drest, And citizens dream of the south and west, And so do I. This is the weather the shepherd shuns, And so do I; When beeches drip in browns and duns, And thresh and ply; And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe, And meadow rivulets overflow, And drops on gate bars hang in a row, And rooks in families homeward go, And so do I. The Significance Of Spring And Summer In Thomas Hardy’s Poems – Document Transcript 1. The Significance of Spring and Summer in Thomas Hardy's Poems, If It's Ever Spring Again, and It Never Looks Like Summer Mehdi Hassanian esfahani (GS22456) The Victorian Age (BBL5101) Lecturer: Dr. Wan Roselezam February 2009 2. Introduction: Reading about Thomas Hardy, and as the master students of English Literature, we all know that Hardy had a pessimist view on life and love, was watchful about relationships and interested in psychology of behaviors. His meticulous description of events and characters is not limited to humans, and even nature and animals play a role in the setting of what he narrates and are related to the theme. The following study examines the description of ‘summer’ and ‘spring’ in two selected poems by Thomas Hardy, to observe the significance of climate and seasons in the theme of the poems. The reason of this particular selection is the similarity between the two, in their mood, atmosphere, theme and even the ending. As a result, the analysis will claim the same thing, although it may seem inappropriate to generalize it to Hardy’s poetry. Interpreting imagery, particularly visual imagery in these two poems helps to understand their usage and the role they play to create the theme and setting of time and place. In this way, figurative language and the relationship between words would be examined to lead us to the theme and bring about the importance of summer and spring regarding the poems. It is expected that Hardy uses seasons to refer to nature and its beauty, in order to create a romantic setting, like other Victorian poets, and also uses ‘summer’ and ‘spring’ in the sense attributed to optimistic qualities, hope, [2] 3. warmth and love. But the careful observation of this may reveal a contrast which is made to intensify the underlying theme, and lead us to a pessimist view of Hardy in these poems. Accordingly, it will show that the mood of these poems â€Å"differs from Victorian sorrow; it is sterner, [and] more skeptical as though braced by a long look at the worst† (Stallworthy & Ramazani, 1852). If It's Ever Spring Again (Song) If it's ever spring again, Spring again, I shall go where went I when Down the moor-cock splashed, and hen, Seeing me not, amid their flounder, Standing with my arm around her; If it's ever spring again, Spring again, I shall go where went I then. If it's ever summer-time, summer-time, With the hay crop at the prime, [3] 4. And the cuckoos – two – in rhyme, As they used to be, or seemed to, We shall do as long we've dreamed to, If it's ever summer-time, Summer-time, With the hay, and bees achime (594). The poem, or as Hardy called it the ‘song' If It's Ever Spring Again deals with spring and summer; two bright and shiny seasons which normally warm the nature and people by the energy and hope they spread around. Kinesthetic imagery of ‘going out’ in line three, stanza one and the plashing moor-cock supports the excitement which is in the air. Hardy depicts spring with many positive qualities, when happiness is all around. He doesn’t talk of common characters, but moor-cock and moor-hen, which according to Morgon, the editor and publisher of the annual Hardy Review, are â€Å"shy, undemonstrative creatures rarely drawn from their coverture under the river-bank to gladden the heart of spring† to emphasize this supreme enthusiasm. As a result of this depiction, the prominent imagery in this poem is the visual imagery; which suddenly puts us in the middle of the nature; but there are also auditory and, as we saw, some hints of kinesthetic imagery. 4] 5. At first, Hardy reminds himself a day in spring, when he (the persona) was able to stand next to the beloved ‘with arms around her’ and enjoy the beauty of spring. He feels prospered and thinks of spring as a complete season, as well as himself. Then in stanza two, he leaps to another memory in a summer day, with again the perfection of setting and t he inner sense of fulfillment, when the ‘day crop’ is ‘at the prime’, ‘bees achime’ and cuckoos are singing in rhyme. The visual imagery which is connected to the golden color of the sun and the repetition of ‘summer’ in addition to the auditory imagery of birds singing free and cheerful, are effective devices to insure us of the blissful man, he feels inside. But it is not all. Richards explains that Hardy was interested in nature, and for him, like other Victorian writers, nature was equal to beauty, but also clarifies that â€Å"he was more interested in strangeness than conventional beauty† (190). It is as if the beauty of nature is not the ultimate goal of his poetry. Narrator’s effort to give an adequate visual imagery and create the setting of place and time is just a tool to carry out the profound meaning which is implied in the poem. The ‘if’s and ‘ever’s convey a sense of regret. Thinking of past days, the narrator cannot understand the lack which is now in his life. And the poem ends on a note, as if he lives in the past and doesn’t dare to face the future. In this sense, the whole poem seems not a delightful praise of spring, but an envy of the past. That’s Mellers’ view who considers this poem ‘a song of [5] 6. ostalgia’. Taking birds and bees, according to Cortus, the Vice President of The Thomas Hardy Association, as â€Å"collectively a trite euphemism for sex†, two cuckoos can be a metaphor of lovers (which includes the narrator), and his doubt in line 14, about their singing ‘As they used to †¦ or seemed to’ be together, demonstrates the pessim ist atmosphere which is settled in the mind, as well as the heart of this narrator that even cannot trust his beloved, and the past. This may explain the reason for the cock and hen ‘seeing not’ the narrator ‘amid their flounder’. In this case, the whole poem presents a continual abstract dreaming, disclosing the dimness melancholy that the narrator feels inside. It can suggest that the narration of past and this memory is not reliable, due to the obsession of narrator to his relationship, and the traumatic lost he has in his life. In the second poem, It never looks like summer, Hardy strongly uses ‘summer’ to display the peak of a relationship, the satisfaction and joyfulness which this season, apparently is connected to or is responsible to bring us. The poem lacks descriptive statements or cliche details of nature, and is much modern in the sense which looks like an internal monologue. It is written in a way, that one can conclude it wasn’t supposed to be published (although there is no evidence of such a thing), and is more like the private thoughts of its poet than a poem about ‘summer’. [6] 7. It Never Looks Like Summer â€Å"It never looks like summer here On Beeny by the sea. † But though she saw its look as drear, Summer it seemed to me. It never looks like summer now Whatever weather's there; But ah, it cannot anyhow, On Beeny or elsewhere (507)! Here, the image of summer is overwhelming, though it is very general and there are no details. Hardy uses contrasts to express his feeling. Again, the prominent imagery in the poem is visual imagery, like the drear summer that surrounds us; however an abstract imagery can be derived from connotations of ‘summer’. Narrator implicitly attributes some positive qualities to summer, though he never names them. In the first stanza, he remembers a day when weather was not ‘summery’ a lot, but he felt so; perhaps due to a companionship. And now, in the second stanza, he feels cold although it is summer outside. The nature in general and ‘summer’ in particular is interweaved to persona’s life (both emotionally and [7] 8. physically), though they do not always match together. In other words â€Å"the thinnest partition divides man’s existence (including his mental existence) from the rest of nature† (Richards, 196). This is remarkable which in both If It's Ever Spring Again and It never looks like summer, climate and seasons metaphorically are used to explore the feeling of the persona and â€Å"to register inner states of [his] feeling† (Blackburn, 15). The pessimist view of life and [the lost] love is repeated again; when narrator can say which season it ‘is’, but doubts if the beloved’s presence was real or the feeling was true, and claims that it ‘seemed’ summer to him. He prefers to sing bereavement poems, than face the reality and live in present, and the last two lines support this idea that he cannot think of future. He generalizes the unsatisfactory consequence of his attempts and his lost to all other happenings anytime in future and anywhere else around the world, and decides not to move and not to change; he dares not to look at the future because of his tragic experience. Talking about Hardy’s poetry, Blackburn asserts that the magnetism of his poems â€Å"is built around a complex of love and loss, memory and guilt, pain and self-pity, beauty and regret intermingled with something of delight† (12). In these two poems, he uses images of spring and summer and refers to nature to express the emotions and create the setting, so that he compares two conditions of past and present. To conclude, and as Berger states in the abstract of her PhD [8] 9. roposal, â€Å"Hardy's epistemology can be found at a meeting point of the senses– primarily visual, emotions, imagination, will, and the external world†. Here, the primary setting and the visual imagery play a strong role, metaphorically, to the oppositions, and intensifies the sense of regret. This technique is effective in a way to create the atmosphere and express the sadness this persona feels in his present life. [9]

Environmental changes Essay

Organizations adapt to environmental changes such as the adoption of a new technology, a change in market dynamic or new regulatory policies and as such the Affordable Care Act was put into place (Frates, 2014). The Affordable Care Act puts consumers back in charge of their health care. Under the law, a new â€Å"Patient’s Bill of Rights† gives the American people the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2014). This has made leaders feel as if the government is making all the health decisions about a patient instead of allowing the physicians to do so. With that said, leaders must apply strategic management into their organizations by creating short term strategic planning which allows the office to meet incremental milestones on the path to an ultimate goal creates an opportunity to highlight achievements, identify and resolve setbacks, and encourage forward motion (Burger & Giger, 2014). Contingency Theory and Resource Dependence Theory are applicable to health care organizations due to the environmental dependency. With health care as unpredictable as it is having both theories used allows the facilities to be prepared for multiple different outcomes. Frates, J. (2014). Health care management: Theory in action. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Burger, J., & Giger, A. (2014, February 13). How Healthcare Organizations Can Improve This Year. Retrieved from http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/167108/healthcare-organizations-improve-year.aspx U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2014, October 2). About the Law | HHS.gov/healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/ Markets have been increasingly complex, turbulent, and interrelated. Actual and potential opportunities and threats to an organization’s existing market(s) must be identified and evaluated (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2013). Today’s business environment requires the decision makers to shape the organization as a dynamic organization that can rapidly initiate and implement strategic processes and respond quickly to strategic changes in the industry or to strategic processes of competitors in as short a period of time as possible. This Discussion also asks: How can healthcare leaders apply strategic management to their organizations? Healthcare leaders can apply strategic management to their organizations by ensuring all the task and activities include it in small bits and pieces of the change. Once that change is completed with no problems a new task can be added to the list. Sometimes smaller changes go unnoticed and are quicker to be accepted than a larger change that employees feel are pushed onto them.

Article review 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article review 2 - Essay Example rules and concepts that govern the field of accounting as the basic accounting  principles and guidelines that form the basis for Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The article notes the requirement and importance of using the generally accepted accounting principles in the preparation of financial statements. The GAAP ensures professionalism, consistency,  and uniformity in accounting. However, the article notes that GAAP have become more complex over the years because financial transactions have become more complex. The article recognizes ten basic accounting principles and guidelines that form the basis of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. They include the economic entity assumption, monetary unit assumption, time period assumption, cost principle, full disclosure principle, going concern principle, matching principle, revenue recognition principle, materiality, and conservatism principle (Accounting Coach 1). I agree with the article’s position and insight on the basic accounting principles and guidelines for various informed reasons. Indeed, all financial statements must comply with the set rules and standards to reflect professionalism, consistency, and uniformity in accounting. Public organizations must present financial statements to the shareholders and directors quoting the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles used to reach at such financial positions. The use of such principles is significant in accounting since the operations, shareholders, and directors of public companies emanate from all over the world hence the need for a standardized code of accounting to represent the diverse backgrounds of the concerned parties. This is also significant in comparing different public companies. The ten basic accounting principles and guidelines relevantly encompass all the financial aspects and needs of any business entity, big or small. The points discussed in the article,

Poverty across cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poverty across cultures - Essay Example The monitory need for the basic needs is what falls under the group. Bodily poverty refers to lack of physical health and access to health living condition. Mental poverty is the lack of thinking which affects the access to education and knowledge (Ravallion 368). Cultural poverty refers to the lack of coming together in a society leading to a disconnect between individuals in the society. Political poverty refers to the inability to understand the difference and how political systems work leading to neglect of rights such as the right to vote. The above descriptions illustrate the diverse understanding of poverty in the society (Ravallion 368). Despite the differences, all the definitions refer to lack of access to something that may make life better or easier. Poverty has been used in the society to define the inability to meet basic needs of the society with its effect being adverse in the society. Poverty affects the society at both individual and society levels. The inability to meet the basic needs may force individuals to turn to criminal activities, which in turn create insecurity which becomes as a social problem. Poverty and relationship development Poverty affects mental development, which in turn affects development and relationships. Many believe that poverty is all about money, but the thought is wrong because poverty is complex and covers a myriad of issues that affect personality and in turn affect the society. Under mental reasoning, poverty is defined as a chronic mind/body condition influenced and propagated by negative thinking. The situation is made worse if the situation involves other types of poverty affecting other spheres of health. Children brought up in poverty stricken family exhibit different character because of their brain adapt the suboptimal conditions. However, the brain changes every day allowing children from poverty stricken families succeed in life. From research carried out by Jerry, the cognitive development of children is affected by poverty. Children from poverty develop impaired exposure to critical enrichment factors. The situation is same in adulthood as witnessed in the story narrated by Gorge Orwell in the Down and out from Paris to London. The main character in the story argues that why should one waste sleep because of the murder? (Orwell 67). The statement illustrates the lack of societal values in the society. The main focus of the whole incident is on how sleep is valuable than the murder witnessed. Such reasoning indicates the effect of poverty in the development of values in life. Amazing comment of the narrator is on being back to sleep within three minutes. The generalization to justify the action by stating that they are working people, and there is no need to waste sleep on such issue is a consolation argument. The development of relationship with the society is evident by how the narrator reacts on the witnessed murder case (Orwell 234). Poverty affects the values of the individu al by influencing the values esteemed. These values affect personal relationship development. According to Jerry, parent from poverty use different vocabulary every day, but the number and complexity of the vocabulary used are few and less complicated compared to families with greater income. The success of the argument can be supported by the level of vocabulary used by the narrator in describing situations encountered in life. The effect of pover

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - Essay Example According to studies, the price of RFID will approach $0.05-0.10 if purchased in bulk. When this trend continues, it would not be long before the market will lean towards the RFID due to cost-effectiveness, thus, possibly defeating the role of barcodes that are widely used for commercial purposes with about 5 billion worldwide occurrences daily. One of the organisations that are working to regularise RFID is the EPCGlobal Inc., which is a cooperative effort between UCC and EAN. These are the two parties responsible for the application of barcodes in the U.S. and Europe market (RSA Security, 2004b). Through the advantages brought about by the RFID, problems in the privacy of consumers are raised by certain groups. Concerns on the possibility of detecting the possessions of the consumers without their knowledge are the main objective of these groups. If access of being able to detect and read the RFID were given to the wrong hands, possibility such as robbery and other crimes is at hand. Also, the business groups perceive the possibility of RFID being a tool for company surveillance. As a possible answer to the security issues, RSA Security provides ways to validate RFID readers and to be able to make protected internal transactions (RSA Security, 2004a). The Radio-F... Upon activation from the reading device, the RFID tag sends a signal which can be translated as a distinct number that can identify the particular item. In this effect, the RFID tag does not require a power source because it can be considered as inert and works only when stimulated. There are already practical uses of this technology. One application is for proximity cards that are used more conveniently than metal keys. Other examples include payment devices such as Speedpass, E-Z Pass and FasTrak. Another advantage is for identification of lost pets wherein RFID tags implanted through surgical procedure can be scanned to be able to determine the owner even if other sorts of identification are lost (RSA Security, 2004b). Basic System Schematic Source: RF-ID.com Important technologies led to the development of the RFID. One invention that can be related to the evolution of this technology is the apparatus for the Soviet government with the main purpose of surveillance made by Lon Theremin in 1945. It works through a process similar to the RFID wherein activation was possible through the intercepted radio waves and audio information. According to references, technology applied in the RFID was present in the 1920s although it was also stated that such application was just discovered in the 1960s (AIM, n.d). Another technology that may have an influence in the RFID development was the IFF transponder in 1939 that belongs to the British and was used during the World War II. Using this technology, they were able to determine whether airplanes are enemies and which are allies. In the study of RFID, one of the earliest people who made interest on the technology is Harry Stockman in his work "Communication by Means of Reflected

World Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World Literature - Essay Example Set in Corinth in Greece, the whole play is enacted in a single scene in front of Medea's house. The nurse and chorus act as conscious-keepers of Medea and the attenders and messengers are employed by the playwright to depict scene shifts through their speech. In fact, the very opening of the play sets the tone of the horrific nature of events to follow. With a voice of doom of one of the nurses of Medea clearly indicates that her mistress, a victim of fate, is out to contrive some untoward scheme. The nurse acts as a foreteller of deeds to ensue. Through her speech we learn how in love she was with Jason and how her dangerous mood was capable of so much anger evil. "There is a subtle but fascinating theme of ethnic tension as Medea and Jason clash" (Mazza, Michael J) throughout the play. Medea lies fasting and weeping ever since she learnt that she was wronged by her husband, recalling memories of her dear father, her country and her home, which she gave up to come away with the man who now holds her in dishonor. Medea had antagonized her father and even killed her own brother in order to run away from a barbarious land to a land of promise along with Jason whom she blindly loves. "My love for you was greater than my wisdom" (lines 571-72) she says. After a series of adventures in which Jason is helped by Medea, they seek asylum in Corinth. Here they lead a respectable life and beget two children till they almost reach their middle age. Trouble brews when Jason gets restless with his complacent life. He wants a secure, wealthy future for his wife and children and hence resorts to infidelity. He wins the heart of Glauce, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. He tells Medea that it was not for love that he had promised to marry the princess, but to win wealth and power for himself and his sons. But Medea is infuriated and her unfailing love immediately turns to sheer anger. In a sense, it is Medea's own nature and vicious temper that proves her undoing. "Women don't like violence, but when their husbands desert them, that is different. In life, the worst disasters come from passion" (lines 467-69) Medea gets into a constant state of confusion and anxiety. Initially she weeps over her hapless situation. She feels women are most wretched because they care for one man only. But she gains a little confidence when Aegeus, King of Athens grants her asylum in exchange for helping him beget children by her skills in sorcery. Aegeus realizes that her scorn is justified and sees her as a woman with remarkable forethought. "A brain like yours is what is needed" he says. He fully believes in her powers of creation which is equal to her powers of destruction, which is why he uses her witchcraft to make his queen beget children. With the success of each scheme Medea devises, her resolve hardens and reaches a point of no return. "One can clearly trace the progression within the play of a victim with certain heroic traits who, because of her ill fate and her ruthlessness, becomes a villain" (Kliegl, Michael) Deciding to take her plans forward, she manages to buy a day's time from Creon befor e she is sent on exile. Creon's fate is sealed even though he knows that Medea is "A clever woman, very experienced in evil ways" (lines

Individual essay on values Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Individual on values - Essay Example nt of an organisation has been given fiduciary responsibility on the economic resources of the society that comprise of both human and natural resources. It is important for every organisation to consider the social, economic and environmental systems in which it is operating; the corporations that develop a long-term vision for their business along with their responsibilities towards the society are able to sustain their development in economy (Albareda, 2008; Crane et al., 2008). Considering the environment in which the organisation is operating is important so that all organisation functions are running in the right perspective and in an ethical manner. When the organisations accept their right of controlling economic resources of the society, the management agrees to take the duty of being accountable about using the assets. This level of accountability needs to be conducted on fair grounds and in a sincere manner by the organisation. Even if the organisation faces losses, it should realise that it needs to be accountable for the situation rather than indulging in false excuses. As the individuals in the management department are looking for a model that can help them in fulfilling their societal responsibilities, the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (TBL) concept was presented (Park & Stoel, 2005). The introduction of this concept acted as a vehicle for proper reporting about the articulation of the corporation’s environmental, economic and social performance (Ketola, 2009). Performances related to the environment and social concerns can be monitored with the help of the TBL concept. TBL has grown in popularity as it assists an organisation in determining the extent to which it is successfully meeting its responsibilities towards the community. The concept of TBL has given a direction to the management of organisations in developing the goals and objectives of the organisation according to the business environment. By following the guidelines specified in TBL,

Political theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Political theory - Essay Example Aristotle said there was a truth in each that had to be reconciled and it is. The 16th and 17th centuries saw the emergence of two political thoughts that proposed singular views on government and the structure of society. Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes put forward their views and solutions on each and each directly influenced political ideology immensely. Each of them lived in a time and place of political turmoil, Machiavelli lived in Florence at a time of continuous political turmoil and Hobbes lived in England during its civil war. Aristotle, Hobbes and Machiavelli each designated in their works the best "practical" kind of government. For Aristotle, it was the aforementioned polity, while for Hobbes and Machiavelli; it was some sort of monarchy where there would be one sovereign or prince that would command all or a community that pledged it's obedience to a authority that promised protection. Aristotle had a profound influence on political philosophy because he invoked challenging discussions of persistent concerns of political philosophy: the role of human nature in politics, the relation of the individual to the state, the place of morality in politics, the theory of political justice, the rule of law, the analysis and evaluation of constitutions, the relevance of ideals to practical politics, the causes and cures of political change and revolution, and the importance of a morally educated citizenry. It has been a common view among political philosophers, especially Aristotle, that there exists a special relationship between moral goodness and legitimate authority. He believed that the use of political power was only rightful if a ruler whose personal ethical makeup was strictly virtuous. Thus rulers were counseled that they must be sure to behave in accordance with conventional standards of moral righteousness. The rulers did well because earned the right to be obeyed and respected because they showed themselves to be virtuous and morally upright. Niccolo Machiavelli criticizes at length the moral idealistic theory on politics in his best-known treatise, The Prince. For Machiavelli, there is no moral basis on which to judge the difference between legitimate and illegitimate uses of power. Authority and power are essentially coequal: whoever has power has the right to command; but goodness does not ensure power and the good person has no more authority by virtue of being good. Machiavelli argues that the only concern of the political ruler should be the acquirement and upkeep of power. He argues that the notion of legitimate rights of ruler ship adds nothing to the actual possession of power. The Prince purports to reflect the self-conscious political realism that integrity and right are not adequate to win and sustain political office. Power characteristically defines political activity, and is required for any thriving ruler to know how power is to be used. Only by the proper application of power

ECON WEEK 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECON WEEK 3 - Assignment Example For example, an accountant would not be interested in the job vacancy published by a hospital. The structural unemployment refers to the loss of employment due to changes in technological demands and changes in the operational process (Oswego, 2014). For example, the automation of machine systems in the factories may lead to structural unemployment due to loss of demand for labor. The unemployment scenario is considered to be undesirable as it leads to substantial gap between the potential GDP and the real GDP of the country. The reduction in the volume of products and services produced within the geographical boundary leads to the gap between the supply and demand in the market which finally leads to inflation in the economy (Schenk, 2014). However, all forms of unemployment are not undesirable as it has beneficial effects in the long run. For example, the loss of demand for existing labor force may occur due to structural unemployment that results from the introduction of new technology and automated systems in the production process. Although it increases unemployment in the short run but the gradual adaption of the workforce to the technologically improved processes leads to improvement in the operational efficiency and enhancement of the production volumes. In this view, structural form of unemployment is not undesirable. The advent of internet has the potential to completely eliminate frictional unemployment. This is due to the fact that the spread of the internet and World Wide Web have enhanced the power of voluntary job search by the candidates. Instead of readily available job opportunities, the candidates would look for the desired job opportunity on a voluntary basis that would lead to loss of job in certain sectors. However, there would be other candidates who would look for jobs in these sectors and the internet would be a useful tool to provide them the information on the desired job vacancies. The

Enchantment and Exploitation Essay Example for Free

Enchantment and Exploitation Essay The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed related to conflicts of culture, race, and territorial ambitions coupled with economic interests, ask the crying question. How to make this Planet Earth heaven like? The answer is simple and straightforward. Eyes full of understanding, hearts full of love and mutual respect for each other’s way of life-enough, these alone are enough! The history of northern New Mexico is the example of the abovementioned exploitative behavior of successive waves of settlers. The mindless, aggressive and violent deeds relating to the historical past to defeat and unsettle the natives and destruction of the forest wealth, have created a new issue of environmental problems. The living style of the natives was one of deep respect for the Nature, imbibed with their own spiritual values. Nothing much is known about the people who lived in high Sangres. The archeologists and the intellectuals of the modern materialistic civilization fail to appreciate the modes and contented living styles of the native people. â€Å"They were gatherers and hunters whose closest cultural contacts lay with the Oshara tradition of the Desert Culture, centered to the west. Their living arrangements were flexible and mobile. They had few possessions, built most of their shelters to last only weeks or months, and irregularly congregated in groups of several dozen or dispersed in small family bands†(deBuys,William,1985,p,31) They wandered from place to place, were part-time agriculturists by profession. What they produced, like maize, squash, beans in canyon bottoms was less than adequate to meet their family needs. They protected themselves against flood, drought and other hazards with their traditional methods. The prime task of an aggressor is to take possession of as much land as is possible to establish a firm foot holding. Such people will employ every mean method to subdue the original settlers, legally if possible, illegally if necessary. History is the witness— there are always black sheep among the natives who are willing to betray the interests of their brethren for corrupt considerations. When the so-called moral and principled Americans came to this new land, they found the conditions favorable for them. â€Å"By exploiting the discordances between Spanish and American codes of law, Anglo speculators, often assisted by native New Mexican ricos and politicos, managed to buy up many tens of thousands of acres of valuable land grants for very little money.†(deBuys, p, 171) The civilized man needs to know that he can become master of his environment temporarily and then get ready to face the disastrous consequences. But the aggressors succeeded in stripping most of the Territory’s Hispanic villagers of their patrimony and their main source of wealth. Land disputes led to bitterness, rivalry and troubles in New Mexico even now. When people abuse land, whether it is in the backward Mexico hill range, or the forward America, the results are the same—inviting disaster for the life of humanity and the livestock as a whole. Nature does not condone its exploitation. â€Å"Through the late 1800s similar die-offs of livestock, caused always by a combination of overstocking, range deterioration, and bad weather, became common throughout the West. And in parallel fashion, westerners rapidly cut down their mountain forests in order to build towns, prop mine tunnels, and lay thousands of miles of railroad track.†(deBuys, p, 235) The modern man is not willing to experience himself as part of nature but as competitive outside force, destined to dominate it and conquer.   He does not realize that if he wins the battle against the nature he will soon find himself on the losing side. Look what happened in USA, a country that boasts of modern civilization. In the Civil War years, appalling conditions prevailed in California. Cattle and sheep perished in thousands, when nothing was left after overgrazing the rangelands and the perennial grasses was totally destroyed. Arizona, Wyoming, Montana and other cattle-growing regions did not learn lessons from the events in California. Man, whether savage or civilized, is a child of nature and this fact should be understood and accepted before it is too late, when the nature begins to react. The end of the natural resources is not the end of the story. With the deterioration of environment, the civilization declines. The wise saying goes, â€Å"civilized man has marched across the face of the earth and left a desert in his footprints.† Americans, Anglo speculators, assisted by the local rich class, destroyed the natural resources in Mexico. Usable timber was burnt, forested valleys and hillsides were systematically destroyed.   They killed most of the wide life. And finally the exploitation of the area reached the non-sustainable level and elk, bighorn sheep, grizzly bear, ptarmigan and pine marten were totally extinct. The protective topsoil was eroded. The resultant silt reached reservoirs, streams, irrigation canals, and harbors. They followed the road to ruin and it resulted in deep fissures within the conquering society and the natives. Historical records mainly contain accounts of battles, exploits of the kings and queens, their grandeur and wealth etc. They should have studied the historical importance of geography! The land use was an important factor on which destinies of civilizations and empires were largely determined. The existing competition among the various sections of the society for employment is another addition to the historical list of problems. The differences in the Anglo and Hispanic cultures on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico have not been ironed out totally up to his day. The three principle cultures, Anglo, Hispanic and Native American continue to be at loggerheads on many issues related to their interests. At the same time there is awareness among these groups about the advantage of living in unity amongst the cultural diversity. One of their common causes is ecology. Restoring the balance in the natural resources is everybody’s concern for which a solid framework is worked out. When you take care of the mountains, they will take care of all races of humanity in more than one way, irrespective of their historical backgrounds and the present conflicts. With such a restoration process in swing, the past wounds of the natives will heal to some extent and they stand vindicated as for their custom and traditions of accepting nature in utter reverence. Any boastful materialistic achievements of the 2000s should not prevent the native people of northern New Mexico to fight to respect and hold on to their history, land and cultural way of life. Conclusion: The wise saying goes—every action has the reaction and the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action. The spiritualist and the scientist, both agree on this issue. Whenever the human being tried to define nature, it has co-operated, as for his investigative genius. Whenever he tried to defy nature, is has invariably awarded him with appropriate punishment. Economic ambitions are good servants, but they are bad masters; the man will destroy the natural flora and fauna at his own peril! The environmentalists need to go through the history of the Life and Hard Times of a New Mexican Mountain Range for a while.   The examination of the historical facts will highlight the increasing exploitative behavior of successive waves of settlers that resulted in disastrous consequences. Having done the worst, it is now time to find solutions to the region’s environmental problems. References: deBuys, William: Book: Enchantment and Exploitation: The Life and Hard Times of a New Mexico Mountain Range Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: University of New Mexico Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1985) Language: English ISBN-10: 0826308201 ISBN-13: 978-0826308207

Identify the characteristics beliefs and practises associated with Krishna Essay Example for Free

Identify the characteristics beliefs and practises associated with Krishna Essay And what is the significance for a devotee of Krishna. Krishna is believed to be Vishnus eight incarnations. Vishnu represents the preserver status in the Trimurti but is more frequently appreciated in his incarnation as Krishna. Krishna appears in many mythological stories but is most famously remembered for his part in the Bhagvad Gita. This scripture is believed to have been spoken by Krishna himself. Krishna is seen as a king and a conqueror of demons but his followers appear particularly fond of his childhood and youth. His love affair with the beautiful cowherdess, Radha is immensely popular with his followers. In many Indian temples dedicated to Krishna, his followers visit (Darshan) his images and present water for washing, drinking, clothes, flowers, incense and offer praise during their puja. Chanting and singing the Hare Krishna mantra is a very popular activity found in temples. The maha-mantra is a transcendental sound vibration which awakens love of God in the heart and mind. As with all other activities, music is considered a sacred offering to God. Murtis of Krishna are ritually installed temples, as it is believed that it is actually full of divine spirit of Krishna. Krishnas pictures often portray him as the young flute player, surrounded by cows, teasing the gopi girls, or occasionally as the mischievous friend and even as the charioteer who accompanies Arjuna. These different images illsurate the different forms of relations a Hindu can have with god, either as best friend, a lover or mischievous son. To achieve an understanding of Krishna it important to be aware of the events in the Bhagvad Gita. Arjuna is preparing for a battle in which he will be fighting against his own members of the family. He feels that this is morally wrong and has conversation with his charioteer. His charioteer, Krishna is the supreme lord in disguise. It is here; Krishna explains the path to self liberation and to discovering the inner atman. Krishna points out that the soul does not die in battle, but moves into a new one. The soul can not be pierced, it can not be parched, it can not be wetted, it is everwhere, immovable He reminds Arjuna of his dharma and the effects of Karma. Krishna goes further on to state that is not action itself that should be avoided but the results of it. One should not think of particular rewards for their actions but offer selflessly to the Lord. This is the function of Karma yoga. Having taught this he goes onto mentioning different paths such as jnana and yoga and presentating the need for reaching a state of samadhi through knowledge and devotion. The festival calendar varies region to region throughout India. The festival to celebrate the birth of Krishna is held between August and September and is called Janammastami. The bhagvad Purana which focuses on how to be yogi is often read out. Krishna unlike some of the other supreme deities, acknowledged that there were those who were marginalized such as the low caste and women and therefore highlighted that there were many different paths for each Hindu to reach liberation in his own way. Krishna is encompasses the perfect balance between performing his dharma in such a way that good karma is continually repeated. Through performing jnana and bhakti yoga, a devotee can offer selfless acts, which will be received with Krishnas grace and blessings. Therefore Krishnas love for Radha is the perfect example for any Hindu to achieve a harmonious union with the Lord and achieve moksha.

Solving Large Systems of Linear Simultaneous Equations

Solving Large Systems of Linear Simultaneous Equations NICOLE LESIRIMA METHODS OF SOLVING LARGE SYSTEMS OF LINEAR SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS PROJECT DESCRIPTION Linear systems simulate real-world problems using applied numerical procedure. The main aim of this project is to consider what factors affect the efficiency of the various methods of solving linear simultaneous equations. So far, one of the main factors is rounding errors that can produce inaccurate solutions. Moreover, MATLAB programs have been produced to time the calculation speed to determine the efficiency of the methods. Generally, these methods are subdivided into two; direct and iterative methods. Direct methods are commonly used to solve small systems of equations. The iterative methods are used to solve real-world problems that produce systems of equations for which the coefficient matrices are sparse. The relevance of studying these methods have its real world applications. The real world applications can be seen in various fields such as science and engineering, accounting and finance, business management and in operational research. The approach provides a logical framework for solving complex decisions in a wide range of industries. The advantage is that, decisions are founded on data analysis. Environmentalists and meteorologists may use large systems of simultaneous linear equations to predict future outcomes. For instance, to predict weather patterns or climate change, a large volume of data is collected over a long span of time on many variables including, solar radiation, carbon emissions and ocean temperatures. Queen Mary University of London (2015). This data is represented in the form of a transition matrix that has to be row reduced into a probability matrix that can then be used in the prediction of climate change. The objective of an enterprise is to maximize returns while maintaining minimum costs. Whereas the use of large systems of simultaneous linear equations may provide a basis for evidence based business decision making in an enterprise, it is important to know which linear systems are most appropriate in order to minimize undesirable outcomes for an enterprise. PROJECT REPORT OUTLINE Chapter 1 Introduction Large systems of linear simultaneous equations are used to simulate real-world problems using applied numerical procedure. The real world applications can be seen in various fields such as science and engineering, accounting and finance, business management. The approach provides a logical framework for solving complex decisions in a wide range of industries. The advantage is that decisions are founded on data analysis. The aim of this project is to explore the efficiency of a large systems of linear simultaneous equations in the optimal decision making of an enterprise. Chapter 2 Direct Methods: Gaussian Elimination and LU Factorisation Direct methods of solving linear simultaneous equations are introduced. This chapter will look at the Gaussian Elimination and LU Factorisation methods. Gaussian Elimination involves representing the simultaneous equations in an augmented form, performing elementary row operations to reduce the upper triangular form and finally back substituting to form the solution vector. LU Factorisation on the other hand is where a matrix A finds a lower triangular matrix L and an upper triangular matrix U such that A = LU. The purpose of this lower triangular matrix and upper triangular matrix is so that the forward and backward substitutions can be directly applied to these matrices to obtain a solution to the linear system. An operation count and computing times using MATLAB is calculated so as to determine the best method to use. Chapter 3 Cholesky Factorisation Introduction to the Cholesky method. This is a procedure whereby the matrix A is factorised into the product of a lower triangular matrix and its transpose; the forward and backward substitutions can be directly applied to these matrices to obtain a solution. A MATLAB program is written to compute timings. A conclusion can be drawn by comparing the three methods and determining which is the most suitable method that will produce the most accurate result as well as take the shortest computing time. Chapter 4 Iterative Methods: Jacobi Method and Gauss-Seidel This chapter will introduce the iterative methods that are used to solve linear systems with coefficient matrices that are large and sparse. Both methods involve splitting the matrix A into lower triangular, diagonal and upper triangular matrices L, D, U respectively. The main difference comes down to the way the x values are calculated. The Jacobi method uses the previous x values (n) to calculate the next iterated x values (n+1). The Gauss-Seidel uses the new x value (n+1) to calculate the x2 value. Chapter 5 Successive Over Relaxation and Conjugate Gradient Other iterative methods are introduced. The Successive Over Relaxation method over relaxes the solution at each iteration. This method is calculated using the weighted sum of the values from the previous iteration and the values form the Gauss-Seidel method at the current iteration. The Conjugate Gradient method involves improving the approximated value of xk to the exact solution which may be reached after a finite number of iterations usually smaller than the size of the matrix. Chapter 6 Conclusion All the project findings and results are summarised in this chapter. Conclusion can be made from both direct methods and iterative methods whereby the most accurate method with the shortest computing time can be found. Drawbacks from each method will be mentioned as well its suitability for solving real world problems. PROGRESS TO DATE The project to date has covered the direct methods of solving simultaneous equations. Gaussian Elimination This involves representing the simultaneous equations in an augmented form, performing elementary row operations to reduce the upper triangular form and finally back substituting to form the solution vector. For example, to solve an mxn matrix: Ax = b The aim of the Gaussian elimination is to manipulate the augmented matrix [A|b] using elementary row operations; by adding a multiple of the pivot rows to the rows beneath the pivot row i.e. Rià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Ri +kRj. Once the augmented matrix is in the row echelon form, the solution is found using back substitution. The following general matrix equation has been reduced to row echelon form: This corresponds to the linear system Rearranging the final solution is given by For all other equations i = n 1, . . ., The operation count and timing the Gaussian Elimination was performed. The total number of operations for an nxn matrix using the Gaussian elimination is with O(N3). LU Factorisation This is where a matrix A finds a lower triangular matrix L and an upper triangular matrix U such that A = LU. The purpose of this lower triangular matrix and upper triangular matrix is so that the forward and backward substitutions can be directly applied to these matrices to obtain a solution to the linear system. In general, L and U is an m x n matrix: L =   U =   For higher order matrices, we can derive the calculation of the L and U matrices. Given a set of n elementary matrices E1, E2,†¦, Enapplied to matrix A, row reduce in row echelon form without permuting rows such that A can be written as the product of two matrices L and U that is A = LU, Where U = En†¦E2E1A, L = E1-1 E2-1†¦En-1   For a general nxn matrix, the total number of operations is O(N3). A Matlab program has been produced to time the LU Factorisation. So far, this method has proven more efficient than the Gaussian Elimination. Cholesky Factorisation This is a procedure whereby the matrix A is factorised into the product of a lower triangular matrix and its transpose i.e. A = LLT   or    =      The Cholesky factorisation is only possible if A is a positive definite. Forward and backward substitution is employed in finding the solutions. The method was also timed at it can be concluded that it is the most effective and efficient direct method for solving simultaneous equations. The indirect methods have been introduced with a short outline of what each method entails. Work Still to be Completed       As from the objectives layed out from the terms of reference, the following are the objectives that are yet to be completed. Week 13 16: Evaluating the convergence rate of the iterative methods in detail as well as finding out which method improves the solution efficiency.   Production of MATLAB programs analysing the different methods and other methods. Over the next 3 weeks, the conditions for convergence will be analysed. One of the most important conditions that will be studied is the spectral radius. This is a condition applied on the indirect methods to determine how fast or slow a method takes to achieve the state of convergence. Moreover, the project will also produce Matlab programs for the iterative methods and employ the spectral radius on these programs to determine the speed of convergence for large sparse matrices. Weeks 17 19: Introduction to the Successive Over-Relaxation (SOR) method and the Conjugate Gradient method. Successive Over-Relaxation method improves the rate of convergence of the Gauss-Siedel method by over-relaxing the solution at every iteration. While the Conjugate Gradient improves the approximated value of x to the exact solution. Matlab programs will be produced for the two methods together with the speed of convergence of different sizes of matrices. Week 20 24:Writing the findings and conclusions of the report, finalising on the bibliography and doing a review of the project as a whole.   Preparing oral and poster presentation.

Essay --

A1. Documents ïÆ' ¼ Fourth quarter balanced scorecard attached with excel spreadsheet. ïÆ' ¼ Balance sheet attached with excel spreadsheet. ïÆ' ¼ Income statement attached with excel spreadsheet. B1. Adequacy of Funds According to Ralph Estes’ Dictionary of Accounting (1981), a pro forma financial statement is described as â€Å"a financial statement created on events and transactions that are assumed, but has not yet happened.† On the other hand, a historical financial statement gives organizations financial measurements on how well the company has performed in the past. For that reason, without financial statements it would be difficult for management, investors, executive board members, and customers to analyze and evaluate how well a company does financially. The format in pro forma financial statements are similar to historical financial statements, but primarily focuses on the future theories and not past factual financial information. Also, a budget is a financial disposition to control future aspects in operations of money. Therefore, having a financial budget is extremely important especially when starting a business. During my simulation, I focused more on using a financial budget throughout to predict how much money I would spend during the expansion process of building the company. I kept my financial risk managed, so the company would not have any debt in the process. Unfortunately, this also backfired against me when I needed to invest more for the future of the company. The two points in my balanced scorecard are how well I did against the average companies. (Below is part of the final Balanced Scorecard for Investment in Future and Financial Risk). Average Typhoon Investment in Future 85.62 1.00 Financial Risk 0.91 1.00 Now... ...tion provided a purchase of the market search, but could have used a better overview of what tools or directions a business owner could use to succeed. There are many ways to achieve the ultimate goal of perfection towards the customer’s expectation in my simulation and benchmarking would have been an impactful improvement to achieve quality assurance goals. That being said, in the simulation there should be some evaluation of defects of the units that were sold to the customers. In a few of the quarters, feedback review of the quality of the product would also be another part of the simulation. Therefore, the quality assurance from the customer’s standpoint is vital in order to gain revenue and manufacturing growth for a company. Benchmarking would be an impactful improvement towards new business owners for this simulation to achieve quality assurance goals.

Things Fall Apart Essay -- essays research papers

Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. New York, New York Copyright 1959 Author Biography Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, or Chinua Achebe, was born November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, Nigeria. His parents were Janet N. Achebe, and Isaiah Okafo, a teacher in a missionary school. Mr. Achebe was educated at the University College of Ibadan, but also attended Government College in 1944. He wrote his first novel, Things Fall Apart, in 1958. During the Biafran War, he was in the Biafran government service. After the war, Mr. Achebe taught at several universities, both in Nigeria and in the United States. In 1967 he cofounded a publishing company with a fellow author, Christopher Okigbo. Mr. Achebe’s later works include No Longer at Ease, Arrow of God, and Anthills of the Savannah. A serious car accident left Mr. Achebe paralyzed from the waist down in 1990. The majority of his novels deal with Africans struggle to free themselves from European colonial and political influences, due to his experiences in the Biafran War and the Nigerian Civil War. Main Characters Okonkwo- Okonkwo is the main character in the novel. He is a distinguished man in the clan, and has been since a young age, when he established himself as a skilled wrestler. He had a very lazy father, and this was a source of much embarrassment to him, so to overcome this, he is an overbearing husband, and father. He feels that he always has to prove that he is different than his father, which is eventually his downfall. Unoka- Unoka is Okonkwo’s father. He was a very lazy man and always an embarrassment to his family, especially his son. He is the reason that Okonkwo is so scared of failing. Nwoye- Nwoye is Okonkwo’s son, and he is lazy and complacent, like his grandfather. Okonkwo’s way of changing this is to be especially hard on him, which drives him further away, eventually to join the missionaries. Ezinma- Ezinma is Okonkwo’s daughter, and he is proud of her, even though he won’t show this because he thinks that it is a weakness. She is smart and pretty. Okonkwo wishes that she were a boy so that he could pass on his knowledge and fortune to her. Mr. Brown- Mr. Brown is the first missionary to arrive in Umuofia. He is nice enough to the clan, so they decide to let him stay, but soon enough he brings others, both from the clan and from outside, into the c... ...alk to you.† This is an important excerpt from the book because it shows how the natives tried to negotiate with the white men peacefully. All they wanted was for the clan to return to the way it was before the white men came, and they even agreed to let the white men stay and practice their religion as long as they didn’t bother anyone. But the Christians had to have everything, so there was a conflict. 5.Obierika is talking. Chapter Twenty Five Obierika, who had been gazing steadily at his friend’s dangling body, turned suddenly to the District Commissioner and said ferociously: â€Å" That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog†¦.† He could not say anymore. His voice trembled and choked his words. This quote is significant because it shows the falling apart of the clan as a whole. Okonkwo was a one of the strongest men in Umuofia, both in physical strength and mental determination. His taking his own life is a sign that the natives are losing the battle against the stronger white men. If he is not strong enough to endure the white men, than it is obvious that no one else in Umuofia will last much longer.

Evaluating The War in Iraq :: War, Iraq

Evaluating The War in Iraq Is the war in Iraq right? Is this not a form of terrorism?, to have U.S. troops stationed in Iraq for six year now. How about pushing our system of government onto another country, isn’t that a form of terrorism? Isn’t this wrong of the US and our fellow Americans to still believe that we’re doing the right thing, when we’ve never received a straight answer as to why we’re even in another country fighting? These are all questions we should be asking, and the answer should be, that it’s morally wrong of the U.S. to be doing so. However, many of us Americans are too blind to see this, to ask these questions, and to do something powerful about it. Many seem to look at it as though, the middle east has done wrong to us, so we must do wrong to them. In addition, after the September 11th attacks, the United States government took it upon it’s self to punish those terrorist held responsible for it’s attacks. Among these people are: Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, and anyone that represented the Al-Quaeda organization. Nevertheless after searching out these terrorist, we took them into our country, into our prison systems, and into our courts to hold justifications over their heads. Each one dying for the terror they imprinted into our once great nation. However is this really morally right? To take away life?, I don’t believe so, but our government and many others do. This is not a justification for any action. Consequently, after finding and executing all of our said terrorist, it wasn’t enough. The U.S. took it upon it’s self to begin an unexplained war with the middle east on March 19th, 2003. And what is the reason for this? Honestly there is no true reason for this. The U.S. has been given so many reasons that the government tried to justify and that us, Americans bought into. For instance, at first we went to Iraq to find WMD’s. However there was no proof of this only suspicion. And after said invasion, there was still no evidence of WMD’s. So, moving forward, the U.S. quickly kept troops stationed in Iraq for a second reason. Which accordingly, the number of terrorist were growing. Namely they have grown and still remain at large. Finally, there were more foolish reasons about oil and other nonsense that could not reach any justification.

Zoe’s Tale PART I Chapter Ten

There were two messages on my PDA after dinner that evening. The first was from Gretchen. â€Å"That Magdy character tracked me down and asked me out on a date,† it read. â€Å"I guess he likes girls who mock the crap out of him. I told him okay. Because he is kind of cute. Don't wait up.† This made me smile. The second was from Enzo, who had somehow managed to get my PDA's address; I suspect Gretchen might have had something to do with that. It was titled â€Å"A Poem to the Girl I Just Met, Specifically a Haiku, the Title of Which Is Now Substantially Longer Than the Poem Itself, Oh, the Irony,† and it read: Her name is Zoe Smile like a summer breeze Please don't have me cubed. I laughed out loud at that one. Babar looked up at me and thumped his tail hopefully; I think he was thinking all this happiness would result in more food for him. I gave him a slice of leftover bacon. So I guess he was right about that. Smart dog, Babar. After the Magellan departed from Phoenix Station, the colony leaders found out about the near-rumble in the common area, because I told them about it over dinner. John and Jane sort of looked at each other significantly and then changed the subject to something else. I guessed the problem of integrating ten completely different sets of people with ten completely different cultures had already come up in their discussions, and now they were getting the underage version of it as well. I figured that they would find a way to deal with it, but I really wasn't prepared for their solution. â€Å"Dodgeball,† I said to Dad, over breakfast. â€Å"You're going to have all us kids play dodgeball.† â€Å"Not all of you,† Dad said. â€Å"Just the ones of you who would otherwise be picking stupid and pointless fights out of boredom.† He was nibbling on some coffee cake; Babar was standing by on crumb patrol. Jane and Savitri were out taking care of business; they were the brains of this particular setup. â€Å"You don't like dodgeball?† he asked. â€Å"I like it just fine,† I said. â€Å"I'm just not sure why you think it's an answer to this problem.† Dad set down his coffee cake, brushed off his hands, and started ticking off points with his fingers. â€Å"One, we have the equipment and it fits the space. We can't very well play football or cricket on the Magellan. Two, it's a team sport, so we can get big groups of kids involved. Three, it's not complicated, so we don't have to spend much time laying out the ground rules to everyone. Four, it's athletic and will give you guys a way to burn off some of your energy. Five, it's just violent enough to appeal to those idiot boys you were talking about yesterday, but not so violent that someone's actually going to get hurt.† â€Å"Any more points?† I asked. â€Å"No,† Dad said. â€Å"I've run out of fingers.† He picked up his coffee cake again. â€Å"It's just going to be that the boys are going to make teams with their friends,† I said. â€Å"So you'll still have the problem of kids from one world staying with their own.† â€Å"I would agree with this, if not for the fact that I'm not a complete idiot,† Dad said, â€Å"and neither is Jane. We have a plan for this.† The plan: Everyone who signed up to play was assigned to a team, rather than allowed to pick their own team. And I don't think the teams were entirely randomly assigned; when Gretchen and I looked over the team lists, Gretchen noted that almost none of the teams had more than one player from the same world; even Enzo and Magdy were put on different teams. The only kids who were on the same â€Å"team† were the Kyotoans; as Colonial Mennonites they avoided playing in competitive sports, so they asked to be the referees instead. Gretchen and I didn't sign up for any teams; we appointed ourselves league managers and no one called us on it; apparently word of the intense mockery we laid on a wild pack of teenage boys had gotten around and we were feared and awed equally. â€Å"That makes me feel pretty,† Gretchen said, once such a thing was told to her by one of her friends from Erie. We were watching the first game of the series, with the Leopards playing against the Mighty Red Balls, presumably named after the game equipment. I don't think I approved of the team name, myself. â€Å"Speaking of which, how was your date last night?† I asked. â€Å"It was a little grabby,† Gretchen said. â€Å"You want me to have Hickory and Dickory talk to him?† I asked. â€Å"No, it was manageable,† Gretchen said. â€Å"And besides which, your alien friends creep me out. No offense.† â€Å"None taken,† I said. â€Å"They really are nice.† â€Å"They're your bodyguards,† Gretchen said. â€Å"They're not supposed to be nice. They're supposed to scare the pee out of people. And they do. I'm just glad they don't follow you around all the time. No one would ever come talk to us.† In fact, I hadn't seen either Hickory or Dickory since the day before and our conversation about touring the Obin planets. I wondered if I had managed to hurt their feelings. I was going to have to check in on them to see how they were. â€Å"Hey, your boyfriend just picked off one of the Leopards,† Gretchen said. She pointed at Enzo, who was playing in the game. â€Å"He's not my boyfriend, any more than Magdy is yours,† I said. â€Å"Is he as grabby as Magdy is?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"What a question,† I said. â€Å"How dare you ask. I'm madly offended.† â€Å"That's a yes, then,† Gretchen said. â€Å"No, it's not,† I said. â€Å"He's been perfectly nice. He even sent me a poem.† â€Å"He did not,† Gretchen said. I showed it to her on my PDA. She handed it back. â€Å"You get the poetry writer. I get the grabber. It's really not fair. You want to trade?† â€Å"Not a chance,† I said. â€Å"But he not's my boyfriend.† Gretchen nodded out to Enzo. â€Å"Have you asked him about that?† I looked over to Enzo, who sure enough was sneaking looks my way while moving around the dodgeball field. He saw I was looking his way, smiled over at me and nodded, and as he was doing that he got nailed righteously hard in the ear by the dodgeball and went down with a thump. I burst out laughing. â€Å"Oh, nice,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Laughing at your boyfriend's pain.† â€Å"I know! I'm so bad!† I said, and just about toppled over. â€Å"You don't deserve him,† Gretchen said, sourly. â€Å"You don't deserve his poem. Give them both to me.† â€Å"Not a chance,† I said, and then looked up and saw Enzo there in front of me. I reflexively put my hand over my mouth. â€Å"Too late,† he said. Which of course made me laugh even more. â€Å"She's mocking your pain,† Gretchen said, to Enzo. â€Å"Mocking it, you hear me.† â€Å"Oh, God, I'm so sorry,† I said, between laughs, and before I thought about what I was doing gave Enzo a hug. â€Å"She's trying to distract you from her evil,† Gretchen warned. â€Å"It's working,† Enzo said. â€Å"Oh, fine,† Gretchen said. â€Å"See if I warn you about her evil ways after this.† She very dramatically focused back on the game, only occasionally glancing over and grinning at me. I unhugged from Enzo. â€Å"I'm not actually evil,† I said. â€Å"No, just amused at the pain of others,† Enzo said. â€Å"You walked off the court,† I said. â€Å"It can't have hurt that much.† â€Å"There's pain you can't see,† Enzo said. â€Å"Existential pain.† â€Å"Oh, boy,† I said. â€Å"If you're having existential pain from dodgeball, you're really just doing it wrong.† â€Å"I don't think you appreciate the philosophical subtleties of the sport,† Enzo said. I started giggling again. â€Å"Stop it,† Enzo said mildly. â€Å"I'm being serious here.† â€Å"I so hope you're not,† I said, and giggled some more. â€Å"You want to get lunch?† â€Å"Love to,† Enzo said. â€Å"Just give me a minute to extract this dodgeball from my Eustachian tube.† It was the first time I had ever heard anyone use the phrase â€Å"Eustachian tube† in common conversation. I think I may have fallen a little bit in love with him right there. â€Å"I haven't seen the two of you around much today,† I said to Hickory and Dickory, in their quarters. â€Å"We are aware that we make many of your fellow colonists uncomfortable,† Hickory said. It and Dickory sat on stools that were designed to accommodate their body shape; otherwise their quarters were bare. The Obin may have gained consciousness and even recently tried their hand at storytelling, but the mysteries of interior decoration still clearly eluded them. â€Å"It was decided it would be best for us to stay out of the way.† â€Å"Decided by whom?† I asked. â€Å"By Major Perry,† Hickory said, and then, before I could open my mouth, â€Å"and we agree.† â€Å"You two are going to be living with us,† I said. â€Å"With all of us. People need to get used to you.† â€Å"We agree, and they will have time,† Hickory said. â€Å"But for now we think it's better to give your people time to get used to each other.† I opened my mouth to respond, but then Hickory said, â€Å"Do you not benefit from our absence at the moment?† I remembered Gretchen's comment earlier in the day about how the other teens would never come up to us if Hickory and Dickory were always hanging around, and felt a little bit ashamed. â€Å"I don't want you to think I don't want you around,† I said. â€Å"We do not believe that,† Hickory said. â€Å"Please do not think that. When we are on Roanoke we will resume our roles. People will be more accepting of us because they will have had time to know you.† â€Å"I still don't want you to think you have to stay in here because of me,† I said. â€Å"It would drive me crazy to be cooped up in here for a week.† â€Å"It is not difficult for us,† Hickory said. â€Å"We disconnect our consciousnesses until we need them again. Time flies by that way.† â€Å"That was very close to a joke,† I said. â€Å"If you say so,† Hickory said. I smiled. â€Å"Still, if that's the only reason you stay in here – â€Å" â€Å"I did not say it was the only reason,† Hickory said, interrupting me, which it almost never did. â€Å"We are also spending this time preparing.† â€Å"For life on Roanoke?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"And how we will be of best service to you when we are there.† â€Å"I think by just doing what you do,† I said. â€Å"Possibly,† Hickory said. â€Å"We think you might be underestimating how much different Roanoke will be from your life before, and what our responsibilities will be to you.† â€Å"I know it's going to be different,† I said. â€Å"I know it's going to be harder in a lot of ways.† â€Å"We are glad to hear that,† Hickory said. â€Å"It will be.† â€Å"Enough so that you're spending all this time planning?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. I waited a second to hear if anything else was coming after that, but there wasn't. â€Å"Is there anything you want me to do?† I asked Hickory. â€Å"To help you?† Hickory took a second to respond. I watched it to see what I could sense from it; after this many years, I was pretty good at reading its moods. Nothing seemed unusual or out of place. It was just Hickory. â€Å"No,† Hickory said, finally. â€Å"We would have you do what you are doing. Meeting new people. Becoming friends with them. Enjoying your time now. When we arrive at Roanoke we do not expect you will have as much time for enjoyment.† â€Å"But you're missing out on all my fun,† I said. â€Å"You're usually there to record it.† â€Å"This one time you can get along without us,† Hickory said. Another near joke. I smiled again and gave them both a hug just as my PDA vibrated to life. It was Gretchen. â€Å"Your boyfriend really sucks at dodgeball,† she said. â€Å"He just took a hit square on his nose. He says to tell you the pain isn't nearly as enjoyable if you're not around to laugh at it. So come on down and ease the poor boy's pain. Or add to it. Either works.†

The Good Friday Agreement

The conflict about Northern Ireland The importance of the Good Friday Agreement Introduction: The Irish Island has for centuries been characterized by a conflict between the British and the Irish, and has political, economical and religious roots. After Ireland became independent in the early 19th century, the battles continued in Northern Ireland, who was left under British rules. Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland who had been discriminated for a long time by British Protestants started using weapons and violence exploded.In the years between 1969 and 1998, more known as â€Å"the Troubles†, were over 3600 people killed in the conflict, among them nearly 2000 civilians. Since 1998 a peace agreement is signed between the parties called the Good Friday Agreement, but Northern Ireland is by some means still a segregated county with Catholics and Protestants living apart from each other (Pettersson T, and Simmons, D. 2010). The power struggle on the Irish Island has been a stru ggle between Catholics who wished to see a unified Ireland, and by Protestants who opposed for Northern Ireland to remain under British Rule.The Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998 and can be seen as the turning point in the conflict about Northern Ireland. In 1921 the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed, and after centuries of British rule, 26 of 32 counties of Ireland gained independence. The 6 remaining counties formed Northern Ireland, which continued to be governed within the United Kingdom. A majority of the population in Northern Ireland were Protestants and did not want to be a part of Ireland (leonidassthlm 2009).From the period 1921 to 1972 the developed government in Northern Ireland operated with autonomy from London, and power remained exclusively to the Unionist party which had support from the Protestant majority community that favoured to be a union with Britain. The Catholic minority in the country supported the Nationalist party, and they were not allowed to have a role in government, and were discriminated in many areas such as employment, voting rights and housing (dfa. ie 2 June 2012). In the 1960s, a civil rights movement was formed with both Catholics and Protestants; it discussed the unfair conditions for Catholics inNorthern Ireland. The movement protested against the unfair conditions, and was sometimes met with police brutality. Every summer Protestants celebrated a former king’s battle, in which he had won over his Catholic enemy (leonidassthlm 2009). In 1969 non-violent campaigners for civil rights protested against the celebration they thought represented discrimination of Catholics (leonidassthlm 2009). They were met with an inhibitory and hostile response from the authorities, pushing Northern Ireland in a sustained period of political crisis.The years that followed was a turbulent and violent time in Northern Ireland, and many people lost their lives in the conflict, including many civilians (www. bbc. co. uk 2 June 2012) . The Catholic Army IRA (Irish Republic Army) had been inactive up until the late 1960s, but after â€Å"the Troubles† started in 1969 they became more and more active in what they believed in. IRA fought for Catholic civil rights and a unified Ireland (leonidassthlm 2009). IRA was not the only group that fought for what they believed in.Protestant loyal groups grew stronger with tens of thousands of members that fought for Northern Ireland to still belong to Britain. Violence escalated and it became harder for the British army, who was there to support the Protestant parties, to control the violence. Both sides used violence and weapons against each other to reach their goals. One Sunday in 1972 during a non-violent demonstration for human rights were 13 people killed by British soldiers. This Sunday was later called the â€Å"Bloody Sunday† (Pettersson, T and Simmons, D. 010). The support for IRA grew after the Bloody Sunday, and more British troops were placed in No rthern Ireland to prevent the violence. However, it can be questioned how much the British troops really did to prevent the violence, because it is a matter of fact that they were British soldiers, and that Britain did not want to let go of Northern Ireland to make it a unified Ireland (www. landguiden. se 2 June 2012). Both sides were guilty of violence and massacres and one of the worst attacks after the Bloody Sunday was the Bloody Friday.IRA blasted 20 car bombs in Belfast and 9 people died in the attack. About 500 people died in the year of 1972 caused by terror attacks. Civilians in Northern Ireland were getting tired of the violence that had escalated a long time ago, and wished for a change to come. They had seen family and friends getting killed in demonstrations and wanted an end to the violence that had been going on for centuries (leonidassthlm 2009). From 1974 to 1994 were numerous attempts made to try and solve the conflict in Northern Ireland.All attempts were made fr om London, and even though many people were tired of the violence and the conflict; was it still hard to gain support for a solution that would mean sharing of power between Catholics and Protestants. But there was some progress in the attempt of solving the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. The British Parliament made a deal with the independent Ireland in 1985, the deal meant that Ireland would be asked in questions that had anything to do with Northern Ireland. The deal had positive effects and a close cooperation between Ireland and England arose.Ireland accepted Northern Ireland as being part of Britain as long as a majority of the people wanted it (Pelling, J. 18th May 2008). After many years of violence a peace process were finally starting to take place. In 1994, IRA and its Protestant enemies called for a cease-fire. After numerous failed attempts to start the talks of a peace agreement, IRA broke the cease-fire after 17 months when they blasted a car bomb in Lond on that killed two people and hurt 39. It took 18 months after this attack until a new cease-fire was agreed (Pettersson, T and Simmons, D. 010). At last, after years of hope, crushed expectations and new terror attacks, a peace agreement was finally signed. The Good Friday Agreement was signed on 10 April 1998 and was aimed to form the lasting settlement following the cease-fire in Northern Ireland (bbc. co. uk 2004). The Agreement is seen as a turning point in the conflict about Northern Ireland and when the agreement was presented to the public, a majority of people allowed to vote supported the proposition (Pettersson, T and Simmons, D. 2010).The breakthrough the agreement represented was that, for the very first time in Northern Ireland’s history, it brought all the main political parties represented in Northern Ireland- those groups linked to paramilitary as well as those who were committed to constitutional means into the same negotiation forum and obtained a new set o f arrangements for democratic governance. The purpose of the agreement was to end the violent conflict and to find a political compromise that would accord for â€Å"parity of esteem† to both the nationalist and unionist political views in Northern Ireland (Fahey, T. 007). At the heart of the Good Friday Agreement lies the statement that it was made for the people of Ireland alone: â€Å"By agreement between the two parts respectively, and without external impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of consent, freely and concurrently given, North & South, to bring about a united Ireland, if that is their wish, accepting that this right must be achieved & exercised subject to the agreement and consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland† (Fraser, T,G. 1999 p. 83).The Good Friday Agreement has provided the divided society in Northern Ireland to settle its differences, and a model of governance based on the â€Å"parity of esteemâ €  has replaced the old system with majority rules. Unionists and nationalists have both agreed on proportional inclusion of each group in the government, and this is the first time such an agreement have been accepted by both parties. The voting system now works to ensure that either unionists or nationalists can vote against each other’s group interests. (www. bbc. co. uk 2 June 2012).The Agreement respects both parties’ goals to join the Irish Republic or to remain being a part of the United Kingdom. The agreement is divided into three strands: strand one is dealing with institutional arrangements in Northern Ireland, strand two deals with the relationship between Ireland and Northern Ireland and strand three deals with the relationships between the United Kingdom, Ireland and Northern Ireland. As mentioned before, the agreement focus mainly on the people of Ireland, and equality and rights lies at the centre of the Good Friday Agreement.The agreement protects hu man rights in Northern Ireland, as well as equality, mutual respect and partnership. The human rights commission and the equality commission are the two institutions in Northern Ireland responsible for ensuring that political, social, civil and cultural rights of every civilian are respected (www. bbc. co. uk 2 June 2012). The Good Friday agreement is such an important part in the history of Northern Ireland, and it is very interesting to see that it took so many years for it to be formed, and also that when it was settled the majority of the population voted yes to the proposition of the agreement.This proves that the majority of the population were at this time exhausted by the violent conflicts, and both Catholics and Protestants actually wanted it to end. Many years of bloody violence have left a deeply segregated society in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday agreement appreciates the importance of talking about the victims of the conflict that suffered and still are suffering fr om it. The agreement is committed to nurture a culture of tolerance to the discriminated community through promotion of mixed housing, integrated education and the support of integrated employment in companies (bbc. o. uk 2 June 2012). Northern Ireland was ruled from London until the peace agreement was signed, and by 1998 the peace process had come so far that it was possible to create a Northern Ireland government with both nationalists and unionist groups that would have equal rights in the community. The first years after the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement were shaky for the new government and the British sometimes went in and took over the governmental work.But the peace process were going the right way and in 2005 it had a breakthrough when IRA choose to give up their weapons and volunteers were instructed to form political and democratic agendas with only peaceful means. (www. dn. se October 14th 2002). In 2007 were the power of government divided between Protest ants and Catholics, but although the power is shared between the two is Northern Ireland still segregated in some parts (Pelling, J. 18th May 2008).Sharing of power have been important for the peace agreement to last, but there are a number of people that disagree with this solution and violence have occurred even after the peace agreement was signed. However, Northern Ireland is a good example where people have become so tired of conflicts that they step by step is building the ground for a lasting peace. Conclusion: It is truly amazing that a conflict that lasted for so long and was so deeply rooted in people’s hearts and minds, came to a solution because of the Good Friday Agreement.As discussed before in the essay, everything was not easy after the implementation of the agreement and some issues were still there. But the facts remain that the Good Friday Agreement provided Northern Ireland with something it had never experienced before: equality rights for everyone indepe ndent on religion, mutual respect and human rights. For me that have grown up in a community with different religions and nationalities it is hard to understand how it must have been for (mainly) Catholics before the agreement.Before the Good Friday Agreement Catholics were discriminated in many areas and today there is no change of being stopped by the police, army or someone else because of someone’s religion. I believe that the main aim of the peace agreement was to divide the power equally between Catholics and Protestants as well as eliminate discrimination. This essay have focused on the importance of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in particular, but I believe it is a good example that a conflict that are centuries old, can end on good terms for all the parties involved.I am thinking of younger conflicts around the word that can look at the Good Friday Agreement for inspiration and hope of a better future. References books: Fahey, T. (2007) Conflict and C onsensus: A Study of Values and Attitudes in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers. Fraser, T, G. (1999) Ireland in Conflict 1922-1998. Chapter 9, p. 83. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge. Internet Sources: BBC. (2012) The Good Friday Agreement [online] BBC. Available from: http://www. bbc. co. uk/northernireland/schools/agreement/. [Accessed 2 June 2012]Department of foreign affairs and trade. (2011) March 25. The Good Friday Agreement [online]. Ireland: Department of foreign affairs and trade. Available from: http://www. dfa. ie/home/index. aspx? id=335. [Accessed 2 June 2012] Landguiden (2011) Northern Ireland [online]. Stockholm: Landguiden. Available from: http://www. landguiden. se/Konflikter/Nordirland Pelling, J. (2008) May 18. Nordirland fortfarande delat (Northern Ireland is still divided). [online]. Available from: http://www. svd. se/nyheter/utrikes/nordirland-fortfarande-delat_1263273. svd [Accessed 2 June 2012]Pettersson, T and Simm ons, D. (2010) August 17. Northern Ireland [online]. Uppsala: Sakerhetspolitik. Available from: http://www. sakerhetspolitik. se/Konflikter/Nordirland/Fordjupning/. [Accessed 1 June 2012] TT-Reuters (2002) October 14. Storbritannien tog over styret av Nordirland (Great Britain takes over governmental work in Northern Ireland). [online]. Available from: http://www. dn. se/nyheter/varlden/storbritannien-tog-over-styret-av-nordirland [Accessed 2 June 2012] Reference videos: BBC (2012). Importance of the Good Friday Agreement [Online video]. Available from: < http://www. bbc. co. k/learningzone/clips/importance-of-the-good-friday-agreement-1998/11507. html> [accessed 3 June 2012] Youtube/Leonidassthlm (2009). Varldens Konflikter: Nordirland del 1 [Online video]. Available from: [accessed 2 June 2012] Youtube/Leonidassthlm (2009). Varldens Konflikter: Nordirland del 2 [Online video]. Available from: [accessed 2 June 2012] Youtube/Leonidassthlm (2009). Varldens Konflikter: Nordirland de l 3 [Online video]. Available from: [accessed 2 June 2012]

On Teenagers and Tattoos

The Impact on Society of Teenage Tattooing The Impact on Society of Teenage Tattooing Does the tattoo define the person, or does the person define the tattoo? In modern society tattoos are widely accepted except when applied to the skin of an adolescent. Adolescents with tattoos face judgment from a variety of people such as authoritative figures, parents, and their peers. This article (On Teenagers and Tattoos, by Andres Martin, MD. ) provides examples of how society views adolescents with tattoos. Tattoos are something we see on people on an everyday basis, but on adolescents, it is not very common.Many adults believe that those in the younger generation sometimes get tattoos to enrage affronts to their authority. Parents in general do not approve of their children decorating their bodies with modifications such as tattoos because of their irreversible and permanent nature. Like makeup, fashion or hairstyles tattoos can also be just another way to fit in with their peers. When give n the chance it is important to understand the motivations and significance of a tattoo before making an erroneous judgment.Tattooing is a way of fitting into a peer group or expressing one’s own individuality. Adolescents often turn to tattooing as a way to take back some control of their evolving bodies as well as their lives. When an adolescent feels that there is a lack of stability in his life (such as divorce, abandonment, and repeated family relocations) he may feel that getting a tattoo may return a sense of control and stability into his life. Adolescents are often influenced by peers to get a tattoo but do not put any thought into its permanence or how they may feel about it in the future.Author Andres Martin says â€Å"The frequency of self-made tattoos among hospitalized, incarcerated, or gang-affiliated youth suggests such motivations: a sense of stability may be a particularly dire need under temporary, turbulent or volatile conditions. † In every argumen t there are two sides to be heard, and the other side in this case is the adolescents. Adolescents believe in expressing themselves through art. They also believe tattoos are a way of representing their individuality. I believe that teenagers get tattoos for various reasons that are important to the person.Some get them for personal reasons such as a memorial tattoo for a deceased family member, or a ribbon to show support for someone fighting their battle with cancer. An inspirational quote such as a bible verse, poem, or a song lyric may also be another choice for the adolescents tattoo. Fantasy characters are also a popular choice. On the other hand there are various negative reasons teenagers get tattoos as well; for instance, to defy their parent’s authority, to represent a gang affiliation, to draw attention to themselves, and sometimes as a dare.I have observed that some older people have an aversion to tattoos on teenagers as opposed to some young parents that find it acceptable. Older people may assume that the adolescents tattoo is gang related or that they are a troubled youth. Some people believe that the parents of an adolescent with a tattoo may be neglectful or unaware of what is going on in their child’s life. Some older people are against body modifications of any form and look down on those who have them. After reading through this article I found that it thoroughly explains the pros and cons of adolescents with tattoos.Although I do respect the writers view on the subject, I disagree. I personally believe that as a part of growing up a teenager should be allowed to get a tattoo but only after being fully informed of the consequences that getting a tattoo may bring. Some of the problems that might ensue are possible rejection from a specific field of work for the visibility of a tattoo, a wrong assumption about the character of a person with a tattoo, or even later in life having to cover a tattoo or get it removed because your own personal feeling about it has changed.I personally have been debating on getting a tattoo myself, although my family doesn’t approve It’s my body and I will make the final decision. I am very well aware that in five maybe ten years from now I could quite possibly hate my tattoo and regret not listening to my family. I am also aware of how expensive and painful laser removal is but I’m prepared to suffer the consequences if and when I decide to get a tattoo. Most adolescents don’t think beyond the tattoo itself or its ramifications Martin, Andres. Baker College Composition. Revised Edition ed. Boston Ma: Pearson Learning Solutions, n. d. 320-23. Print