The Top 10 Must-Reads for Liberals

International Community Is Culpable For The Rwandan Genocide

From April to June 1994, in a mere 100 days, approximately 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered during the Rwandan genocide (Destexhe, 1994). The international community failed to prevent or stop this slaughter. Considering the horrific nature of this genocide and the vast number of victims, there is a question whether the international community is culpable for the Rwandan genocide; specifically, the role of its key players, the US, the UN, France and Belgium. I will argue that the international community is culpable and focus on three reasons for this inaction. A subsequent question is; what responsibilities do global actors have in preventing such atrocities? I feel that every country is responsible for protecting its citizens from genocide. Should a nation fail to safeguard its citizens from genocide, I feel that international community has an obligation to protect those citizens at risk. I will highlight the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine which was ratified by the UN some years following the Rwandan genocide, as the UN’s attempt to prevent the mistakes of Rwanda and other genocides. Background – Three Reasons for the International Community’s inaction in the Rwandan Genocide I feel that the international community is culpable for the Rwandan genocide and will focus on the three reasons for this inaction. First, inaction was due to national interests. As an example, the US decided not to take action in Rwanda as there was no perceivedShow MoreRelatedRwandan Genocide: The United States, France and the Failure of the UN Security Council. Between the3000 Words   |  12 PagesRwandan Genocide: The United States, France and the Failure of the UN Security Council. Between the months of April and July in 1994 approximately one million people were killed in Rwanda. There are three ethnic groups in Rwanda, Hutu, Tutsi, and Aboriginal Twa. The genocide occurred between two different groups, the Hutu and Tutsi people. The Hutu composed close to 85% of the population while the minority Tutsi people make up approximately 14% with the Twa people composing the remaining 1%. TheRead MoreGenocide in Rwanda: international response3465 Words   |  14 Pages000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed in the Rwandan genocide. It was the fastest, most efficient killing spree of the twentieth century. My thesis is that the international community utterly failed to prevent and stop this atrocity. I will focus on numerous interconnected aspects that led to international inaction and also on the main actors, Belgium, the United Nations Secretariat, the United States and France, that knew that there was genocide underway in Rwanda - therefore, they had a responsibi lityRead MoreCanadians Are Blame For The Rwandan Genocide2346 Words   |  10 PagesCanadians are Partly to blame for the Rwandan Genocide In 1994, over the course of 100 days, a genocide in Rwanda took the lives of 800,000 innocent men, women, and children and displaced 2 million more. The genocide was a result of tension that had been building since the Belgium colonization of Rwanda in 1916 between two ethnic group, the Hutus and the Tutsis. When Belgium colonized Rwanda, power was given to the Tutsis (an ethnic group in Rwanda that was 15% of the population) who became the

Pixar and Walt Disney Merger Free Essays

NEW YORK – Mickey Mouse and Nemo are now corporate cousins. Walt Disney has announced that it is buying Pixar, the animated studio led by Apple head Steve Jobs, in a deal worth $7. 4 billion. We will write a custom essay sample on Pixar and Walt Disney Merger or any similar topic only for you Order Now Speculation about a deal being imminent raged on Wall Street for the past few weeks. Disney has released all of Pixar’s films so far, but the companies’ current distribution deal was set to expire following the release of this summer’s â€Å"Cars. The merger brings together Disney’s historic franchise of animated characters, such as Mickey, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck, with Pixar’s stable of cartoon hits, including the two â€Å"Toy Story† films, â€Å"Finding Nemo† and â€Å"The Incredibles. † â€Å"Disney and Pixar can now collaborate without the barriers that come from two different companies with two different sets of shareholders,† said Jobs in a statement. â€Å"Now, everyone can focus on what is most important, creating innovative stories, characters and films that delight millions of people around the world. † As part of the deal, Jobs will become a board member of Disney, the companies said. And John Lasseter, the highly respected creative director at Pixar who had previously worked for Disney, will rejoin the House of Mouse as chief creative officer for the company’s combined animated studios and will also help oversee the design for new attractions at Disney theme parks. â€Å"The addition of Pixar significantly enhances Disney animation, which is a critical creative engine for driving growth across our businesses,† said Disney CEO Robert Iger in a written statement. During a conference call with analysts Tuesday, Iger said that acquisition discussions had been going on for the past several months. Jobs added that after a â€Å"lot of soul searching,† he came to the conclusion that it made the most sense for Pixar to align itself with Disney permanently instead of trying to distribute films on its own or sign with another movie studio partner. According to the terms of the deal, Disney (Research) will issue 2. 3 shares for each Pixar share. Based on Tuesday’s closing prices, that values Pixar at $59. 78 a share, about a 4 percent premium to Pixar’s current stock price. Shares of Pixar (Research) fell slightly in regular trading on the Nasdaq Tuesday but gained nearly 3 percent in after-hours trading. The stock has surged more than 10 percent so far this year on takeover speculation. Disney’s stock gained 1. 8 percent in regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange and was flat after-hours. Prior to the deal’s announcement, some Wall Street observers had speculated that Disney may be paying too much for Pixar. A source tells FORTUNE that some Disney board members also thought the price was too high. To that end, Disney chief financial officer Thomas Staggs said during the conference call that the deal would reduce Disney’s earnings slightly in fiscal 2006, which ends this September, as well as fiscal 2007. He added though that Pixar should add to earnings by fiscal 2008 and that Disney was still on track to post annual double-digit percentage gains in earnings through 2008. But one hedge fund manager said that the risk of Disney losing Pixar was too great. â€Å"The question isn’t did Disney pay too much but how expensive would it have been for Disney if Pixar fell into someone else’s hands,† said Barry Ritholtz, chief investment officer with Ritholtz Capital Partners, a hedge fund that focuses on media and technology stocks. Jeffrey Logsdon, an analyst with Harris Nesbitt, agreed with that assessment. He said that Pixar’s â€Å"success quotient† justified the price of the deal. Pixar has yet to have a flop with its six animated movies. They have grossed more than $3. 2 billion worldwide, according to movie tracking research firm Box Office Mojo. Disney, however, has struggled in the computer-generated animated movie arena. Even though its most recent CG-animated film, â€Å"Chicken Little† performed better than many had expected at the box office, it was not as big a hit as any of the Pixar films. â€Å"Robert Iger has made no secret of the fact that he wanted to get the animated business back to where it was. It’s what Disney has known for but the movies they did in-house did not do as well as the ones they did with Pixar,† said Michael Cuggino, a fund manager who owns about 100,000 shares of Disney in the Permanent Portfolio and Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth funds. Pixar has yet to announce what movies it is working on after â€Å"Cars,† however. It is believed that Pixar’s next film about a rat living in a fancy Parisian restaurant, tentatively titled â€Å"Ratatouille† may be released on 2007 and that a â€Å"Toy Story 3† may be in the works as well. Jobs said during the conference call that nothing has been decided about future Pixar releases yet, but added that the company feels strongly about making sequels to some of its previous hits. And Iger said that announced plans for Disney-produced animated films, including the release of â€Å"American Dog† in 2008 and â€Å"Rapunzel Unbraided† in 2009, are still on track. It would have been unthinkable to imagine Disney and Pixar teaming up just a few years ago. The two companies broke off talks to extend their current distribution agreement in 2004 due to a strained relationship between Jobs and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. But since Iger succeeded Eisner last year, he has extended an olive branch to Jobs. Disney and Apple have already announced several online programming deals during the past few months. Disney now has agreements in place to sell hit ABC prime time shows, such as â€Å"Desperate Housewives† and â€Å"Lost†, as well as content from ABC Sports and ESPN on Apple’s popular iTunes music and video store. Cuggino said the addition of Jobs, who will also become Disney’s largest individual shareholder, to Disney’s board could mean that more innovative digital deals could be in the works. â€Å"Jobs is a dynamic personality who knows consumer electronics. It’s an opportunity to bring some youthful energetic thinking to Disney’s board. † Disney, like many other large media companies, has seen its stock price stagnate during the past year as investors have flocked to more rapidly growing digital media firms such as Apple as well as search engines Google (Research) and Yahoo! Research) But Logsdon said the acquisition of Pixar could help Disney increase revenue throughout all of its business lines. So even though some may be quibbling in the short-term about how much Disney had to spend, he thinks Disney made the right move. â€Å"It’s a smart strategic deal,† Logsdon said. â€Å"The benefit in theme parks, consumer products and cable will p robably make this deal look a lot smarter a year or two from now. â€Å" How to cite Pixar and Walt Disney Merger, Essay examples

Lean Practices on Inventory Turnover †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Lean Practices on Inventory Turnover. Answer: Introduction Blackmores Private Limited is a company which makes revenue by selling health care products for both human and for animals. These healthcare products include vitamins, herbal products and various mineral nutritional. The company is having more than 20% share of vitamin and supplement manufacturing industry. The company is working in consumer defensive sector. The company is performing its business in Asia and Australia. Companys Asian head office is in Singapore. Companys Chief executive officer is Mr. RichardHenfrey and chief financial officer is Mr. AaronCanning. The company started in the 1930s and has been operated as the market leader for more than 80 years. Companys head office is situated at 20 Jubilee Avenue, Warriewood, Australia. Companys financial year end on 30 June every year. Latest financial year of the company starts on 1 July 2015 and ends on 30 June 2016. Company independent auditor for the latest financial year was Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. As per the auditors of t he company financial statements of the company is in accordance with the Corporations regulation act 2001. The closing price of company stock on the closing of the market for 29 August 2017 was AUD 97.99 and dividend per share is AUD 1.3 this is on the basis of dividend paid by the company in last quarter (Googal finance, 2017). This report is presented for making analysis regarding the financial statements of Blackmores Private Limited company on the basis of financial statements of the company for the year ended on 30 June 2016. This report will also present companys position in the industry in which company currently running. This report will use ratio analysis and trend analysis for making conclusions regarding the current financial position of the company. Blackmores Private Limited is operating in the vitamin and supplement manufacturing industry. This industry needs a lot of capital investment for manufacturing and packing its produce. This industry needs a higher level of knowledge for using chemical components and machine operations. Companies performing in this industry also need to cope up with latest techniques and efficient workforce which can handle the latest technology. The company is having a vision of business stability. The company is having the objective to capture a major market share of the industry and is a company who provides support to workforce and commitment to the market. The industry in which company is working is growing and will always be in growth phase because the production of this industry is all time requirement for consumers (Blackmores, 2016). Financial statement analysis This statement shows the income and expenditure made by the company during the accounting period and net profit earned or loss suffered by the company due to the financial performance of the company during the year (Hoyle, Schaefer, Doupnik, 2015). In the present case companys profitability showing following results, Year ended 30 June 2014 2015 2016 Gross profit $106,637,000 $323,865,000 $502,948,000 Net profit $25,429,000 $46,556,000 $100,008,000 Income from operations $38,798,000 $70,521,000 $144,176,000 Gross profit shows profit earned by company from direct activities. It directly related to the revenue made by company and cost incurred for production. In the present case, such gross profit is having growing trend means the company is having good profitability position from a gross profit point of view. Net profit shows profit earned by company from all activities. In the present case, such net profit is having growing trend means the company is having good profitability position from a net profit point of view. Operating profit shows profit earned by company from operating activities. In the present case, such operating profit is having growing trend means the company is also having good profitability position from operating profit point of view. Trend analysis of the company shows following results year 2014 2015 2016 Revenue 346760000 100.00% 471615000 100.00% 717211000 100.00% Cost of revenue 240123000 69.25% 147750000 31.33% 214263000 29.87% Gross profit 106637000 30.75% 323865000 68.67% 502948000 70.13% Operating expenses 67839000 19.56% 253344000 53.72% 358772000 50.02% Operating income 38798000 11.19% 70521000 14.95% 144176000 20.10% Other expense 3835000 1.11% 1689000 0.36% 765000 0.11% Income before taxes 34963000 10.08% 68832000 14.59% 143411000 20.00% Provision for income taxes 9534000 2.75% 22276000 4.72% 43391000 6.05% Net income from continuing operations 25429000 7.33% 46556000 9.87% 100020000 13.95% Net income 25429000 7.33% 46556000 9.87% 100008000 13.94% Tread analysis presents that from the year 2014 to 2015 companies cost of revenue decline significantly and operating expenses increase significantly it means there may be any change for classification of expense from the cost of revenue to operating expense. Annual report of the company does not disclose regarding any significant change in the accounting policies of the company. Statement of financial position Statement of financial position represents the total assets, total liabilities and total equity of the company (Kieso, Weygandt, Warfield, 2010). It satisfies the basic accounting equation i.e. total assets must be equal to total liabilities and total equity. In the present case, this equation is satisfied by company in this way, 2014 2015 2016 Total assets $236,594,000 $293,407,000 $ 434,023,000 Total liabilities $132,368,000 $160,492,000 $ 255,760,000 Total stockholders' equity $104,226,000 $132,915,000 $ 178,263,000 Total liabilities and equity $236,594,000 $293,407,000 $ 434,023,000 It can be easily analysis by any accounting professional that companys figures relating to the financial position of company satisfy the accounting equation i.e. total assets must be equal to total liabilities and total equity. Trend analysis of the company showing following results, Year 2014 2015 2016 Assets current assets 131376000 55.53% 187844000 64.02% 294624000 67.88% non-current assets 105218000 44.47% 105563000 35.98% 139399000 32.12% Total assets 236594000 100.00% 293407000 100.00% 434023000 100.00% Liabilities and stockholders' equity Liabilities Total current liabilities 58040000 24.53% 114998000 39.19% 192279000 44.30% non-current liabilities 74328000 31.42% 45494000 15.51% 63481000 14.63% Total liabilities 132368000 55.95% 160492000 54.70% 255760000 58.93% stockholders' equity 104226000 44.05% 132915000 45.30% 178263000 41.07% Total liabilities and equity 236594000 100.00% 293407000 100.00% 434023000 100.00% Trend analysis of the companys balance sheet shows that there are no major changes made by a company in financing method i.e. debt financing and equity financing of the company over the three years remains approximately in same ratios. In addition to this companys current and non-current assets are also not showing any major changes these remain with the approximately with the same ratio. ratios of current and non-current changed and current obligations increased means company will need more current assets for paying that current obligation. Annual report of the company does not disclose regarding any significant change in the accounting policies of the company. Statement of cash flow Cash flow statement of a company is a statement which shows the flow of cash irrespective of accrual concept of accounting. It considers only cash related activities. Cash flow statement of a company divided into three parts i.e. operating, financing and investing (DRURY, 2013). In the present case companys cash from operating activities and net income showing following amounts, Year 2014 2015 2016 Cash from operating activities $37,491,000.00 $71,127,000.00 $83,676,000.00 Net income $25,429,000.00 $46,556,000.00 $100,008,000.00 In 2014 and 2015 cash from operating activities is more than net income means that either company received advances from customers or received prior dues or creditors of the company become overdue and did not paid by company or company paid prior advances which are utilized in the year ending 2014. In 2016 cash from operating activities is less than net income means that either company paid advances to customers or did not received prior dues or creditors of company paid by company or company did not paid prior advances which are utilized in the year ending 2014. Cash from investing activities shows following result in the Blackmores Private Limited, Year 2014 2015 2016 Net cash from investing activities $ (4,313,000) $ (3,191,000) $ (39,939,000) Negative cash from investing activities shows that company made cash outflow for making an investment in non-current assets more than the cash inflow realized due to the sale of non-current assets (Fraser, Ormiston, Fraser, 2010). In the present case companys cash from operating activities showing net flow means company made expansion of business by inserting new non-current assets in the pool of assets of the company in all three years. Companys cash flow statement from financing activities showing following results, Year 2014 2015 2016 Debt issue $ 13,857,000 Debt repayment $ (14,000,000) $ (29,000,000) Common stock issue $ 2,301,000 Dividend paid $ (18,087,000) $ (22,703,000) $ (57,704,000) Other financing activities $ (6,000) Net cash from financing activities $ (32,093,000) $ (51,703,000) $ (41,546,000) Above data shows that companys most relevant source of finance is debts. The company can make cash inflow either by issuing debts or by issuing equity. Overall cash increased and decreased over the past three years are, year 2014 2015 2016 Net cash from operating activities $ 37,491,000 $ 71,127,000 $ 83,676,000 Net cash from investing activities $ (4,313,000) $ (3,191,000) $ (39,939,000) Net cash from financing activities $ (32,093,000) $ (51,703,000) $ (41,546,000) Net change in cash $ 636,000 $ 18,332,000 $ 722,000 Liquidity ratios show the short term position of the company these ratios always maintain by the company at a moderate level so that short-term obligation can be fulfilled by short term assets and excess of the fund will not remain for wrong utilization. In the present case liquidity ratios of the company showing following results, Year 2014 2015 2016 Working capital $73,336,000 $72,846,000 $102,345,000 Current ratio 2.26 1.63 1.53 Receivable turnover ratio 4.91 4.40 5.33 Average days sales uncollected 74.28 82.87 68.52 Inventory turnover 6.20 3.82 1.84 Average days inventory on hand 58.89 95.52 198.44 A current ratio over the years decline means company started to maintain lower current assets it is not good for the company because it may create a problem in case of unexpected obligations. Average days sales uncollected shows credit period of the company which is declining, this is good for the company because lower credit period will help the company in earlier cash realization. Inventory turnover ratio shows a number of times company sale its inventory (Demeter Matyusz, 2011). This ratio is declining it denotes that companys stock become moving or obsolete hence company requires to take steps to check why the stock is slow moving. Profitability ratios Profitability ratios are the ratios which denote profitability condition of the company. Higher profitability denotes higher growth, hence these ratios must have increasing trend so that company could make growth with increasing rate. In the present case, companys profitability ratios showing following results, Year 2014 2015 2016 Profit margin 7.33% 9.87% 13.94% Asset Turnover 1.47 1.61 1.65 ROA 10.75% 15.87% 23.04% ROE 24.40% 35.03% 56.10% All profitability ratios of the company showing increasing trend, it means that the company is operating with efficiency and company should maintain this level of performance and make effors to enhance this performance. Long term solvency Following are the long term solvency ratios of company, Year 2014 2015 2016 Debt to equity 1.27 1.21 1.43 Interest coverage 7.56 18.33 63.46 Debt equity ratio shows debt financing by the company in comparison of equity financing of the company. In 2015 to 2016 increase in this ratio is due to new debt issuance. This ratio shows that company is believing more on debt financing which may create problem to the company in case of non-availability of funds on the repayment date. Interest coverage ratios show that how many times interest can pay by the company from the operating profits of the company. Increase in this ratio is good for the company. Cash flow adequacy Year 2014 2015 2016 Cash flow yield 1.47 1.53 0.84 Cash flows to sales 0.11 0.15 0.12 Cash flows to assets 0.16 0.24 0.19 Market strength Ratios Following results are presented by the market strength ratios of company, Year 2014 2015 2016 Price $ 138.00 $ 78.65 $ 27.37 earnings per share $ 1.49 $ 2.70 $ 5.81 Conclusion Financial analysis of Blackmores Private Limited shows that company is doing good from the financial prospective except debt financing. Blackmores require decrease its debt financing and increase equity financing so that risk could be minimized. Works Cited (2016). FINANCIALREPORT. Retrieved August 2017, 29, from https://www.google.co.in: https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=2cad=rjauact=8ved=0ahUKEwiTytToyPzVAhVCLY8KHc5RC2kQFggtMAEurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackmores.com.au%2F~%2Fmedia%2Ffiles%2Finvestor-centre%2Fannual-and-half-yearly-reports%2Ffy17%2F1h-2017-f Demeter, K., Matyusz, Z. (2011). The impact of lean practices on inventory turnover. International Journal of Production Economics , 133 (1), 154-163. DRURY, C. (2013). Management and cost accounting. Fraser, L., Ormiston, A., Fraser, L. (2010). Understanding financial statements. Googal finance. (2017). Blackmores Limited. Retrieved August 29, 2017, from https://www.google.com: https://www.google.com/finance?q=ASX:BKL Hoyle, J., Schaefer, T., Doupnik, T. (2015). Advanced accounting. McGraw Hill. Kieso, D., Weygandt, J., Warfield, T. (2010). Intermediate accounting: IFRS edition. John Wiley Sons.

History Of Singing Styles Essays - Vocal Music, Drama, Opera

History of Singing Styles History of Singing Styles There have been distinct stages in the development of music and particularly singing over the previous hundreds of years. Looking back now we can easily see where certain things interlinked to create a new style or method of singing. From the western side of things, the first significant frame was the operatic movement. This began in the early 1600's with the first ever Opera 1602. It was called Orpheo and was written by Monteverdi. The singing style that existed between 1600 and 1750 was known as Baroque. Baroque basically referred to a pure sound without verbrato. Some words to describe this is ornamental and florid. An example of a composition from this time is Handel's Messiah. Between 1750-1800 was the classical era with many famous composers emerging. One such composer was Mozart who had success with his comic operas and the requiem mass. 1800-1900 was known as the Romantic period. This period started to involve verbrato in the singing. This was a big change from the previous eras as there was focus on a huge sound rather than simplicity. The main element of the romantics was the drama and emotion. A type of style from the Romantic period was Lieder, which is German. Lieder were full of emotion and drama. It played an important role in the development of opera and involved piano and voice duets. The contrast between Romantic and Classical is that woman usually sang the latter. On the other hand men mostly sang Romantics. From 1900 onwards came diversity. Opera expanded into different areas with once such area being called atonal. As with many of these styles, the Germans devised this and it was a great strain to the singers. Atonal was made up of non-singing things like shouting, whispering, screaming, muttering and laughing. Once such 20th century vocal performance in this style was Verklaerte Nacht (The Transfigured night) by Sceoenberg. It was made up of a mixture of the usual atonal style and also had no singing at all. Movement around the stage rhythmically was present. This bizarre style of music ended around 1940 and with Wagner plus his long Operas the musicals started. Gilbert and Sullivan made themselves famous by writing successful comical operas. This passed through with My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls all the way to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his works. So opera became musicals. The other major influence on today's music came from the Black American culture. Early on black slaves were brought to America and introduced their music to Western culture by singing in the churches etc. This developed the Negro spirituals and eventually along came things like the blues. Artists like Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith grounded a new style of music. Music styles in singing have split up into a wide variety of directions during the 20th century. After Rock'n'Roll came in during the 60's many different ideas of music emerged with things like R and B, Pop, Rap etc all emerging. There is now acceptance of new sounds like an untrained voice singing harshly with Jimmy Barnes being a prime example of this. Music and Singing fashions with what's hot changes each year and it can all be traced back to opera in the 17th century and the black slaves bringing their music to the other side of the world. We have all benefited by this in some way.

The Archaeology of Ancient Peru and Central Andes

The Archaeology of Ancient Peru and Central Andes Ancient Peru traditionally corresponds to the South American area of the Central Andes, one of the archaeological macro-areas of South America archaeology. Beyond encompassing all Peru, the Central Andes reach toward the  north, the border with Ecuador, westward the lake Titicaca basin in Bolivia, and south the border with Chile. The amazing ruins of the Moche, Inca, Chimà º, along with Tiwanaku in Bolivia, and the early sites of Caral and Paracas, among many others, make the Central Andes probably the most studied area of all South America. For a long time, this interest in Peruvian archaeology has been at the expense of other South American regions, affecting not only our knowledge about the rest of the continent but also the connections of the Central Andes with other areas. Fortunately, this trend is now reversing, with archaeological projects focusing on all South American regions and their reciprocal relations. Central Andes Archaeological Regions The Andes obviously represent the most dramatic and important landmark of this sector of South America. In ancient times, and to some extent, in the present, this chain shaped the climate, the economy, the communication system, the ideology and religion of its inhabitants. For this reason, archaeologists have subdivided this region into different zones from north to south, each separated into coast and highland. Central Andes Culture Areas Northern Highlands: it includes the valley of the Maraà ±on river, the Cajamarca valley, Callejon de Huaylas (where the important site of Chavin de Huantar is located, and home of the Recuay culture) and Huanuco valley; North Coast: Moche, Viru, Santa and Lambayeque valleys. This subarea was the heart of the Moche culture and the Chimu kingdom.Central Highlands: Mantaro, Ayacucho (where the site of Huari is located) valleys; Central Coast: Chancay, Chillon, Supe, and Rimac valleys. This subarea  was strongly influenced by the Chavin culture and has important Preceramic and Initial period sites.Southern Highlands: Apurimac and Urubamba valley (site of Cuzco), the heartland of the Inca empire during the Late Horizon period; Southern Coast: Paracas peninsula, Ica, Nazca valleys. The South coast was the center of the Paracas culture, famous for its multicolor textiles and pottery, of the Ica pottery style, as well as the Nazca culture with its polychrome pottery and enigmatic geoglyph s.Titicaca Basin: Highland region at the border between Peru and Bolivia, around the lake Titicaca. An important site of Pucara, as well as the famous Tiwanaku (also spelled as Tiahuanaco). Far South: This includes the area at the  border between Peru and Chile and the region of Arequipa and Arica, with the important burial site of Chinchorro in northern Chile. The Central Andean population were densely settled into villages, large towns, and cities on the coast as well as in the highlands. People were divided into distinct social classes since very early times. Important to all ancient Peruvian societies was ancestor worship, often manifested through ceremonies involving mummy bundles. Central Andes Interrelated Environments Some archaeologists use for ancient Peru culture history the term â€Å"vertical archipelago† to emphasize how important was for people living in this region the combination of highland and coastal products. This archipelago of different natural zones, moving from the coast (west) to the inland regions and the mountains (east), provided abundant and different resources. This mutual dependence on different environmental zones that make up the Central Andean region is also visible in the local iconography, which since very early times featured animals, like felines, fish, serpents, birds coming from different areas such as the desert, the ocean, and the jungle. Central Andes and Peruvian Subsistence Basic to the Peruvian subsistence, but available only through exchange between different zones, were products such as maize, potatoes, lima beans, common beans, squashes, quinoa, sweet potatoes, peanuts, manioc, chili peppers, avocados, along with cotton (probably the first domesticated plant in South America), gourds, tobacco and coca. Important animals were camelids such as domesticated llamas and wild vicuà ±a, alpaca and guanaco, and guinea pigs. Important Sites Chan Chan, Chavin de Huantar, Cusco, Kotosh, Huari, La Florida, Garagay, Cerro Sechà ­n, Sechà ­n Alto, Guitarrero Cave, Pukara, Chiripa, Cupisnique, Chinchorro, La Paloma, Ollantaytambo, Macchu Pichu, Pisaq, Recuay, Gallinazo, Pachacamac, Tiwanaku, Cerro Baul, Cerro Mejia, Sipan, Caral, Tampu Machay, Caballo Muerto Complex, Cerro Blanco, Paà ±amarca, El Brujo, Cerro Galindo, Huancaco, Pampa Grande, Las Haldas, Huanuco Pampa, Lauricocha, La Cumbre, Huaca Prieta, Piedra Parada, Aspero, El Paraiso, La Galgada, Cardal, Cajamarca, Cahuachi, Marcahuamachuco, Pikillaqta, Sillustani, Chiribaya, Cinto, Chotuna, Batan Grande, Tucume. Sources Isbell William H. and Helaine Silverman, 2006, Andean Archaeology III. North and South. Springer Moseley, Michael E., 2001, The Inca and their Ancestor. The Archaeology of Peru. Revised Edition, Thames and Hudson

Brittany maynard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brittany maynard - Essay Example This itself becomes a testament to the fear of not complete living, which is what Brittany Maynard’s husband feared in the first place. Overall, the ethics regarding euthanasia and tube feeding are going to be very imperative in the future. Medical professionals must have a balanced approach to tackle these issues that will continue to be prevalent in near sight. In accordance to Oregon state law regarding death with dignity, a brain tumor is recorded as the official cause of death on her death certificate. For example in which a patient is explicit in their decision making. In Brittany Maynard case, this was true. As a matter of fact, when a patient denies treatment- it is the moral obligation of the medical professional to question the motives and the justification to not be provided with treatment. It was clear that medical professionals do have the right to indulge in this issue, even if seems to be highly personal. Maynard married Daniel Esteban, who did not have much say in this say. I felt that he should give his perspective on this issue. Confronting Death: Who Chooses? Who Controls? A Dialogue between Dax Cowart and Robert Burt . (n.d.). Digital Common Laws. Retrieved August 11, 2014, from

Psychological Traits and Characteristics and how they are linked with Assignment

Psychological Traits and Characteristics and how they are linked with criminal behavior - Assignment Example 146). Although this is a working definition, it does not adequately tell what personality is and how it relates to crime. However, many psychologists have discovered that there are many personality traits that seem to be associated with crime. Some of these include: â€Å"self-assertiveness, narcissism, suspicion, destructiveness, mental instability, hostility [and] poor personal skills† (Siegel, p. 146). Those people who exist within a deviant personality also are seen as having a criminal personality. The challenge with this idea is that there are no sure ways of defining what a person is like who has a particularly criminal personality. Theories of Personality and Crime There are many theories that suggest that there is a link between personality and crime. Eysenck (1968) was the first psychologist to suggest that sociology theories did not work well when talking about criminal behavior. Instead, he said that biology and the environment came together to create a criminal. H e believed that there were four dimensions to the criminal mind and that it was linked to the amount of extroversion and neuroticism that an individual experienced through their environment. He believed that a simple personality test could tell whether an individual would be a criminal or not. He believed that criminals were somehow â€Å"developmentally immature† (Sammons, p. ... Cognitive theories are often mentioned in relationship to crime because many experts think that criminals may have skewed cognitive processes. In this case, the individual may not have had a positive opportunity to develop their cognitive senses normally. Instead, they rely on scripts that they were taught in childhood that tell them what they should do in any situation (Siegel, 2009). In these cases, the individual may have seen many things as children that shaped their attitudes and ideas about how they should relate to others, what their behavior should be in certain situations, and how they should view the world. This type of thinking can lead them into problems later as they explore the world around them. According to Siegel, the perception changes in some people as they grow older and they mature if they are begin to understand reasoning in a different way. Biosocial theories are also important to consider in this discussion because there is evidence that both biology and envir onment play a part in whether a person turns to criminal activity or not. The earlier theorists believed that there was only a single aspect of life that was important to criminal behavior. As an example, a person who was feeble or who had less intelligence than someone else may turn to crime. The next set of biological theories suggested that individuals had some influence, but environment had more to do with criminal behavior than biology. Today, these theories suggest that both environment and biology have something to do with criminal behavior (Vito, Maahs, and Holmes, 2007). The challenge for experts is that no one really knows what will turn a person to crime, but environment and biology do have some say in

The Effect of Learing Styles With Young Learners Research Paper

The Effect of Learing Styles With Young Learners - Research Paper Example This paper stresses that traditional methods of teaching never addressed the needs of each and every people in the class. The teacher often adopts a common strategy for everyone irrespective of whether the student is brilliant or not. The teacher never bothered about teaching individually. In the traditional methods of teaching, punishments were implemented as part of motivating the students. Traditional methods never focused in developing the skills of the students. It focused simply in injecting volumes of content into the minds of the students. In other words, traditional methods emphasized more on knowledge and understanding while avoiding the needs of application and the skill development. As per the current learning concepts, the curriculum is revolving around the student rather than the teacher. The needs of the students have given more priority in the current classroom teaching methods. Based on these changing concepts of learning, the learning styles were given more importan ce in the present curriculum. This report makes a conclusion that learning styles have an important role in helping the student for proper learning. Different students may have different learning styles because of their individual differences due to heredity and environment. Instead of avoiding passive students, the teachers should try to understand the learning styles of each student and in order to teach them effectively and to make them active in the classroom. The teacher should adopt audio, video mediums along with kinesthetic and tactile mediums for making the learning meaningful. Meta cognitive system is more dominant compared to the cognitive system in the learning process and the teacher must realize it in order to devise effective teaching strategies.

14-3-3 Protein Analysis | Essay

14-3-3 Protein Analysis | Essay INTRODUCTION 14-3-3 represents a family of highly conserved, 28-33 kDa, acidic dimeric proteins. [B, H1] These proteins were first identified and isolated by Moore and Perez during their systematic study of protein fractions from mammalian brain tissue. [B1] Their nomenclature reflects the system used by the researchers to classify the various protein fractions, based on their migration pattern on starch gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional DEAE chromatography. [D1] Initially it was thought that the occurrence of these proteins was confined to neuronal tissue, where they were found to be present in concentrations as high as 13.3 ÃŽ ¼g/ml. [B19] However, subsequent studies showed that they are in fact widely distributed and ubiquitously expressed in most mammalian tissues. [B] Apart from mammalian tissue, orthologous proteins with a high degree of similarity have also been identified in other organisms including plants, yeast, insects and amphibians. [B] Interestingly, though no prokaryotic ancestor has been identified for the 14-3-3 gene, eukaryotes are known to express multiple isotypes, encoded by highly similar gene sequences. [A, G13] Drosophila and yeast each contain two 14-3-3 genes, Arabidopsis species have 15, while the human genome contains seven closely related 14-3-3 genes. [G13-G16] These genes encode the seven different 14-3-3 isotypes found in human cells – namely ÃŽ ², ÃŽ ³, ÏÆ', ÃŽ µ, ÃŽ ·, Ï„, and ÃŽ ¶. Two additional isoforms – ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ´, represent the phosphorylated varieties of ÃŽ ² and ÃŽ ¶ respectively. [D7] By virtue of their conserved sequences, the different 14-3-3 isoforms display a similar tertiary structure. Crystallographic studies show that each subunit is made up of nine anti-parallel ÃŽ ± helices, which are able to self-assemble into dimers [F1]; with four of the nine helices participating in this process of dimerization. [A] While certain isoforms such as ÏÆ' and ÃŽ ³ show propensity towards the formation of homodimers, other isoforms like ÃŽ µ prefer to heterodimerize. [H] Structural analyses have also revealed that each monomer contains an amphipathic concave channel through which it interacts with its target proteins. [F13] Since each of the subunits of the dimer contain an independent ligand-binding groove, these proteins can interact with two different binding sites present on the same or different target proteins [H3] The targets of 14-3-3 proteins were first studied by Muslin et. al. in 1995, who determined that these proteins interact with phosphorylated serine-containing binding partners in a sequence specific manner. [A2] Thus, this came about to be the first family of proteins discovered to have an affinity for phosphoserine-specific targets. More specifically, Yaffe et. al. in 1997 identified two putative high-affinity motifs, bearing the sequences RSXpSXP and RXXXpSXP, where pS stands for phosphoserine, R stands for Arginine, P is proline and X is any amino acid. [] These were found to be the consensus sequences for 14-3-3 binding, and were called the mode I and mode II binding motifs respectively. [A21] However not all the 14-3-3 binding partners conform to these motifs and neither are all 14-3-3-target interactions found to be phosphorylation-dependent. [H] Though, a small percentage of 14-3-3 targets do not conform, in general it can be said that, proteins that interact with the 14-3-3 family are usually found to be globular proteins that contain either the mode I or mode II binding motifs within an unstructured region of the peptide. [PG] Interestingly, despite the fact that the different isotypes share a similar structure and show complete conservation of sequence in the ligand-binding region, not all the isotypes of 14-3-3 bind equivalently to their ligands in vivo and the pathways in which the individual isoforms participate have diverged considerably. This isoform specificity cannot be explained solely on the basis of 14-3-3 binding to the consensus sequence. [A, PA] It has hence been speculated that this isoform-specificity may be attributed either to differences in subcellular localization and/or tissue-specific transcriptional regulation rather than inherent differences in their ligand-binding ability. [D] Consequently, the various isoforms of the protein are found to bind different ligands and hence influence distinct cellular pathways and processes. Some of the ligands postulated on the basis of database searches include Raf1, CDC25C, polyoma middle T antigen, BAD, 5’AMP Kinase and PLC ÃŽ ³. [PA] Studies conducted in the late 1990’s demonstrated the ability of 14-3-3 proteins to interact with a number of different protein phosphatases and kinases in the cell, thus influencing multiple signalling pathways within the cell. [D] The mechanism of action of the 14-3-3 family of proteins is based on their ability to alter the stability, the catalytic activity or the subcellular localization of their targets. [H] 14-3-3 dimers being highly rigid, they are able to induce conformational changes in their target proteins as well as generate steric hindrance upon binding. Together, these forces can prevent molecular interactions by modulating the accessibility of the ligand to enzymes; and they can also serve to expose or hide localization motifs such as NES and NLS. [H] The first cellular activity to be attributed to 14-3-3 was that of an activator of tryptophan and tyrosine hydroxylases, rate-limiting enzymes that regulate the biosynthesis of catecholamine and serotonin neurotransmitter, as reported by Ichimura and co-workers. [B20] Subsequently it was discovered that 14-3-3 proteins could regulate the activity of signal transduction molecule protein kinase C. [D3,D4] This and other findings led to the implication that 14-3-3 proteins could act as novel chaperone proteins that are able to modulate the interactions between the different constituents of signal transduction pathways. [D5] Today it is known that 14-3-3 protein dimers are able to interact with a wide array of proteins within the cell including signalling molecules, apoptosis factors, tumor supressors, transcription factors, biosynthetic enzymes as well as cytoskeletal proteins; as a result of which they play crucial roles in the regulation of multiple cellular process such as the onset of cellular differentiation, and senescence, DNA repair and the maintenance of cell cycle check point, co-ordination of motility and adhesion and the prevention of apoptosis [A,H] REVIEW OF LITERATURE 14-3-3 proteins are crucial in the regulation of many cellular functions. An implication of their involvement in this multitude of processes is that any mutation, loss of regulation or altered expression of these proteins can lead them to be associated with major diseases. Through their involvement in the regulation of various tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, 14-3-3 proteins are thought to be potentially involved in cancerous transformation and the development of malignancies. [Z11] They are also known to be associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, ataxia and Parkinson’s disease. [MT1, MT2, MT3, MT4] The causes of these diseases are poorly understood and hence this family of proteins has been the focus of study of several research groups around the world, leading to numerous publications investigating all the different aspects. This section summarizes the literature elucidating the properties and functions of 14-3-3 proteins that have helped shape the rationale behind this project. A special focus is maintained on current literature that highlights role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in the cell cycle and in desmosome assembly, as well as its recently discovered ATPase activity. Human 14-3-3 isoforms The members of the 14-3-3 family are among the most abundant proteins in the cell. It has been established that owing to their interaction with diverse targets, 14-3-3 proteins are known to be involved in a multitude of processes, including the control of gene transcription, metabolism, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. [C] However, not all 14-3-3 proteins carry out the same functions. The table below provides an overview of the properties of the various human 14-3-3 isoforms: 14-3-3 isoform Official symbol Official full name Chrom-osome location No. of amino acids Mol.Wt. (kDa) Interactions, functions and disorders 14-3-3 ÃŽ ² YWHAB Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, beta 20 q13.1 246 27.95 shown to interact with CDC25 phosphatases and RAF1 may play a role in relaying mitogenic signaling to the cell cycle machinery 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ YWHAG Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, gamma 7 q11.23 247 28.12 interacts with RAF1, CDC25C and protein kinase C induced by growth factors in human vascular smooth muscle cells also expressed significantly in heart and skeletal muscles 14-3-3 ÏÆ' YWHAS, SFN Stratifin 1 p36.11 248 27.64 known to interact with PLK4, ERRFI1, MARK3, JUB expressed in epithelial cells 14-3-3 ÃŽ µ YWHAE Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, epsilon 17 p13.3 255 29.03 interacts with RAF1, CDC25 phosphatases, and IRS1 proteins plays a role in pathways related to signal transduction, cell division and regulation of insulin sensitivity implicated in the pathogenesis of small-cell lung cancer 14-3-3 ÃŽ · YWHAH Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, eta 22 q12.3 246 28.09 contains a repeating sequence, 7 bp in length, in its 5 UTR changes in the number of repeats are associated with conditions such as psychotic bipolar disorder and schizophrenia 14-3-3 Ï„/ÃŽ ¸ YWHAQ Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, theta 2 p25.1 245 27.63 found to be over-expressed in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also expressed in T cells 14-3-3 ÃŽ ¶ YWHAZ Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, zeta 8 q23.1 245 27.61 interacts with IRS1 protein may play a role in regulating insulin sensitivity 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is an adapter protein that is known to be involved in the regulation of a wide range of signalling pathways, both general and specialized. This protein is encoded by a gene designated YWHAG, which was mapped to the chromosome 7q11.23 by Horie et. al. in 1999 [Z2] A study of its binding partners in a yeast two-hybrid study revealed that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ may have as many as 130 potential ligands. [PG 4] There are reports which link the overexpression of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ and its high titres in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with certain neurodegenerative disorders such as Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s. [A129, A131] This protein is also thought to to be involved in the process of carcinogenesis. Although 14-3-3 ÏÆ' is the isoform that has been most extensively studied for its association with human cancers, there are also several ongoing studies which attempt to establish a correlation between 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ expression and the development of tumours. This includes the work of Jieqiang Lv. et. al. which was able to demonstrate through proteomic analysis that a reduced expression of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is observed in patients with uterine tumours. [Z10] The role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in cancer can be better appreciated by understanding its role in the cell cycle and its regulation. Role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in the cell cycle 14-3-3 proteins play a major role in the regulation of cell cycle through the interaction with various cell cycle proteins. The main targets for 14-3-3 regulation are the Cdc25 proteins. Cdc25 is a family of protein phosphatases comprising the members Cdc25A, Cdc25B and Cdc25C, which are active during different phases of the cell cycle. Cdc25A participates in the regulation of G1/S transition, whereas Cdc25B and Cdc25C regulate G2/M transition. [z3] Cdc25c has been specifically implicated in the activation of the CDK1-cyclinB1 complex by removing inhibitory phosphorylations at T14 and Y15, which advances the cell cycle from G2 to M phase. The overexpression of this protein has been seen to result in mitotic catastrophe in the cell due to premature mitosis. [E28] Therefore the expression and function of Cdc25C needs to be tightly regulated; and 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ plays a crucial role in this regulation. [E29] During the interphase, 14-3-3 proteins bind to Cdc25C and sequester it in the cytoplasm by occluding the NLS, preventing it from accessing the CDK1-cyclinB1 complex in the nucleus and thus in essence inactivating it. [E28] Dalal et. al. showed that though all the 14-3-3 proteins were able to carry out this function in vitro, only 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ and ÃŽ µ were found to bind to and thus inhibit Cdc25C in vivo. [] This binding however was found to require the phosphorylation of a specific serine residue at position 216 in human cells, usually carried out by TAK1 and other similar kinases. [E30, z4] Cdc25C is also known to be a target of the DNA replication and DNA damage checkpoints that exert their effects through the phosphorylation of S216 by kinases like Chk1 and Chk2. [z5, z6, z7] This phosphorylation thus generates a high-affinity motif that is able to bind to 14-3-3 proteins present in the cytosol. A schematic representation of this process is provided in the figure below. In the absence of 14-3-3 proteins, this regulation of Cdc25C is disrupted and a result, cells lose their ability to stop cycling upon loss of integrity of their DNA. To this effect, a study conducted by Hosing et. al. in 2008 showed that cells require 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in order to maintain their ability to arrest cells in the S phase and the G2 phase checkpoint. [] This was proven by generating 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ knockdown cells, and studying their response to DNA damage. It was found that these cells were unable to arrest in G2, thus leading to an increase in premature chromatin condensation (PCC) as compared to the vector control. [] This was the first report suggesting that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ modulates the cell cycle checkpoint response, through its negative regulation of cdc25C function. Role of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ in desmosome assembly 14-3-3 isoforms were also not known to have any role to play in the assembly of desmosomes, until a serendipitous observation led to a study conducted by Sehgal et. al. This study demonstrated for the first time that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is required for desmosome formation. [] They showed that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is able to form complexes with the desmosomal proteins plakoglobin, desmoplakin and plakophilin 3. Their work led to the conclusion that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ is essential for the recruitment of plakoglobin to the cell border; and that the loss of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ leads to a decrease in desmosome formation. This translates to defective cell-cell adhesion in HCT 116 cells and sterility in male mice when this loss is manifested in the testis. [] These results are in agreement with the fact that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ plays a role in the transport of proteins from the Golgi complex to the cell border, as previously reported by Valente et al. in 2012. [Z1] ATPase activity of 14-3-3 proteins The notion that 14-3-3 proteins may possess an ATPase function evolved through a series of studies. The first of these was reported in a paper in 1993 by Hachiya et. al., who had isolated a protein from the rat liver cell cytosol, called the mitochondrial import stimulation factor (MSF). [] This factor was found to modulate the conformation of aggregated proteins and stimulate their import into the mitochondria in an ATP-dependent manner, much like the Hsp70 chaperone molecule. Ensuing studies by the same group led to the cloning of cDNA sequences encoding the large and small rat MSF subunits; and based on these cDNA sequences, it was deduced that the MSF peptides belong to the 14-3-3 family. [] This was thus the first time the ability to hydrolyse ATP was attributed to a 14-3-3 protein. In 1997, Yano et. al. probed further and asked whether the 14-3-3 family of proteins were also capable of the reverse reaction i.e. ATP synthesis; and found that native 14-3-3 proteins isolated from human lymphoblastoma cells as well as recombinant 14-3-3 Ï„ exhibited the ability to generate ATP from ADP. [] This activity resembled that of the enzyme nucleoside diphosphate-kinase. It was then speculated that ATP synthesis and hydrolysis may play a role in regulating the interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with their substrates. Subsequently, in 2006, Yano et. al. also showed that 14-3-3 ÃŽ ¶ acts as a molecular chaperone under heat shock conditions, dissolving thermally-aggregated proteins, also in an ATP-dependent manner. [] This stress-related function is said to differ from the role of MSF as previously described, since in that case, the protein activity is limited to the transport of newly synthesized proteins into the mitochondria. This finding thus represented another part of the puzzle that is the multi-functional nature of 14-3-3 proteins. Despite these reports however, the ATPase activity of 14-3-3 proteins had not commanded much attention from researchers, until recently Ramteke et. al. in 2014 demonstrated unequivocally, using 14-3-3 ÃŽ ¶ as a model, that these proteins possess an intrinsic ATP-hydrolysing function. [] They also studied the putative residues essential to this activity and found that in their model, the mutation of the Asp at residue 124 to Ala (D124A) resulted in a significant increase in the rate of ATP hydrolysis, while the mutation of Arg 55 to Ala caused a partial loss of function. ATPase activity of 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³ As a part of the same study, Ramteke et. al. decided to test whether the other 14-3-3 isoforms also displayed similar properties; and they found that with the exception of 14-3-3 ÏÆ', all the other isoforms, including 14-3-3 ÃŽ ³, showed intrinsic ATPase activity. [] Interestingly, it was found that in case of the ÃŽ ³ isoform, the mutation of the conserved Asp, found at position 129 to Ala (D129A) led to an over two-fold gain in ATPase function, reflecting that the binding of this mutant to ATP is probably either more energetically or sterically favourable. [] The authors of this paper were however unable to comment on the functional relevance of the ATPase activity of 14-3-3 proteins. These results however provide an impetus to further studies on physiological significance of ATP hydrolysis, with respect to individual 14-3-3 isoforms.

The Absurd Morality of Death in The Outsider Essay -- The Outsider Dea

The Absurd Morality of Death in The Outsider In The Outsider by Albert Camus, death can clearly be seen as a significant image - there being six deaths mentioned in total. In Part One we are shown the natural death of Meursault's mother and Meursault's murder of the Arab, and in Part Two we are presented with the parricide of a brother/son and the subsequent suicide of the perpetrators, another parricide that is to be tried after Meursault's case and the death penalty pronounced on Meursault. Through these depictions of various deaths, Camus shows clearly the conflicting and often arbitrary treatment of death within society, a treatment that reveals a confusion between the motives behind acts and the subsequent response to the completed acts, which ultimately reflects the nature of the absurd prevalent in the novel. Section One: deaths directly linked to Meursault Mrs Meursault's Funeral Death, as an important image, is established in the very first sentence of the book, "Mother died today."[1] The simplicity and directness of this statement is shocking for the reader, and leads us to try to understand what sort of man Meursault is - a task that we discover later has been laid as a trap for us. However, even though this first sentence is simple and direct, it is confused in the very next sentence, "Or maybe yesterday, I don't know."[2] This confusion over the time of the death can be generalised to the circumstances of the death, which are in this case unclear, and indeed we are never told what the cause of Mrs Meursault's death was. All we have are the allusions to her age, "About sixty,"[3] and her 'friend', who was "an old man"[4] that could not prevent himself from "fainting (like a disloca... ...t, The Outsider (Penguin Classics), p60. [13] Ibid. P69. [14] Ibid. P63. [15] Ibid. P64. [16] Ibid. P85. [17] Ibid. P85. [18] Ibid. P57. [19] Ibid. P58. [20] Ibid. P58. [21] Ibid. P60 [22] Camus, Albert, The Outsider (Penguin Classics, 2000), p64 [23] Ibid. P68. [24] Ibid. P98. [25] Ibid. P99. [26] Ibid. P116 [27] Ibid. P103. [28] Camus, Albert, The Outsider (Penguin Classics, 2000), p104. [29] Ibid. P109. [30] Ibid. P109. [31] Ibid. P114. [32] Ibid. P112. [33] Ibid. P115. [34] Ibid. P117. [35] Ibid. P117. [36] Camus, Albert, The Outsider (Penguin Classics, 2000), p77. [37] Ibid. P78. [38] Camus, Albert, The Outsider (Penguin Classics, 2000), p 78. [39] Ibid. P78 [40] Ibid. P82. [41] Ibid. P82. [42] Ibid. P102. [43] Camus, Albert, The Outsider (Penguin Classics, 2000), p116.

Moral Dilemmas

4 November 2012 HUM 115 Catherine Reynolds: Moral Dilemmas The five of the moral dilemmas I chose were the following: The Partiality of Friendship; A Poisonous Cup of Coffee; A Callous Passerby; The Fat Man and the Impending Doom; and A Father’s Agonizing Choice. Out of these 4 dilemmas I have chosen the dilemma that is titled: A Callous Passerby. The reason why I chose this particular one is because I got a story that relates to this story. When it comes to saving a person life and not caring how the situation may go while doing but you know you can succeed in doing is a great deed.This certain dilemma would go under an altruistic moral theory because in the reading it states this moral is under the golden rule that I always taught: â€Å"Do unto others as you have them do unto you. † And this is basically saying do the right thing at all times and don’t let minor things do give you a set-back on the situation. My experience with this type of moral was to see a lady in a burning house trying to find her kids and grandkid and get them out the burning house. I was on my way to a movie and I was dressed too. I had new clothes, shoes, and just left the hair dresser early that morning.When I saw the house it looked like it just started burning. No fire trucks, polices, or ambulances were on the highway to come to the seen. The lady was outside and screaming for help. Good thing I had took the back way to my destination or else I would not have seen this incident. As the lady screamed â€Å"call for help, my kids are in there! † I knew right then she didn’t have a phone or couldn’t get to it. So I called for help and they said they were coming. So as I asked the lady how long has this been going on and she said about 30 minutes. As she was telling me what happened I heard some kids hollering and crying.I asked her how many were in the house and she said 4. Two of her grandchildren and her other two were her kids by adoption. When it came to me getting them out, I burned up my pants and shirt and also damaged my hair. But I think of the situation as a blessing because those kids would’ve of been burnt if I would not of save them. I was just thinking I am going to be late for the movie I have no more clothes to change into and my hair smells awful. However, I had to look at like this, I saved a life that wouldn’t have been here another day. The movies are always playing movies.My general conclusions about my moral compass are what I was taught growing up from childhood. When it came to me helping people when I knew I could I would go for it. My mother and father always said â€Å"think about what you do, and don’t do anything that you’ll regret later and always remember this â€Å"treat others how you wanted to be treated; and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. † Those words meant a lot to me growing up and the reason why is because I followed through t hose words in life and it got me feeling good about life because I know have done right.

Social Origins of Eugenics essays

Social Origins of Eugenics essays What are the origins and social implications of eugenisicm? Francis Galton, cousin of Charles Darwin, first used the term Eugenics in his book Inquiries into Human Faculty and Development published in 1883.The word Eugenics is described as the science of improving the population by controlled breeding for desirable inherited characteristics and comes from the Greek for good breeding or good life. Although Galton initially studied medicine, he later chose to study mathematics and he also became a fervent advocate of social policies which encouraged supposedly superior beings to have children and discouraged lesser people from doing so. Galton first became interested in Eugenics after reading Darwins The Origin of Species. In the book, successful breeding is judged by the number of offspring an organism produces. However, based on this theory, it seemed to Galton that it was the inferior people who had the largest amount of offspring and he thought that this seemed to spoil and not improve our breed. Galton wrote two books- Hereditary Genius (1869) and Natural Inheritance (1889). He examined the family trees of various families of importance and recorded the occurrence of men appearing in the same lines. Galton never even thought about the fact that social opportunities were more readily available to the upper class- he just presumed that genius was passed on through genes. Galton wasnt just merely interested in the subject though. He wholeheartedly believed that there should be a system put in place to iradicate, what was is his mind, the inferior race. He proposed that a register of suitable families should be made so that the superior offspring could marry and reproduce and even went as far to suggest a financial incentive should be offered to help create a worthier race. ...

A brief history of sport in Australia Essays - Free Essays

A brief history of sport in Australia Essays - Free Essays A brief history of sport in Australia Australias sporting culture is deeply affected by history as a British colony formed. Early colonizers from Britain and Ireland transported with them attitudes and views about sport, and they also transported with them the games which were popular in Britain. What is tennis? Tennis is a sport which played on a rectangular court by two players or two pairs of players armed with rackets, in which a ball is driven back and forth over a low net that divides the court in half. History of tennis Tennis became popular as a public game from its arrival in Australia in the late 1870s, and courts sprang up everywhere in community and private grounds. It was a game that was taken up enthusiastically by both men and women, both for fun and as an elite sport. Since 1900, Australian men and women tennis players have been classified as some of the world's best. Australia's first international champion was Norm Brookes who was the first Australian to win the Wimbledon Singles titles in 1907. In the same year Brookes was the first outsider to break the dominance of the UK and USA with his win in the Doubles of the Davis Cup, the international men's championship. Australia then hosted international championship events in 1908 and Brookes went on to dominate tennis administration in Australia for the next 50 years. Across the four major Open titles, known as Grand Slam tournaments the Australian, French and United States Open and Wimbledon, UK there have been five Australian Grand Slam winners. The first Grand Slam winners were Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman for the Doubles in 1951. Rod Laver, who won it twice, in 1962 and 1969, is arguably the greatest tennis player in the world. Margaret Court also won all four tournaments in one year when she completed the Grand Slam in 1970, one of only three women in the world to achieve this. From its early days, tennis was extremely popular with women in Australia even though there was no financial support for them to travel to overseas tournaments. Never-the-less, with fund raising, made the finals of Wimbledon in 1928. In 1938, Nancy Bolton became the first Australian woman to play in a US Championship final when she was 22. Lesley Bowrey was the first Australian women to win two French Open singles titles in 1963 and 1964, and the Mixed Doubles at Wimbledon in 1961 and 1967. From the 1920s onwards, there was such an increased demand for tennis racquets, balls and equipment that an Australian industry began exporting to both the UK and USA in the 1930s. The images of well-known players were featured on Australian made racquets which made their way into overseas markets. This arrangement of sporting companies endorsing players helped support the amateur status of Australian players competing in the Davis Cup and Grand Slam tournaments until 1969. Australian players ruled the world amateur tournaments until the 1960s. In 1969 a wider group of players could contest when the Grand Slam tournaments consented to permit professionals and amateur players. Still, even after Australia's domination of world tennis was broken in the 1960s, tennis stayed popular as a sport for both contributors and audiences. Australian tennis troops hold their own world archives for watching single live tennis games. Tennis fashion a fashionable freedom The deficiency of an identified uniform in tennis has given players a fashionable freedom. In the 1800s, players generally dressed white clothing as it reversed the heat. Men would dress long trousers and a shirt which was long sleeved but could be rolled up to the elbow, and a hat or cricket cap would accompany the outfit. Women wore an everyday dress (ankle length) complete with petticoat, stockings, a corset, and a wide-brimmed hat. Ultimately fashions started to change and men dressed short sleeved shirts and shorts, with women wearing lighter cotton dresses without the stockings and corset. These changes however were not always met with encouragement. At Wimbledon in 1905, the US player May Sutton swapped the popular tight sleeved blouses for her father's button-up shirt and shocked the crowd when she rolled her sleeves up. Sutton went on to win the women's Singles. During the 1920s, the French champion

Utube Video - Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Utube Video - Reflection - Essay Example Unlike Mr. Bennet though, I never bring myself to admit that in public. Rather, it is a distance that i allow to fester until it destroys the relationship I have with the family member. Now I realize that it is never a bad thing to admit guilt for it can help to build or rebuild relationships instead. I am happy that I heard his message. It has helped me to change my outlook in life. Jamaica Orsorio speaks of how the immigrants of America have forgotten their homeland roots so much that they no longer even recall their parents original names. She speaks of the pain of losing ones heritage forever as the immigrant becomes more Americanized in look and language. With their adaptation of the American way of life, their roots shall die because no one shall be left to remember how their race once lived. Immigrants are people who come to the United States for a better life. Unfortunately, the better life means having to let go of their past. Ignoring their heritage and adapting the new one for their benefit. As I listened to Ms. Orsorios words, I could not help but wonder about how her message did not apply merely to her race, but to all the immigrants living in the United States. Heritages die out because of the Americanization of immigrant families. It makes me wonder if their immersion into the American way of life is a bad or good thing. After all, culture and heritage are the ways by which civilizations continue to grow and evolve. Once people forget their roots, their culture and heritage dies. I am quite sad as I sit here imagining a world with with only culture and heritage which is what will happen to the United States as the immigrant families continue to adapt to the American way of life. However, maybe, just maybe, it is a necessary evil that in turn helps the American w ay of life

The advantages and disadvantages about solar power in replacing the Essay

The advantages and disadvantages about solar power in replacing the original power (gas, oil) in United States - Essay Example In truth, most people, probably, do not even think about where their energy and fuel comes from until it is turned off. Few things do not require a power or fuel source, especially today, when that energy not available everything can begin to fall apart. Unfortunately, fossil fuel based energy sources commonly used bring with them serious consequences to the environment, as well as, not being limitless. The initiative to encourage power and fuel alternatives continues to be debated. The â€Å"go green† movement suggest â€Å"renewable† energy sources. Climate changes, continuing pollution, and the insecurity of the existing power and fuel sources are serious considerations. (Jacobson, and Delucchi 1154) Renewable sources may be exactly the solution that is needed, which includes the use of wind, geothermal, hydropower, and, particularly, solar power that could easily help secure a brighter future for the generations to come. Given the potential success and efficiency it is only common sense to investigate further and consider solar power, along with other â€Å"green† energy possibilities; feasible solutions to our modern energy needs. History Many researchers feel that the acquisition of and the ability to use fire, along with the development of language, is what, decidedly, made us human. It was, however, the understanding and utilization of fossil fuels that made us officially modern. As populations began to increase, in any given locations, the need to provide clothing, shelter, warmth, food, and transportation became paramount. Fossil fuels helped such large industrial populations to achieve that. Between 1880 and 1913, along with the natural born citizens, 60 million immigrants joined the population of the United States. (McNeill) As these growing populations in America continued to grow larger it became more and more necessary to engage in greater and greater usage of energies derived from fossil fuels. However, the abundant usage re sults in the excessive accumulation of â€Å"green house gases,† which is, generally, a mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. The green house gases literally change the chemical composition of the atmosphere and the harmful gases contribute to global warming. Researchers confirm that our planet’s surface temperature has, markedly, increased over the past two decades.(Mingyuan 359) This is a serious problem involving serious consequences. Not only are fossil fuels causing environmental damage it is, also, not an unlimited resource. Oil, coal, gasoline, the fuels and energy sources most are familiar with, are not going to be sufficient to meet the United States demand forever. Since the 1980s much research has been geared towards finding renewable energy sources that could wean us from our fossil fuel dependency in exchange for environmentally friendly, more reliable energy sources. There are multiple options within the parameters of renewable energy, bu t, the majorities agree that it is any resource that is naturally replenished by the earth or nature. Solar power, of all the environmental friendly green options, is probably, so supporters claim, the most viable and available renewable energy resource.(Mingyuan 356) Yet, as seen in the chart below, the United states has continued to rely on coal, petroleum, natural gas and, even, nuclear energy more than upon any of the renewable alternatives. The United States uses only a small fractions of the potential; at least in comparison of the to the usage of fossil fuels.("Solar") The sun, essentially, plays a huge part of what makes it possible to grow plant life to be harvested. Before