The Good Earth Essays (498 words) - The Good Earth, O-Lan, Wang Lung

The Good Earth The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck / Historical Fiction The Good Earth is a saga about the life and death of Wang Lung. The story starts out on his wedding day as he gets ready to be marries. He is having a traditional farmer wedding in which his father has chosen his wife which he is to have many children with. In the later years in the midst of a famon they are forced to move south which was not much better than the north. A revolution broke out and during it O-lan and Wang Lung Both rummaged through the great housewhere O-lan stumbles upon a pouch of jewels. After being let go by the soldiers they are able to back to the land where there is now rain. O-lan being the loyal wife she gives Wang Lung the pouch of jewels except two pearls that she keeps for herself. Later Wang Lung in his greed takes the pearls from her to give to his conquebine. When the locusts come he reunites himself with the land in a struggle to save it. O-lan dies quickly after his sons wedding and Wang Lung is next to come. Wang Lung on his death bed in a house that is not even his requests that his sons never sell the land. His sons agree to it with their fingers crossed behind their backs in high hopes to become rick quick. No matter who you are and how much you think you can controll it, money will corrupt most people in this so called world. The main character in this book is Wang Lung. In the beginning he is a common farmer who works in the fields all day next to his ox. He has a braid and has no reason to clean him self, his father who he supports is old and cannot help himself. When the money comes rolling in he hires people to do the work in the fields for him, he now wears silken robes and is clean every day. During this time he cuts off his braid and brings a conquebine to the great house of Whang, which he bought. Most of the workers on his fields think he is a fool, because he cannot see the things that are going on behind his back. In the book some spots were difficult to read because of the vocabulary, which made me go back and reread those trouble parts. The length of the sentences didn't effect me but when a word that I didn't know it made it harder to back track. I would not read annother book by Pearl S. Buck because I think it draged on too long and it didn't hold my intrest long enough to be really interesting. I experienced that her books are boring and drag on for hundreds of pages. It had no meaning, except for the torture I went through while I was reading it. Book Reports

Free Essays on Stolen Credit Card

Your credit card is stolen. You place a phone call to the number provided in your tourist guide or in the local daily press. You provide your details and you cancel your card. You block it. In a few minutes, it should be transferred to the stop-list available to the authorization centres worldwide. From that moment on, no thief will be able to fraudulently use your card. You can sigh in relief. The danger is over. But is it ? It is definitely not. To understand why, we should first review the intricate procedure involved. In principle, the best and safest thing to do is call the authorization centre of the bank that issued your card (the issuer bank). Calling the number published in the media is second best because it connects the cardholder to a â€Å"volunteer† bank, which caters for the needs of all the issuers of a given card. Some service organizations (such as IAPA - the International Air Passengers Association) provide a similar service. The â€Å"catering bank† accepts the call, notes down the details of the cardholder and prepares a fax containing the instruction to cancel the card. The cancellation fax is then sent on to the issuing bank. The details of all the issuing banks are found in special manuals published by the clearing and payments associations of all the banks that issue a specific card. All the financial institutions that issue Mastercards, Eurocards and a few other more minor cards in Europe are members of Europay International (EPI). Here lies the first snag : the catering bank often mistakes the identity of the issuer. Many banks share the same name or are branches of a network. Banks with identical names can exist in Prague, Budapest and Frankfurt, or Vienna, for instance. Should a fax cancelling the card be sent to the wrong bank - the card will simply not be cancelled until it is too late. By the time the mistake is discovered, the card is usually thoroughly abused and the financial means of the... Free Essays on Stolen Credit Card Free Essays on Stolen Credit Card Your credit card is stolen. You place a phone call to the number provided in your tourist guide or in the local daily press. You provide your details and you cancel your card. You block it. In a few minutes, it should be transferred to the stop-list available to the authorization centres worldwide. From that moment on, no thief will be able to fraudulently use your card. You can sigh in relief. The danger is over. But is it ? It is definitely not. To understand why, we should first review the intricate procedure involved. In principle, the best and safest thing to do is call the authorization centre of the bank that issued your card (the issuer bank). Calling the number published in the media is second best because it connects the cardholder to a â€Å"volunteer† bank, which caters for the needs of all the issuers of a given card. Some service organizations (such as IAPA - the International Air Passengers Association) provide a similar service. The â€Å"catering bank† accepts the call, notes down the details of the cardholder and prepares a fax containing the instruction to cancel the card. The cancellation fax is then sent on to the issuing bank. The details of all the issuing banks are found in special manuals published by the clearing and payments associations of all the banks that issue a specific card. All the financial institutions that issue Mastercards, Eurocards and a few other more minor cards in Europe are members of Europay International (EPI). Here lies the first snag : the catering bank often mistakes the identity of the issuer. Many banks share the same name or are branches of a network. Banks with identical names can exist in Prague, Budapest and Frankfurt, or Vienna, for instance. Should a fax cancelling the card be sent to the wrong bank - the card will simply not be cancelled until it is too late. By the time the mistake is discovered, the card is usually thoroughly abused and the financial means of the...

Accounting and Finance for Managers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Accounting and Finance for Managers - Assignment Example their was no empirical evidence to indicate that ABC eliminated unnecessary overhead costs and improved the profitability of companies post-implementation (Shim & Stagliano, 1997; Foster & Swenson, 1997; Chenhall & Langfield-Smith, 1998). During the last century, accurately accounting for overhead costs posed a major challenge for management accountants. Conventional allocation methods tended to distort product costs and Activity-Based Costing emerged as a realistic alternative to address this problem. This paper provides a brief overview of the origins of ABC and explores the theoretical foundation of ABC as a management and cost control system. The paper then discusses the major strengths and limitations of the ABC model and provides a practical example of how ABC has been fully integrated into the strategic management systems of a successful manufacturing company in Qatar. Activity-based Costing has gone through three distinct phases in its development. Each phase has its origins in one of the following theoretical constructs; the Japanese management movement, the total quality management and continuous improvement framework and Six Sigma modelling. The application of these theoretical models to the development of ABC is discussed below. Activity-Based Costing began to draw the attention of European and American companies in the early 1980s. Firms in the manufacturing and technology sectors in Japan were gaining global pre-eminence with respect to their product quality and significant profit margins while competitors in the West struggled to contain costs and to develop innovative manufacturing processes. Turney (2005), notes that companies such as Toyota and Sony were heralded as global leaders and as a result, their internal organizational processes were analyzed in minute detail and replicated by their competitors in the West. It soon became apparent that the traditional accounting methodology of allocating overhead costs uniformly across the various

What are Effective crime strategies for cities Assignment

What are Effective crime strategies for cities - Assignment Example Effective crime strategies are very relevant to the cities. Most countries depend on the economic situations of the city to maintain the general GDP of the country. With peace in cities, there would be many opportunities in the cities. The unemployed would get jobs; mega investors would begin their exploration, and there would be a general improvement of the economy. The city faces the challenges of pollution and over congestion. To tackle these issues effectively, the city needs peace. Policy makers would have an easy time during making decisions that would benefit the city. Peace is important to the city because in carries the future policy of the country. It is important to protect these policies because they are the backbone to the countrys economy (Kelling, 2003). The city council should not only rely on the police to fight crime. They have to identify the cause of the crime. Solving the cause is the effective way to tackle insecurity in the city. The common cause of crime activities in the city is poverty. The council has to formulate ways of tackling poverty among the city dwellers. The city has to establish a unit that solves problems. There are petty problems in the city that sometimes goes overboard and result to crime. The city has to identify small problems and solve them, as students dropping out of school and indiscipline children. The council has to mobilise the local police. The local police have a role in maintaining the peace of the city. Council members have to set aside funds that would help motivate these police. The council should further provide the police with necessary tools that would help them fight criminals (Alvarez, 2005). The council has to involve the locals in making security decisions. The locals have to feel a sense of belonging in the city. Community development is a basic requirement in attaining peace. It is the people themselves who know the enemy within. With community development in place, the city will

The United States Public Defender System Research Paper

The United States Public Defender System - Research Paper Example Different prerogative jurisdictions practice dissimilar methodologies in providing lawful guidelines intended for criminal defendants who cannot pay for sequestered attorneys. Underneath the federal structure the foremost common practice amongst the states stands over and done with a publicly subsidized public defender bureau. Stereotypically, these workplaces role as per an organization of the federal, state or local government in addition, these attorneys are remunerated as compensated government employees. This method delivers a considerable mainstream of the impoverished criminal defense exemplification in the United States. In count to government-based headquarters, there are also a reduced but noteworthy amount of nonprofit organizations, frequently denoted to as a "Defender Service", or Legal Aid Societies that arrange for destitute felonious justification facilities. These bodies have a habit of depending profoundly on ancillary causes, community funding, and charitable aids to encounter their operational expenses. Yet a new, although progressively not as much of a common method to employ counsel aimed at impoverished criminal defendants stands by mode of an ostensible "panel" of private attorneys who arrive at arrangements through the government to button such cases. Beneath this classification lawyers usually function as self-governing service providers and remain remunerated at a stable rate for the case or occasionally by the hour. The revolutionary case in the United States that facilitated and helped surface the system for all defendants to be guaranteed an attorney in felonious chronicles was Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963). Gideon was a middle-aged Florida fellow who stood accused with breaking into a bar and thieving money and beer. He reasoned at his prosecution that he possibly will not sufficiently support himself; in addition to that an arrangement that places an unqualified individual compared to a trained attorney is profoundly discriminating. On petition, the Supreme Court of the United States approved. Even though there had been some requirements for unrestricted attorneys proceeding to Gideon, it assisted as the facilitator for a trend of modification. Subsequent the breakthrough 1963 results, the 1960s observed the formation of platforms transversely across the nation to brand this right accessible to most individuals accused with delinquencies who could not pay for an attorney to exemplify them. The first soul to suggest the formation of a public defender's office was California's paramount female attorney, Clara Shortridge Foltz. In a stage afore there were communal public defenders, fresh, untested lawyers were frequently ordered by courts to defend indigents pro bono, and in that aptitude, Foltz saw immediate the discriminatory consequences of that system. As an outcome of Foltz's animated petitioning, Los Angeles County hired Walton J. Wood to head the first public defender's office in the United States in January 1914. In 1921, the California Administration protracted the public defender system to all state courts. Public defender agencies of all types are reinforced by communal

The Issues Of Forest Fires Environmental Sciences Essay

The Issues Of Forest Fires Environmental Sciences Essay In the 21st century, influences of forest fires from demographic rapid changes, increase in human activities and unpredictable change in climate have become a crucial environmental problem in the ecosystems of the Southeast Asia region. It has unfavorably affected the natural environment and has put to risk the sustainable development as well as the management of resources (ADB, 2001). Indeed, haze pollution has been seriously affecting Indonesia and its neighboring countries due to the extensive burning of forests that arises in almost every year in Indonesia during the last 25 years. In 1997-1998, the global community raised its awareness on the critical conditions of constant haze and burning of forests. The occurrence of forest fires continued over long periods of time since the year 1998. The worst circumstances happened during 2001 and 2002 where the forest reserves and plantation areas of Riau province, West and Central Kalimantan and Sumatra burned. These corresponding areas were also affected by forest fires in 2003. The widespread forest fires happened in Sumatra and Kalimantan during March-July 2004 led to the increase of air pollution in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and especially in Indonesia. To determine the extent of burning is by knowing the extent of deforestation in Indonesia given that it is greatly caused by fire and not the destruction through spraying of chemicals. Estimates on the loss of forests have been compiled since 1985 and is evident in the report of World Bank in 2001. According to the reports, beginning at 1985 to 1997, the range of forest cover has been reduced from 119 million hectares to approximately 100 million hectares. The forest fires happened in 1997 to 1998 desolated 1.7 million hectares in Sumatra, 6.5 million hectares in Kalimantan, 1.0 million hectares in Irian Jaya and 0.4 million hectares in Sulewesi, and brought about air pollution in Indonesia and its neighboring countries. From the given information on the annual loss of forests during 1985 to 1997, it is expected that the forest lands in Indonesia is now just over 90 million hectares from 1.7 million hectares. Causes of forest burning The sources of forest burning in Indonesia are divided into three groups: traditional cultivators, small scale investors, and large scale investors. The most long-lived source of forest burning is the subsistence and semi-subsistence traditional cultivators. Some of these are the inactive farmers who burn their small lands after harvest in order to kill the pests or weeds and also to refresh the soil to be used for planting. Others are known as the shifting cultivators who practice the common slash and burn methods to empty a small plot of the forest for crop cultivation. The second source of forest burning is the pioneer and migrant farmers. These farmers are given the authorization to acquire several hectares of forested land for them to clear by burning and of course to plant commercial tree crops. The third source of forest burning is the timber and palm oil plantation companies. Timber plantation companies first select trees of commercial value for cutting in an area and then the other remaining trees and bushes are burned in order to make way for the planting of trees that grow much faster and are used for commercial purposes. The oil plantation companies also apply the similar process of forest burning in order to create widespread palm oil plantations. The Indonesian government grants these companies of additional land concessions because these sectors such as logging and palm oil companies contribute significantly to the external trade of the Indonesian economy and thus provides a major source of foreign revenue. Apart from the three main sources of forest burning, there are other factors that contribute to the forest fires. These are political, economic, physiographic, sociocultural, and institutional factors as well. The most important of these are the policies and institutions. According to the Asian Development Bank (2001), lack of political will, inappropriate and poorly specified policies, weak legislation, ambiguous regulations, bureaucratic procedures, land-use conflicts, and inadequate resources for enforcement of laws and regulations were again and again crucial and crippling constraints. Harmful effects of forest burning It has indeed proved by the international environmental and health organizations that forest burning and air pollution have serious destructive consequences. The harmful effects are both seen in the areas of burning and in other areas and countries far from the fires (Jones, 2006). These impacts have several dimensions- economic, environmental, ecological, social, and others that may be onsite and offsite, direct or indirect (ADB, 2001). It is widely considered that the most serious effect of forest burning has been on public health, particularly as a result of people breathing in pollutants from burning of forests. Inhaling the smoke from the fires result in respiratory ailments such as upper respiratory tract infections, bronchial asthma and decrease in lung functioning. Also, it is evident that the smoke has serious effects on the skin and on the cardiovascular system. According to the estimations made by the Friends of the Earth in 1997, the haze has already claimed the lives of 19 people in Indonesia and over 40,000 people have been hospitalized. Up to 70 million people across the region are being affected, and health experts have warned that up to 20 % of all deaths in the region could be caused by the smog. Furthermore, press reports in June 2003 stated that thousands of people admitted to hospitals in Central and Kalimantan complained on breathing difficulties as well as eye irritation, while in 2004, health clinics and hospitals on the island of Sumatra mentioned that several patients seek for medications on respiratory problems. Forest fire impacts have also affected the social welfare through the displacement of communities, loss of income sources, and decreasing livelihood opportunities (ADB, 2001). Another serious effect of forest burning has been on climate, agriculture and bio-diversity. Further decrease in rainfall combining with effects of El Nino and decrease in sunlight that affected the photosynthesis of plants are due to the smoke brought about by forest burning. Besides this, forest burning has also led to soil erosion and flooding that ultimately reduced the productivity of agriculture. Furthermore, the Indonesian rain forests are home to a wide variety of plants and animals where in some of these are rare or endangered. According to the World Bank and Friends for the Earth, as a result of widespread forest burning, it has threatened the lives of numerous rare or endangered species. Forest fires also contribute to the global climate change and warming due to its greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. These harmful effects, definitely, have detrimental economic and financial impacts on Indonesia and its neighboring countries. Evidently, the costs of these impacts include loss of forest timber, reduced agricultural production, losses resulting from soil erosion, medical expenses caused by ailments directly related to the haze, increased proneness to pests and diseases, need for new investments in forest rehabilitation and fire protection measures, costs arising from disruption to air travel and transport, and decreased revenue from tourism (ADB, 2001; Jones, 2006). It also had serious impacts on the means of livelihoods of indigenous people and it threatened the ability of the poor to improve their lives (ASEAN STRATEGY). According to the estimations made by the Asian Development Bank, the incident during the 1997-1998 alone cost the people and the Indonesian government around US$8.9 to US$9.7 billion. Linkage between climate change and social development Undoubtedly, the major impacts and threats of transboundary haze pollution that can contribute to climactic change are widespread. The most vulnerable to haze pollution (or climate change) are the poor because of the inability to adapt and recover to certain changes due to low income and limited access to basic services and needs. Also, the areas that they live in are highly exposed to natural hazards and are linked with their sources of income such as agriculture and forestry which are known to be climate-sensitive sectors. That is why it is necessary to come up with an immediate action. One solution is the need for adaptation where it is a process through which societies make themselves better able to cope with an uncertain future. It calls for taking the right measures to reduce the negative effects of transboundary haze pollution (or climate change) by making appropriate adjustments and changes. There are several options and opportunities to adapt such as technological options, b ehavior change at individual level and early warning systems for extreme events. As a result of the speed at which change is happening, it is important that the vulnerability of Indonesia and other neighboring countries to haze pollution (or climate change) is reduced and their capacity to adapt is increased and national adaptation plans are implemented. Although adaptation to haze pollution (or climate change) is essential and is considered as an urgent priority, the affected countries have limitations that make adaptation difficult. These limitations are human capacity and financial resources. The major barriers for adaptation are the lack of funding in various forms and difficulties in accessing the funds which are available. In order for these affected countries to understand the impacts and vulnerabilities of the issue, as well as facilitating better policy decisions and management, it is necessary for research and training to be included in adaptation. However, these affected countries still face difficulties in incorporating concerns regarding the haze pollution into national policies because of lack of resources and institutional capacities. Despite the difficulties, in order for effective adaptation measures to work, the stakeholders must consider integrating the issue of haze pollution in all levels of decision making espec ially in planning and budgeting. Objectives The purpose of this paper is to present a framework analysis in such a way that it will be applied to the social issue being discussed, specifically the transboundary pollution in Southeast Asia. The framework tool to be used will be based on the polycentric approach in order to enhance policy actions regarding the widespread haze pollution in Indonesia and other affected neighboring countries. Also, one of the objectives of this paper is to discuss the stakeholders using the stakeholder analysis wherein it will identify the people, groups, and institutions involved that will influence the issue positively or negatively. Throughout the paper, included in the objectives, still, is to come up with a conclusion based on the analysis and recognize the failures that the framework tool was not able to elucidate. Finally, it also aims to give recommendations for the improvement or success of the issue. Stakeholder Analysis Secondary Stakeholders Stakeholders Interest(s) in the issue Assessment of Impact Influence of the group Global Agencies -World Bank, IMF, UNDP, UNEP, WHO, WMO, UNICEF Adaptation measures on haze pollution Prevention of haze pollution across the globe High High Regional Organizations -ASEAN, APEC, ADB Prevention of haze pollution in Indonesia and affected countries particularly in Asia High High Concerned institutions -health care, environmental protection, schools, religious organizations, charitable institutions Prevention of haze pollution Low Medium Concerned nongovernmental institutions -emergency associations (e.g. Red Cross, Medicins sans Frontieres) -Development NGOs -Environmental NGOs Prevention of haze pollution Low Medium Primary Stakeholders Stakeholders Interest(s) in the issue Assessment of Impact Influence of the group Victim State governments -Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia Indonesia -relevant central government agencies (Health, Environment, Tourism) -local authorities (agencies representing small farmers) Increase in response capacity on haze pollution Prevention of widespread haze pollution Adaptation measures High High Victim Industries -tourism recreation -airlines -ancillary industries Prevention on widespread haze pollution Medium Low Low-income groups; farmers; minor forest users Increase in adaptive capacities High Medium Culprit state governments -Indonesia -central government agencies (agricultural, environment) -regional/provincial agencies -local authorities (agencies representing small farmers) Decrease in source of foreign revenue High High Culprit Industries -Forestry -Palm oil -ancillary (e.g. haulage) Decrease or loss in plantation business Medium Medium III. Analysis Framework of Analysis The framework to be used on the social issue of haze pollution in Indonesia is the polycentric approach. According to Ostrom (2010), polycentricity is a useful analytical approach for understanding and improving efforts to reduce the threat of climate change. Furthermore, polycentric implies the independence of many centers of decision making to each other. These centers of decision making take each other into account in competitive relationships, engage in all manners of contractual and cooperative projects or aid in to central mechanisms to resolve conflicts and various political jurisdictions and function in an organized manner to which consistency and predictable patterns of interacting behavior are involved. Rather than a monocentric unit, polycentric systems are characterized by multiple governing authorities at differing scales. Each unit within a polycentric system exercises considerable independence to make norms and rules within a specific domain (such as family, a firm, lo cal government, a network of local governments, a state or province, a region, a national government, or international regime)(Ostrom, 2010). Participants involved in this system have the advantage to use local knowledge and learning from other sectors who are engaged in trial and error process. Problems identified with non-contributors, local tyrants and inappropriate discrimination can be addressed and major investments made in new scientific information and innovations when larger units get involved. Polycentric systems are believed to have considerable advantages because of their mechanisms for mutual monitoring, learning and adaptation of better strategies. This system also enhances innovation, learning, adaptation, trustworthiness, levels of cooperation of participants, and the achievement of more effective, equitable, and sustainable outcomes at multiple scales, even though no institutional arrangement can totally eliminate opportunism with respect to the provision and production of collective goods (Ostrom, 2010). Through this framework tool, adaptation measures and prevention of haze pollution in Indonesia and its neighboring countries would be much easier to be implemented because of its ability to solve such problems in a collective manner that includes all its stakeholders rather than focusing only on one central stakeholder.

Singapore Essay example -- Politics, Social Control

Can Singapore be described in terms of a Foucauldian ‘disciplinary society’ or a Deleuzian ‘control society’? Deleuze proposed that we are in the midst of shift from Foucault’s ‘society of discipline’ to a ‘society of control’ (1992: 3). Unlike the ‘disciplinary society’ where subjects progress from one ‘moulding’ institution to another (schools, college, factories, offices, etc.), a ‘control society’ is typified by constant modulation (Wise, 2002: 32). According to Rose, control operates by affiliating subjects to a variety of practices which by design encourage adherence to certain norms in modern liberal societies (2000: 325). This is what Deleuze meant by a ‘society of control’. Best believes we need to adopt the Deleuzian concept of a ‘control society’ to explain the societies emerging in the context of the increased surveillance and network capacity perm itted by new ICTs (2010: 9). On the other hand, Hardt and Negri propose this ‘society of control’ is simply an 'intensification and generalisation of the normalising apparatuses of disciplinarity', that now reaching beyond the institutions that initiated them and into fluctuating networks (2000: 23). Likewise, Munro believes Foucault’s disciplinary mechanism need updating to bring it in-line with the capacities of modern technologies, not replacing (2000: 693). It is necessary to distinguish between unconscious social control and social control in relation to the institution, the latter being the planned management of a socialised human activity (Lianos, 2003: 415). Institutional control is integral to the specific activities, is usually bureaucratic, and 'is part both of the rationale and the outcome of these activities' (Lianos, 2003: 415). Lianos uses the example of... ... Google offers 'free' storage space, along with other privileges and useful tools, in exchange for personal information that it might use to market targeted goods to its users (Andrejevic, 2007: 296). People submitted their details to Google and Facebook not out of fear or a sense of duty, but so they may enjoy the benefits offered. Although Singaporeans do value their privacy, they are willing to submit that privacy in exchange for financial rewards or convenience (Hui et al., 2007: 27). These authors also report a growing disgruntlement at the increasing amounts of information that websites are demanding. However, it was the quantity of information requested, rather than the sensitivity of the information that had any significant influence on compliance (Hui et al., 2007: 27). This certainly aligns with the ‘enticement model’ proposed by Whitaker (1999: 141).

Application of C. Wright Mill’s sensibilities

C. Wright Mill’s works were mostly dedicated to the questions of social stratification, researched elites, rationalization, mass society and power.   But nevertheless, he was very much involved in the investigation of social problems as well.   For instance, C. Wright Mill’s four sensibilities might assist in explaining the poor health status of indigenous people in comparison to wider population. In my understanding, poor health status of indigenous people is provoked by the problem of alienation which results in the â€Å"shift from rural and agriculturally based world to an urban society†.[#2, p.3]   This explains health status changes of the population in the way of bigger inflow of people to the urban society and as a result of suchlike movements happens rapid development and improvement of technologies. Of course, Mill’s sensibilities have from one hand positive and negative impact on the indigenous people.   As to me, one of those is increasing economy from the positive side, but from the opposite – economic growth implies many negative effects as well (such as pollution).   As a result – the above mentioned aspects are provoking weakening immunity and inability to resist diseases by indigenous part of population. Other explanation of poor health status of indigenous people is inability to be medically inspected and treated with the appropriate means as wider population. This might be the reasoning of usage of less effective medicine and inability to adapt to the constantly changing methods of treatment.   Therefore different categories of population, according to the Wright Mill, are conducting â€Å"inhuman actions† between different parts of population.   But then he continues that â€Å"our sensibilities and actions are inhuman not because of the scale of their cruelty, but because they are impersonal and performed without any real emotion†. [#1, p.3]. References 1.Aronowitz, Stanley â€Å"A Mills Revival?†. Logos Journal. 11 Oct.2004 < http://www.logosjournal.com/aronowitz.htm> 2.Mills, Wright. The Sociological Imagination. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.                                                

The eNotes Blog How to UseSemicolons

How to UseSemicolons This is part three  in our original grammar series. Semicolons, or, in the words of Kurt Vonnegut, â€Å"transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing,† have been given a bad name. You and Kurt may avoid them if you choose. If, however, you’ll open your hearts to the tiny mutants, I think you’ll find they’re really rather â€Å"useful little chaps†- in the words of Abraham Lincoln. Think you know how to use a semicolon? Take this test and find out. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence. 1. A. If this segment on semicolons is about porcupines; I’m not reading it. B. The author wouldn’t write about porcupines again, people would get bored. C. She did forget to mention the adorable word for a baby porcupine, though; porcupette. D. But that’s the last thing she’ll say on the subject; she is moving on. 2. A. Writing these tests looks fun; easy; and simple. B.  Writing these tests is actually hellishly, distressingly difficult; drains you of your will to live, ruins your morning; noon, afternoon, and night; and leaves you wondering when dinner is. C. Writers struggle against the following: overstatement; hyperbole; lack of snacks. D. Writers continue thanks to their remarkable ability to persevere in the face of hunger, fluorescent lights, and doubt; the encouragement of their coworkers, who are unfailingly kind; the fluffy dog, whose name is Ellie, at their feet; and the pretzels they forgot were in their pocket. 3. A.  The editorial team thinks that Ellie’s fluffy mane should be dyed pink, however, they are not sure her owner would like that. B.  The editorial team decided that discretion was the better part of valor, accordingly, they decided to just imagine Ellie with a pink mohawk. C.  The imaginary Ellie looked very cute with a pink mohawk, hence, there was renewed debate. D.  It is sometimes better to ask forgiveness than permission; however, sometimes it is better to ask permission. Answers: 1.d 2.d 3.d After some (clearly expert) Photoshopping, its a unanimous yay for Ellie  getting a pink mohawk. 1. Semicolons are still not commas The comma at the bottom of a semicolon is not an all-access pass to the comma party; it is a sometimes-maybe pass. Think of it like the Avengers. Though Bruce Banner can sometimes do Iron Man’s job, there are instances where the two really aren’t interchangeable and shouldn’t be confused. The primary place a semicolon should go is between two independent clauses that don’t have a conjunction (e.g. and, but, etc.), though on occasion it’s okay to leave in the conjunction. For example, you could write I was confused about which of the handsome scientists turned into an uncontrollable green monster; I decided to find out by means of trial and error. You would be perfectly justified in replacing the semicolon with a period or an em dash- but you can’t replace it with a comma. The good news is that the semicolon is a useful tool to fix your comma splices. A comma splice occurs when you connect two independent clauses without a conjunction, like this: My scientific experiment proved successful, it also destroyed New York City. Pop a semicolon in and poof! No more comma splice. Also no more city. 2. Semicolons are not colons As with commas and scientist Avengers, semicolons and colons are occasionally interchangeable. The colon, however, is really more like Hawkeye: a one-trick pony whose usefulness is limited to only a handful of occasions. Unlike a semicolon, which doesn’t specify the nature of the relationship of the two independent clauses you are connecting, a colon indicates that the second clause is an example of, directly explains, or emphasizes the point of the first clause. For example, you could use either a semicolon or a colon in the sentence Hawkeye’s inclusion among the Avengers is perplexing: he seems a mortal among gods. One should not, however tempted, write Hawkeye’s inclusion among the Avengers is perplexing: he does, however, have nice arms. When in doubt, try replacing a colon with the words â€Å"that is,† â€Å"specifically,† or â€Å"namely.† If your new construction makes sense, there’s a good chance you can go with a colon. If not, consider opting for a more multipurpose warrior: the semicolon. 3. Semicolons and lists One place a semicolon can’t go is before a list. Only a colon will do in I think my chances are good with the following Avengers: Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man. There is, however, a use for a semicolon when the internal punctuation of a series gets painfully complicated, perhaps as in I can’t believe you don’t think I could date the following Avengers: Thor, the Norse God, Captain America, the hero of WWII, and Iron Man, the billionaire playboy superhero. Resolve confusion with semicolons, as in Okay, I realize I might have been a little ambitious in thinking I could date the following Avengers: Thor, the Norse God; Captain America, the hero of WWII; and Iron Man, the billionaire playboy superhero. 4. I still don’t get why I would ever use a semicolon You could use a semicolon to join two independent clauses (things that could function as full sentences on their own). A semicolon indicates a closer relationship between the ideas than a period would. For example, I could write Thor is the best Avenger. He is really attractive. He also has courage and fortitude of mind. With a period between all those ideas, I might simply be throwing out unrelated thoughts that occur to me about Thor. I could also write Thor is the best Avenger; he is really attractive. He also has courage and moral fortitude. But if I did that I’d be betraying the fact that I’ve based my assessment of his superiority primarily on his remarkable physical qualities, and the moral fortitude is really an afterthought. The only other proper use for a semicolon is helping you sort out a list with crazy internal punctuation, like I argue that Thor is better than Captain America because he is, quite frankly, musclier; experiences- unlike his morally uninteresting counterpart- the occasional conflict of the soul; and wears a cape and shiny armor, but no silly-looking helmet with a chin strap. 5. Do I ever have to use a semicolon? No. There are only a handful of places where the way you’ve constructed your sentence demands that you use a semicolon, and you can usually rewrite to avoid them without too much difficulty (though your life will be emptier for it). If you are determined to persist in your crusade against the semicolon, then here’s a list of constructions you must also avoid. You can’t use transitional adverbs to join two independent clauses. (Yes, you say, this sounds like a real tragedy.) Let me clarify. You can’t write Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man decided to take a break and enjoy the Avengers hot tub, however, there was a shortage of towels. (See? It would be tragic if you couldn’t say that.) The comma is incorrect. Instead, you must write either They decided to enjoy the Avengers hot tub; however, there was a shortage of towels or They decided to enjoy the Avengers hot tub. However, there was a shortage of towels. You have to rewrite lists to exclude internal punctuation, which means you can’t fit in any of those charming asides you wanted, and sentences like the comparison of Captain America and Thor above become boring constructions like I guess Thor is maybe better than Captain America because he is bigger, sort of complicated, and doesn’t wear a hat.

Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail essays

Dr. King's Letter From Birmingham Jail essays "Nonviolence can touch men where the law cannot reach them." These words, as spoken by the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, 1958) became the fundamental tenet of his life. The concept behind the words would define not just his work, but the history of an entire generation of American people in the middle of the 20th century. But his words would have proven hollow were it not for the actions that he took to support them. If his words were the spike that pierced the heart of segregation, the nonviolent demonstrations that accompanied them were the hammer that was struck against that spike. They were a forceful combination that couldnt be ignored or muted through the stubborn efforts of segregationists of the time. Dr. Kings words informed his actions, and vice-versa. Nowhere in his great history is that more evident than in the seemingly personal letter he wrote from a jail cell in Alabama; the Letter from Birmingham Jail . A key example of this in Letter from Birmingham Jail is found in a section in which Dr. King says, I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. (Paragraph 43). At this particular point of Kings letter, there are various underlying meanings and interpretations that may be gleaned, but they all strike the same chord. Whereas the old adage states that the ends justifies the means, nonviolence and particularly its use during the Civil Rights Movement, dictates that the means should justify the ends. The words, and the meanings within them, are held as an ideology; a mission statement for the entire Civil Rights Movement and the moral standard of the individual persons. To be more specific about what this means, Dr. Kings testament of nonviolence spoke to the cause and fight against legal and social injustice, provided a stark cont...

Gustave Gefroys portrait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gustave Gefroys portrait - Essay Example His repressed activity is transferred to the complicated articulation of his books, the instruments of his profession. Indeed the arrangement of the books behind him, projecting and receding, tilted differently from shelf to shelf and ending in the open volumes below, seems more human than the man, reminding us of a long twisted body in classic counterpoise, like Michelangelo's Slave in the Louvre, a work that Czanne admired and drew. The paintings give an impression that the figure in the image is coming out of the image, as though the sunrays are falling on the hats or window, as though there is so much delight in the life of the one portrayed, as though some thing special is hidden in them. The freshness and the openness make us feel divine for a moment and we feel are we in the heaven where there is nothing but joy. One must have an artistic heart to understand the art. The paintings give a fleeting look of spontaneity and freshness in the developing the art. The image relies upon the art of impressionism when observed directly the work confines the ephemeral effects of light and color. The techniques developed by Renoir in the oil painting are highly skilled could only be noticed when the paint surface is closely examined and noticed. He imitated other artists like Renoir, with small parallel strokes of brush. It is also observed that he was fairly capable enough of painting landscapes but failed experimenting with them. His paintings were not only great but also pretty and whose work seems always to have been done in paradisiacal temperatures Reference Joseph Rishel. (n.d.). Masterpieces of Impressionism and Post- Impressionism: The Annenberg Collection. Retrieved 9 April 2007, from,

History of american stock car racing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of american stock car racing - Essay Example In fact, the sport started off with extremely inauspicious beginnings, and only later evolved into the multi-billion dollar enterprise of the 21st century. This essay examines the history of American stock car racing and considers the factors that contributed to its evolution from an event associated with bootlegging to one of the most watched sports in the United States. Although stock car racing is more popular today the ever it can be traced back to inauspicious beginnings during the 1920s. From 1920 to 1933 the Prohibition Period made it illegal to produce, sell, and drink liquor, so a prosperous bootlegging industry developed. Many people called bootleggers would illegally run whiskey to market places often racing at high speeds to outrun the police. In an effort to increase their efficiency and limit their chances of being apprehended bootleggers began to develop enhanced, or ‘souped-up’, engines and suspensions for the cars they drove. As the faster vehicle greatly increased the chances of evading the United States Department of Justice these drivers were termed ‘moonshine runners’.1 David â€Å"Turbo† Thompson, an associate professor at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, who also raced stock cars stated, â€Å"Runners built their reputations by outsmarting and outdriving the law.†2 As much of the alcohol w as produced in the Appalachian region this primarily became a southern activity. In 1933, when the prohibition ended, stock car racing was becoming very popular. After Prohibition was repealed a great deal of the runners’ business halted, but soon many regions developed an affinity for moonshine alcohol. Moonshine running soon became a recreational activity and races along dirt roads and similar tracks began occurring throughout the southern states, most notably the Wilkes County region of North Carolina. The cars continued to improve and eventually races on Sundays were organized. A number of moonshine runners gained great acclaim,