Tkam Theme Essay

Kiah Lyons Mrs. Farrands Honors English II 30 October 2012 As children, we are taught simply that something whether it is a person, object, or belief is simply good or bad. We can classify or identify what is good or bad using three sources. Typically our beliefs are primarily based on what our household says. Society also has a large role in our views as well. If something is illegal, outlawed, or even frowned upon by society it is considered bad. However, saying something is acceptable or not acceptable is something completely different from what our actions say. Many parents use the saying: Do as I say, not as I do.Sometimes we know something goes against what is right or against or morals but we do it regardless. Scout sees that in most instances; what those in her household tell her, what society tells her, and what her family and society does do not all coincide. This is evident when analyzing two main topics of the book which are race and Boo Radley. Atticus always tells Scout and Jem the importance of treating colored people equally if not better. While talking to Mr. Raymond, Scout tells him that Atticus told her â€Å"cheatin’ a colored man is ten times worse than cheatin’ a white man, Says it’s the worst thing you can do† (Lee 205).While defending Tom Robinson, Atticus told the court: â€Å"The truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women-black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men† showing his strong belief of equality among all men no matter what their skin color may be (Lee 208). Even though Atticus strongly believes in the quote from Thomas Jefferson that â€Å"All men are created equal†, Aunt Alexandra tended to have a different perspective regarding colored men and women (Lee 208).This is strongly evident in the way she treats and talks about Calpurnia. When Aunt Alexandra first arrive d, instead of a cordial greeting she tells Calpurnia right away â€Å"Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia† which shows that Aunt Alexandra views Calpurnia of a different class and has no respect for her. Aunt Alexandra disapproved of practically everything that Calpurnia did, and if it could be avoided, she did not want Scout and Jem spending any extra time with her. Although Scout looks forward to going to Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra is not fond of the idea, and actually encourages Atticus to fire Cal.She believes Cal is not a good role mole which leads her to tell Atticus to â€Å"face it sooner or later [†¦] We don’t need her now† (Lee 138). Aunt Alexandra felt that just because Calpurnia was black, she was not suited as a mother figure, and allowed her assumptions about blacks affect her view of Calpurnia. Throughout the summer, Jem, Scout, and Dill love to reenact Boo Radley’s life and play games which include messing with the house, which Atticus does not approve of. When he caught the kids he told them that â€Å"what Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted to come out, he would† (Lee 50).Although the rest of his family may not have the same beliefs as Atticus, he takes highly his standards and morals of treating men of all types and colors with respect and equality. It is clear that Maycomb’s society does not agree with Atticus defending Tom Robinson. Scout does not realize that she would face this opposition until a few members of Maycomb make remarks about Atticus to her, not having the guts to say anything to Atticus’ face. In school, Scout faces her first opposition from Cecil Jacobs when he says: â€Å"Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers† (Lee 77).Even some of her family disapproves of Atticus defending Tom. Francis, only repeating what his grandmother says, tells Scout that Atticus â€Å"is a nigger-lover† and â€Å"we’ll never be able to walk the s treets of Maycomb agin. He’s ruinin’ the family†, which of course leads to Scout punching Francis (Lee 85-87). Passing by Mrs. Dubose, Scout and Jem get more of the usual harassment when she says makes a condescending remark about a Finch â€Å"in the courthouse lawing for niggers† and that Atticus is â€Å"no better than the niggers and trash he works for† (Lee 105).As for Boo Radley, most everyone in Maycomb has a different story for Boo Radley and why he stays at home all day. Stephanie Crawford even claims â€Å"she woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her† (Lee 13). Jem said that Boo â€Å"dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, [†¦] his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time†, obviously a tale but no one said anything different. (Lee 13). It would be easy for Scout to fall in line with what the majority of what people think so that she would be accep ted.The characters’ actions throughout the book show if they actually live by what they preach. For example, Atticus knows that he will face disapproval defending Tom Robinson. He tells Jack that â€Å"reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up† (Lee 91). Knowing that he cannot go against what he believes, he defends Tom despite the opposition. He also defends Calpurnia when Aunt Alexandra talks negatively about her saying â€Å"Calpurnia is not leaving this house until she wants to. You may think otherwise, but I couldn’t have got along without her all these years.She’s a faithful member of this family and you’ll simply have to accept things the way they are† later adding â€Å"She tried to bring them up according to her lights, and Cal’s lights are pretty good ? and another thing, the children love her† (Lee 138). Atticus could have easily taken his sister’s side, but he really appre ciates everything that Cal has done for his family. Society believes that black people are of a lesser class which is the focal point of the Tom Robinson case. Even though Tom had more evidence to prove him innocent than the plaintiff had to prove him guilty, his race was what ultimately convicted Tom.Atticus makes the statement in front of the court that the â€Å"case is not a difficult one [†¦] It should have never come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white† (Lee 207). Regarding Boo Radley, no one attempts to make an effort to stand up against the unruly rumors such as that Boo â€Å" went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them. † and the â€Å"Radley pecans would kill you† (Lee 9). It was more important to have a good story, than to have the not-so lively truth.Their actions showed their true beliefs. We can be molded into good pe ople by taking the good and bad from each source, or we can be brainwashed into one source. Each source has their pros and cons, which is why it is important to take what people say with a grain of salt, before immediately adapting their views. Regardless, we can all learn things from our household’s beliefs, what society says, and what peoples’ actions say. As we grow as a people and we gain experience, we gain a better understanding of what is good and bad, right and wrong.

Illustration of how the Polis was the center of Athenian Life Essay

Introduction The word Polis (poh-lis) referred to the city-state, to the fortress, and to the people as a whole.   Greek city-states often grew up around forts on the hills or mountaintops for their protection. These city-states were independent states (a nation of its own) that controlled a limited amount of farmland surrounding the territory .The Greek city states were small of which the ideal size was a population of about 5,000 male citizens, who were the only people counted in official records. Of all the polis, Athens had the largest population, reaching to about 35,000 male citizens in the middle of the fifth century B.C. Because of its small size, the people (citizens) had the opportunity to interact closely with each other.   When there is no war, Athenian life revolved around the state[1]. This paper will illustrate how the polis was the center of Athenian life. The illustration will be derived from examples of the political and cultural activities of its citizens. Political Life Political Participation Like most Greek city-states, the Athenians developed political units that were centrally based on a single city (Athens). Athenians were the first people in history to lead the establishment of a government in which free citizens ruled themselves. This type of government was called â€Å"democracy† meaning â€Å"rule by the people†.[2] Previously, Athens was ruled by powerful noble officials known as archons who tended to favor the upper class of Athens but because of lower class Athenian protests, the leadership was transferred to Solon in 594 B.C. Solon was a statesman, poet and merchant who was widely regarded as wise and just. Solon made political reforms that decreased the power of the nobles. He divided Athenian citizens into four classes based on wealth, not on noble birth. This gave the merchants a voice in the government, for citizens in the three highest classes could hold public office and later all male citizens were expected to serve in the government.[3] About 510, Athens was ruled by Cleisthenes. After consulting with the Assembly he reformed the political system by dividing Athens into ten areas called demes.[4] To safeguard the new democratic government, Cleisthenes started a new practice. Once a year the Athenians voted out a person who they suspect will become a tyrant leader.   If 6,000 votes were cast against a particular person, he was forced to leave Athens for ten years. Because votes were written on a piece of broken pottery called an ostrakon, this practice became known as ostracism. Few people actually were ostracized but the custom gave citizens more power. Pericles, who ruled Athens in 460 B.C., increased the participation of Athenians in politics. He opened government jobs to all classes and government officials were paid salaries so that even poor citizens could serve as officials.   Citizens were given the freedom to criticize leading generals or statesmen without being punished. The duties of government were performed by ordinary citizens. They took care of the public buildings, kept the waterfront safe for ships, and watched over the city’s food supply. They served in the army and rowed ships in the navy. Rather than being elected, officials were chosen by lot (a process similar to having one’s name picked out of a hat). They held office for one year and could not hold the same position again. This gave every male citizen a chance to serve the community.[5] In fact, the Athenian political system of allotment made it possible for every male citizen to be liable for executive government duties. Participation in the Assembly The number of Athenian citizens was small enough for them to govern themselves in a direct democracy. There was no need to elect representatives as most modern democracies do. About forty times a year all citizens met in the Assembly (supreme-decision making body in Athens) in an open area on a hill called The Pnyx. The Assembly meetings were opened for every male citizen over the age of 18.[6] There they debated, voted all matters of domestic and foreign policy and made the laws. They themselves decided whether to sign a trade treaty, build a navy, or make peace. Although every male Athenian had the right to attend, due to limited space and other practical reasons, not all of them were able to attend every meeting. With a total male population of 30,000, the Phynx can only accommodate 6,000 of them. Nevertheless, Assembly meetings were events that most Athenians look forward to. Usually Assembly meetings were scheduled just after dawn, delayed only when citizens and presiding officials were late. It is significant to note that any citizen, whether he held a public office or nor, had the right to speak or voice his opinions before thousands of his fellow Athenians. Before or after the speech, each citizen was expected to openly show their support or disagreement for it was assumed that each Athenian citizen could think intelligently about community affairs.[7]   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Participation in the Council (Boulà ª) The Athenian Council was composed of 500 members. These members were chosen by lot from 50 citizens of the 10 Athenian tribes.   Any male with an age over 30 had the opportunity to serve in the Council although not all are required to do so. Usually eligible males in each deme (local municipalities) would volunteer themselves and 50 of them were selected by lots to serve in the Council.   Athenian citizens are allowed to serve twice in the Council. Unlike the Assembly, the Council met everyday, except for festival days and certain other forbidden days, in the Agora. If there was an Assembly meeting, the council would meet in the afternoon for normally Assembly meetings end at noon. The Council’s primary responsibilities include the preparation of an agenda for the Assembly, drafting of bills and the supervision of the public officials.[8] The Council would give an account of its actions and activities before the Assembly (meaning before all the Athenian males) at the end of its year of service. What was interesting about the Council was that their activity was supervised daily by each different member of the Athenian tribes. In other words, through the casting of lots a new chairman was elected every day and was entrusted with the keys to the temples that kept the state funds, records and state seal. The daily change of Council leadership  Ã‚   means that the reins of the Athenian government were in the hands of a different Athenian citizen every day of the year.[9] This was a remarkable way of managing political affairs where competency and efficiency does not make one hold on to a government position. Women and slaves in Athens were excluded from government service however. But in spite of that they found other things to do in Athens like raising the family and participating in festivals. [10]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   D. Participation in the Law Courts Because of their democratic form of government, every accused Athenian were tried in the Athenian courts. Every year 6,000 mostly poor Athenian citizens were chosen by lot to serve in the jury. They were not forced to serve in this function but voluntarily put themselves forward because of the prospect of receiving salary. The Athenians were eager juries who would show up in the courts early in the morning for daily sessions. The numbers of juries needed for that day were selected with the use of a complicated allotment machine. The allotment process takes two steps, first to select the juries and second to select the court rooms where they will be assigned.   Because allotment occurs daily, there was a constant change of juror for all cases. The reason for this complicated behavior was to prevent the occurrence of bribery. There was no way of knowing in advance whether a certain juror will serve that day and if he does what case he will be assigned. As mentioned earlier the court system was run by non-professionals. There were no professionally trained judges and lawyers to rely upon. Unlike today, public prosecutions in ancient Athens were not represented by assigned district attorney to serve as prosecutor and there was no lawyer assigned for the defendant.   In private cases, both the accuse and the plaintiff defended themselves. Final decision for court cases was obtained after the jury (without discussing with each other) voted. Private prosecution only last 9  ½ hours while private ones took about only two hours. Justice was rather quick for the Athenians. [11] Cultural Life Love of Learning The Athenians love to educate themselves. There were so many things that they wanted to know and learn. That is why they produced great philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The Athenians discussed their ideas in the Agora or marketplace daily.[12] There they argue, discuss or scrutinize some new knowledge   The Athenians considered education necessary for good citizenship. Boys were enrolled in private schools or taught at home by tutors, often educated slaves. They learned reading, arithmetic, and the works of Homer and other great poets. Young men studied public speaking, geometry, astronomy and poetry and were encouraged to discuss their ideas about politics and questions of right and wrong. The Athenians were very fond of the athletics. All schools of Athens had physical education as part of their curriculum. An Athenian philosophy was that an ideal citizen is a product of exercise and morality.  Ã‚   There were many athletic events in and around Athens that the Athenians look forward to. The underlying purpose of  Ã‚   all the sacrifices of self-discipline and learning were for each Athenians to be hailed  Ã‚  Ã‚     worthy of Athens and to bring honor to its name especially by winning in the Athletic games against other Greek-states. Pre-occupation with Arts and Literature Athens was the cultural center of Greece. The Athenians believed that a man’s life was empty if he failed to use his mind and develop his talents. Because of that philosophy the Athenians made extraordinary achievements in art, literature, science and philosophy. In these fields, they set standards for later Western civilization. Because they placed high value on individual excellence, Athenian cultural heritage continue to awe and inspire modern men. Athenian poets and playwrights wrote enduring masterpieces. Poetry played an important part in expressing the Athenian view of life. Their poems vividly showed people striving to live up to standards of courage and honor. Poems were also written to honor victors in athletic games and heroes killed in battle, which of course encouraged the Athenians to refine further their talents and win victories for Athens. Plays were popular entertainment for all Athenians.   The Athenian ruler Pisistratus sponsored the first drama festivals in 534 B.C Because. Greece had a mild climate, the dramas were performed outdoors, in a large theater built into the side of a hill. The theater held as many as 20,000 people. Opening day was a public holiday. The poor were given money to buy seats, and prisoners were even released from jail to watch the performances. Many people brought food, for performances often lasted from sunrise to sunset.[13] As in some modern theaters, audiences in ancient Athens sat in half-circle around a circular area where the actors, dancers, and musicians performed. Athenian playwrights also wrote comedies that made fun of Athenian politicians, generals, philosophers and other playwrights. Also Athenian artists and architects created simple and beautiful styles that continue to serve as models. The style of Greek architectural style had been used in thousands of public buildings in the United States and Europe. Practice of Religion Athenians were firm believers of gods and goddesses which they honored in shared community rituals and festivals. Processions, music, animal sacrifice and communal dining were participated by all Athenians. Athenian arts not only express the Athenian love for what is beautiful but also to honor their gods by building shrines and temples for them around Athens. [14]An example is the pillared temples on the Acropolis, a hill in the center of Athens. The largest is the Parthenon, the temple of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. The Parthenon seems to have grown out of the rocky hillside in the center of the city. It is simple, but perfectly proportioned, built of white marbles. It originally held a 40-foot-tall ivory and gold statue of Athena. Athenians also made statues of their gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses were pictured in the form of beautiful human beings, for that was the way the Greeks imagined them Conclusion Athenian life revolved around the city-state (polis) of Athens. Its small size and democratic form of government had enabled the citizens to actively participate in all of its affairs and to ensure its stability.   They collectively participated in the management of the state with all male being given the opportunity to lead their communities. Their rich culture boasts of famous philosophers, beautifully designed shrines and temples and religious fervor with gods and goddesses that are as famous as Athens itself. It is clear to see that with the time and devotion that they had given to their political and cultural life within the walls of Athens, the city was an important part of their lives. Bibliography Athenian Life. Brooklyn College Classic Homepage 2008 .Retrieved February 1, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm Lang, Mabel L. The Athenian Citizen. Princeton, New Jersey: American School of Classical Studies at Athens,1960. Parker, Robert. Athenian Religion. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997. Perry, Marvin. A History of the World. New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988. Stockton, David. The Classical Athenian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. [1] Marvin Perry, History of the World, New York: Houghton-Mifflin, p. 69 [2] David Stockton The Classical Athenian Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 [3]   Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 71-80. [4] David Stockton, The Classical Athenian Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), 57 [4]   Perry, 73. [6] Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 3-4. [7] Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [8] Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 10. [9] Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [10] Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 75. [11]  Ã‚   Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [12]   Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 67. [13] Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 82-86. [14] Robert Parker , Athenian Religion ( Oxford: Clarendon Press ), 67-80.

“Legalization Of Marijuana”: Pro Marijuana Essay

Marijuana should be legalized to solve many of today’s problems. These problems have gotten so out of hand that many extreme options are being considered to control or solve it. There seems to be no way to end the war against Marijuana other than to legalize it . The war on Marijuana doesn’t seem to be accomplishing too much. Different options need to be considered. There have also been too many lies, misunderstandings and misinterpretations thrown at Marijuana. Legalization is an option that hasn’t gotten a chance but should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of use, marijuana should be legalized because it will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement and it will increase our country’s revenue. There are also many benefits that can be found to help people if legalization of marijuana is given a chance. Legalizing marijuana would increase our economy’s revenue. During alcohols prohibition, alcohol was still sold and used, but people were doing it illegally. Then the government took away the prohibition law and alcohol taxes were increased. The same thing should happen with Marijuana. Marijuana should be taxed heavily to increase our revenue. Marijuana would be made by the same people at pharmacy’s, so the quality would be assured, containing no poisons or impurities. Then Marijuana could be taxed heavily because the users will be assured of â€Å"clean drugs.† Making Marijuana legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement every year. Drug dealers and users are one step ahead on the enforcement process. If one drug lord is caught, another one will show up somewhere else. We can’t defeat the dealers that way. Too much money is wasted on a cause that seems to have no end. So much of this money could be used on better things. By lifting the ban on marijuana use and treating it like other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, the nation would gain immediate and long-term benefits. This change in the law would greatly improve the quality of life for many people. Victims of glaucoma and those needing  antinausea treatment, for example, would get easier access to Marijuana. Also, Doctors could get on with the investigation of marijuana’s medical uses without fear of being put in jail. It might also become possible to discuss the accusations of the dangers of marijuana use without getting caught up in a policy debate. Meanwhile, the black market would disappear overnight. Some arrangement would be made to license the production of marijuana cigarettes. Thousands of dealers would be put out of business, and the economy would begin to open up. This would lower crime dramatically. The dealers and their organizations would have no flow of money, no money means no guns and no reason for as many gang wars. The legalization of marijuana would also help the federal budget in two ways, the federal cash flow would increase, because marijuana cigarettes would be taxed. In return, the companies that make the cigarettes would also pay taxes. Second, there would be less money spent on law enforcement to apprehend and jail users and sellers of marijuana. The drug enforcement authorities might finally focus more on intense, hard drugs and violent crimes and the courts wouldn’t have to worry about sending so many people to jails. Marijuana should be legalized to solve many of today’s problems.

Sodium chloride is a very important compound. state the propertied of Essay

Sodium chloride is a very important compound. state the propertied of it and discuss the many products made from it - Essay Example Let us consider each of these aspects in a detailed manner. Salt was used even before the pre-historic period. Animals used to get salt from the various sources in nature and primitive man got his requirement of salt from animal meat. When he turned a cultivator, he found that some salt sources (like sea water) gave his vegetables the salty taste that he used to get on meat (as cited in http://www.saltsense.co.uk/history01.htm). Later on he learned how salt helped to preserve meat, cure hides and heal wounds. About 4,700 years ago, the Chinese Png-tzao-kan-mu, one of the earliest known writings recorded more than 40 types of salt (as cited in http://www.saltsense.co.uk/history02.htm). In the British aisles, there have been traces of inland brines from where ancient man made salt. Archaeological evidence is leading to Bronze Age to this age old practice. â€Å"We even know the names of a few of the Roman saltmakers. These are inscribed on some of the lead pans - Viventius, Veluvius and Cunitus. Complete Roman salt pans are in the Salt Museum and at Nantwich Museum. The leaden pans were roughly 90-100cm square by 15cm deep.Roman soldiers were partly paid in salt. It is said to be from this that we get the word soldier - sal dare, meaning to give salt. From the same source we get the word salary, salarium† (as cited in http://www.saltsense.co.uk/history04.htm). â€Å"Salt is widely distributed in nature. It is found in solution in ocean water in concentrations of about 30 g/liter (about 4.08 oz/gallons) of water, meaning that salt makes up about 3 percent of ocean water by weight. The compound is also distributed throughout many rivers and inland lakes and seas, the concentration varying from 0.002 percent in Mississipi River to 12 percent in the  Great Salt Lake. Salt can occur as a surface crust or layer in swamps and dry lake bottoms, especially in extremely arid regions. The mineral  halite, more commonly known as  rock salt  or  massive

Criminal Procedure Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Procedure Assignment - Essay Example Effectively, the decision overruled the previous distinction in Chadwick-Sanders that held such a search of containers in automobiles required a warrant even if there was probable cause for the search. In U.S.A vs. Chadwick 433 U.S. 1 (1977), it was held that in the absence of exigency, searching double-locked luggage inside an automobile is not justified and violates the Fourth Amendment rights. Here, it was explained that luggage may be movable just like the automobile but is not subjected to lesser privacy expectations associated with the automobile. Therefore, the police cannot search personal effects that they confiscate during an arrest if they do not have a warrant to perform the search. In U.S.A vs. Johnson 457 U.S. 537 (1982), the defendant claimed that his written and oral confessions were the results of an unlawful arrest that could not be supported by probable cause. However, it was held that the warrantless arrest of Johnson in his home did not violate his Fourth Amendme nt rights because there was probable cause for the arrest and the confessions admitted as evidence. However, this decision was later overruled after Payton v New York 445 U.S. 573 was decided and it was ruled the respondent’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated. The similarity in the three cases is the issue of warrantless search and presenting the evidence found to the court during prosecution. However, basing on the different facts f the cases, different verdicts were made. Both U.S.A. vs. Acevedo and U.S.A. vs. Johnson held that the police did not require warrants to search the automobile and home respectively. The reasoning is that they had probable cause to believe there was evidence in the automobile and home that would link the suspects to crime. More specifically in U.S.A. vs. Acevedo, the most relevant holding was that the police could search the entire automobile and any closed containers in it.

Should All Intangible Assets Be Shown in the Balance Sheet Research Proposal

Should All Intangible Assets Be Shown in the Balance Sheet - Research Proposal Example Accounting, as a profession, also grew in importance as the complications regarding the nature of the business also grew simultaneously. The use of creative accounting by the firm have necessitated a large scale changes to take place within accounting literature to suggest more radical approaches to handling many â€Å" creative accounting† issues of importance. A major offshoot was that intangible assets grew in gross disproportion to tangible assets. Still, despite growing ‘suspect’ irregularities in accounting of intangible assets that emerged from time to time, the world did not place proper regulations in place; one of these missing regulations included presenting clear and proper information of all intangible assets in the balance sheet. In the backdrop of Enron disaster, UK and US has initiated many changed in different accounting practices such as amendments made in IAS 38 however, there is still lot to be done in terms of intangible asset disclosure in ac counting statements as some of the firms are still engaged in practices of evading the inclusion of intangible assets into their balance sheet.... Statement of the Problem Intangible assets are defined as assets with the quality of being identifiable as well as quantifiable apart from the goodwill. Thus most of the financial assets used by the firms, mostly with the intention of leveraging the business, are considered as intangible assets. However the use of intangible assets as one of the critical means of hiding some of the highest importance accounting information with the potential to affect the decision making of investors is on increase as companies, despite tightening regulations and accounting standards is using them to conceal different facts. This has become even more important in the wake of the biggest corporate scandals like Enron and World Com both of which tried to conceal important facts through the reporting of accounting information in more creative way. The use of intangible assets was one of the most important mean used by these firms to hid information. This also creates very interesting ethical questions of the accounting practices being used by the firms. This research will attempt to discuss whether, the scope of the disclosure of the tangible assets in balance sheet should be increased to include all the tangible assets to be reported on the financial statements Literature Review The concept of intangible assets, in itself, is a very important and somewhat different qualities associated to them. (Berry, 2004, 15). Intangible assets hold a very different and somewhat blurred distinction between what comprise of the intellectual capital of the firm i.e. in the form of its human resources, copyrights, patents etc however, on the other hand financial assets are also often

Forces in International Business Research Paper

Forces in International Business - Research Paper Example The business environment is indeed inundated with waves of issues that totally define the nature of operations. This mix translates to what is referred to as the business environment. The forces that define the business environment normally range in various aspects as can be realized in the modern age. Some of these factors can be controlled by the business whereas others are beyond the manipulation of the business. These factors are the core subject matter in this essay. It seeks to address how the external environmental forces influence operations. FORCES IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Introduction The modern business environment is defined by myriad factors that vitally influence the operations of all players in market. ... In most cases, some of these factors affect the organizations directly while others impact indirectly on the organizations. In that manner, the modern business environment is classified into; internal environment, operational environment and external environment. The first two classifications are normally a function of the organization’s own operations and can therefore be influenced whereas the external environmental factors are broad in scope and cannot easily be manipulated by the operations. Economic environment The economic business environment usually refers to the combination of the nature of economic system prevailing in the country of operations, the anatomical structure of the economy in terms of economic policies, the government’s regulation of the capital markets and such other factors as the socio-economic infrastructure. Such market situations are normally great determinants of the success or failure of entirely all organizations (Becker, 2001). In any cas e, a supportive economic environment is the best condition an organization may imagine. Most multinationals today operate in entirely different economic systems from their home countries and are as such usually compelled to adapt to the conditionality in existence. In many countries, governments in place have tried to promote investment activities though the creation of favorable economic environments that support the operations of investors. The economic systems in many countries differ in many respects and this has a great influence on investment viability. The economic systems in the Eastern countries are totally different from the systems in the Western economies.

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Management - Essay Example The firm needs to be restructured to keep up with its international growth and a plan needs to be developed to change the organization to fit its new multinational status. Tossavainen (2005, pg. 1) claims that, "the utilization of an enterprise resource planning system in an multinational enterprise can be explained by the following elements: 1) organizational awareness, 2) imperfect autonomy, 3) change orientation, 4) transformation triggers, 5) Enterprise Resource Planning system impact, and 6) successful performance. The implementing organization defines ERP, it must reflect the MNE strategies and management. Therefore, new organizational capabilities are required for the implementing organization to achieve the promised benefits associated with the ERP." In order to implement effective solutions, careful organization and planning must be followed. A model needs to be developed that can be followed carefully. An ERP must be enabled for long-term use. In order to accomplish this, one way is to implement it through "initial implementation, enhancements, deployment rollouts, support of the use, and upgrades" (Tossavainen, 2005, pg. 1). It is also suggested that organizational mechanisms are updated. Multinational enterprises are fascinating to research due to their state of constant change. The information systems that are used in multinational enterprises make it difficult for uniformity across the board since the branches of the organization are located in many different locations. Fortunately, new information systems are now being developed that solve this problem, such as enterprise resource planning systems. They are designed to "integrate operational data with logistics business processes" (Tossavainen, 2005, pg. 1). Thanks to enterprise resource planning solutions, businesses can now operate comfortably on a global scale. What the Literature Says About the Subject Research is being prompted in this area due to the increasing complexity of multinational enterprise management. It is also being prompted because much enterprise resource planning research that is already in existence is ambiguous in nature and there is much failure in implementation of the systems. According to Tossavainen (2005, pg. 1), "A new permanent organization structure that integrates business and information technology (IT) domains is needed to accomplish variety of tasks related to the ERP system." How a Firm Gains a Status of Multinational Corporation According to Tossavainen (2005, pg. 1), "An MNE has several units across separate geographical locations with different degrees of freedom in their activities. Hence, an MNE is geographically, time-wise and environmentally (both externally and internally) diverse." Part II Introduction This scenario introduces the case of a company that sells underwear for men and women. The manager has decided to invest into a firm in Romania that will produce the product for the company. As such, he is sending a manager for the subsidiary, an accountant, and an engineer for the Romanian firm. A Plan for Organizational Change in a Multinational Enterprise The basic outline for the organizational plan change in this

Germany and the germans class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Germany and the germans class - Essay Example Despite the ban the process still continues in many slaughter houses. According to animal practitioners stunning process is a right to all animals, despite the customs and norms of a given community and it should be put forth at all times. In this consideration, the exemption should be granted only to uphold peoples’ religious and social practices. By doing so, this will reduce conflict from such societies encouraging the integration to all the government functions. The ban of un-stunned meat for example, limits religious practices of the Muslim and the Jewish, limiting their rights of freedom of worship. Therefore, as this order is put in place people’s democratic right should be considered. In addition, people are usually very sensitive on what they purchase (Neville & Grandin, 66). The government should not ban un-stunned meat due to the fact that many businesses that contributes to economic development. For example meat produced ritually is no longer accepted by

Yahoo Work-at-Home Edict Squanders Benefits Case Study - 32

Yahoo Work-at-Home Edict Squanders Benefits - Case Study Example Other attributes were due to making more calls per minute thanks as a whole to the more silent working environment. In the same survey, by Boom, it probed how the performance gains were doubled. Â  This is backed by most economies who agree that the call-center is mostly suitable for telecommuting, and in this, the worker's activities can be monitored. Yahoo in their memo to all workers, on the other hand, insisted that everyone should report to work and focus their claims that working side-by-side increases and guarantees collaboration, which improves everyone’s efficiency and productivity (Kennedy, 2013). Despite numerous studies having proofs on positive fruits of telecommuting, Yahoo still did not consider how productivity is enhanced through a workforce based on long hours at the office with limited attention to family and community. On a personal basis, yahoo’s step on their telecommuting policies was focused on a type of telecommuting that substitutes for time spent at the office, and give workers an opportunity to avoid long travels and strategize their work hours around family and community responsibilities (Kennedy, 2013). Â  For technology companies like Yahoo, it is somehow vague to develop a format of analyzing those working at home’s performance in the sense that they were structures, which were built by living at the office with peer and it provided splendid results. Even though most people lobby for working from homes claiming that it makes their lives remotely possible and affordable in relation to raising kids and maintaining a family. Yahoo’s head of human resource stated that communication and collaboration would be as significant as the company works in a more fun, well-organized and extremely fecund heights (Kennedy, 2013).

Stereotypes and Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes and Prejudice Essay Please complete the following exercises, remembering that you are in an academic setting and should remain unbiased, considerate, and professional when completing this worksheet. Part I Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each: †¢ Race †¢ Ethnicity †¢ Religion †¢ Gender †¢ Sexual orientation †¢ Age †¢ Disability. |Category |Stereotype 1 |Stereotype 2 |Stereotype 3 | |Race |Africans are all criminals |White men are all abusers |Mexicans are all gang related | |Gender |Men are more powerful |Women should not be treated equal |Men are better workers | | | |as men | | |Ethnicity |Africans are better in sports |Asians are smarter |Mexican are better and cheaper | | | | |workers | Part II Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any? I don’t think there are any positive aspects to sterotypes. If anything they make people act a little more careful around people they don’t know. I think that might be the only positive thing that can come out of it. Everything else can sometimes be very hurtful to other people. What are the negative aspects of stereotypes? Part III Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. Define stereotypes and prejudice. What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences. What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring?

Hr a Short Briefing for New Hr Colleagues to Help Them Perform Effectively and Efficiently in Their Roles. Essay Example for Free

Hr a Short Briefing for New Hr Colleagues to Help Them Perform Effectively and Efficiently in Their Roles. Essay HR Professionals must understand the business and culture for which they serve and the HR strategy must be aligned to this. As shown in the map above, there are ten professional areas in which as a HR Professional you should strive to demonstrate the highest achievable level of competence. As a new member of the HR Team at YWP, we expect you to support the improvement of HR processes and policies. This includes continuously looking at opportunities in which to improve the HR Function and its implementation within the organisation. You will act as a sounding board for employee relations, feeding back information to your HR Manager and facilitating change initiatives when required. You will be responsible for your own personal continuous professional development and as such will record and plan your development during your time at YWP. You will work with the HR Team to ensure you are well versed with the organisation and its context to ensure all decisions made within the HR Function are in alignment with this. You will keep up to date with developments in the HR industry and implement and analyse how these will affect our organisation as they arise. You will be expected to act as a role model and deliver and exceed objectives and expectations. Showing courage to challenge, you will act as a driver for operational excellence within the organisation. http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/48FF823A-1A33-4C90-8B9B-B691D9130C01/0/AssociatemembercriteriaAug11.pdf The four concentric circles of HR Professionalism The four concentric circles of HR professionalism comprise of managing self, managing groups/ teams, managing upwards and managing across the organisation. These are all areas which you will demonstrate at some point during your career at YWP. As a HR Professional, you are responsible for the management of your own skills, knowledge and development. Use of a development plan and record will go some way to help you achieve this. However you must also be open to feedback from others and undergo frequent self evaluation in order to identify development areas and review set objectives. By undertaking this not only will you develop as a HR Professional but you will also add value to the organisation for which you serve. Effective management of a team or group requires effective leadership. Management and leadership can exist independently from one another however to be fully effective must co-exist. Leadership is something which must be worked towards and is not inherited automatically with the assignment of a managerial task or role. How you manage your team will ultimately determine how you are perceived as a leader in that team. (Selden, 2010) Effective delegation, motivation, development, communication, discipline and conflict management are all aspects of team management and how you manage these aspects will have a direct influence on the dynamics and success of your team’s outcomes. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_92.htm Managing upwards is an important aspect of a successful HR Professionals’ management strategy. It is essential to ascertain the key factors which your manager expects you to deliver, how they expect you to deliver them and to what standard. Analyse what is expected from you by your line manager and seek regular feedback to ensure you consistently meet their objectives. Seek new responsibilities and provide regular updates to your line manager on your achievements and successful project outcomes. http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/11/03/7-ways-to-manage-up/ Collaboration across the organisation is imperative to ensure the full impact and implementation of any HR initiative. Managing HR across the organisation involves maintaining inter-department relationships and alliances, facilitating communication channels, ensuring credibility and the positive perception of the HR Function. Managing across the organisation by using its line managers to implement HR initiatives will ensure the HR Functions objectives are much more likely to be realised. Adding Value to the Organisation The HR Function drives performance and provides line managers with the tools and resources to increase the performance of the organisation’s employees. It must do this by identifying the business values and formulating a strategy in line with these. This strategy must then be effectively implemented at all levels. You will work with your HR colleagues to identify the business values as they evolve and formulate a strategy in line with this. In order for HR to add value in any organisation, the team members of that HR Function must align their goals to that of the organisation. You will work with the HR team to design strong policies and procedures which encourage managers and employees to focus on the growth of the company and maintain the competitive edge. http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2010/05/add-value-to-hr-not-spin.htm The behaviours you demonstrate on a daily basis will have an impact on the credibility of the HR Function, it is therefore essential to demonstrate operational excellence, stewardship, insight and influence in line with the business values in every action you undertake. Conclusion Your actions to influence the efficiency, relevance, effectiveness and credibility of the HR Function have the potential to affect the bottom line of the business. The effectiveness of the HR Function within the organisation is largely dependent on its perception within the organisation and we hope you will join us to ensure the HR Function continues to act effectively and in line with the organisational goals and business values. We look forward to a long and fulfilling partnership with you here at YWP. We hope you will use the time not only to develop the organisation but also your own professional skills, attributes and knowledge.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Paging And Segmentation Computer Science Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Paging And Segmentation Computer Science Essay To use the processor and the I/O facilities efficiently, it is desirable to maintain many processes, as possible, in main memory. In addition, it is desirable to free programmers from size restrictions in program development than to restrict them with small sizes (that happened in the older computers). The restriction to a predefined size redirects the programmers effort from the use of better programming techniques to a continuously effort to make fit in that size a solution, not necessarily the optimal one. The way to address both of these concerns is virtual memory (VM). Virtual memory systems are an abstraction of the primary memory in a von Neumann computer. Even in a time of decreasing physical memory costs, contemporary computers devote considerable resources to supporting virtual address spaces that are much larger than the physical memory allocated to a process. Contemporary software relies heavily on virtual memory to support applications such as image management with huge memory requirements. (Sami Hamed ,2007) . 1.1 Implementing Virtual Memory To basic approaches to providing virtual memory are: paging and segmentation. Paging. With paging, each process is divided into relatively small, fixed-size pages. Paging systems transfer fixed-sized blocks of information between primary and secondary memories. Because of the fixed pages size and page frame size, the translation from a binary virtual address to a corresponding physical address is relatively simple, provided the system has an efficient table lookup mechanism. Paging systems use associative memories to implement page translation tables. Paging uses single-component addresses, like those used to address cell within any particular segment. In paging, the virtual address space is a linear sequence of virtual address (a format that differs from the hierarchical segmentation address space. In a paging system, the programmer has no specific mechanism for informing the virtual memory system about logical units of the virtual address space, as is done in segmentation. Instead, the virtual memory manager is completely responsible for defining the fixed-s ize unit of transfer the page to be moved back and forth between the primary and secondary memories. The programmer need not be aware of the units of virtual address space loaded into or unloaded from the physical memory. In fact, the page size is transparent to the process. ( Philip ,1998) . Segmentation. Segmentation provides for the use of pieces of varying size. It is also possible combine segmentation and paging in a single memory-management scheme. Segmentation is an alternative to paging. It differs from paging in that the unit transfer between primary and secondary memories varies. The size of the segments, are also explicitly known by the programmer. Translating a segment virtual address to a physical. Segmentation is an extension of the ideas suggested by the use of relocation-limit registers for relocating and bound checking blocks of memory. The program parts to be loaded or unloaded are defined by the programmer as variable-sized segments. Segment may be defined explicitly by language directives it implicit by program semantics as the: text, data and stack segments created by the UNIX C compiler. Address is more complex that translating a paging virtual address. (Michael , 2008) . 1.2 Process Management Process management refers to the full spectrum of as services to support the orderly administration of a collection of processes. The processor manager is responsible for creating the environment in which the sequential process executes, including implementing resource management. The community of processes that exists in the as at any given time is derived from the initial process that is created when the computer begins operation. The initial process boots up the as , which, in turn, can create other processes to service interactive users, printers, network connections and so on. A program image is created from a set of source modules and previously compiled library modules in relocate-able form. The link-editor combines the various relocate-able object modules to create an absolute program in secondary memory. The loader places the absolute program into the primary memory when a process executes the program. The program image, along with other entities that the process can reference, constitutes the process address space. The address space can be stored in different parts of the machines memory hierarchy during execution. 1.3 compares their advantages and disadvantages of Paging and Segmentation Advantages of Paging and Segmentation Disadvantages of Paging and Segmentation Paging No external fragmentation Segments can grow without any reshuffling Can run process when some pages are swapped to disk Increases flexibility of sharing Segmentation Supports sparse address spaces Decreases size of page tables If segment not used, not need for page table Increases flexibility of sharing of Both Increases flexibility of sharing Share either single page or entire segment Overhead of accessing memory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Page tables reside in main memory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Overhead reference for every real memory reference Large page tables à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Must allocate page tables contiguously à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More problematic with more address bits Page table size Assume 2 bits for segment, 18 bits for page number, 12 bits for offset 2.0 Mapping Function Algorithm to block the memory card side cache lines. Method Which country is necessary to define a cache block busy. Three techniques used: direct, associative and associative. Associative Mapping In associative mapping, when a request is made for cash, the requested address is compared in the same directory with all entries in the directory. If the requested address is found (directory hit), the appropriate place in the cache is fetched and returned to the processor, otherwise, a miss occurs.(figure 1) . Associative Mapping Cache Figure (1), (Philip ,1998) Associative Mapping Summary Address length = (s+w) bits Number of addressable units = 2^(s+w) words or bytes Block Size = line size = 2^w words or bytes Number of blocks in main memory = 2^(s+w)/2^w = 2^s Number of lines in cache = undetermined Size of tag = s bits Associative Mapping Pros and Cons Flexibility as to which block to replace when a new block is read into cache Replacement algorithms designed to maximize cache hit ratio Complex circuitry required to examine the tags of all cache lines in parallel direct mapping In a direct mapping cache Lower Row address bits are used to access the directory. Several address line card in the same place in the cache directory, upper address bits (tag bits) should be compared with address to ensure a hit. If the comparison is not valid, the result is a cache miss, or simply a miss. The address given to the cache by the processor actually is subdivided into several pieces, each of which has a different role in accessing data (figure 2) . Direct Mapping Cache Figure (2), (Philip ,1998) set associative Mapping Operates in a fashion somewhat similar to the direct-mapped cache. Bits from the line address are used to address a cache directory. However, now there are multiple choices: two, four, or more complete line addresses may be present in the directory. Each of these line addresses corresponds to a location in a sub-cache. The collection of these sub-caches forms the total cache array. In a set associative cache, as in the direct-mapped cache, all of these sub-arrays can be accessed simultaneously, together with the cache directory. If any of the entries in the cache directory match the reference address, and there is a hit, the particular sub-cache array is selected and out gated back to the processor (figure 3 ) (William , 2000) Set Associative Mapping Cache Figure (3) ,(Philip ,1998) 2.4 Replacement Algorithms Direct Mapping No choice Each block only maps to one line Must replace that line Associative and Set Associative. Must be implemented in hardware for speed. Most effective Least Recently Used (LRU) Replace the block in the set that has been in cache the longest with no references to it . 2-way set associative each line includes a USE bit . First-in-first-out (FIFO) Replace the block in the set that has been in the cache the longest. Uses a round-robin or circular buffer technique . Least Frequently Used (LFU) . Replace the block in the set that has experienced the fewest references. Associate a counter with each line Pick a line at random not based usage . Only slightly inferior in performance to algorithms based on usage . 3.0What is RAID The basic idea of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is to combine multiple cheap disks in an array of disk drives to obtain performance, capacity and reliability that exceeds that of a large disk. The array of drives appears to the host computer as one logical drive. The Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of the array is equal to the MTBF of an individual drive, divided by the number of drives in the array. Because of this, the MTBF of a non-redundant array (RAID 0) is too low for mission-critical systems. However, disk arrays can be made fault tolerant by redundantly storing information in various ways. Five types of array architectures, RAID 1 to RAID 5 were originally determined each provides disk fault tolerance with different compromises in features and performance. In addition to these five redundant array architectures, it has become popular to refer to a non-redundant array of disk drives as a RAID 0 array. RAID 0 is the fastest and most efficient array type but offers no fault tolerance. RAID 0 requires a minimum of two drives. (William , 2000). 3.1 Performance and Data Redundancy Increasing Logical Drive Performance Without an array controller, connecting extra physical disks to a system increases the total storage capacity. However, it has no effect on the efficiency of read/write operations, because data can only be transferred to one physical disk at a time (see Figure 3). Figure (3) ,(William , 2000) With an array controller, connecting extra physical disks to a system increases both the total storage capacity and the read/write efficiency. The capacity of several physical disks is combined into one or more virtual units called logical drives (also called logical volumes). The read/write heads of all of the physical disks in a logical drive are active simultaneously; improving I/O performance and reducing the total time required for data transfer (see Figure 4). (William, 2000) Figure (4), (William , 2000) Because the read/write heads for each physical disk are active simultaneously, the same amount of data is written to each disk during any given time interval. Each unit of data is called a block. The blocks form a set of data stripes that are spread evenly over all the physical disks in a logical drive (see Figure 5), (William, 2000). Figure (5) ,(William , 2000) For data in the logical drive to be readable, the data block sequence must be the same in every stripe. This sequencing process is performed by the Smart Array Controller, which sends the data blocks to the physical disk, writing the heads in the correct order. In a striped array, each physical disk in a logical drive contains the same amount of data. If one physical disk has a larger capacity than other physical disks in the same logical drive, the extra capacity cannot be used. A logical drive can extend over more than one channel on the same controller, but it cannot extend over more than one controller. Disk failure, although rare, is potentially catastrophic to an array. If a physical disk fails, the logical drive it is assigned to fails, and all of the data on that logical drive is lost. (Peng, Hai , Xinrong ,Qiong Jiangling , 1997) . 3.2 differences among all RAID levels RAID 0 is the fastest and most efficient array type but offers no fault tolerance. RAID 0 requires a minimum of two drives. RAID 1 is the best choice for performance-critical, fault-tolerant environments. RAID 1 is the only choice for fault-tolerance if no more than two drives are used. RAID 2 is seldom used today since ECC is embedded in all hard drives. RAID 2 is not supported by Adaptec RAID controllers. RAID 3 can be used to speed up data transfer and provide fault tolerance in single-user environments that access long sequential records. However, RAID 3 does not allow overlapping of multiple I/O operations and requires synchronized-spindle drives to avoid performance degradation with short records. Because RAID 5 with a small stripe size offers. Similar performance, RAID 3 is not supported by Adaptec RAID controllers. RAID 4 offers no advantages over RAID 5 and does not support multiple simultaneous write operations. RAID 4 is not supported by Adaptec RAID controllers. RAID 5 combines efficient, fault-tolerant data storage with good performance characteristics. However, write performance and performance during drive failure is slower than with RAID 1. Rebuild operations also require more time than with RAID1 because parity information is also reconstructed. At least three drives are required for RAID 5 arrays. RAID-6 Striped data with dual distributed parity RAID-6 is the same as RAID-5 except that it uses a second level of independently calculated and distributed parity information for additional fault tolerance. This extra fault tolerance provides data security in the event two drives fail before a drive can be replaced. While this RAID level does provide greater fault tolerance than level 5, there is a significant loss in write performance due to the requirement for storing parity twice for each write operation. A RAID-6 configuration also requires N+2 drives to accommodate the additional parity data, which makes it less cost effective than RAID-5 for an equivalent storage capacity. RAID 10 Stripe set of mirrored arrays RAID 10 (also called RAID 0/1) is a combination of RAID levels 0 and 1. In this type of implementation a RAID-0 stripe set of the data is created across a 2-disk array for performance benefits. A duplicate of the first stripe set is then mirrored on another 2-disk array for fault tolerance. While this configuration provides all of the performance benefits of RAID-0 and the redundancy of RAID-1, this level is very costly to implement because a minimum of four disks are necessary to create a RAID 10 configuration. NOTE A RAID 10 configuration can continue operations even when two disks have failed, provided that the two disks not part of the same RAID-1 mirror set. RAID 50 Stripe set of parity arrays RAID level 50 (also called RAID 0/5) is a combination of RAID levels 0 and 5. Multiple RAID-5 arrays are striped together using RAID-0. Parity is maintained separately for each RAID-5 group in the striped array. This level provides the same advantages of RAID-5 for small data transfers with the added performance of striping for disk read/write operations. Also, because parity is calculated independently for each RAID-5 component, if one array is degraded the effect on overall operations is not as significant as for a single RAID-5 array. However, the overhead incurred by RAID-5 parity generation is still present. Normally this does not cause noticeable degradation unless you are dependent on software-based XOR functionality or have a large number of disks in the array. RAID subsystems that support hardware-based XOR should provide performance nearly equal to a RAID-0 configuration with the added protection of data parity information in the event of a disk failure. A minimum of six disks are required for a RAID 50 configuration. NOTE A RAID 50 configuration can continue operations even when two disks have failed, provided that the two disks are not part of the same RAID-5 parity group.(Adaptec inc. (n. d.)) .

Passion :: essays research papers

I give in. My passion for writing is growing larger and larger each day, it has become the only thing I think about on a daily basis. It’s turning into a nuisance! I curse it to the back of my head every time it comes to fore thought. It twists my guts into an almost wrenching pain when I don’t have the chance to write something down on a piece of paper and make it my own. It forces the air from my chest as if I were a cartoon character with an anvil flattened. Where did I get this from, you ask? Let me tell you a story that explains my passion. Sit back, and enjoy the ride. Soar through the sky with dragons, their hot breath on your neck as you hit the ground tumbling. The blistering win cracking your skin from the powerful wings that beat wildly to land with such easy and natural grace. Before your able to catch your breath, after witnessing the beautiful landing, you hear the cries of shock and pain as an arrogant man has mortally wounded one of your lizard brethren. Azhrei, ‘dragon prince,’ is what they called him because of the enhanced cunningness and intellect he used to destroy the life of this beloved beast. Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn comes in nine books, and explains the attachments of fantasy and fiction to romance and war. The beginning of my intrigue to this novel was the end, I had rather impulsively, skipped to the end. As I returned to the beginning, I was enthralled to see the turn of events further down the story line and eager to read through completely. While reading, I was becoming intimately attached to the characters; I was one of them. I felt the mind-blowing pain of the crop whip across Rohans shoulders as he fled down a racetrack more for his life then the prize. The seething jealousy Sioned felt in her heart over Rohan’s flirtatious ways with the High Prince’s daughter to be able to barter for the things his people demanded of him from his overlord’s lands. Sioned and Rohan, the secretly betrothed main characters, remain engraved into my heart till the end of time. The connections I felt to these characters inevitably caused me to give advice and make them apart of my life. â€Å"What the Goddess proclaims is not written in stone, but when it is the stone can be shattered,† Lady Andrade, Rohan’s aunt and Sioned’s tutor, told Sioned about her deepening and frightening love for Rohan.

Portrayal of Asian-Americans in the Canceled Sitcom, All American Girl

Portrayal of Asian-Americans in the Canceled Sitcom, All American Girl Ever since arriving in this country, Asian-Americans have been misunderstood and discriminated against. Lately things have gotten better, but there are still people trying to further improve their situation. Margaret Cho, a Korean-American, is one of them. In the late 1990's she got her own sitcom, All-American Girl. This was a perfect chance to improve the portrayal of Korean-Americans, and Asian-Americans in general. Positive Aspects â€Å"All American Girl† showed many positive portrayals of Asians in a modern day society in California. The show is the first show in history to have a multi generational Asian cast portraying a Korean family in America. The grandparents are typical Korean people who came to America all the way down to their grandchildren who are all American (All American Girl). Despite much stereotypes present in the show, including the portrayal of an average Californian teenage girl chasing boys, â€Å"All American Girl† does show some of the general Korean traditions. In one episode, Margaret‘s, the main character, mother is upset at her granddaughter for pursuing a non Korean boy romantically. The theme of Margaret’s romance continues into the next episode when her new Korean boyfriend wants her to be the typical Korean woman (All American Girl). Another example of Korean thinking in the show is portrayed when the grandmother blames the bad luck of family on â€Å"bad feng shui.† Feng Shui is probably a term that most Americans are oblivious about, and this show brings it to light. â€Å"All American Girl† made a good attempt at trying to educate the American people on the Korean way of life and traditions. People living in America tend to ... ...owed to date?" Hiltbrand (p.17) argues that the show takes cheap shots at Asian culture and makes unfair use of stereotypes. He says of the show, "In its own warped fashion, this misshapen sitcom reminds me of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis -- only with rickshaw jokes. Grade: C." Here you can see some of the negative sentiment that people had towards the show. Hiltbrand uses the example of "Rickshaw Jokes" to state his opinion that when it came down to it, this show wasn't all that much better than all the other stereotypical portrayals of Asians in other shows, despite its good intentions. All American Girl, while having its positive aspects, was still seen by many as detrimental to the Asian-American community. It is unfortunate that because of network executives and ignorance in general even a show that has good intentions still leaves people out in the cold.

A Comparison of Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray Essay -- Wildre Dorain Gra

A Comparison of Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray      Ã‚   One novel that stands out as literary masterpiece is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Wilde wrote a dark tale of a man, Dorian Gray, who destroys his life by exchanging his soul for eternal youth and beauty. The character of Dorian Gray, in many aspects, mirrors the self-destruction of the author's own life. Therefore, Oscar Wilde portrays his own life through Dorian Gray, the main character of the novel. Oscar Fingal O' Flahertie Wills Wilde is one of Birtain's most well known authors. What many people do not know is that "the life story of Oscar Wilde has become...one of the tragic legends of the ages" (Broad v). Wilde was born in 1854 in Dublin, Ireland to Sir William Wilde, a distinguished surgeon specializing in opthalmology, and Lady Wilde, a poet who ran a literary salon in Dublin. Being an excellent student, he won a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford in 1874. Wilde soon adopted his parents' talents for ostentation always dressing flamboyantly and speaking in a wry, ironic matter when pertaining to subjects that he held in distaste. He graduated with honors and became a very distinguished man, but even his high stature could not prevent him from the tragedies of life. The Picture of Dorian Gray "is very much the author's autobiography" (Belford 170). In 1883, after he moved to London, he married Constance Mary Lloyd and had two sons. Wilde is thought to have married Const ance "in order to quell rumors about his possible homosexuality, as well as to provide him with a regular income" (Holland 113) because it was not looked upon kindly in England in the 1800's if one was a homosexual. In 1891, The Picture of Dorian Gray was published in book form, and ... ...lde and Dorian are homosexual and find pleasure in being with men. Wilde greatly reflects his life and tells his own life story through one of his most well known and controversial novels of all time The Picture of Dorian Gray.    Works Cited Belford, Barbara. Oscar Wilde. New York; Random House, 2000 Broad, Lewis. The friendships and Follies of Oscar Wilde. New York; Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1954. Ericksen, Donald. Oscar Wilde . Boston; G. K. Hall & Co., 1977 Holland, Merlin. The Wilde Album. New York; Henry Holt and Company, 1997. Hyde, H Montgomery. Oscar Wilde/ The Aftermath. New York; Farrar, Straus & Co. , 1963 Pearson, Hesketh. Oscar Wilde: His Life and Wit. New York; Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1946 "Pink Monkey.' www.pinkmonkey.com 15 Jan. 2001 Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York; Random House, 1956.

Death of a Salesman (Bernard)

In ‘Death of a Salesman’ written by Arthur Miller, Bernard is shown as a tremendously memorable character. Throughout the play, his contradictions to Biff, poor judgments of him and his parent- like personality are well presented. By using the character, Miller tries to convey the moral messages and develops an attention grabbing plot First, Bernard’s contradictory character compared to Biff, makes him memorable. Bernard is literally everything that Biff is not. Biff is a high school football star while Bernard is just an ordinary and unpopular student.Biff is more likely to be immoral while Bernard truly worries and being realistic about him. For instance, Bernard says ‘Listen, Biff, I heard Mr. Birnbaum say that if you don’t start studyin’ math he’s gonna flunk you, and you won’t graduate. I heard him! ’ The quote shows Bernard is very aware of Biffs’ gloomy future and also somehow predicts substantially different futures of those two characters. The audiences may feel a sense of relief toward Bernard as he is the only one, who actually shows the real world and eventually becomes successful than any other characters in the play.By using the character Bernard, Miller tries to convey the message of success has got nothing to do with the glorious past. In fact, Biff fails to seek his own career and live a life that is totally opposing to Willy’s expectations. Furthermore, the fact that Bernard was one of the underdogs makes the character memorable. In the play, most of characters did not expect Bernard to be prosperous and used to mock him with his sophisticated outlooks. A good illustration of this is when Willy says ‘That’s just what I mean.Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y’understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him. ’ It clearly shows Willy’s pessimistic opinions to Bernard’s future. The phrase ‘five times ahead’ also portrays Bernard is treated as a sort of failure which is the most unlikely word to describe his future career. Mockeries about Bernard continue with other characters. For example, as he tries to find Biff and teach him some math, Happy tauntingly says ‘Let’s box, Bernard! ’ He makes fun of Bernard by looking his overly academic attitude.Audiences feel a sense of sympathy toward Bernard due to harsh judgments on him. However as the play continues, they soon find out that Bernard is the only character who achieved triumph in the play. By using Bernard’s underrated pasts, Miller highlights the insignificance of judging and prejudice. Willy’s huge astonishments to sophisticated Bernard also supports Miller’s message. Lastly, Bernard’s realistic characteristics make him memorable. In the play, he is one of the few solid people. Unlikely to unstable Willy, Bernard app roach the world in a more realistic way.For example, he says ‘â€Å"Just because he printed University of Virginia on his sneakers doesn’t mean they’ve got to graduate him. Uncle Willy! The quote portrays Bernard’s sensible characteristics which attempts Biff to choose the right path. By mentioning ‘Uncle Willy! ’ Bernard also tries to change Willy’s ignorant attitude towards poor academic achievements of his son as well as his impracticable definition of success. His humble characteristics and giving some realistic advices to Willy also differentiate him from other characters. For instance, Bernard replies ‘How are you?Good to see you. ’ as Willy enters his office. It strongly contrasts with Howard ruthless treatments that Willy has received. The audiences probably feel impressed to Bernard’s warm and sensible personality. Those personalities technically make Bernard to perform a parental role instead of overly ide alistic Willy who just expects unrealistic dreams to happen. To conclude, Miller’s wide use of Bernard make the character very significant and memorable, Miller also use this character to convey his moral messages of success and judgments to audiences.

Boy at the Window Poetry Analysis Essay

In the poem â€Å"Boy at the Window,† Richard Wilbur uses imagery, tone, and theme to show what his purpose in this poem is. At the end of the poem, the author wants the reader to understand that we should not feel bad or sad about something that we don’t understand. Richard Wilbur’s use of imagery in the poem helps us to understand his purpose of this poem. The stanzas in the poem paint two completely pictures in your head when you read them. The first stanza makes you see the snowman as a blue object that is always lonely. The second stanza paints the picture of the snowman’s view of the little child who is sad about something that he does not understand. In the first stanza, the poem is showing how the little boy sees the snowman â€Å"standing all alone† and â€Å"returns him such a Godforsaken stare†. The little boy sees the snowman as lonely and creates a depressing image of the snowman in your head. In the second stanza, you hear the snowman’s view of the little child in the window and how the little boy does not understand. The snowman is shown as sad in the second stanza, but not because the little boy does not understand that the snowman is happy outside. It is because the little boy should not be sad when he is warm inside his home, surrounded by love, but yet so frightened and moved about the snowman being alone (â€Å"such warmth, such light, such love, and so much fear†). So the author creates a really great sense of imagery throughout the poem because of how you see the snowman at first, then the picture in your head changes when you hear the other side of the story. The author also had a great tone throughout this poem as he shows us his purpose and his theme that people should not be sad or fear something if they do not understand it. The tones of the stanzas vary or differ when you go from to the second stanza. In the first stanza, the tone is sad or deeply upset because of the word choice that the poet uses. When the boy â€Å"weeps†, you get the feeling of sadness and that the boy is not happy. Also, the child’s sight is described as â€Å"tearful† and his reach described as â€Å"hardly†; which are words used to describe saddening events. The snowman is seen as a â€Å"pale-faced† figure and is compared to the â€Å"outcast Adam†. These words are not used to describe a happy or content situation, and they are describing a sad view of a snowman. In the second stanza, the tone is happier, but not completely joyous or happy. The snowman is â€Å"nonetheless, content† so he is not sad being outside or being all alone. The snowman’s eye is seen as â€Å"soft† and his tear is seen as â€Å"a trickle of the purest rain†. When you use the word â€Å"purest† it doesn’t relate to sad or happy events because the word describes a neutral event. The poet creates a great tone throughout the entire poem, which is sad for the first stanza and kind of neutral for the second stanza. Using imagery, tone, and theme throughout the poem â€Å"Boy at the Window†, Richard Wilbur shows that you shouldn’t feel bad or get upset about something that you do not understand. The author’s use of imagery in the poem is what paints a wonderful picture in your head as you read, and that helps you to understand the author’s purpose. Tone plays a big role in the poem also because of the way you get to hear the different sides to the story and how that impacts the author’s purpose and how it’s portrayed. This poem was very well written and did a very good job of using literary elements to portray the author’s purpose and the theme.

Making Children Hate Reading Essay

Making children hate reading is a book by John Halt. It shows the way he teached and his opinion of others and the method he used to help the children with their literacy skills. In John Halt’s book there are some methods he used that I don’t agree with and some that I do agree with. I will give detailed accounts of both teaching methods I agree with and one’s I don’t agree with the I will let you decide whether you agree with his teaching or not. In the beginning John Halt tells us that he never gave one of his students the opportunity to say what they really thought about a book or magazine. The children persuaded him to tell him what he wants to hear, so that when he asks them a question they can answer it and receive approval. He also gives the students tests about the books and vocabulary lists which they have to learn, also that if they came across a word they didn’t know to look it up in the dictionary and not to bother him. His nephew was given a book to read which in john halts opinion was bad book. Then the teacher proceeded to make sure they children under stood every single word and the meaning of sed words. John agreed with this method and used it on his own students. John halt began to question some of the teaching methods. With regards to looking up words you do not know in the dictionary, he was beginning to think twice. He had never looked up a word that he didn’t know in the dictionary he merely continued reading hard books and eventually gathered the meanings of the words he did not understand. As John taught a verity of age groups in the same mental area he started to develop theories about why students reading and writing suffer. His theory, Teachers. Or specifically English teachers. When a student is forced to read aloud it makes them nervous. They then stumble when reading and sometimes forget how to pronounce a word. Then the students start to laugh and the teacher makes them feel embarrassed. If this happens a few times then that person is put of reading and will sometimes refuse altogether to read out loud. For example when I was five years old I started school, and I was really happy, I couldn’t wait. When I got to English I was put in an advanced class because my vocabulary was extremely good for my age. I was told to read and I read well, until I came across a word that I didn’t know how to say it and all the other kids in the classroom started laughing at me. That made me feel really bad and at such a vulnerable age having that humiliation changed everything about school life for me. Ever since then I do not like reading aloud it makes me nervous. I can read aloud when im on my own but when it comes to speaking in front of people it really puts be back. Even now I steel have difficulty with speaking aloud an example of this is this year in English. We were told to talk about a character from the play Macbeth. To explain what their role in the play was. We were to sit in front of the class. I had planned out a really good piece of work but everyone else did something different and I’m used to being told of if I do something different so I jumped the notes and tried to make it up as I went along. Alas this did not work my nerves got the better of me and I got a lousy grade. This story show that it can happen only one time and it can change everything to do with speaking. John Halt realized this and tried to change it. He tried having the students that were nervous read aloud more often but sadly this did not work either. He was stumped. Then BAM. It hit him. If he lets the students read books that they want to read then maybe this will help then and guess what. It did. The holidays were coming up and John decided to try something new. Something that no other English teacher has done before. He told his students to read as many books as they wanted and he would not be testing them on it. So just enjoy reading books. He also said that if you don’t like a book red the first forty pages to give the writer a chance to get his story going and then If you don’t like the characters and you don’t care what happens to them put the book down and find a book you do want to read. He had found a way to help students come over their fear of reading aloud but the students still suffered from writing. Not being able to write what they were thinking down. John Halt devised a way to deal with this too. He had a new class and decided now was the right time to try out his theory. He split his class into groups and told them to write about anything they wanted as long as it wasn’t just the same word over and over again for the whole page. This worked very well. All the students including the not so bright students to come up with incredible stories. Their favorite stories were written by one of their class mates who had been writing a lot of his stories about things that happened to John Halt, they all found them very amazing and humorous stories. One day he decided to give them a topic to write about instead, and of course they all wined until they found out what they were going to write about. They were all enthusiastic that they would be writing about the day the school burnt down. John then heard about a professor had come up with another idea, which he decided to bring to hi classroom. He told his students that they were to write about anything non stop for twenty minuets, and if they got stuck keep writing the sentence before until an idea comes to you. This of course was a genus idea and it did indeed help students with their writing and although John Halt did not know it at the time, all the students handwriting and their spelling had improved just by helping them think for themselves. If you agree with the harsh way of teaching with all the x-raying books and what not and telling them to look it up in the dictionary so that they don’t bother you then I have a piece of advice for you. DON’T BECOME A TEACHER!!! If you agree with the kind helpful way of teaching good on you. Its people like you that make are country great. You picked the right side to be on, because all you old folk who still believe in the harsh stuff, be warned we are coming to get you. It’s your chouse of course, just letting you know what will happen if you pick the dark side. MWA HA HA HA HA.

Analysis of “The School of Athens” by Raphael Essay

Raphael, the youngest of the three great artists who defined the Italian High Renaissance, was born in the small yet artistically significant Central Italian city of Urbino. It seems that Raphael attained his natural gift of creativity from his father who was a poet and a painter. Orphaned at an early age, Raphael was sent to be an apprentice to the distinguished painter Perugino, and by the tender age of twenty-one had flourished into an impeccable artist with talent surpassing that of his mentor. Over the course of the next four years, Raphael lived and worked in Florence alongside Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo. Raphael could not escape the imminent influence of these two legendary artists. By 1508, Raphael’s reputation had already been established and at the age of twenty-five he was summoned by Pope Julius II to decorate the walls of the papal apartments in the Vatican Palace, which happened to be just steps away from where Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling was in progress. This commission allowed for the creation of the world-renowned fresco titled, The School of Athens. This work is revered as one of Raphael’s greatest achievements and possibly the greatest achievement of the High Renaissance period. This commission would bring Raphael deserved recognition and notoriety and ultimately led to him becoming the leading painter in all of Rome. The School of Athens is a painting of world-renowned stature because of its impeccable harmony, which was characteristic of Raphael’s work. In order to understand the influence of this piece one must recognize Raphael’s overall achievement here: he successfully created a scene of nearly sixty figures, each individual and alive, that yet combines in a design that is harmonious, clear, and befitting the classic importance and dignity of its subject. Harmony is created in part by the use of contrasting elements. Most obvious of these elements would be the differing philosophical ideas of the two principal characters, Plato and Aristotle. Plato is shown pointing upward suggesting his emphasis on the existence of a spiritual realm beyond the physical world. The gesture is a reference to, â€Å"Plato’s interest in the world of ideas, a meta-world that exists beyond our comprehension of reality† (Crenshaw 126). On the other hand, Aristotle gestures his hand downward stressing his belief that the physical world is the basis of all knowledge and understanding. Plato carries the Timaeus, one of his dialogues that explains his belief in the reality of a world of ideal forms which exists beyond the material universe. Aristotle is shown holding his famous Niomachian Ethics that illustrates his belief that knowledge is only gained through empirical observation and experience of the material world. The two figures are further differentiated by their sense of movement and their age. Plato appears to be an older gentleman who seems to be moving with an air of patience and grace while Aristotle is a younger man who se ems to be moving forward with a greater sense of urgency and energy. The picture is then divided neatly in half, the idealists or â€Å"thinkers who concerned themselves with ideas and abstract concepts† (Crenshaw 126) are on the left side with Plato. To the left of Plato in a dark green robe, Socrates can be seen engaging in an argument amongst a circle of his disciples enumerating points on his fingers, â€Å"in a classic visualization of the Socratic argumentation technique† (Crenshaw 126). Socrates was an influential and revolutionary Grecian philosopher whose work was meant to show how argument, debate, and discussion could help man to understand and resolve difficult issues. Although the notion that this figure is indeed Socrates has been widely accepted for generations, a new idea has recently emerged among art historians. These historians speculate that Socrates is actually the figure shown sprawled about on the steps directly in front of Plato and Aristotle. Some interesting theories support their argument. The first point they make states that, â€Å"compared to most of Raphael’s figures who are rather richly dressed, this man, with his simple, bare-shouldered himation, gives the impression of far more modest tastes. He also seems to have come from an earlier era† (Bell 641). These obvious features accurately describe Socrates. Another important point to note would be the placement of this figure. One cannot deny that the figure is in a place of specific significance and attention. Our eye is drawn first to the central figures, Plato and Aristotle, and secondly to the figure lying on the steps in front of them. The new identification of Socrates suggested here, â€Å"places the three most important philosophers in the center of the School of Athens, where they are depicted without any intervening figures between them† (Bell 641). This strategic placement allows for a natural emphasis on the three most influential philosophers of all time. This new identification becomes problematic when one considers the fact that for most of history, this figure on the steps has been identified as Diogenes the Cynic. Diogenes’ philosophy encouraged men to live a life of simplicity and to reje ct all forms of luxury. He sought to expose the falsity of most conventional standards set by society. While Diogenes was a philosopher of significant stature he does not measure up to the over arching influence of the famed Socrates. This figure has been widely accepted as Diogenes because of his apparent demeanor and clothing. The figure is shown in what some refer to as rags, which supports the argument that this character is Diogenes. Another element that supports this man being Diogenes is the way the character interacts with the philosophers around him. He appears to be withdrawn from the rest of the group, which was characteristic of Diogenes, who was considered by most to be an individual who lived on the fringes of society. Although this figure could possibly be Diogenes, I conclude that the new identification suggesting that this figure is actually Socrates proves more convincing. If the figure on the steps is Socrates, where is Diogenes? Some art historians have theorized that Diogenes is the man standing alone under the statue of the God Minerva. No other philosopher appears so unkempt and disheveled, almost shunned by his fellow Athenians. Adding further evidence to this theory, â€Å"it would be appropriate to portray Diogenes as a very old man, dressed in only a simple red-brown cloak, which, according to Laertius, he wore everywhere† (Bell 643). In my opinion, I would argue that this new identification is indeed more valid than the previously accepted version. The fact that not all of these figures have been correctly identified or even identified at all, keep art historians interested in the work. Perhaps Raphael intentionally left the identities of these two figures unexplained to spark the viewer’s curiosity. In the lower left foreground Pythagoras is shown â€Å"illustrating his musical theorem† (Crenshaw 126) to a group of his students. Shown leaning on a block in the foreground is the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus, who claimed that understanding is realized through introspection. Heraclitus seems to be lost in thought and appears to be uninterested in interacting with the other figur es surrounding him. This figure is thought to be a portrait of Michelangelo therefore portraying him as a man of little social capability. Raphael is possibly also contrasting himself to Michelangelo suggesting that Michelangelo is a man of quiet introspection while he is a sociable man who is well liked by all. The realists or Aristotelians are on the right side with Aristotle. Further emphasizing their realist ideals the right side of the painting is shown under the statue of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and the sense of sight (Crenshaw 126). Shown in the lower left foreground is Euclid, the Greek mathematician, and his four students absorbed in their mathematical demonstration. Euclid is remembered as the â€Å"Father of Geometry†. He also researched and closely observed optics and perspective (Janes 57). Euclid resembles the influential architect Bramante, who was a friend of Raphael. Zoroaster and Ptolemy are shown facing opposite one another directly above Euclid. Zoroaster, a philosopher of ancient Persia, shown here holding a celestial globe is discussing with Ptolemy, the Greek geographer who believed that the earth was the center of the universe, holds a terrestrial globe (Janes 57). Directly above Ptolemy and Zoroaster is a figure standing alone wrapped up in his cloak and his thoughts. This figure is the lawgiver Solon. Tucked into the right corner of the composition is Raphael’s teacher Perugino. By placing Perugino in the composition, Raphael is showing his deep respect for his mentor and thanking him for sharing his knowledge. The figure next to Sodoma is actually a self-portrait of Raphael himself. By placing himself along with other artists in the scene, â€Å"Raphael asserts that art is, in fact, an intellectual enterprise — a form of study and enquiry, n ot merely a manual activity† (Crenshaw 126). It is also no coincidence that Raphael places himself on the Aristotelian side, among philosophers who work from observation. The School of Athens is considered to be one of the most important achievements of the High Renaissance. This work exemplifies the High Renaissance in the graceful movements and gestures of the figures. All the figures appear to be moving and actively interacting with one another. The figures are also very large in scale and fully idealized in form. The fact that this gathering is completely idealized is also characteristic of the High Renaissance. The philosophers come from a wide range of times and places who could not have possibly met or interacted with one another. The composition displays the gathering under an architectural framework that is reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance architect Bramante’s plan for the New St. Peters. During the early 16th century, architecture was inspired by the grandiosity and monumentality of ancient Roman building s such as the Coliseum in Rome. The main architectural element portrayed in the fresco is executed in the classic Doric style, characterized by simplicity and minimalism of decoration. The architectural framework also creates a sense of symmetry and special depth. All of the elements stated above combine to make this work a masterpiece of the High Renaissance. The School of Athens is undoubtedly a work of art that will continue to be viewed as an outstanding achievement of the High Renaissance, and the most impeccable work produced by the famous Raphael. Art historians will continue to research the work and perhaps uncover the philosophers depicted whose identities have yet to be revealed. The legacy of this pià ©ce de rà ©sistance lives on.

Bureaucracy in the Philippines - Book Review

Book Review The Bureaucracy in the Philippines Dr. Onofre D. Corpuz - Institute of Public Administration: University of the Philippines, 1957. 268 pp. This book is about the administrative history of the bureaucracy in the Philippines. It spans from the 1560’s when Spain undertook to administer the affairs of the natives of the archipelago to the 1950’s when the Filipinos assumed the responsibility of self-government.The author presented the significant phases in the evolution of our administrative apparatus to identify the important characteristics of the current form and functions of the civil service of the Philippine government. In Chapter 1, Dr. Corpuz described the native life of the inhabitants before the arrival of the Spaniards. These inhabitants were not strangers to progress and civilization. Although the pre-Spanish Filipinos were in a state of cultural maturity, it was maturity at a low level.It was a stage of cultural inadequacy based on an old and simple framework. The author briefly discussed the transition of the Philippine bureaucracy from the time that we’re still a colony of foreign nations to the time that the Philippines became an independent republic. The author reconstructed, in Chapter 2, the setting in which Spain’s colonial bureaucracy appeared around the middle of the 16th century. The author also described how the Spanish colonial government â€Å"organized† the colony in Filipinas.Also discussed was the expedition headed by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 21 November 1564, how his peaceful diplomacy won the allegiance of many subjects and the establishment of Manila as a city and Legazpi’s capital. Chapter 3 discussed the two concepts on how bureaucracy may be viewed: (1) as an organization or apparatus; (2) as a collection of individual bureaucrats, placing more emphasis on the 2nd concept of bureaucracy – the realities of bureaucratic behaviour. The chapter is devoted to a study of Spanish bureaucrats. The author also discussed the following: a. how bureaucrats are appointed in Filipinas and in Spain – the processes and criteria involved in obtaining the king’s favor; b. how to acquire/purchase an office where many bureaucrats obtained their positions; c. detailed conditions under which Spanish bureaucrats as a whole lived and worked; and d. ow the administrative organization was centralized in Manila for control and communications purposes. The next two chapters are dedicated in highlighting the essentials of life and service of the highest-ranking bureaucrats – the Presidente-Gobernador (Governor-General), the Oidores, Fiscales, and Reales Oficiales – who constituted the governmental bureaucracy in Manila. The author, in Chapter 4, described the governor-general of Filipinas which had the attributes of a super-bureaucrat.Also discussed, in general, was the performance of the different governor-general appointed in Filipinas and illustrated the conflict between the clergy and the governors and the instability of the governorship – which office was considered as an opportunity for private material profit. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the discussion of the Audiencia of Manila and its bureaucrats and the Royal Officials. The Audiencia performed functions of a superior judicial tribunal; the highest court of justice in the colonies.The author discussed the conditions, restrictions, the legislative and judicial functions and the organizational changes of the office. Also discussed are the functions and conditions of the â€Å"Royal Official† (Reales Oficiales) or the oficial de la real hacienda who are the administrators of the king’s personal estate or the royal hacienda. It should be remembered that the various dominions/colonies in the Indias are considered as the king’s personal property or estate. â€Å"As a monarch, he entrusted the government of his kingdoms and provinces to viceroys, governors-general, and Audiencias.As a proprietor, he entrusted the administration of his estate and revenues to the royal officials. † The structural defects and administrative weakness of the bureaucracy is brought about by the pervasion and corruption of the office of men who only saw the position as a means for private personal gain. In Chapter 6, the author then discussed the conditions, restrictions and all the functions and duties of the provincial government and the provincial officers/bureaucrats commonly known as alcade-mayor. The alcaldes are the provincial equivalent/counterpart of the governor-general of the archipelago.The author also highlighted how the alcalde-mayor was also the judge with provincial jurisdictions and since these bureaucrats have no background in the law and having arrived in the province with questionable motives, it is therefore said that the â€Å"pr incipal vice† of province administration is the absence of â€Å"true justice†. The author emphasized that provincial administration has no direction since the system of concentration of functions is in one man and this has disadvantageously rendered the bureaucrat inefficient. This inefficiency neglect or non-performance of duties – easily turned into oppression.The alcadeship evolved into an office of abuse since there were no checks to the alcalde’s excesses and frauds. He is the judge – administrator – military commandant of the province – an action against him is futile. However, reforms were undertaken to improve the administration in the provinces. But these reforms weren’t able to bear fruit for the main reason that they were enacted too late. Discussed also were the native bureaucrats and the system of local government; the principalia which was a social and political aristocracy on the village level – the details of its participation and the conditions under which it was actually exercised.The author also described the undeniable influence or relative power of the clergy in civil and political life, them being more â€Å"unified† than the group of the bureaucrats. In Chapter 7, the author summarized the weaknesses of the Spanish colonial bureaucracy, fundamental of which was the internal moral corruption of its members made worse by the fact that the Madrid government placed its political faith not in the bureaucracy but in the church. Discussed also as the futile attempts to reform the colonial bureaucracy and the general structure of the central administration and the budgetary practices of the central government in Manila. Chapter 8 is a â€Å"discussion of the principal events and factors that shaped the new era that constituted the basis upon which the new political administration was established, and that provided the context for the new bureaucracy and the new bureaucrats. † The author discussed Aguinaldo’s action and the general features of the scheme to organize the town and provincial governments.The new institutions under the Revolutionary Government were closely patterned after the preceding scheme of the Spanish a dministration due to the lack of time for innovations, but the local authorities and institutions were now more popularly based and autonomous. Discussed also was the principal features of the Malolos Constitution of 1899 which was an admirable work of constitutionalism, considering the difficult conditions of the times and the inexperience of its authors. Ideal as it may seem, the first attempt to self-government was aborted as the Philippines was once again under a colonial regime – now in the hands of the Americans. According to the author, the American occupation of the Philippines is generally pointed out as a major phase in the evolution of modern colonial policy and colonial administration. During this time, there were increased economic activities – in agriculture, manufacturing and commerce – such that the colony enjoyed vastly improved standards of living and for the first time, the masses have a chance to escape from poverty. The author also studied the formative period, from 1900 to 1913, of the new bureaucracy.The author identified the salient features of this advanced civil service system which is in great magnitude different from that of the old Spanish system. In Chapter 9, the author focussed on the period from 1913 to 1935 in which the civil service continued to evolve and which was respected by both American authorities and Filipino officials and politicians. But the evolutionary development was unremarkable. It was a steady but rather dreary process, unmarked by ba sic structural alteration or dramatic innovation in the service itself. During this period, both houses of the lawmaking bodies were under Filipino control.This period also marked the beginning of Filipinization of the civil service. In Chapter 10, the author discussed how the Philippine Civil Service, from 1935 to 1955, passed through brief but basic evolutionary governments. First discussed was the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth Government (November 15, 1935) which completed the gradual transfer of government functions to Filipinos. The Philippine Government was a 10-year transitional government – republican in form, Filipino in personnel and has autonomy in domestic affairs – to be superseded by the Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946.Further discussed were the constitutional changes and phases of which the civil service is also undergoing namely: First, the phase of consolidation and further expansion, lasting until the Japanese invasion; Second, the phase of dislocation and demoralization covering the war and ear ly postwar years; and Third, the phase of reconstruction and modernization. The author, in the last chapter, summarized the important phases in the bureaucracy in the Philippines from the pre-Spanish period to the year 1955 which was discussed in detail in the preceding chapters. Also discussed briefly were the weaknesses and characteristics of the bureaucracy.This work of Dr. Onofre Corpuz is a vital contribution to the study of Public Administration. I have but good words for this work. The topics were well-organized and clearly written. He was able to piece together different historical data and I was impressed by the historical information presented in this book and his sources which dates from early 1600’s. Because of this book, the reader will have a better background and clearer understanding of the current conditions of the bureaucracy. I hope there could be further study on the conditions of the bureaucracy, if significant change has been attained after 1955.