The Album 21 by Adele free essay sample

RB songstress Adeles latest album, 21, has been on the Billboard 200 for 26 weeks, and certainly is worthy of its current #2 position. Naming her albums after he age during creation, I certainly believe Adele has dodged the sophomore slump by a long shot. Her songs are so lyrically moving and make me want to cry and laugh and smile all at once. The first single off the album, Rolling in the Deep, is a triumphant song of a woman getting over a love and realizing who the person they loved truly is. She is mad and bitter, and tells him that they couldve had it all, but that he played her and now shes going to get back at him. During the hook, she tends to dwell on the idea that they couldve had it all and seems to be calming down for a moment, seriously realizing what she has lost. We will write a custom essay sample on The Album 21 by Adele or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, she quickly gets over this and knows that he wasnt the one for her, and continues on with the venting of her anger. Her second single off the album, Someone Like You, is a heartbreaking story of settling for someone other than the person you love. She talks about how the past lover has moved on, yet she still hasnt. She dwells on memories of the past and meets with him because she cant stay away from him. However she knows it wont work out in her favor, and tells him not to forget her, and that he gave her an important piece of advice: Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead. My favorite part of this song is when she sings the chorus for the last time. She is belting is out, and I feel like this is her final words to him, and that you can truly hear her pain and heartbreak. It makes me want to cry with her. Another stand out on this album: Dont You Remember. This song is certainly not as popular as the singles, yet it still is strong and heartfelt. She is singing about a man who left her, and is thinking back on their relationship, wondering what went wrong. She then asks him if he remembers, which seems to have a double meaning as she is asking him to remember their relationship and the reason he left her. She seems to be trying to get him to come back, admitting some of her faults and gets so frustrated and starts asking why he doesnt remember. Now you can feel her pain, because she wants him to remember her and possibly come back, seeing as her last line is: When will I see you again? Other wonderful songs on this album: basically everything. This album is from the heart and stays true to what love is like in real life. You feel her heartbreak/pain and her reminisce and it takes you back to a time where you felt that way. The only thing I would truly change would be more variety between the songs, seeing as almost all of them are interpreted about love and only about that. However, I believe Adele has stated that this whole album was inspired by one relationship, correct me if wrong but if so, then she got a lot of amazing material from one period of her life. My personal favorites (other than the 3 above): Turning Tables, Set Fire To The Rain and He Wont Go Overall Rating: 9 out of 10

Defining and Measuring Crime and Deviance.

Defining and Measuring Crime and Deviance. Free Online Research Papers This assignment will discuss the problems between crime and deviance, what counts as crime and deviance and how it varies with place and time. It will include the difference and similarities and give examples of defining crime and deviance. Finally the essay moves on to looking at how to identify why official statistics do not reflect in today’s society and may not be totally accurate. Crime is usually looked upon as an infringement of criminal law where as deviance has a vast and wider approach to crime and is consequently much harder to define. Crime is not a naturally occurring phenomenon it is manmade and more significantly, they are influenced by powerful groups within society. (Doherty, M.2005 page9) The simplest way of defining crime is to present it as something that is totally against the law and punishable by the state. For example, in this country the sale and consumption of alcohol to under 18 year olds (minors) is against the law and it can carry a heavy fine and penalty. Drugs in Britain are illegal and can carry a severe sentence such as imprisonment. (www.sociology.org.uk) In the 1960’s legislation decriminalised aspects of homosexuality, abortion and prostitution at one point they were classed as criminal but they are no longer categorised as crime. (Croall.H 1998 page5). Abortion is still an issue even though it’s no longer classed as crime, cultures criteria vary from country to country. Attitudes to homosexuality and abortions have changed dramatically, but is still frowned upon by those who still think it is morally wrong and its society who decide if it’s acceptable or not, as you can see crime and deviance are both social constructions and they can vary between cultures and time. (www.womansphere.com) Deviance is a non conformist behaviour which society in general frowns upon as it transcends away from the social norms. Deviance may result in formal or informal punishment or stigmatisation (negatively viewed and scorned by others) for example Goths are seen as deviant as they go against social norms. (www.tutor2u.net) Crime is usually looked upon as a violation of criminal law whereas deviance has a wider approach to crime and is therefore much harder to define. Rape and murder are defined as criminal and deviant, so the problems that have escalated over time concerning crime and deviance are what one could define as crime may in another one’s mind be defined as deviant. Therefore it is true to say that not all crime is deviant and not all deviance is crime it could be neither or both (www.ruthssociology.com) Crime is a behaviour that is against the law, which in fact can carry a heavier punishment than the punishment of deviance itself. Having looked at the problems in defining crime and deviance, this essay will now move onto looking at the difficulties in measuring crime. Official crime statistics are collated by the government and compiled by the home office every 6 months; they gather the statistics from all the police forces in England and Wales for the previous year, so it can achieve a better understanding of the trends in crime. The home office looks at the different uses of official statistics, by monitoring trends, looking at different areas- for example is there likely to be more obscurity with gangs in under privileged areas, than in upper class areas. Comparing age groups, monitoring how effective policing is – are there enough police, community police officers and specials out on the beat to deter the problems that may occur. (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). The difficulties concerning crime statistics are that they do not always include figures from other agencies, for example The British Transport Police, The Ministry of Defence, The Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise and The Department of Social Security. The statistics do not include those that are detected by private security agencies such as store detectives. (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). Racial crime is soaring, and goes unreported for the reason that the victims live in fear of reprisals, if they report the incident. It will often go unreported since the victims feel they have no confidence in the police and see’s reporting the incident as pointless. For criminal offences to make its way into the statistics then these things must happen for that crime to be reported. Somebody must be aware that a crime has taken place, then that crime must be reported and the police must accept that a law has been broken. The statistics do not include crime that the public do not report or are unaware of. If a particular crime does not get recorded or goes undetected because of certain situations as some may see it as too trivial, even feeling embarrassed or afraid of reprisals for example a stolen purse, a man that has been raped, or someone complaining about a gang member, (Jacobs, M 2006 page 19) Identity fraud is another main problem, as the victims are oblivious that they are actually the victim of this horrendous crime until maybe years down the line or when they apply for credit etc. Incidents like these are rarely reported so it then just becomes another â€Å"dark figure of crime† so that can question the reliability of the crime statistics. (Jacobs, M 2006 page 19) Another problem that affects crime statistics is white collar crime. As quoted by (Sutherland: cited in lexisnexis.com) White collar crime has been defined as a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation. White collar crime is committed by people who have responsibility and if they did get to court then it was showing few and far between in the statistics. White collar crime is very different from conventional every day crime as it can be a non-violent offence as the victims can sometimes be unaware. (sociologyguide.com) In conclusion this essay has shown the main problems involved in measuring crime and deviance. It is imperative for society to know that different police forces classify crimes differently, and crimes vary within different areas, time and generations’, and that the main reason crime statistics are hard to measure is due to the dark figure. So it is significant that official crime statistics are not to be taken at face value. Research Papers on Defining and Measuring Crime and Deviance.Capital PunishmentThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalResearch Process Part One19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided Era

Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Critique - Essay Example management systems that suggest instant solutions and in the digital age it is essential these methods closely interrelate and allocate seamless course of information amongst different business purpose to meet evolving guest service requirements. Fidelio – as one of the hospitality management software, has the centralised scope inventory for all hotels in the sequence so that clientele can do reservations in the course of diverse resource and acquire an instant confirmation.  It has easier admission to clientele for reservations and develops tenancy calculation and thus figures sales labours superiorly. This are just some of the business benefits the hospitality industry when they are utilised. Fidelio, as a modular program, has the elasticity and the user definite compliance of this program. Customers of this product includes such hotels, luxury cruise ships and in fast food restaurants. Due to the flexibility and various possibilities to optimise the application to the user’s needs, Fidelio guarantees that the needs of every condition can be met. It certifies that a suitable and supple solution can constantly be attained. Fidelio is the advanced successor to an established solution for the hotel industry. The software is a tool designed at convenient and managerial functions. The applications of the software were compiled and with concern for the industrial progress and possibilities of present. It equips the essential information at accurately the direct in time at which users need it. In order to maintain decisions efficiently, this information can be retrieved at any point in time or period defined by users and not only to the end of an accounting or inventory phase. In utilising the software, it will facilitate reduce the costs without notably increasing the workload. For instance, the high performance computation tools which can emphasise on a on a daily basis items, which should be sold or held back. Imagine that one could obtain all the information

Overview and Discuss the Current Trends in Web Development Essay

Overview and Discuss the Current Trends in Web Development - Essay Example It is predicted that there would be larger demands for single websites that would be capable of supporting both desktop computers as well as mobile instruments. For years, there have been websites serving for the computers and the mobiles separately. However, with recent development it is expected that there would be uniformity in the web designs enabling them to serve both for the computers and the mobile devices. At the same time, there would be greater need for security since simplified sign up processes would be involved in the further web developments. It is also predicted that customization of content of marketing would be supported through big data in the recent developments of the web (Scaglione, 2013). Mobiles are the latest trends in use. Considering the new developments in the web, it is predicted and expected that several simple sites would be developed through designs that are heavy in texture. Responsive and adaptive sites would be in an increase. The current trends are expected to mature in the near future. A new world would be entered into with the development of new and powerful browsers and HTML5, CSS3, and jQueries. These trends have been more focused in the recent times considering the fact that the mobile devices have become highly advanced easily available for use by individuals. Two major developments that are expected to largely influence the development of the web in the recent times and in the future are: Shift of companies to the SaaS and cloud model, and to the personalization and depending on technological intelligence for behavior of the user as well as the device; Development of the applications of the mobile devices (Scaglione, 2013). The year 2012 was expected to encounter certain hardships in terms of the economic difficulties and the web industry was found to struggle through such hardships as it tried to develop through censorship, indigenous applications, and the technology that was not only rapid in its nature but also frag mented. However the predictions for the year 2013 reflect change in the designs and hence shift to newer designs and development. Thus usage of the devices, as well as adjustments of the consumption of the web is considered for shifts to new developments (Grannell, 2013). Open source tools and applications have been obtained to be highly beneficial for web development as they are capable of being used as alternatives for web designs considering the budgets for such development in the present times. There are several open source applications that are free and also have features that may be compared to the ones offered by expensive web designs. Thus, this enables a web designer to have all the necessary tools and applications without much expenditure (Jones, 2009). The present study would discuss on some of the open sources web development tools that include HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, AngularJS, ASP.Net, jQuery, AJAX, Web Content Management Systems, WebApps, WYSIWYG, and Search Engine O ptimizations. The study would also have an overview on some of the closed sources as

SCHOLARLY ARTICLE JOURNAL SUMMARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SCHOLARLY ARTICLE JOURNAL SUMMARY - Essay Example Though there are differences between the variables of ethnicity and race, the variable of ethnicity suffers from the same problems that are attributed to race. Furthermore, in modern developed societies ethnicity has taken on racist tones with the argument that cultural racism is replacing the traditional notions of racism based on biology or color of individuals. This increased divisions in society based on ethnic lines enhances the significance of the ethnicity variable. Ethnic divisions in society are not any different from the other divisions of society and do not exist in isolation in a society. Exclusion of minority ethnic groupings is a regular feature and the exclusion stems from innate features of the ethnic groups than on any other factors and the disadvantage that these minority groups face is looked upon as an essential problem with the culture of the group. Examples of this lie in the position of African Americans in the U.S.A. and the Aboriginal people in Australia. An understanding of the key factors involved on the issue of sociology of ethnicity and health is by looking at them from four perspectives. The increase in life span experienced in the developed world has brought with it issues of chronic illness and impairment to society. Providing care for the chronically ill or those with impairments has caught the attention of society, through the assessment of how best their needs like daily physical labor involved in their care needs to be addressed. Emerging information from studies conducted indicate that while the needs of the white community are taken care of, there is less importance given to the needs of the minority ethnic communities that exits in these developed societies. The Bangladeshis in British society provide a clear example of this lack of stress on minority communities. Bangladesh was a part of the British colonial world and economic conditions in the country led to migration to Britain, but they came

Defined Benefit And Define Contribution Pension Schemes Accounting Essay

Defined Benefit And Define Contribution Pension Schemes Accounting Essay Pension is fund that is built during the working life of the employee and then used to secure the income after retirement. These funds can be operated by employer (occupational pension) who invests over time or alternatively employee can invest in a fund of their choice (private pension scheme). Both of these schemes generate income after retirement. The pension funds are operated in many countries. According to international financial service the UK pension fund is $1,464 billion, Germany had $268 billion and France had $164 billion. Pension schemes are of two major types: Defined benefit scheme Defined contribution scheme DEFINED BENEFIT SCHEMES: Define benefit scheme is also known as final salary scheme which stipulate a particular level of income after retirement normally based on final salary and length of service. Although there is a compulsory contribution by the employee, most of the cost of the benefit and risk of the investment is borne by the employer. For example, in most of the public sector pension schemes, UK employers pay 60% of the cost of providing the benefits and members pay 40%. Various factors which effect the contribution includes: Value of the scheme assets and investment yield. Â  The composition of scheme membership. Â  Rate of salary growth of the scheme members. Â  Longer life span after retirement. Â  Changing regulatory requirements. Contributory Defined Benefit Scheme: In this case the employees make contributions to the pension scheme. Final Salary Schemes and Career Average Salary Schemes are the contributory Defined Benefit Schemes. Final Salary Scheme: In this case the pension amount is calculated on the basis of the final salary of an employee in that company. From the employers point of view these are expensive as compared to other pension schemes. The contributions for are made by the employee for the pension scheme. Career Average Salary Scheme : It calculates the pension amount depending upon the average earnings over the total number of years an employee works in a company. The benefits would be a percentage of the average salary earned by an employee during his career in that particular company. As compared to final salary scheme they are less costly for the employers. In this case also employee contributes in the pension scheme. Non- Contributory Defined Benefit Scheme: In this case the emploer instead of employee is responsible for the contributions in the pension scheme. Cash Salary Scheme is the non contributory Scheme. Cash Salary Scheme: This is a non contributory defined benefit scheme. In this case employer contributes a particular amount of money each year on behalf of the employee. They are a combination of defined benefit scheme and defined contribution scheme. For this reason they are also called as Hybrid Schemes. Decline in Defined Benefit Schemes: In define benefit scheme employer bears most of the risk as well if the pension fund become insufficient either due to poor investment performance or large salary increases, employer must replenish the pension fund out of business revenues. Operating such scheme on average earnings rather than final salary can help to protect against higher rate of salary growth. Munnell and Soto found that many firms have frozen define benefit plans since 2003. There are Following are the number of factors which have been used by employers to explain the decline of defined benefit schemes which are described below: Source : http://www.opalliance.org.uk/decline.htm DEFINED CONTRIBUTION SCHEMES Defined contribution schemes are also known as money purchase scheme in which the employee and/or employer make contributions into a pension fund according to prescribed rules. At retirement the pension fund is used to buy annuity which is an income guaranteed for life of the recipient. Most of the personal pensions are of his type. Under defined contribution schemes following factors determine the pension income available at retirement. The contributions invested in the scheme; Product provider charges; The performance of the pension fund; The annuity rate at retirement date The main factors that determine the benefits at retirement are the contributions invested by the employee, the return on investment earned, Annuity rate, the type of annuity selected and the charges of the scheme. Due to the characteristics and benefits of this scheme, this is the most popular type of pension schemes used in UK. These contributions cover a wide variety of private and occupational schemes. In this case the risk of poor returns on investment or high cost lies with the employee instead of employer. The employees cannot forecast their pension as the return on investment fund is uncertain. The factors affecting the return like annuity rate, charges on investments and performance of investments are beyond the control of the employee. An employee can also be certain of the amount of investment made by him. In the initial stages of investment the contributions are invested in the investments where risk is high and as an employee reaches near his retirement his contributions are invested in comparatively less riskier investments. This provides a good combination of growth and security. Employees in this case can have tax relief on their contributions. The pension fund in this case therefore includes: Pension Fund = Employees Contributions + Employers Contributions + Investment Returns + Tax benefits The contributions are invested in the shares and other investments with the aim of earning more return on these investments which can help in the growth of the pension fund before the retirement of the employees. Employees can choose the investments in which they want to invest. At the time of retirement employees can take a tax free lump sum amount from their pension and the remaining amount can be used to secure an income. If an employee changes his job he can stop making payments to his fund and can leave it as it is with his previous employer. This is also known as Deferred or Preserved Pension. Otherwise with some additional cost and risk he can get it transferred to his new employer or a stakeholder. Defined contributions scheme allows employees to make regular contributions. Employer can also opt for making contributions in the pension fund. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEFINED BENEFIT AND DEFINED CONTRIBUTION SCHEMES. The defined benefit and defined contribution schemes can be best differentiated by determining where the risks lie. In a defined benefit scheme, the employer bears the vast majority of costs and if investment returns poor yield or costs increase, the pension fund can become insufficient and the employer must replenish the fund out of the business revenues. Whereas in a defined contribution scheme the contributions are paid at a fixed level and therefore it is the recipient who bears these risks. If they are not able to increase contributions when fund performance is poor or cost increases, then their retirement income will be lower. In UK there is an upper limit from a define benefit scheme where as there is no upper limit to the level of income generated from this scheme. Basis Defined Benefit Scheme Defined Contribuion Scheme 1. Risk Risk lies with the employer Risk lies with the employee 2. Change in Value of Investment Pension fund is fixed and pre determined. Pension funds have the growth potential. They are flexible and can provide more return. 3. Affect of Market conditions Market conditions do not affect the pension fund Market conditions affect the return on investments made by the employees. 4. Economic Conditions. Economic conditions like inflation, affects the employees. As they receive fixed amount and the value of money decreases. They have less affect of the economic conditions on the investments. 5. Cost to employer These have high cost associated with them for the employer. These plans have comparatively low cost. 6. Responsibility Responsibility to make payments lie with the employer most of the times. Employee is responsible to make payments 7. Trend These pension schemes have a downward trend these days due to the cost associated with them for the employer. They have an upward trend due to the less cost to the employers. 8. Uncertain These are comparatively more certain. The same amount invested by two different persons provides the same return. These are uncertain in nature. The employee knows the amount he or his employer invested but he is uncertain about the return on this investment. The recent rush to close final salary pension schemes to new employees means that an increasing number of workers now have to rely on defined contribution (money purchase) schemes to provide their future retirement income, either through a scheme set up by their employer or a personal pension as a group or individual arrangement. Buessing and Sotos (2006) analysis of data from Department of Labor Form 5500 filings shows that the number of individuals who participate only in a private sector define benefit plan has declined from 9.6 million in 1990 to 6.6 million in 2003. The growth of private sector define contribution plans has given employees new responsibility for managing retirement assets and made retirement wealth accumulation a function of an employees contribution and asset allocation decisions. Accrued benefits in define benefit plans do not depend on financial market returns, except in extreme circumstances such as plan insolvency. Benefits in define contribution plans, however, are a function of financial market returns. Some analysts have suggested that define contribution plans expose prospective retirees to greater risk than define benefit plans because of this link. Several recent studies have examined financial market risk in define contribution plans. Balcer and Sahin (1979) compare define benefit and define contribution plans in a lifecycle setting, recognizing that earnings uncertainty and job transitions have an important effect on the accumulated wealth of define benefit plan participants. Bodie, Marcus, and Merton (1988) note that define benefit and define contribution plans both entail risks, but that these risks are different. Neither of these studies make quantitative estimates of relative risks; two more recent studies do. Samwick and Skinner (2004) use data from the 1983 and 1989 Survey of Consumer Finances and the associated Pension Provider Supplement (PPS) to summarize DC and DB plan attributes. They generate synthetic earnings histories under the assumption that the logarithm of earnings follows a random walk with age-related drift, and they evaluate define benefit and define contribution wealth accumulation for these earnings hi stories. This approach may miss subtle stochastic properties of actual earnings histories. The results suggest that for many workers define contribution plan accumulations are likely to exceed the actuarial present discounted value (PDV) of define benefit plan benefits. Finally, Schrager (2005) uses data on earnings and job change patterns from the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics to study related issues. She finds that job turnover increased in the 1990s, making define contribution plans more attractive relative to define benefit plans for many workers. Both of the empirical studies parameterize the earnings and job change processes, thereby suppressing some of the richness in individual earnings histories. One of the key risks in both define benefit and define contribution wealth accumulation is an ex ante risk that workers face when they accept a job: what does the firms define contribution or define benefit plan offer? There is substantial variation in the generosity of employer matching contributions in define contribution plans, and in the normal retirement age and level of risks that are realized as their working career unfolds. These include their earnings path, which is a key input directly to define benefit wealth accruals and which affects the capacity to make define contribution contributions, the economic fortunes of their employer, which may lead to changes in the retirement plan parameters, their job tenure and the number of jobs they hold over their working career, the choices they make in a define contribution plan, and the financial market returns that they earn on their define contribution plan investments. Some components of both the post-retirement benefits in define benefit plans. In addition to these ex ante risks, workers also face ex post ex ante and ex post risk are under the control of the worker, who may decide whether or not to work for a firm with particular pension characteristics, whether or not to voluntarily separate from a firm with a define benefit plan, or whether or not to contribute the maximum amount to a define contribution plan. Conclusion When employers try to compare the real overall cost of providing a typical defined benefit scheme with a typical defined contribution scheme, they usually fail to compare like with like. It is often forgotten that because employers tend to benefit from favorable investment returns with defined benefit schemes, many defined benefit arrangements have actually cost a lot less than contribution levels suggest if you take into account contribution reductions and contribution holidays. Certainly when looking back beyond the recent troubled financial markets, it was not uncommon for defined benefit arrangements to be holding surpluses and/or to be taking contribution holidays. This will not be possible under a defined contribution scheme where the employer is required to maintain the agreed level of contributions irrespective of how well the investments are performing, subject only to the proviso that an individual cannot be over-funded (i.e. the benefits that can be purchased by their contributions cannot exceed the maximum as laid down by the Inland Revenue). This will not always be the case and negotiators might like to remind employers of this fact during their deliberations. Where it does not prove possible to persuade the employer to maintain a defined benefit scheme for all employees then the objective must be to ensure that the defined contribution scheme agreed is essentially based upon contributions that will actually deliver an adequate pension for future retiring employees.

Notes on John Locke :: Second Treatise on Civil Government

Notes on John Locke (1632-1704), selections from The Second Treatise of Government (1690) As we will examine it, a defining theme of the American experience from Thomas Jefferson through Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Martin Luther King, Jr. is democratic revolution: these and other major figures seek to change the existing social structure, in order to expand the circle of democracy - to encompass ever larger groups of people within a democratic framework which recognizes the basic equality and rights of each member. Using Jefferson as the starting point, the circle of democratic rights initially includes white males over the age of 41 who meet certain property requirements. Elizabeth Cady Stanton seeks to enlarge this circle to include women - as Martin Luther King, Jr., seeks to enlarge the circle to include people of color. How do you argue for revolutionary change? The American experience is striking not only for its theme of revolutionary change: more fundamentally, these diverse calls for revolution all rest on a shared, central argument. This argument begins from certain premises, and uses those premises to support a specific conclusion - the conclusion that democratic revolution, radical social change in the direction of increasing equality with regard to rights and standing before the law, is justified. The shared argument looks like this: [P1] Governments (Jefferson, Cady Stanton) and laws (Martin Luther King, Jr.) are legitimate only if they rest on the consent of the governed and protect basic rights. [P2] If governments and laws lack this consent, and/or fail to protect these rights, then [C1] such governments are no longer legitimate, and/or such laws are unjust. [P3] Illegitimate governments and/or unjust laws require no allegiance. Therefore, [C2] Illegitimate governments and/or unjust laws must be dissolved and replaced with legitimate governments and/or just laws i.e., governments and/or laws which rest on the consent of the governed and protect basic rights (i.e., which meet the conditions of [P1]). While Jefferson first articulates this argument as the central justification for the American Revolution, we will see this argument used to support the struggle for women's suffrage (Cady Stanton) and the struggle for civil rights for American blacks (Martin Luther King, Jr.). But Jefferson did not invent this argument or its underlying assumptions. Among other sources, Jefferson was deeply influenced by Locke's views on human nature and the political arrangements befitting that nature - especially as Locke articulated his political philosophy in Two Treatistes of Government (1690).

Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro

Few novels dare to touch the inner vulnerability of humankind. It is Soseki’s Kokoro that captures the essence of friendship and loneliness, truth and betrayal, and life and death. The novel is, after all, about human nature. Any one reading this powerful work will quickly relate to the characters who go through tremendous strife, personal changes and much reflection. While Kokoro was written in Japan many years ago, it may be valuable to a reader even in contemporary society as its attributes may be embraced today, despite its age and cultural focus. Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro explores a great deal of subject matter. Several themes are woven into the pages of this older novel. It is fair to say, at least based on a personal experience, that one might have a tendency to discount the credibility of the work or deem much of the information irrelevant due to ages age and cultural differentiation. However, it will be shown that Kokoro is a novel that, like so many others, breaks the barriers of time. Soseki successfully creates deep characters that permeate the weak boundaries of the human character. We recognize that this novel shares a sense of timelessness supporting the entire foundation; the themes we see explored here are quite applicable to the lives we live today. Naturally, the Japanese component of the work is what makes the clear distinction between Japanese culture and Western mentality. But all the same, the morals in Kokoro seem to be fundamental enforcing great personal reflection upon the reader. As the reader progresses through the novel, contemplating themes and depicting the characters, specifically the student and Sensei, he begins to develop the notion that indeed the characters possess a sense of timelessness. They could have been born in the twentieth century and experienced the same sort of friendship and turmoil. However, the relationship between the two men is out of the realm of ordinary fiction. It is unique and something that this author explores quite candidly. The fact that the two are in a close friendship and that the young student explores new territory is in some way allowing the older character to live up to his title of â€Å"teacher†, or Sensai. Yet, in exploring the issue of timelessness, and applicability to other situations, the particular point about the friendship between the two is omething that could have taken place anywhere and anytime. While other portions of the work are pertinent to Japanese culture, the exploration of such a friendship is something that is truly universal. The reader might note perhaps the anomaly of their relationship, though, considering the ages of the men. Yet, such friendships do form between old and young; youthful intellectuals mi ght find greater knowledge in those older individuals who experienced history than what is written in a book. Clearly, their relationship differs from that of the bonds between grandparents and grandchildren though. They are peers, respectful and yet colloquial in their manners. In the case of Kokoro, the relationship begins between two strangers but the friendship formed becomes intense very quickly. There are yet more ways to explore relationships between men in the novel. It must be emphasized that these relationships all too often go unnoticed and unexplored by fiction. Soseki looks at not only the student’s relationship with Sensei but also with his dying father. Here we have a young man, his father on his death-bed and his mentor stating to have ended his life. What was the student to do, where was he to go, who would he want to be with during those men’s last minutes of life? Quite a lot of pressure for any individual. He was caught up in the times, the evolution of modernization and the uncertainty as to remain in the traditional realm of Japanese culture and stay by his father’s side or perhaps continue to pursue his education and knowledge, returning to Sensai to demonstrate his gratitude, devotion, and friendship. Ironically, it is Sensei who commits suicide! The emotions that well up in the young man, however, are truly universal. A sense of betrayal and sadness permeate the work and create a void. After all, things were going quite well in the world of friendship and male bonding until the young student’s mentor of sorts would commit this ultimate act. This story is about one man’s journey through self-realization and the revelations he makes after befriending a man. In one way, it is more about a personal journey than about a relationship. What is most troubling, and lends the work a somber tone, is the main character’s loneliness, yet another theme illustrated in this novel. In some way, Sensei helps to break through that barrier. After K’s suicide, he realized the atrocities of his actions and the heinous development of his character from diligent student to human betrayer. After much time of personal torment, K confided in him of his love for Ojasan. Why Sensai seemed surprised as to the context of the confession somewhat confuses the reader as clearly anyone could have seen that K was also in love with her, in fact, surely Sensai knew, but he reclined to a state of denial. He states, â€Å"I felt as if I had been turned into stone by a magician’s wand. I could not even move my lips as K had done† (205). As Sensai came to understand it was he who was responsible for the death of this man, he felt he had no choice but to cease all human actions and remain an outcast in society, secluding himself to his home and his wife. Surely, no one could understand what he had done or what he had been through, not even his wife as he states, â€Å"I was saddened by the thought that she, whom I loved and trusted more than anyone else in this world, could not understand me. And the thought that I had not the courage to explain myself to her mad me sadder still. I was very lonely. Indeed, there were times when I felt that I stood completely alone in this world, cut off from every other living person† (240). He began to realize he was no longer innocent like the student who visited him often, the student he had once been, but he became his betraying uncle who robbed him of the only money his parents left him after they died. And even more than this pitiful character, Sensai then evolved into a character such as K, burying himself in books, avoiding people and friendships, bottling up all of his emotions inside and eventually ending his life as a means of escaping loneliness. Certainly another significant theme explored in this novel is the assumption that by losing one’s identity, one learns to value it. What is meant by identity is that by rejecting ones own particular understanding of themselves, they are likely to find it once again, a theory that that cannot be ignored as the student learned this by befriending the old man. And he did not do this in the easiest way. His challenge was between the two cultures, that of a liberal nature and that of a traditional nature. He imply did not know which one to turn to in times of need and in desperation to seek knowledge. In fact, perhaps what makes the novel so powerful is it’s thought provoking style, allowing the reader to analyze his own life through the main character’s journey. The loss of one’s identity perhaps creates a blank slate to enable one to find it. We see quite a change in the young man as he learns that Sensai will commit suicide. While it is difficult to read abo ut suicide and how it affects others, this is a major theme as the concept of suicide is universal. When it is brought up, the ultimate questions must be asked and answered. Sometimes there are no answers. The young man wrestles with a great deal of conflict throughout the novel but it is the knowledge of the suicide that perhaps becomes the final straw— the young man’s loneliness is accentuated. What does he have left? Many people have experienced such trauma in their lives and may be able to relate to what he felt. There is that sense of betrayal and self-blame, â€Å"what if I had done or said something differently? † Such thoughts are enough to drive any individual to insanity. There are moments when emotions of remorse and guilt are so overwhelming they cloud all better judgment and force the individual into a deep state of depression. The ultimate questions of free will and fate come rushing to consciousness. Sensai even declares that it was his pre-destined fate that his life would conclude this way as he states, â€Å"Her fate had been pre-ordained no less than mine had been† (244). The themes carried through the book are certainly something inherent in more modern fiction, thus proving that the theme has a sense of timelessness. The novel is further a testimony that suicide does indeed affect more than ones self. Of course, even if suicide is not legal or does not conform to a society’s standards, there is nothing one can do to punish the person who commits such an act. Speaking of suicide, Sensai states, â€Å" Some may say that this was a vain sort of thing to do. But who are we to judge the needs of another man’s heart? † (247). He is already dead. It is those who are living who must bear the brunt of the act and that is what, above all, this novel shows. With the use of Sensei, the author is able to tell more about the young student. This technique also creates empathy for the father who additionally served to create conflict within the reader. Loyalty is sometimes split and there is sometimes a sense of tension in the air. The characters reveal something every reader can use, something perhaps the author was conscious of. The author may not have realized that these characters, and their predicaments, would be so moving as to inspire its audience to examine ones own self. Soseki creates a difficult situation and through the main characters, is able to inspire a number of emotions that the reader likely can use and identify with. The reason is because although the author uses a certain predicament, the problem can be easily applied to other situations. Thus, it is quite easy to look at Kokoro and think about ones own personal dilemmas that are somewhat related to the problems that torment these characters. The idea that the book permeates time and is applicable to today’s world, through use of the characters, has been demonstrated. It would be difficult to argue against it as Soseki’s characters certainly live today. Reading Kokoro is like looking in a mirror, sometimes at things no one wants to see. It begs the reader to question his or her own personal relationships and how far they would go for a friend. How far would they go to protect their own honor? What would one do if a friend did kill himself? What would it take for the reader to commit the ultimate act? And yet, time would continue. That it a message that emanates from the pages of this great work and breaks through the boundaries that time tries to inflict. The concepts inherent in the work are certainly applicable in modern society despite the fact that the author lived so long ago in Japan.

Politics and the Political System of the Ancient Maya

Politics and the Political System of the Ancient Maya The Mayan civilization flourished in the rainforests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, reaching its apex around A.D. 700–900 before falling into a swift and somewhat mysterious decline. The Maya were expert astronomers and traders: they were also literate with a complicated language and their own books. Like other civilizations, the Maya had rulers and a ruling class, and their political structure was complex. Their kings were powerful and claimed to be descended from the gods and the planets. The Mayan City-States The Mayan civilization was large, powerful, and culturally complex: it is often compared to the Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Central Mexico. Unlike these other empires, however, the Maya never unified. Instead of a mighty empire ruled from one city by one set of rulers, the Maya instead had a series of city-states that only ruled the surrounding area, or some nearby vassal states if they were powerful enough. Tikal, one of the most powerful Mayan city-states, never ruled much farther than its immediate borders, although it did have vassal cities such as Dos Pilas and Copn. Each of these city-states had its own ruler. Development of Mayan Politics and Kingship The Mayan culture began around 1800 B.C. in the lowlands of the Yucatan and southern Mexico. For centuries, their culture slowly advanced, but as of yet, they had no concept of kings or royal families. It wasnt until the middle to late preclassic periods (300 B.C. or so) that evidence of kings began to appear at certain Mayan sites. The founding king of Tikals first royal dynasty, Yax Ehb Xook, lived sometime in the Preclassic period. By A.D. 300, kings were common, and the Maya began building stelae to honor them: large, stylized stone statues that describe the king, or Ahau, and his accomplishments. The Mayan Kings The Mayan kings claimed descent from the gods and planets, laying claim to a quasi-divine status, somewhere between humans and gods. As such, they lived between two worlds, and wielding â€Å"divine† power was part of their duties. The kings and royal family had important roles at public ceremonies, such as the ball games. They channeled their connection to the gods through sacrifices (of their own blood, of captives, etc.), dance, spiritual trances, and hallucinogenic enemas. Succession was usually patrilineal, but not always. Occasionally, queens ruled when no suitable male of the royal line was available or of age. All kings had numbers that placed them in order from the founder of the dynasty. Unfortunately, this number is not always recorded in the king’s glyphs on stone carvings, resulting on unclear histories of dynastic succession. Life of a Mayan King A Mayan king was groomed from birth to rule. A prince had to pass through many different initiations and rites. As a young man, he had his first bloodletting at the age of five or six. As a young man, he was expected to fight and lead battles and skirmishes against rival tribes. Capturing prisoners, particularly high-ranking ones, was important. When the prince finally became king, the elaborate ceremony included sitting on a jaguar pelt in an elaborate headdress of colorful feathers and seashells, holding a scepter. As king, he was supreme head of the military and was expected to fight and participate in any armed conflicts entered into by his city-state. He also had to participate in many religious rituals, as he was a conduit between humans and the gods. Kings were allowed to take multiple wives. Mayan Palaces Palaces are found at all of the major Mayan sites. These buildings were located in the heart of the city, near the pyramids and temples so important to Maya life. In some cases, the palaces were very large, multistoried structures, which may indicate that a complicated bureaucracy was in place to rule the kingdom. The palaces were homes to the king and the royal family. Many of the king’s tasks and duties were carried out not in the temples but in the palace itself. These events might have included feasts, celebrations, diplomatic occasions, and receiving tribute from vassal states. Classic-Era Mayan Political Structure By the time the Maya reached their Classic Era, they had a well-developed political system. Renowned archaeologist Joyce Marcus believes that by the Late Classic era, the Maya had a four-tiered political hierarchy. At the top were the king and his administration in major cities like Tikal, Palenque, or Calakmul. These kings would be immortalized on stelae, their great deeds recorded forever. Following the main city were a small group of vassal city-states, with lesser nobility or a relative of the Ahau in charge: these rulers did not merit stelae. After that were affiliated villages, large enough to have rudimentary religious buildings and ruled by minor nobility. The fourth tier consisted of hamlets, which were all or mostly residential and devoted to agriculture. Contact with Other City-States Although the Maya were never a unified empire like the Incas or Aztecs, the city-states nevertheless had much contact. This contact facilitated cultural exchange, making the Maya much more unified culturally than politically. Trade was common. The Maya traded in prestige items like obsidian, gold, feathers, and jade. They also traded in food items, particularly in later eras as the major cities grew too large to support their population. Warfare was also common: skirmishes to take slaves and victims for sacrifice were common, and all-out wars not unheard of. Tikal was defeated by rival Calakmul in 562, causing a century-long hiatus in its power before it reached its former glory once again. The powerful city of Teotihuacan, just north of present-day Mexico City, wielded great influence on the Mayan world and even replaced the ruling family of Tikal in favor of one more friendly to their city. Politics and the Decline of the Maya The Classic Era was the height of the Mayan civilization culturally, politically, and militarily. Between A.D. 700 and 900, however, the Maya civilization began a swift and irreversible decline. The reasons the Mayan society fell are still a mystery, but theories abound. As the Maya civilization grew, warfare between city-states grew as well: entire cities were attacked, defeated, and destroyed. The ruling class grew as well, placing a strain on the working classes, which may have resulted in civil strife. Food became a problem for some Maya cities as the population grew. When trade could no longer make up the differences, hungry citizens may have revolted or fled. The Mayan rulers might have avoided some of these calamities. Source McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. Reprint edition, W. W. Norton Company, July 17, 2006.

buy custom Iraq War Mid-Term Research Paper Example

buy custom Iraq War Mid Iraq, Saddam Hussein and the Unites States Abstract The outcome of the recent conflict between Iraq and the United States is yet to be properly assessed. However, it is undeniable that the war did not begin overnight as it had been preceded by a variety of events, including its rise of Saddam Hussein, his wars with Iran and Kuwait, and, finally, the Gulf War. In order to define the reasons of the conflict, it is important to analyze these events from the point of various theories of international relations. Such ones include, particularly, a human theory (the aggression is a natural human emotion), the theory of realism (in order to acquire benefits for his country, a leader can use any measures, including violence), the theories of globalism (political and economic isolation striped the country and its leaders of any power on the world arena) and cognitive theories (isolation, being combined with dictatorial power leads to the distorted perception of reality and results in unreasonable and dangerous actions). Moreover, this study wil l also allow defining whether the conflict has ended as well as predicting its possible outcomes.

Theme and narrative elements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theme and narrative elements - Essay Example As both are sitting in a bar at a train station, it becomes clear they are waiting for a train to come. The train is heading to Madrid where the woman will have an operation she dreads. At the end, it is unclear whether Jig has made up her mind to kill the fetus or not. Yet, it is obvious that the relationship between the two has grown very distant. As the story opens, one is immediately introduced to the story’s setting which helps to grasp the theme of the story. To illustrate, â€Å"The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was a warm shadow of the building, and a curtain made strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bars, to keep out flies. The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went to Madrid.† (Hemingway, p. 211) This paragraph tells us that the man and his partner are in a place where it is â€Å"very hot†, a place without trees and even without any shade. Even the flies must be kept out of the room. The described setting evokes feelings of decay and a meaning of bareness. If to combine these images with the conversation that follows, one may successfully find some clues as to the relationship between the man and the woman.... There is no hope for this relationship to flourish, it is doomed to decay and decomposition. Even if the woman eventually agrees to make an abortion, their relationship will hardly be the same as it was before the problem arose. Bearing in mind the overall theme of the story, one may find a symbol here as well, which may be interpreted as a possible story ending. Namely, barren hills may symbolize the fate of a bay that will never be born. No life, no children’s laughter, no flourishing. In terms of the story’s symbolism, one more profound symbol should be mentioned. This is the symbolical meaning of the hills and â€Å"the big white elephant†. Hills may symbolize the breasts of a woman who is pregnant. They are swollen and thus remind hills. At the same time, the big white elephant may be a symbol of an abdomen inside of which there is a fetus. In Buddhism, a white elephant came to Buddha’s mother in her dream and gave her a lotus flower that actually sym bolized her pregnancy (Weeks, 1980, p.75). Having provided the examples of symbolism and setting in this story, let us explain how they affect the narrative theme. First of all, these symbols help to predict the story’s major implications. The woman is pregnant – this is conveyed with the help of hills-and-elephant symbol. Next, the relationship is decomposing – this can be inferred from the barren setting. The child will probably be killed in the womb – this can be inferred again from the unpromising setting in the opening paragraph. All in all, symbolism and setting have played the key role in interpreting the story’s meanings. References 1. Hemigway, E. (1998) The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway.

Social constructions of gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Social constructions of gender - Essay Example To some extent I think the major issue bringing about all these arguments is the fact that there is no proper definition of the term gender that each of the opposing groups can use as the base for their arguments in order to come up with the middle ground in the alignment of the contentious issues underlying the whole matter. Depending on the line of argument that has been taken by any of the opposing sides, the gender matter can be defined in two distinct lines of thought which of course tend to oppose each other bringing about the two antagonistic sides in the whole argument over the subject matter. On one side, some people define gender based on their biological origins and structure thereby categorizing them as either male or female, though another category of gender has recently come into play and is rapidly claiming recognition as far as the classification of gender is concerned. This third gender is the transgender which is mainly common in America and is a fusion of the two b iological definitions. A proper classification of the third gender as far as its biological orientation is concerned has not yet been devised, but it still cut across the two main ones (Dube, 2001). On the other hand the term gender has been defined on the social basis depending on the roles carried out by the two biologically defined gender categories. It is good to note here that the social definition fuses both the biological orientation of the two gender lines with the social roles assigned to each biological gender in the society.