Reading and answer questions 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading and answer questions 5 - Assignment Example Following the submission, the court held the VII workplace act that protects employees from workplace discriminations. I agree with the case since human dignity hold at all costs. Moreover, persons of the same sex must not harass each other since such actions reduces the dignity of the harassed and they are against work ethics. Question 2 of 4: IN MEDINA RENE V. MGM GRAND, please paraphrase in your own words the following: (1) the facts of the case (2) the issue/question presented; (3) the holding/conclusion; (4) the reasoning; and (5) if you agree or not with the case, why or why not? RENE V. MGM GRAND presented the question whether the accused should be charged under the under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.  §Ã‚ §Ã¢â‚¬â€š2000e et seq (Meiners, Ringleb, and Frances 182). The case before that court was that plaintiff’s coworkers harassed him based on his sexual orientation. The Supreme Court determined that the plaintiff was sexually harassed. This judgment was substantial in upholding the humanity at workplace and strengthening ethical conducts at workplace. Question 3 of 4: IN PROWEL V WISE, please paraphrase in your own words the following: (1) the facts of the case (2) the issue/question presented; (3) the holding/conclusion; (4) the reasoning; and (5) if you agree or not with the case, why or why not? This case was also a sexual harassment at workplace. It was a harassment was based subjected to a gay worker. The case was judged under Title VII; however, the standing attorney related it to sexual stereotyping. His workers called him princess while the church called him sinner. Despite the sexual harassments, the court dismissed Prowel’s case (Anzalone 142). This judgment was not appropriate since it was a means of encouraging stereotyping of homosexuality in the society. Schultz’s work dwells on the sexual harassment at work place and the environments that may facilitate such harassments (Gould 166).

Judging Means Forming An Opinion Philosophy Essay

Judging Means Forming An Opinion Philosophy Essay Judging means forming an opinion or conclusion about the subject it self, in this case it s a person that were judging. This action requiers a lot of responsibility, it takes a short time to judges a person, but it needs quite long time to make it right. When it comes to the first judgment of a persons character, many people the appearance as their criterian. However, in my point of view, this is not a wise to make the real judgment of a person. Ussualy people conclude poeple so fast becuase they are looking from the outside. You know what the said dont judge the books by its cover. Meaning that by looking at a book you think it is bad when you didnt even read the prologue yet or even the back of the book. This quote tell you to judge people from their personality, just like judging a book people wont read if the cover page is ugly and that is the mistakes that they are making. The point is judging people from their first imperssion is not wrong, but it ussually does, why dont you g ive him or her a chance. Taking a conclusion of someone may set your mind forever about that person and you wont know tha truth about that person unless you giver him or her a chance and you will change your mind either making it better or worse. This are some reasons why you shouldnt judge people on their first impression;Your opinion might be wrong. As i said before you may miss judge them. judging people before you know them starts nothing but drama. The bible it self said that Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment from John 7:24. Assuming is technically different from knowing. You never know one day that person may be the one you have to rely on! They might change over time. People in this life always changes either better or worse. eople act different from others and some people have their own kind of way of gestures. Things are not always how they seem, or how we think we see them. It is always a good policy to not only give the benefit of the doubt, but to get all the facts before we rush to judgment about people and situations. Another good policy is to remember that everything is not about us. Another persons attitude, body language, comments, beliefs, etc may not have anything at all to do with us personally; and may have absolutely everything to do with them and what is going on in their own life. Time is needed to came up with a precise conclusion , People act different from others and some people have their own kind of way of gestures. Not everyone is born the same, that is why it makes every one unique in their own way. First impressions arent a good thing and it shouldnt be done. You have to get to know the person first before you judge them! Once you get to know the person, then you can judge them by who they are. It takes more time and effort to really get to know a person before judging them.   Im not sure if we can totally override our preconceptions, but I think we must try to quiet them while we delve deeper.   The color of a persons skin shouldnt matter nor should their age, sex, weight, or what clothes they wear.   There are many interesting, smart, and valuable people that dont fit the mold that our society has created.   It is up to us to decide how we will judge people. Dont be Mr. I know every things and asume that you are always right. There is only on e lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:12. You may judges others un-fairly just to justify you own ego. Your ego may affects how you judges others. Considering that everyone can have a bad day, people ussualy leting themself judge beyond that. You may miss the bigest part if you take point to early. You couldnt realy know what is insideem. Above all do we realy need to judge people ? many people waste their time in jugding people. we spend a lot of time judging people then we are wasting the time we have that we could be enjoying them, or loving them. They dont even think about them self. I am not saying that is wrong to judge others but at least you should concertrate on your self rather than keep comment on someone else. It is human nature to judge others based upon initial impressions. We may pretend that it is otherwise, however, we all form first impressions which are difficult to undo in our minds. We may train ourselves to open our minds and not allow our first impressions to close doors; however it remains in our nature to judge. If we use our intellect rather than our emotional response we will remain open too learning about people despite our first impressions, even find that we were mistaken in our initial judgments. There are many things about a person that we judge based upon our life experiences that have no relevance to theirs, this often leads to mistakes. There is also the issue of what is within the control of the person that we are meeting for the first time and what is outside of their control. Leaping to judgment based upon our own experiences and expectations can only lead too lost opportunities that enrich our lives. In short its better if we don not judge people, but if it is necessary dont judge them in their first impression.

In Opposition of an Amendment to Ban Flag Desecration :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

In Opposition of an Amendment to Ban Flag Desecration In 1876 a Constitutional amendment was proposed that would eliminate the Senate. In 1893, there was an amendment proposed that would get rid of the Army and the Navy, and another one that would rename the country the United States of the Earth. They all share one common dominator: they would do absolutely nothing to benefit the United States or its citizens. To this list another proposed amendment can be added: the amendment banning desecration of the American flag. There have been less then 200 reported flag burnings in the more then 200 that America has existed. Congress is trying to protect the flag from something that’s not even threatening it. In actuality, Congress’s bill would threaten the flag more than any match ever would. The American flag stands for freedom, and in this Land of the Free, what could be more important then the right to express ones opinions? America is the only country in the world where citizens are guaranteed the right to protest the government! If this protest happens to involve the desecration of the flag, then celebrate the fact that we live in such a country where we can do this without fear instead of condemning the action! Not only would this bill undermine everything the constitution stands for, it would also destroy America’s Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights has survived for more than 200 years without being altered in any way. Making flag burning illegal would be the first change ever to the first ten amendments, and would open the gateway to more changes in the future. Supporters of the bill have

My Antonia Imagery Essay

Willa Cather, an American author, achieved much recognition on her frontier works. She earned much acknowledgement in her work of My Antonia. Raised on a primitive farm in Nebraska, Cather uses her experiences of the landscape to transform the senses of her readers. Cather demonstrates her ability to capture the feeling of the prairie at the end of the â€Å"Hired Girls. † (â€Å"Presently we saw†¦ somewhere on the prairie. † Page 146-147) Not only is this scene an important image of the moment, but the representation of this plow amongst the setting sun as well. The image of the plow in front of the sinking sun is very prominent throughout the book. Though the plow could simply represent a plow or the sun just a sun, Cather puts much more depth into it. She creates a mental picture that appeals to the readers senses. Cather emphasizes the â€Å"gold-washed sky† and â€Å"horizontal light. † She creates vivaciousness into the mind. The warmth that the sun gives off made Jim feel joy and the love for his country. Cather includes how the setting sun embellishes a red hue around the plow. Red makes Jim feel the passion and affection he has for Antonia and the land he grew up on. It reminds him of the fire and life he had as a kid and remembers the love of life itself. The plow as a silhouette against the setting sun shows its enormity and massiveness. The plow casts a shadow along the fields, creating the impression of a much larger plow than in reality. The plow has changes not only Antonia’s life, but the fields as well. It transforms the ground, from something hard and tough, to fertile soil used for farming to create something new and beautiful. If the plow was not placed in front of the sun, the plow would still look smaller and irrelevant. As the sun continues to set, the shadows diminish. Although the symbolism of the plow is significant, it pales in comparison to the endless fields. The plow settles â€Å"back to its own littleness. † It is no match to the beauty of Mother Nature. Towards the beginning of the book, Cather includes Virgil’s quote, â€Å"Optima dies†¦ prima fugit,† which translates to â€Å"the best days are the first to flee. It represents a reoccurring theme in the book. The sun rises and falls each day, and this moment with Antonia stood out to Jim most of all. As they both grow older and move in their separate ways. Aware of the approaching end, Jim leaves for college shortly afterwards. The setting of the sun at night means a new day will dawn soon, and a new chapter of Jim and Antonia’s life must begin. Antonia leaves her life on the fields behind to move onto a life of a â€Å"Hired Girl. † Cather transforms this spectacular novel into a Bildungsroman. Antonia and Jim develop from children to young adults. She continuously reminds the readers of the American Dream, which is also referenced to by the plow. From the outside, the plow and sun- or the American Dream, looks beautiful in combination. But when the sun sets, all that is left behind is a regular plow that still requires hard work and dedication. Shortly before the end of Jim’s statement, Cather includes â€Å"heroic in size, a picture writing on the sun,† Heroic stands for the plow, something bigger than itself. When put into use, the plow is a quintessential element for farming, but when not, it takes up space and could get in the way. Irrelevant and unnoticed. The hard work that Willa Cather put into My Antonia did not go unrecognized. She portrayed her talent to capture the reader into the book. The simple words she uses helps to constrain the actual complexity she can not express. The symbolism ties into the story to make clear to the reader of the American Dream and all the other reoccurring themes throughout the story.

Piaget’s Theories Essay

The summary of Piaget’s theories includes stages of learning through cognitive development. The cognitive perspective was revolutionized by Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist. Piaget proposed â€Å"that all people pass in a fixed sequence through a series of universal stages of cognitive development†. (Feldman, 2008, p. 20) Piaget’s theory outlined four stages of development. Piaget’s Four Stages of Learning The four stages of learning are sensorimotor, birth to 2 years old, preoperational, ages 2 to 4, concrete operations, ages 7 to 11, and formal operations, ages 11 to 15. Campbell, 1976, p. 1) Piaget’s four stage learning model demonstrates how the mind processes new information encountered at different ages. The child does not move from one stage to the next until it has reached physical maturation and has experienced relevant situations. (Feldman, 2008, p. 151) In the sensorimotor stage the infant learns through interaction with the environment, which could include mouthing and touching items to build an understanding of oneself at this stage of cognitive development. The infant is unable to speak therefore learns through assimilation. (Campbell, 1976, p. 1) Catherine P. Cook-Cottone used Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to analyze student counseling sessions. In her article â€Å"Using Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Understand the Construction of Healing Narratives† she identifies the stages of learning of students in sessions. Students in the sensorimotor stage â€Å"may enter the counseling situation with a very limited ability to conceptualize and describe their presenting problems†. Cook-Cottone, Fall 2004, Volume 7, p. 182) In the pre-operational stage conceptualizing abstractly is not possible. There needs to be concrete physical situations for the child to understand there is a difference. The child needs to see objects in simple ways with important features setting it apart from other objects. (Feldman, 2008, p. 151) In â€Å"Using Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Understand the Construction of Healing Narratives† there is a sequence of learning for the students in therapy who work through resolving their problems. Cook-Cottone, Fall 2004, Volume 7) In pre-operational stage students are able to label the areas of concerns. â€Å"As students gain therapueutic experience with concepts or issues, they begin to develop increasingly organized schemata for the problem-related experences†. (Cook-Cottone, Fall 2004, Volume 7, p. 182) Concrete operations stage the child begins to think abstractly and is able to conceptualize. (Feldman, 2008, p. 151) The child creates logical explanations for the physical experience it is relating to or sees. Catherine P.  Cook-Cotton states â€Å"Once labels are consistently used in the counseling situation, students narratives become increasing more focused on making many connections among experiences. (Cook-Cottone, Fall 2004, Volume 7, p. 183) The fourth and final learning stage is formal operations. This stage is the final learning phase for an individual. There is no longer a need for concrete objects to reason, and hypothesis begins. (Campbell, 1976) In â€Å"Using Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Understand the Construction of Healing Narratives† the students â€Å".. ave achieved a formal integration of the problem-specific content, they begin to make a sophisticated associations among more abstract ideas in addtion to being able to make associations amoung concrete experiences†. (Cook-Cottone, Fall 2004, Volume 7, p. 183) Piaget’s Theory vs. B. F. Skinner Operant Theory With â€Å"operant conditioning, formulated and championed by psychologist B. F. Skinner, individuals learn to act deliberately on their environments in order to bring about desired consequences†. (Feldman, 2008, p. 19) Cognitive Development operates on the individual assessing, learning and developing through inner self and their experience with the environment. With operant conditioning the individual learns by reinforcing a behavior through a series of rewards or consequences to avoid the behavior. In other words, positive or negative consequences determine the learning, and ultimate behavioral outcome. Conclusion Piaget’s theory of cognitive development revolutionized the way learning was observed. The focus turned to how an individual learns from within instead of observing the environment and what the individual learns from their surroundings.

Sartres Bad Faith

Sartres Bad Faith Everyone Lies Many people have acknowledged that they have to tackle with liars. More so, one of the latest trends of the modern society is the notion popularized by the famous Dr. House: everybody lies. It goes without saying that the essence of lying has been considered by many renowned thinkers.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Sartre’s Bad Faith specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sartre reveals a very interesting facet of lying introducing his idea of bad faith. He also provides precise examples to explain his theory. Obviously, Sartre’s ideas can be applicable in real life as it is possible to find numerous examples even in one’s everyday life. Sartre’s Philosophical Notion According to Sartre lying presupposes complete possession of the truth (48). In other words, the liar knows exactly certain facts and tries to hide them changing them or withholding them. Therefore, deceit is a p rocess which consists of two stages: knowing the truth and withholding it. Sartre calls this pattern the â€Å"ideal† lie (48). However, he also claims that people often deny the truth instead of simply substituting facts. For instance, people may (or may not) know the complete truth, and they do not try to substitute facts to deceive anyone. People’s consciousness often tries to deceive itself. In simple terms, even though people know the truth they tend to forget about it or pay no attention to it focusing on certain desirable points (Sartre 49). Sartre calls this state of negation of the truth the state of bad faith. Thus, when people are in bad faith, they focus on desirable information (though it can be untrue) denying (or simply ignoring) the truth (Sartre 49). This does not mean that people are deliberately cynical and hypocritical. Sometimes they do not notice that they are in bad faith. Sartre mentions that people often feel guilty when they acknowledge that t hey were in bad faith in this or that situation. Interestingly, Sartre also points out that sometimes people try not to acknowledge the truth at all. The philosopher states that psychoanalysis can unveil the truth, but patients often refuse to acknowledge it and even remove themselves from the psychoanalytical treatment (Sartre 52). Admittedly, people try to remain in their comfort zones. Therefore, there can be no surprise that many people lie to themselves, i.e. they are in bad faith.Advertising Looking for case study on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The concept of bad faith can be also explained with the help of such notions as facticity and transcendence. More so, it is possible to claim that these three notions are closely connected. Thus, facticity is the number of external factors that influences people, i.e. it is people’s background. Admittedly, people’s backgrounds do affect thei r perception of the world. Thus, if it had been a norm for hotel receptionists to be impolite and indifferent, the majority of these people would not have pretended to be that careful to details and that attentive to clients. However, there are norms that limit people’s freedom to certain extent. These limits are the necessary background for the development of bad faith in people. As for the concept of transcendence, Sartre also utilizes it. The concept of transcendence helps Sartre to explain people’s attitude towards each other. Sartre introduces the notion of for Sartre claims that it is possible to find many examples of people in bad faith in everyday life. For instance, he provides an example of a woman who is having her first date with a man (Sartre 55). The woman is in bad faith as she tries to focus on desirable points ignoring the truth. Thus, she tries not to think of the major aim of the date, i.e. the necessity to make her decision whether there will be oth er dates with the man. She focuses on having a good time enjoying complements and interesting conversation. The woman tries not to think (she is quite successful in that) that the man is attracted by her body. Instead, the woman tries to think the man is attracted by her personality. More so, Sartre observes the behavior of the woman and assumes that she is eager to postpone the time of decision making ignoring the man’s overt signals. For instance, when the man puts his hand on the woman’s hand, she distracts her attention (and the man’s attention) from her body speaking of some abstract things. Thus, the woman escapes the necessity to vividly accept or refuse the man’s offer, so to speak.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Sartre’s Bad Faith specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Woman Is in Bad Faith Admittedly, in the situation described the woman is in bad faith as she denies the truth focusing on something desirable. Of course, the woman understands possible outcomes of the date, i.e. either this will be the first and the last date or there will be more dates. The woman also understands that the man pays much attention to her physical appearance. Finally, she understands that there can be physical contact with the man in future. However, the woman subconsciously ignores these facts she, undoubtedly, know. She focuses on desirable points. She deceives herself trying to think of the nice conversation they are having, instead of directly responding to the man’s signal (touching the man’s hand or taking her hand away). When the man pays her compliments she tries to think they are addressed to her personal qualities rather than her appearance. Apparently, the woman is not that cynical, but she does not want to leave her comfort zone. The woman’s actions can be regarded as subconscious as she does not act in that way deliberately. Her con sciousness chooses to deceive itself to remain in the comfort zone. This state is what Sartre calls bad faith. It is important to note that the example is a bright illustration of Sartre’s concept of bad faith which is explained as the extreme freedom of choice. Thus, Sartre claims that people are always free to choose. Of course, there are certain limits. However, people (or rather people’s consciousness and subconsciousness) still have options. It is up to an individual to decide. Bad faith is one of the manifestations of this freedom. Thus, people know the truth but make their choice and deceit others and themselves. This is the choice people are ‘doomed’ to make. This is the kind of freedom people enjoy. People Live in Bad Faith To sum up, Sartre’s notion of bad faith is manifested in real life settings. People tend to deceive themselves not to leave their comfort zones. Sartre’s theory fits the modern life perfectly. It is also possible to say that it advocates people’s hypocrisy to certain extent. Sartre claims that people often live in bad faith not because they are so cynical, but because this is the very nature of the human being. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness: A Phenomenological Essay on Ontology. London: Taylor Francis, 1956. Print.Advertising Looking for case study on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

The eNotes Blog Happy Birthday, HelenKeller

Happy Birthday, HelenKeller Helen Keller and Charlie Chaplin On this date in 1880, Helen Keller was born. It is well known that she was blind and deaf, but not as well known that Helen had been a normal, healthy, active toddler until she was nineteen months old. It is now speculated that despite her rudimentary diagnosis of acute congestion of the stomach and brain that the child most likely had either contracted meningitis or scarlet fever. The illness robbed Helen not only of her sight and hearing, but also of her ability to acquire language. Helen stayed in her isolated world of darkness and disorientation until she was six years old. Fortunately, her parents were well-to-do and her mother driven to find help. Kate Adams Keller, Helens mother, was not only educated but a tireless advocate (a fact that the famous film The Miracle Worker does not convey at all). Upon reading an essay about the education of another blind and deaf woman in Charles Dickens American Notes, Kate researched the best specialists on the Eastern seaboard.   She then sent her husband with Helen to Baltimore to visit Dr. Julian Chisholm, who put the Kellers in touch with Alexander Graham Bell. Bell recommended that the family seek help from the Perkins School for the Blind. Anne Sullivan, herself visually impaired and only twenty years old, was selected to be Helens teacher.   It was no easy task to pull the frightened and stubborn Helen out of the darkness. Sullivan spelled words into Helens palm until finally the child understood and her world opened wide. For the next forty-nine years, Anne and Helen were inseparable. Helen became far more than competent. Her accomplishments are still awe-inspiring. They include: Twelve published books, including her autobiography, written at age 22, The Story of My Life Helped found the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) A suffragist and a pacifist; a steadfast socialist who campaigned against Woodrow Wilson Met every president from Grover Cleavland to Lyndon Johnson Counted Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, and Alexander Graham Bell among her closest friends Made thirty-nine trips to Japan (along with Anne Sullivan) An interesting bit of trivia: On one of her late trips to Japan, Helen was presented with an Akita dog as a gift.   The puppy died of distemper, but the Japanese soon sent another. Helen Keller is now credited with introducing the Akita breed to the United States. Given what Helen Keller had to overcome, it should come as no surprise that she when she found her voice, she used it to the fullest. Anyone who thought they would meet a demure woman, simply happy to pass the time, had another thing coming. For example, a newspaper editor, whom Keller had know for some time, once called her socialist activity mistakes sprung out of the manifest limitations of her development.   Keller wasted no time in shooting him down, saying: (N)ow that I have come out for socialism he reminds me and the public that I am blind and deaf and especially liable to error. I must have shrunk in intelligence during the years since I met himOh, ridiculous Brooklyn Eagle! Socially blind and deaf, it defends an intolerable system, a system that is the cause of much of the physical blindness and deafness which we are trying to prevent. In her childhood, Helen had struggled to learn how to communicate at all. As an adult, she realized that there was much more to ones character than just the ability to speak. Character, she argued,   cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. Happy birthday, Ms. Keller. May we all remember what constitutes character.

Phonaesthetics (Word Sounds)

Phonaesthetics (Word Sounds) In language studies, phonaesthetics is the study of the positive (euphonious) and negative (cacophonous) sounds of letters, words, and combinations of letters and words. Also spelled phonesthetics.  Ã‚   Linguist David Crystal defines  phonaesthetics  as the study of the aesthetic properties of sound, especially the sound symbolism attributable to individual sounds, sound clusters or sound types. Examples include the implication of smallness in the close vowels of such words as teeny  weeny, and the unpleasant associations of the consonant cluster /sl-/ in such words as slime, slug and slush (A Dictionary of Language, 2001).   Etymology From the Greek  phÃ… nÄ“aisthÄ“tikÄ“,   voice-sound    aesthetics Examples and Observations Sound Quality (Timbre) We speak of words as soft, smooth,   rough, sonorous, harsh, guttural, explosive.  About individual words not much can be saideven about cellar-door, which is reputed to be one of the most beautiful-sounding words in our language. With a sequence of words, especially one that shapes itself into a meaningful sentence or line of verse, the sound becomes more determinate and controlled. The still, sad music of humanity(Wordsworth, Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey) naturally calls for a grave and quiet reading.   The sound-quality of a discourse is, then, a regional quality that depends in part upon the qualities of its words and also upon [sound-similarity and sound-pattern].(Monroe C. Beardsley,  Aesthetics: Problems in the Philosophy of Criticism, 2nd ed. Hackett, 1981) Phonaesthetics and the Adopted Names of Actors Quite a few actors have changed their names simply because they didnt like the one they already had...There is a tendency for men to avoid gentle continuant sounds, such as m and l, when looking for new names, and to go in for the hard-sounding plosive consonants, such as k and g. Maurice Micklewhite became Michael Caine, Marion Michael Morrison became John Wayne, Alexander Archibald Leach became Cary Grant, Julius Ullman became Douglas Fairbanks.Women tend to go the other way. Dorothy Kaumeyer became Dorothy Lamour. Hedwig Kiesler became Hedy Lamarr. Norma Jean Baker became Marilyn Monroe.Actually, Roy Rogers is a bit weak, compared with most cowboy names. Cowboys tend to be full of plosives and short vowelsBill, Bob, Buck, Chuck, Clint, Jack, Jim, Like, Tex, Tom, Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, Kit Carson. Roy doesnt quite explode from the lips in the same way. His horse, Trigger, actually does rather better.These are only tendencies, of course. There are plenty of e xceptions.(David Crystal, By Hook or by Crook: A Journey in Search of English. Overlook Press, 2008) Phonaesthetics and Nicknames [N]icknames incorporate more pleasant and gentle sounds than full names for both men and women. One reason for this is the [i:] ending characteristic of so many nicknames (Nicky, Billy, Jenny, Peggy). Crystal (1993) noted the distinctly masculine characteristics of the nickname Bob. Bob is easy for children to pronounce because its repeated , [b], is mastered early (Whissell 2003b).  Phonaesthetically, [b] is an unpleasant sound and the central vowel of the name is active and cheerful. Bob is, therefore, a prototypical masculine nickname, both in terms of the phonaesthetic system employed here and in terms of Crystals criteria. DeKlerk and Bosch (1997) argue for the importance  of phonaesthetics in the assignment of nicknames, and point to the positive social intent of name-givers as a main concomitant of this assignment.​  (Cynthia Whissell, Choosing a Name: How Name-Givers Feelings Influence Their Selections.  The Oxford Handbook of the Word, ed.  John R. Taylor. O xford University Press, 2015) Phonesthesia and Brand Names The loose association of  phonesthesia, applied to bigger chunks of sound, are ... the source of an unignorable trend in brand names  ...​Previously, companies named their brands after their founders (Ford, Edison, Westinghouse), or with a descriptor that conveyed their immensity (General Motors, United Airlines, U.S. Steel), or by a portmanteau that identified a new technology (Microsoft, Instamatic, Polavision), or with a metaphor or metonym connoting a quality they wished to ascribe (Impala, Newport, Princess, Trailblazer, Rebel).  But today they seek to convey a je ne sais quoi using faux-Greek and  Latinate neologisms built out of  word fragments that are supposed to connote certain  qualities without allowing people to put their finger on what they are. . . . Acuraaccurate? acute? What does that have to do with a car? Verizona veritable horizon? Does it mean that good phone service will recede into the distance forever? Viagravirility? vigor? viable? Are we s upposed to think it will make a man ejaculate like Niagara Falls? The most egregious example is the renaming of the Philip Morris parent company as  Altria, presumably to switch its image from bad people who sell addictive carcinogens to a place or state marked by altruism and other lofty values.  (Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window Into Human Nature. Viking, 2007) Certainly, euphony should be a consideration in choosing a brand name. Lamolay sounds better than Tarytak for a toilet paper even though it has the same number of letters.  (John OShaughnessy,  Consumer Behaviour: Perspectives, Findings and Explanations. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) Sound and Sense [T]he poet ... knows when the sound is carrying his sense, even if he doesnt know why. In creating his names and his verse, [J. R. R.] Tolkien was exercising both skills, in pursuit of what he called phonaesthetic pleasure (Letters  176).To illustrate, lets turn back  to our abandoned palato-velars. The phonaesthetics of the post-liquid palato-velar is a thing of beauty. It captured the heart of a young Texas poet  with the unlikely name of Tom Jones when he was in college, and he ï ¬ lled a whole song with them, which became the opening song of The Fantasticks, the longest running musical in the history of the New York stage. The song was called Try to Remember. The refrain was the single word we have looked at in its transformation from Old to Modern English: follow, follow, follow.  In each  stanza Jones crammed  as many of the mutated-liquid words he could: first mellow, yellow, fellow, then willow, pillow, billow, and then follow and hollow, finally ending where th e song began with mellow. . . .Tolkien does not incorporate quite  so many of these mutated palatovelar words in any one place, but the mention of the word willow should signal to  any Tolkien reader where I am going next: to the old Willowman of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and The Old Forest chapter of The Lord of the Rings ...(John R. Holmes, Inside a Song: Tolkiens  Phonaesthetics.  Middle-Earth Minstrel: Essays on Music in Tolkien, ed. by Bradford Lee Eden. McFarland, 2010)   An Alternative View: Noisiness Many of those who have written about the topics of iconicity, sound symbolism, phonaesthetics  and phonosemantics write as though to unfold the latent surplus of meaning contained in certain sounds, letters or groups of letters. But iconic language is in the literal sense idiotic, speaking the idiom of the blindly singular, of purely accidental and idiomatic noise. It may well be that certain clusters of sounds seem charged with certain kinds of meaningfulnessi seems to connote littleness, gl- seems to be associated with light, and gr- with irascibilitybut the way these sounds work is by first signifying, not particular sound-qualities, but an abstract quality of noisiness as suchthe sound of just sounding.(Steven Connor,  Beyond Words: Sobs, Hums, Stutters and Other Vocalizations. Reaktion Books, 2014)      Monty Python and the Lighter Side of Phonaesthetics When the Pythons are not making words and names take on new meanings, they are likely commenting upon the inherent qualities of words themselves. One fine example appears in the Woody and Tinny Words sketch (ep. 42), in which an upper-middle-class family voice their opinions regarding the pleasure (or displeasure) derived simply from saying and hearing various words. For fun, try to see which of the following words sound woody (confidence building!) and which sound tinny (dreadful): SET ONE: gorn, sausage, caribou, intercourse, pert, thighs, botty, erogenous, zone, concubine, loose women, ocelot, wasp, yowlingSET TWO: newspaper, litterbin, tin, antelope, seemly, prodding, vacuum, leap, bound, vole, recidivist, tit, Simkins* The euphony or cacophony of words (what the Oxbridge scholars in Pythonand probably Gilliam, too, why not?would have known as phonaesthetics, the study of positive and negative sounds in human speech) may lead users to project certain connotations upon individual words (Crystal, 1995, 8-12). Such phonaesthetic connotative projection devolves, in this skit, into a practically visible form of mental masturbation, wherein the father (Chapman) must be doused with a bucket of water to be calmed down after cogitating upon too many woody sounding words. As he sagely notes, ... its a funny thing ... all the naughty words sound woody.  Its a theory not entirely without justification (the understanding of how linguistic connotations are often derived from sounds, not the masturbatory powers of individual words! Bloody pervert.)* Answer key: set one woody: set two tinny(Brian Cogan and Jeff Massey, Everything I Ever Needed to Know About _____ I Learned From Monty Python. Thomas Dunne Books , 2014)

Quantitative reasoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quantitative reasoning - Essay Example Tar coats the lungs, nicotine damages the nerve cells and carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. During pregnancy everything in a woman’s blood stream is transferred to the baby through the placenta and umbilical cord. The placenta and umbilical cord cannot filter out the poisonous carbon monoxide and nicotine, as a result, the toxins directly reach the blood stream of the unborn baby. Because of this the normal growth of the baby is hampered resulting in a low birth weight baby. Such babies have serious illnesses and breathing disorders and have to be kept in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU). Low birth weight can be due to poor growth before birth, preterm delivery or both reasons together. As the studies by the US Public Health Service say, in 2004, 11.9 percent of the babies born to smokers in the United States had low birth weight compared to 7.2 percent of babies born to non smokers. Compared to non smoking mothers, smoking mothers have an increased risk of premature rupture of the membrane ie the sac that holds the baby inside the uterus breaks earlier than 37 weeks of pregnancy resulting in the birth of a premature baby. Consequently premature and low birth weight babies have an increased risk of chronic lifelong disabilities like cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems. Premature babies may have underdeveloped lungs and brains and stand poor chance of survival in the early months after birth. In one of the recent studies as stated in an article of March of Dimes organization, women who smoke anytime during the month before pregnancy till the ending of the first trimester are more likely to deliver a baby with congenital heart defects. The risk increases with the increase in the number of cigarettes smoked. A 2003 study by the researchers of March of Dimes points that babies

Final Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Reflection Paper - Essay Example I consider the 2nd reflection as the most significant of the three with the reason that it builds the foundation of Christian understanding that were it not for Christ’s sacrifice, mankind could have perished in sin. It is through Christ’s redemption that all these things such as peace, forgiveness, justice, and life were granted to us. Considering that Christianity is the major religion in focus, all issues addressed in the course are based on the fact that all human beings are created in God’s image and thus have to do what is expected of them by God and what pleases him most. No person is superior to another and that guarantees equality in all spheres of life. Violating human rights as well as disrespecting others is sinful and against the teachings of Christ. Generally, all religions have some principles and beliefs that may be in common regarding humanity, thus they should act in unison to establish peace and seek for justice whenever necessary (Moore 440). The course has also taught me the biggest lesson that for all the above to be achieved, each individual has an obligation to act responsibly and account for his or her action. Self respect, morality, and repentance are the building blocks of peaceful co-existence. How the Christian doctrine, â€Å"God hates sin† provides resources that help Christians to respond to the global concern of Justice In one way or another, every human being has sinned against God, straight from the time of Creation in Genesis. Several Biblical teachings act as resources for teaching believers that God really hate sin and he punishes evil deeds. This is seen from Lot’s story when God turned her into a salt pillar on her way from Sodom. This was due to the crime of a backward glance, according to chapter 19 of Genesis. When a Christian reads this story, he gets to question himself if the act of turning back to look at her home really deserved a death punishment. Similarly, in Acts 5, when Anan ias and Sapphira lied to the apostles, God stroke them to death in the midst of the entire church. Believers tend to struggle to get an understanding on how something that seems so minor could result into a severe judgment. One of the most fundamental tenets of justice is that the given punishment must be in line with the crime committed. This reminds Christians that God hates sin and that their actions qualify them for eternal sentence of sin. According to the doctrine, â€Å"God hates sin,† sin is any act of treason against the only judge of the universe and the sovereign lawgiver. Sin is described as ungodliness, rebellion, wickedness, abomination, ad lawlessness. In this sense therefore, sinners are traitors, who refuse to think, love, obey, and serve God who endowed them with breath, life, and everything on earth (Tiessen 249). Those who sin spurn the love of God, despise his sovereignty, look at his commandments with contempt, and mock his justice. God finds our sins mo rally revolting, cruel, monstrous, issues that are a reality. If people cannot view their sins the way God views them, then it stands to reason that they do not see the just judgment the way he sees it. Clearly, Christians live by this established principle that the seriousness of an offense is measured by its inherent nature as well as by the one offended. Our sins have offended a holy and glorious being and

Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Homework - Essay Example aw imposed by John Adams, it was required to deliver the commissions who were selected by him, where one of the members of â€Å"Midnight Judges† was William Murbury. But the commissions were not legally accepted till John Adams was the president of US. When Thomas Jefferson had become president, he rejected to admire the commissions. It had been claimed that the commission was invalid as they had not been delivered by expiration of John Adam’s presidency (Landman, 2002). Therefore, William Murbery who was the proposed addressee of â€Å"Justice of The Peace† by means of commission smeared straightforwardly to the supreme court of US for an injunction of mandamus to induce the Secretary of State, James Madison in order to bring the commission. In the year 1803, the Supreme Court had rendered an undisputed decision that court did not possess the authority to deliver commission. This decision proved that court had lacked jurisdiction and it was the win for Democratic Republicans because the claim for injunction of mandamus had been rejected (Cornell University Law School, n.d.). The American system enjoys mutual authority among state, federal and local governments and comprises a requirement for collaboration, synchronization and communication. In the American system, the local government possesses the right to conduct responsibilities for dealing with any emergency or disaster. The federal government is intended to deliver economic support and resources, and state government acts on behalf of applying the federal rules and policies. Notably, the three main elements of American system are: Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and Judicial Branch (The White House, n.d.). The executive branch is controlled by the governor who is straightforwardly elected by citizens of US. The other members of the executive branch are also designated by the public such as deputy governor, counsellor general, commissioners, and secretary of state among others. The legislative

You should Learn A foreign Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

You should Learn A foreign Language - Essay Example It is also important to have as authentic a conversation as possible in the foreign language. When you move to a different country or region, learning the local language will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. If a person goes to another country speaking only their own language, they may be viewed as arrogant by the native inhabitants of that country. When one thinks about it, when one makes an effort to speak another language, it is sometimes mocked, and this can create fear. But it is important to at least try. One must not be afraid of being corrected, or asking questions. Each step in this process involves communicating and integrating with the local community. There are many reasons for learning a foreign language; some are more personal than others. If a person has a partner, a set of in-laws, or friends who speak a different language, learning that language will help you to communicate with them. This can relate to a more foundational and better relationship. Often, true communication can occur across various borders. This is true in terms of family, as well as in terms of native fluency. If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will help you communicate with them. Many of today’s professionals act in an increasingly global and networked environment. They need to speak many languages to communicate across national and cultural borders. This involves, at work, generally a more sophisticated level of communication, rather than a basic one. When traveling, a basic ability in a foreign language will help you to ‘get by;† i.e., to order food and drink, find your way around, buy tickets, etc. A basic ability in this sense can be gained through repeating basic phrases and concepts, memorizing phrase and verb forms of a language, and practicing dialogues. Often, dialogues can lead students to a better understanding

Hacking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hacking - Essay Example e first technology for hacks was determined; a single whistle from the box ‘Cap n’ Crunch’ was being used for making long distance phone calls free of any charge (Himma, 2007). In 1981, Ian Murphy hacked data of AT&T and changed the clocks so that people could avail late night discounts and he was the first hacker to be convicted of felony charges. At the same time, Kevin Mitnick was the leading hacker who hacked into IBM, DEC and Pacific Bell. In the late 1990s, the biggest hacking cases were reported such as Gary Mackinnon who was convicted of military crimes in US, Albert Gonzalez got the biggest jail sentence for stealing about two hundred million debit and credit numbers that cost losses of about  £200 million (Ward, 2011). According to Sengupta, Mazumdar and Barik (2005), the hackers can be classified into four various generations. The first one was defined as technology-oriented and smart programmers, computer scientists and students from MIT as they hacked for professional and academic curiosities. The second comprised of hackers who were the technological radicals that developed the blue boxes for giving long distance calls on phone without any charges. The third generation constituted of people who were young and loved computer and personal computer games. The latest generation comprised of hackers who were involved in criminal activities that were triggered by power, revenge, greed or other cruel intentions. Hacking is defined as a way of gaining unauthorized access to the data that is stored in a computer. Hacking activities creates many problems for the users and users have a risk when dealing with IT systems for conducting money transaction. Risks are also present with the information of the user. In addition to getting access to valuable data and information, hacking includes invasion or attack on the people’s confidential information; majority of the people doing online transactions especially E-commerce are concerned about the

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Philosophy - Essay Example However, such a theory needs some qualifications. For example, what is the process by which we decide which ideas are ‘causally related’? In other words, what are the cognitive components of the mind which Hume argues, go into related some ideas, but not others? The following will examine the relationship between inference and epistemology, demonstrate Hume'’ scepticism, and analyze Kant as a means of criticizing and overcoming Hume’s problem. Toward this, Hume argues that when we examine two distinct ideas, or in turn, two impressions which we might think are related, we supposedly find that we do not perceive any of the necessary, or ‘causal’ connections between these two ideas or impressions. Rather, Hume argues that what we do perceive, are only those ideas which are contiguous and successive. Hume writes: Without any farther ceremony, we call the one ‘cause’ and the other ‘effect’, and infer the existence of the o ne from that of the other. In all those instances, from which we learn the conjunction of particular causes and effects, both the causes have been perceiv’d by the senses, and are remember’d: But in all cases, wherein we reason concerning them, there is only perceiv’d or remember’d, and the other is supply’d by conformity to our past experience . . .This relation is their constant conjunction. Contiguity and succession are not sufficient to make us pronounce any two objects to be cause and effect, unless we perceive, that these two relations are preserv’d in several instances [Hume 87] Although a long passage, the preceding contains many of the core ideas surrounding Hume’s ‘model of the mind’, his notion of ‘causation’, and finally, the notion of ‘inference’ – that is, the opposite of a deductive or necessary form of reasoning. First, is the important notion of sense impression. Hume argu es that the mind operates by ‘mirroring nature’ – to borrow a phrase from Richard Rorty [1979]. An impression of the external world, is akin to a photographic image, and to this end, he argues also that the more immediate an impression is, the more â€Å"lively† [Hume, 1995: 98]. In other words, past impressions are more vague. The second important aspect of his theory of causality, is the notion of ‘belief’ or ‘understanding’. In this regard, he argues that the relationship between one impression and another impression (e.g. representation), is a relationship that is founded on ‘belief’, and belief itself is formed out of custom and habit. He argues that habit and not the impressions themselves are what ‘conjoin’ the two, given that any careful consideration of the nominal nature of impressions, will yield the conclusion that two certain ‘frames’ are different than another. By contrast, he c laims that notions such as â€Å"identity†, â€Å"time†, â€Å"place† and finally â€Å"cause†, are only â€Å"ideas† rather than anything which actually exists in nature and therefore understood or perceptible by the senses [Hume 73]. The classic example of two such impressions, are between ‘smoke’ and ‘fire’. Taken or understood as images, separately, that is, neither one of these resemble one-another. There is no reason, save for habit and experience, to relate one of these impressions with the next. Indeed, he argues

Hacking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hacking - Essay Example e first technology for hacks was determined; a single whistle from the box ‘Cap n’ Crunch’ was being used for making long distance phone calls free of any charge (Himma, 2007). In 1981, Ian Murphy hacked data of AT&T and changed the clocks so that people could avail late night discounts and he was the first hacker to be convicted of felony charges. At the same time, Kevin Mitnick was the leading hacker who hacked into IBM, DEC and Pacific Bell. In the late 1990s, the biggest hacking cases were reported such as Gary Mackinnon who was convicted of military crimes in US, Albert Gonzalez got the biggest jail sentence for stealing about two hundred million debit and credit numbers that cost losses of about  £200 million (Ward, 2011). According to Sengupta, Mazumdar and Barik (2005), the hackers can be classified into four various generations. The first one was defined as technology-oriented and smart programmers, computer scientists and students from MIT as they hacked for professional and academic curiosities. The second comprised of hackers who were the technological radicals that developed the blue boxes for giving long distance calls on phone without any charges. The third generation constituted of people who were young and loved computer and personal computer games. The latest generation comprised of hackers who were involved in criminal activities that were triggered by power, revenge, greed or other cruel intentions. Hacking is defined as a way of gaining unauthorized access to the data that is stored in a computer. Hacking activities creates many problems for the users and users have a risk when dealing with IT systems for conducting money transaction. Risks are also present with the information of the user. In addition to getting access to valuable data and information, hacking includes invasion or attack on the people’s confidential information; majority of the people doing online transactions especially E-commerce are concerned about the

The importance of ethics in the safety profession Research Paper

The importance of ethics in the safety profession - Research Paper Example By minimizing the number of such preventable events the US has a lot to gain. It has been estimated by National Safety Council that in 2004 accidents in the United States cost more than $ 574.8 billion, losses related to fire reached to the total of $9.8 billion. Exposure of persons to dangerous physical, biological and chemical agents create major losses every year causing severe illness and it is really difficult to make precise estimate of their impact. Additionally, all kind of pollution causes harm to every single form of life which therefore generates heavy cleanup costs bullies future stability of earth. The word â€Å"safety science† might sound latest, but many of the resources of this science are quite a number of years old. Some of the most knowledgeable areas of safety science are mentioned below and every field involves ethics that needs to be taken care of. 1. Chemistry and biology – knowledge about hazardous substances is provided by chemistry and biology . 2. Information about electricity, heat, radiation and all other kinds of energy is provided by physics. 3. The performance limits of humans and the ways in which improvements pertaining to performance and safety can be made are provided by ergonomics. 4. The knowledge about pollution, how it can be controlled and its impact is revealed by environmental sciences. Factories create a lot of pollution and there are often some that do not dispose of their waste products properly which is against ethical standards. 5. To understand the human behavior psychology is studied and this helps in avoiding accidents. 6. Other information about safety in the society is provided by engineering, business management and sociology. Various things can cause accidents and contribute to illness and other hazardous things such as fire and explosions. The ability to identify, evaluate, and control or prevent such kinds of hazards is provided by safety science. Moreover, it also provides with the methods to set policies and to operate the activities ensuring safety and the ethical standards. Hazard control activities are used by everyone all over the world on a daily basis and companies use designs for operation of nuclear power generating stations and is also used by homes for lead based paints to reduce any kind of threat to the public. Since the safety profession is highly important especially for the companies, its application occurs in various other places such as transportation, schools, and laboratories and on farms too in order to ensure safety so that people are not exposed to hazards. Safety science helps in understanding about the ways in which something can become a hazard and the people must know about the harms of the hazard and the ways in which it can be eliminated. However, in the cases in which the hazard cannot be eliminated totally, there are always some ways in which the harm can be reduced. However, this involves a cost and also requires the assistance of the d esigners and managers. The safety professionals come up with the cost effective ways in which the risk can be reduced and they also provide with their advice to apply the safety science so that all the activities are conducted in a careful manner. If safety science is not present, the safety profes

Impacts of Technology on Civil Liberties

Impacts of Technology on Civil Liberties The Impact of the Widespread Use of Information and Communication Technologies on Civil Liberties Abstract Advances in information and communication technologies have presented new opportunities and problems for the society. The opportunities that have become obvious with regard to the application of these technologies include meeting the changing demands of the public for enhanced service delivery, an ability to communicate instantaneously over vast distances and being able to store or retrieve vast amounts of information as well as being able to interact with a large number of individuals or organisations by providing them with information over the internet etc. However, these new developments often leave the public sector actors confused because they are often bound by legacy values and outdated socio – economic morality. As democratic societies debate the ethics of the new situation with which they have been confronted, a potential exists for the occurrence of a large number of cases involving a serious misunderstanding of computers and computer based communication with implica tions for civil liberties in a society. Such misunderstandings can mean that a large number of individuals may have their privacy encroached upon, their computing equipment seized and their lives hampered for no real reason. Although governments do have a duty to ensure that various actors are not indulging in activities that are harmful to the society as a whole or to members of a society, it is also important that innocent individuals are not maligned. Information and communication technologies have placed an awesome power in the hands of those who have the imagination to dream up new uses for such technologies and lawmakers have to some how balance the rights of the individuals and those of the society as a whole. This brief essay takes a look at some of the implications of the widespread use of information and communications technologies on civil liberties. Contents (Jump to) Introduction Advances in Technology Provide a Wider Range of Options on Civil Liberties Conclusions Bibliography/References   Introduction Civil liberties refer to the freedoms that are enjoyed by the citizens of a state without interference from governments. Examples of civil liberties include freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to privacy, right to self defence and the right of due process in law as well as the right to a fair trial by a competent court (Wikipedia, 2006, Civil Liberties). The previously mentioned freedoms and rights are usually granted to citizens by virtue of legal enactments that have been written into the laws of a country, including its constitution. The constitutions of various states provide a varying degree of emphasis to civil liberties that can be enjoyed by citizens, but nearly all countries of the world today do offer some degree of protection against interference by a government or others in the lives of a private citizen. As an example, the Australian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the South Korean Constitution requires that the government prot ect the privacy as well as dignity of its citizens and the Constitution of the United States of America, through the first ten amendments that are called the Bill of Rights, requires that the government guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom of religious worship, the right to bear arms, prevent search and seizure without just cause, cruel and unusual punishment and self incrimination as well as ensuring that a citizen is provided the rights to due process and a fair trial by an impartial jury. Any powers related to civil liberties or human rights that have not been explicitly granted to the Federal government in the United States Constitution are reserved by the citizens or the States of the Union. Although the United Kingdom lacks a codified constitution, this country along with many European countries are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights, which stipulates the standards related to civil liberties and human rights in Europe an countries that are signatory to this instrument. The Human Rights Act of the United Kingdom has been the vehicle for incorporation of many of the European Convention rights into United Kingdom law (Answers.com, 2006, â€Å"Civil Liberties†). Thus, many counties around the world have laws that extend guarantees associated with civil liberties to its citizens. Proliferation of computers, information technology and communications in the present pervasive computing age has made it very convenient to maintain records related to persons and to indulge in surveillance as well as identification of individuals. Maintaining detailed records about all aspects of an individual’s private life, rapid searching and retrieval of information related to an individual, tapping of phone conversations and identification of suspicious communications from keywords as well as relatively foolproof identification of individuals from fingerprints or other biometric signatures such as dental records, DNA or the unique patterns of the iris and the transmission of very detailed records over vast distances in an instant are now quite possible (Akdeniz, 2001, Pp. 1 – 10), (Ashbourn, 2006, Pp. 1 – 20) and (Hassan, 2004, Pp. 1 – 7). It is, therefore, possible for a state or other vested interests to defame and abuse or try to take advantage of individuals as well as to deny them opportunities or to malign them in many ways through the power of information that can be manipulated by technology. This brief essay takes a look at the impact of the widespread use of information and communication technologies on civil liberties in a society. Advances in Technology Provide a Wider Range of Options on Civil Liberties Whereas the menace of international terror and the activities associated with organised crime have meant that governments do have a duty to be vigilant about the safety and security of its citizens and the nation, it is also important that a state, its functionaries or other powerful or mischievous interests in a society desist, or be prevented from undue interference in the private activities of an individual (Greenberg, 2004, Pp. 165 – 168). Such interference may have an appeal for many who may want to try and take undue advantage of information about a citizen that can be readily gathered, stored, transmitted and analysed using the new information and communication technologies. However, technology not only provides a potential for abuse, but it also provides benefits and enhanced safety for all in a society (Campbell, 1998, â€Å"The Social Impact of New Communications Technologies†). Thus, the advent of technology has given a society and individual members of a soc iety a greater power and a lot more options about what can be done to gather detailed information about an individual and to use such information in a number of ways by making it known to others. However, protecting civil liberties requires that such powers be controlled and that the gathering or release of information about individuals be restrained, unless sanctioned by competent and responsible members of a society in the wider interests of other members of the society, so that an individual is not unduly disadvantaged, threatened, abused or taken advantage of by the state or other vested interests in the society. The protection of civil liberties is essential for the evolution and development of an individual’s personality as well as for the protection of any advantages that may have been made available to an individual through their ingenuity, hard work, force of circumstance, manipulations by nature or as a result of a gift from the Divine (Tabata, 2006, Pp. 10 – 20 and 79 – 80), (De Boni, 2001, Pp. 1 – 3) and (Hutson, 2005, Pp. 7). However, it is equally important to safeguard the interests of all members of a society so that the activities of individuals or a group of individuals do not have a destructive impact on others (Lau, 2002, Pp. 1 – 3). Technology has, therefore, provided a greater number of options to a society about the values that it may want to maintain. It is obvious that advances in technology do make it possible for the government of a nation, or other vested interests, such as private telecommunication companies or ISP providers etc, to take advantage of these advances in order to either liberate or to oppress the masses. Thus, the society is presented with choices and depending on what the interested powers want, a balance is struck between what may amount to oppression and what may be considered to be the legitimate authority of the state or others to protect their interests. Debates about civil liberties have always been carried out in democratic societies, even though such debates may have been discouraged or censored in the more authoritarian countries (American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, 2000, â€Å"Letter to the Senate on Legislation to Increase Law Enforcement Electronic Surveillance†). The more advanced nations have attempted to promote universal standards associated with civil liberties and human rights, but de spite such efforts, what is acceptable as public law varies from one country to the other (Statewatch, 2006, â€Å"Current Lead Stories†). A dictatorial regime in a third world country will not feel any remorse about using all the technology at its disposal to neutralise its opponents or to repress the masses. However, in the more developed world, civil rights groups, public interest groups, the judiciary, business interests and various branches of the government come to some sort of an agreement about how the civil liberties of citizens ought to be protected and what can be considered to be acceptable conduct on the part of the government and other interests. Certainly, the widespread use of information and communications technologies has provided greater opportunities to abuse the civil rights of individuals (Taylor, 2001, â€Å"The Council of Europe Cyber crime Convention: a civil liberties perspective†). However, the previously mentioned technologies can also be us ed to safeguard civil liberties, educate the masses and provide better service to the community. In the United Kingdom, a very substantial increase in the number of phone tapping warrants has been observed in recent years and although this can be attributed to the war against global terrorism and organised crime, it has to be appreciated that no one can intercept private communications in the United Kingdom without a judicial warrant (Akdinez, 2001, Pp. 1 – 5). Disclosure of any data that is considered to be private is also an offence against the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Although the use of covert human intelligence gathering about suspects is not illegal under the previously mentioned Act, such activities can be challenged under the Human Rights Act. Thus, the British and European societies in general have placed a reasonably high value on the protection of civil liberties and human rights in matters that are associated with the proliferation of information and communication technologies. In the lesser developed nations, such high standards are less l ikely to be maintained (Waters, 1997, â€Å"Telecommunications interception — extending the reach or maintaining the status quo?†). Surveillance is not just limited to law enforcement authorities, but in the United States such activities may also be carried out by an employer or others with a vested interest, without the consent of an employee or the individual (National Science Foundation, 1998, â€Å"Privacy Issues†) and (Hutson, 2005, Pp. 7). Apart from an enhanced threat of surveillance or monitoring and threats to an individual’s privacy, advances in technology have also produced new problems related to what can be done to prevent interested parties from violating the human rights of others. The awesome power of the internet makes it possible to libel anyone anonymously by writing messages about them as web content. Also, any information that ever makes it to the web can be readily copied and distributed all over the world (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Free Speech†). In addition to activities that are designed to bring persons into disrepute, it is also necessary to control the so called investment companies, online gambling websites and the High Yield Investment Pools that seem to regularly rip off individuals by tantalising them with huge returns on their investment of E-Gold or other similar electronic currency (Pokerpulse.com, 2006, â€Å"Internet gambling and the Patriot Act†). D espite warnings about financial scams that are posted on law enforcement websites by governments of the so called developed world, it appears that the regulators of the World Wide Web have little interest in ensuring that any web content is not fraudulent. It also appears that law enforcement agencies, even in the developed countries, are unable or unwilling to locate financial scam websites despite these being registered by authorised web registrants (Goldpoll.com, 2006, â€Å"HYIP Ratings†). Not a single HYIP has ever delivered anything resembling the investment that an unsuspecting individual makes as a payback, yet these websites are operating with great impunity under the very noses of the global law enforcement agencies and regulators of the World Wide Web. Surely, civil liberties which include freedom of speech and freedom to engage in commerce do not extend to activities that are harmful to other members of the community. However, it has been observed that governments of the great democratic nations are willing to do precious little to regulate financial scams on the web, even though they have tried to control what can be posted on the web (Center for Democracy and Technology, 2006, â€Å"Reports and Articles CDT Sends Letter Opposing Mandatory Labelling†). Thus, many new problems with a potential to damage members of a society by persons or groups with a vested interest have been created by advances in information and communication technologies. Although issues related to these new problems are being debated within societies and legislation is being gradually introduced to regulate new technologies, the process seems to be too slow and cumbersome to protect many who have already been victimised. Because of the global nature of the World Wide Web and the global reach of information and communication technologies, global cooperation is essential to regulate these new technologies in an ethical manner (Brosseau, 2002, Pp. 24 – 32). However, despite a dire need for cooperation, practical results have been exceedingly slow in materialising. Conclusions From the previous discussion it can be concluded that the widespread use of information and communication technologies has created new opportunities as well as new dangers for the protection of civil liberties and human rights. Technology offers power which can be used to do good or to do evil and societies around the world are grappling with the issues of just how to balance civil liberties in relation to protecting the broader interests of the society at large and those of its other members. Different countries have drawn different lines in the air, but a great need exists for a global understanding of the issues involved and some sort of a global cooperation to regulate these new technologies with a global reach. Bibliography / References Akdeniz, Yaman et al. 2001. BigBrother.gov.uk: State surveillance in the age of information and rights. Criminal Law Review, (February, 2001), pp. 73-90. Retrieved: August 4, 2006. From: http://www.cyber-rights.org/documents/crimlr.pdf Akdeniz, Yaman. 1997. First Report on UK Encryption Policy. Cyber-Rights Cyber-Liberties (UK). Retrieved: August 4, 2006. From: http://www.cyber-rights.org/crypto/ukdtirep.htm American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU. 2000. Letter to the Senate on Legislation to Increase Law Enforcement Electronic Surveillance, Civil Asset Forfeiture, Prosecution of Juveniles in Federal Court, and to Make the Use of Encryption a Grounds for Enhancing a Criminal Penalty. American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU. 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Culture, Race, and Gender in Sports Essay -- Sociology Essays Research

Culture, Race, and Gender in Sports When a person of a specific gender enters a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex, many social and moral issues will arise challenging that person involved in that particular sport. The intentions of the individual will be questioned as well as their personal interest in the sport. Before any of these questions are asked, there must be a redefinition of gender roles, femininity, and masculinity. In order for a person to enter a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex without being criticize about gender morality, society must set flexible definitions for femininity and masculinity. Society must begin to accept the variety of sports both men and women can compete in regardless of the traditional gender specific sports notions of the past. Women should be allowed to participate in traditional "male" sports like hockey, bodybuilding, and boxing without being stereotyped as lesbians. Men should be allowed to participate in traditional "female" sports like synchronized swimming and field hockey without losing their "masculinity". A perso...

The Duchess and the Jeweller :: Literary Analysis, Virginia Woolf

â€Å"The Duchess and the Jeweller† by Virginia Woolf is a short story about Oliver, a poor man who has become a successful jeweler, and his interaction with a Duchess. In the story, Oliver struggles with the Duchess over social power, where she has the ability to cheat him by selling him fake pearls in exchange for a weekend spent with her daughter whom he is in love with – a classic battle of the sexes. While the conflict between man and woman is evident, Virginia Woolf uses flashback, point of view and imagery to also convey the dispute between the rich and the poor. Oliver is first introduced as a man who lives very well â€Å"with the right brandies, whiskeys and liqueurs† (Woolf 90), in a house where â€Å"a more central position could not be imagined† (90). He is a man of power who has â€Å"his breakfast brought in on a try by a manservant† (90) and receives invitations from â€Å"duchesses, countesses, viscountesses and Honourable Ladies† (90). When the Duchess first arrives to see him, he has her wait for ten minutes, displaying that he, a jeweller, has the authority to make her wait. However, Woolf uses flashback to display the underlying battle of the rich and the poor. The reader sees that Oliver came from less fortunate roots where he sold stolen dogs and cheap watches. While superficially it may seem that he has the â€Å"Duchess of Lambourne, daughter of a hundred Earls† ( 93) wait because he has the masculine power to have her wait to see him, Woolf introduces the idea that Oliver, the impecun ious boy who earned his wealth, has the Duchess, a woman whose wealth was inherited, wait for his pleasure. While we see the struggle of control between Oliver and the Duchess, the reader also observes Oliver’s mother’s dominance over him. Using flashback, Woolf shows that as a child when he was swindled while selling stolen dogs, his mother disapprovingly wails, â€Å"Oh, Oliver! When will you have sense, my son?† (90). Later, Oliver talks to a picture of his mother saying, â€Å"I have won my bet† (91) while reminiscing about his past as a indigent boy â€Å"in a filthy little alley† (90) and reflecting on his success. This shows that he has something to prove to his mother, that he is still constrained by her and her thoughts of him.

In Dickinson’s poetry Essay

The poem ‘A bird came down the walk’ shows how man and nature are interlinked and are unable to escape this permanent connection even though they may sometimes clash and not connect. Lines such as ‘then hopped sidewise to the wall’ show the curtsy and human like behaviour of nature and how nature is inevitably given human qualities. In this poem we are shown the brutal and civilised side of nature, we see that nature is beautiful from a distance however as you get closer and see nature in depth you see the brutality of nature, however even after seeing and showing us the brutality Dickinson still continues to admire nature as something beautiful. Her poem also shows how nature is very free and careless since nature doe not worry about anything, it is also shown to be unforgiving. Themes of nature are also present in ‘I heard a fly buzz’ and ‘because I could not stop for death’ Dickinson shows transcendentalist views in many of her poems. Dickinson shows the clash of mankind by saying ‘he bit an angleworm in halves’ this quote shows how nature can be threatening to mankind since an angleworm is used as bait when fishing and since the bird is eating them it shows that it is disturbing mankind’s techniques of survival. The word ‘bit’ implies human characteristics and highlights a connection between mankind and nature, the word ‘bit’ is associated with eating which shows the inescapable interlink of man and nature. The word ‘angleworm’ is capitalised showing its significance which highlights the birds unthoughtful act. This stanza has a ABCB rhyme scheme which sets the a motion in the stanza. Themes of nature are also highlighted in poem ‘712’ by the lines ‘Gazing Grain’ the word ‘Gazing’ gives nature human characteristics and the capital letter ‘G’ makes nature seem like something important and off great value and this again links to human quality since a persons name is always began with a capital letter. Natures brutality is highlighted in the following line where it says ‘And ate the fellow raw’ this line is quite powerful as it shows that the bird is carefree and is unforgiving, this line shows the freedom in nature since the bird does not hesitate and simply does what it wills. The word ‘And’ at the beginning of the sentence is capitalised to show the significance of the birds act also it may show the speakers dismay or shock at the innocent looking birds act. This line is quite strong as the word ‘raw’ stands out this is associated to something dangerous however it can also be seen as fragile since you may interpret it to be something naked. The word ‘raw’ shows the brutality of nature and that nature has a good and bad side just like mankind who may be evil or good again linking nature to mankind almost like a inescapable cycle. This disturbance is also highlighted in the poem ‘I heard a fly buzz’ where Dickinson mentions ‘stillness’ in one line and in the following line she says ‘heaves of storm’ these lines show the contradictory behaviour of nature it also highlights how quickly nature can change its path from something peaceful and beautiful to something brutal and disturbing, which is linked to mankind since mankind also changes paths very easily from good to evil or vice versa showing the link between mankind and nature. The word ‘stillness’ associates to death or peace which shows the calm and relaxed side of nature and how it can be in favour to mankind, however the word ‘storm’ associates to destruction or disaster which represents its brutality and how it can be harmful to mankind. Dickinson also highlights how mankind can disturb nature in their natural performance in the line ‘He stirred his Velvet Head’ this shows the bird being disturbed as he has now became cautious someone is around him or is watching him this may also reflect that he may feel his privacy is being invaded which again gives the bird human qualities. The word ‘Velvet Head’ shows connotations of something regal and royal and also highlights a feminine side to the bird, this shows the connection of mankind and nature since the bird is well groomed and words such as velvet may represent some type of clothing which suggest the bird is dressed giving him human quality and characteristics showing the link between nature and mankind. The word ‘Velvet’ also highlights sexual connotations as you interpret it to be something quite sexy or soft and feminine, further down in the poem the word ‘seam’ is used also showing something sexual as a seam is usually referred to in context to clothes. The capitalisation of the ‘Velvet Head’ again gives the bird importance and shows a status for him. In stanza three Dickinson uses words such as ‘rapid’, ‘hurried’ and ‘frightened’ this shows a change in pace in the poem as the poem was running fairly smoothly and then these words create tension and make the tone more panicked this shows the human like nature of the bird since he is given human characteristics and shows that the bird is frightened of the speaker. The theme of disturbance is shown in the poem ‘I heard a fly buzz’ since throughout the poem we are being shown how nature is disturbing the death of the speaker, the speaker says ‘there interposed a fly-‘ which shows the disturbance the fly is causing to mankind since the speakers death is being interrupted. The word ‘interposed’ associates to annoyance or distraction showing that the fly is ever present and it is not prepared to leave showing the presence of nature around mankind all the time and vice versa. The dash at the end of this line suggests that the sentence is unfinished and is maybe going to carry on, also shows the speakers attitude as maybe annoyed and not pleased. Dickinson highlights the arrogance of the bird showing the line ‘And he unrolled his feathers’ this is representative of the birds ignorance to what its done, it shows that the bird has naturally carried out a act of †killing† and simply flown away, this line may also be interpreted as the bird having to move on in his life and how the bird has no set place and is on a constant journey. The word unrolled highlights a sort of arrogance in the birds body language, since the word ‘unrolled’ is quite soft and nai ve suggesting he does not understand the significance of his actions and doesn’t realise his mistake, this shows the clash between man and nature since Dickinson is suggesting here that the bird has no morals and this is a natural act for him, whereas mankind would be very cautious and careful of their actions and would most of the time realise there mistake. In this line there is no significant punctuation used. The poem highlights her attempt to get to nature and get to understand nature however the bird does not let her. Dickinson may represent nature as god or something more powerful then mankind and she may be implying that she is trying to understand god or this force however it is so powerful that she is failing. Themes of god being represented in nature are also hinted in poem 465 in which Dickinson says ‘And then the windows failed’ this line implies that the barrier which was interfering in Dickinson death has failed. In this poem the fly may be interpreted as Satan as it is disturbing a command given by god, puritan values are also shown here as the fly fails to interrupt and death is successful showing that god holds the power. This shows how nature and mankind are interlinked since they can not escape each others realms. Overall Dickinson repeatedly shows the connection between mankind and nature as inescapable, she repeatedly shows how powerful nature is and how nature and mankind effect each other; ‘Like one in danger, cautious,’ this shows the reader that Dickinson values nature and gives nature the same respect as she would to mankind we know this since Dickinson constantly gives nature human values and qualities. Dickinson clearly highlights her importance for nature by linking it to god and linking it to mankind, showing her transcendentalist views.

Macbeth Act 2, scenes 1 and 2 Essay

In Act 2 Banquo is found with his son Fleance, in the courtyard of Macbeth’s castle at â€Å"witching hour†. The night is cold and dark, with fog surrounding the castles boundaries. Banquo is becoming nervous and this is evident from what he says to his son, Fleance, â€Å"Hold, take my sword. – There’s husbandry in heaven, Their candles are all out. – Take thee that too.† Even though it is obvious he would like to rest, he is fearful of nightmares whilst he sleeps, the following quote suggests this, â€Å"A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep; merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in response.† As Banquo was patrolling the area he hears a noise, â€Å"Who’s there?† startled and scared at this he says to Fleance, â€Å"Give me my sword.† Banquo is tired and is trying to maintain full alert, showing he is on edge; listening out for any anything and everything that might occur. As Macbeth steps out of the dark, slightly visible by Banquo, Macbeth replies: â€Å"A friend† Banquo feels relieved as he can now put his mind at rest, because he has seen a friendly face at such time of night and hostile surroundings. After Macbeth had been socialising with Banquo, Banquo remembers to ask Macbeth a question that had been troubling him about the witches, â€Å"I dreamed last night of the three weird sisters; To you they showed some truth.† Macbeth tries quickly to change the subject by answering, â€Å"I think not of them;† this is because he does not want to be linked to the murder of Duncan that Macbeth is plotting. Macbeth then tries to bribe Banquo, we see this from â€Å"If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis, it shall make honour for you.† By this Macbeth is trying to imply that if Banquo stands by him and stays loyal to him, when he Macbeth needs him, Banquo will not regret it and will be honoured by others. Banquo replies, â€Å"So I lose none In seeking to augment it, but still keep My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counselled.† Which basically translates, as long as Banquo does not have to risk his honour in providing his life and can keep a clear conscience, then he will be advised by Macbeth. This indicates that Banquo might be picking up on Macbeth’s intentions on becoming king of Scotland. So far we can see the differences in the two characters personalities. Banquo is a loyal person, kind, open to discussions, friendly and honourable to the king â€Å"Duncan† as well as to his friends and family. On the other hand Macbeth is the complete opposite in every way, he appears to be dishonourable (as we know he is planning Duncan’s murder), a liar, untrustworthy and an actor of personalities. When Macbeth is on his own his mind becomes delusional goes into a frenzy he starts to think about the side affects of his actions, but is hyped up and ready to do the deed of killing Duncan. It is clear from, â€Å"Is this a dagger that I see before me, The handle towards my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still,† that Macbeth is hallucinating. However, during the build up to the murder Macbeth continues to be drawn by the image of the dagger to Duncan’s room. â€Å"I see thee still and on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was not so before.† From this we are informed that Macbeth has now imagined Duncan’s blood on the dagger, but this does not put Macbeth off as we see from when the bell is rung, which was a sign from Lady Macbeth that the coast was clear. Macbeth does not hesitate as he confidently says, â€Å"I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell. Yet earlier, in Act 1 scene 7 we see that Macbeth had doubts about murdering Duncan as he thinks, â€Å"If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly. If th’assassination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease, success, that but his blow might be the be-all and the end all – here†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is where we realise he is feeling uneasy about killing his friend and worrying about the possible consequences. The reason Macbeth changed his mind about murdering Duncan is because Macbeth really wanted to be King more than anything, and once the witches prophesised that this would happen, it made Macbeth more convinced that he should carry out the murder. The changes of his mind show us that Macbeth is easily misled. I feel Macbeth would not have been brave or foolish enough to kill Duncan had his wife not persuaded him to do it as we see from her planning and convincing Macbeth that their murder won’t fail, â€Å"We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep, whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him. Although we have seen Macbeth’s guilt about wanting to kill his friend and someone who he really respects, he is driven to follow through his ambition of becoming king because of his wife, Lady Macbeth. Once Macbeth has killed Duncan he feels guilty which causes him to become hysterical. Although his wife tries to calm him down it is evident that she fails because she instructs him to, â€Å"Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hands.† After washing his hands Macbeth still thinks the blood is still on him, due to the burden he is carrying from the dirty deed he carried out. He is so ridden with guilt he cannot even bring himself to say â€Å"Amen† because it is such a religious word, and he knows that now he has committed such a crime, he cannot be a holy person. Macbeth is so tortured in his mind that he imagines he hears a voice cry â€Å"sleep no more†. He feels he will be punished for killing a defenceless man and in return he will be deprived of sleep. He refuses to go back into Duncan’s chamber because the sin he has performed is so great he cannot face up to it again, we learn this from, â€Å"I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done, look on’t again, I dare not.† The following quotes also confirm his guilt, â€Å"To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself.† Which seems to suggest that he would like to disown himself, and â€Å"Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst† implies that Macbeth wishes that Duncan would wake up at the sound of the noises Macbeth hears. Lady Macbeth is not able to fight off Macbeth’s mood swings and conscience. She is trying to be positive and tries to have an optimistic answer for all his negative comments. We see this many times, one example is after Macbeth has killed Duncan he says, â€Å"This is a sorry sight†, but his wife replies â€Å"A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.† Act 2 ends with Macbeth continuing to feel guilty and on edge with every noise he hears.