The Statement of Principles terminated on 30 June 2013. The UK Essay

The Statement of Principles terminated on 30 June 2013. The UK Government has proposed a new programme, including a new mechanis - Essay Example The fishing industry offers employment to around 250,000 people in Indonesia and thus, with this tsunami there were a number of people that lost their jobs3. Tsunami not only has resulted in the death of local people in Indonesia, but there were a number of tourists from different parts of the world especially from Europe that came under the fire as well. Around 9,000 foreign tourists were dead in this flood, and most of these tourists were from European countries4. However, there is little that the government can do in such a catastrophic situation. Although there are certain techniques and strategies that the government can take in order to reduce the impact of these floods such as Stormguard Flood-plan can be implemented in order to be better prepared for such situations as well as to reduce the impact of such disasters5. Similarly, there have been floods in United Kingdom as well. Although the disasters were not as high as Indian Ocean tsunami but still a large number of people l ost their lives. North Sea flood is the worst flood that has occurred in United Kingdom6. North Sea flood occurred on 31st January, 1953 and a number of areas were affected including Belgium, Scotland, Netherlands and England7. The causalities because of the North Sea flood were equaled to 2,142 including 354 people that lost their lives in United Kingdom alone8. ... Thus, it badly affected the economic situation of the country. The damage estimated was around  ?5,000 which if compared in today’s monetary terms would be equal to ?740,00010. The London School Of Economics has announced and warned about flood risk in Britain. According to the research conducted by the school Britain is a highly risky area because of the changes in climate along with the continuous development in floodplains for both residential as well as commercial properties. Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment have conducted research and published the paper. They have also been consulted by the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)11. Therefore, this paper has raised concerns and risks for people that are buying and investing properties. In order to overcome this issue and concerns of the public, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) along with the natio nal government has come up with the Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) which is known as Flood Re. This Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the government, and the carriers and on the basis of this MoU, a non-profit or a not-for-profit flood fund has been developed12. Association Of British Insurers (ABI) is an important company in the insurance industry as it has more than 90% of the market share in the United Kingdom insurance market13. The basic idea of this Flood Re is to offer a cap flood insurance premium for the property owners. This insurance premium will be according to the value of the properties. Moreover, this fund will offer insurance to people that are at a higher risk for flood

Legal & Regulatory Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legal & Regulatory Regulations - Essay Example However, the same perceived advantages of a partnership, if enjoyed without caution, lead to a loss of credibility both in the eyes of prospective employees and prospective financers. There are myriad advantages and disadvantages to both the business forms seen from any angle that may have a bearing upon the choice of business structures. However, one thing is certain that it is next to impossible to run a company without qualified professional help,- and associated costs,- if benefits are to be obtained and penalties to be avoided. The principal advantages of a company are of course, the vaunted limited liability, greater flexibility in tax planning, a greater social perception of credibility, and an ability to raise funds formally through the sale of equity shares. Partnerships that maintain detailed auditing and have themselves audited by professionals are on the same footing as start-up limited companies with respect to an external loan, - for any financier, including a bank, would want personal guarantees from the directors of a new company in order to give a loan, just as they would demand collaterals from the partners of a partnership. Further, as research has shown, there is almost no discrimination shown by banks between male and female owned businesses when it comes to a loan (Carter & Shaw 2006). The principal difference in approach is that "While female applicants are required to demonstrate evidence that they understand the nature and implications of business ownership, male applicants are required to demonstrate trustworthiness through social stability, evidenced by marriage." (Carter & Shaw, 2006, pg 65). We know our subjects' mindset is entrepreneurial, that they have started with a small business, and have put it into running with economic viability. They have set short term (expansion of premises and staff) and long-term goals (countrywide expansion), and are working only with the product with which they have gained experience. Thus, they seem to understand the nature and implications of business ownership. That they are receiving conflicting opinions from "business associates" does not rule out the possibility of having accountants or lawyers as business associates. The abundance of contested litigation in the country is proof enough that professionals quite often, and with regularity, hold differing opinions upon the same issues. Thus, what remains is to assess the non-financial capital of Peggy and Nancy before choosing the business structure appropriate to their situation and for their needs. Their cast is of typical woman entrepreneurs (Carter & Shaw, 2006) as their choice bu siness of a fruit juice bar and choice of structure as a partnership shows a low level of overall capitalization at start-up. including low requirements for (a) start-up and ongoing funding (financial capital); (b) attributes and skills (human capital); (c) tangible assets including facilities and equipment (physical capital); (d) organizational relationships, structures, routines, culture and knowledge (organizational capital); (e) technological knowledge or process based skills and experience (technological capital); and (f) relationships and network, social, professional, political, etc. (social capital). Their business is dependent upon personal clients rather than corporate clients, and they have no previous

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning English Literature Essay

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning English Literature Essay John Donnes poem A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning uses many metaphors and allusions to show the love between the author and his significant other. Although the narrator is leaving, he believes their love is strong enough to withstand the separation. He then begins to compare their love to various symbolic things. In John Donnes A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, his many metaphors and allusions show the power of love and how strong it actually is. In the beginning of Donnes poem, the speaker is explaining that he is soon going to be separated from his lover. Before he leaves, he tells her his leaving should not be a time for mourning and sadness. He then tries to make things better by comparing their love to various things such as a noble mans death, a drawing compass, and the planets. He implies that death should not be feared but be accepted with little sadness. The narrator wants his love to wait for him until his return, and he states their love is too strong not to endure the separation. He explains that their love goes beyond physical love, and that they have a spiritual love that goes beyond the material world and what their bodies can endure. He believes although he is leaving, their souls are still one, and the couple will now experience expansion. Expansion can be defined as the act of increasing in size or volume. The narrator compares this to the way gold can be stretched by beating. He believes the one soul they have will stretch, and it will take the place of the distance between the two. The narrator also uses another example such as the compass. A compass shows a fixed point and one that moves in relation to the north pole. The compass is used to show that when the two are separated his love is the fixed foot on the compass, and he is the foot that moves. The narrator then says, Thy firmness makes my circle just, and makes me end, where I began. He compares his soul and the soul of his love to a twin-compass. Compasses assist sailors in navigating the ocean, and metaphorically they help the two lovers remain linked no matter what the distance. On the compass, no matter how many times the moving foot goes around the circle, the two legs are eventually joined again. The first four lines of the poem suggest that ones soul is only part of the body until death when it goes. The author using the word whisper, indicates that the soul and the body can communicate with each other. One of the most important parts of the poem is the separation of the body and soul. The narrator believes that even death cannot separate his lover and himself because they share the same soul. This needs to be accepted for Donnes point to be proven and by the line Whilst some of their sad friends do say. The breath goes now, and some say, No. This shows that not all friends agree with the narrators point of view. The metaphor of an earthquake in line nine and the celestial spheres in line eleven contribute to the understanding of his loving relationship. Donne uses the lines Moving of thi Earth and trepidation of the spheres to explain how two different huge events can bring harm and fear or innocence. He uses these two events to show the contrast between two bodies and two souls of those who are in love. Donne concludes with two souls cannot be separated like two bodies can. Therefore, if the two lovers bodies are separated by great distance they will be like the compass mentioned earlier in the poem. The points on the compass are wide, but the handle always joins the two together. Throughout the poem Donne argues that although the couple is physically separated they are connected by the soul. Therefore, the distance between the two lovers is insignificant. Although they are spread apart they are not broken. The two still share a strong connection. John Donne uses the whole poem to make his point. He first says that when one passes, the soul separated from the body. He then asserts that two souls mix when two people are in love. They become one, and even death cannot break this bond. He uses the compass to demonstrate this point. By making these points, the narrator is showing his love not to be upset about his leaving. He states he is the moving foot on the compass and has no choice but to leave. However, the compass always makes a circle and he will always find a way back to his love. Even though the separation is temporary, it is very emotional and Donne feels the pain of the separation.

Camera Phones Trigger Controversy Essay -- Communication Technology Ce

Camera Phones Trigger Controversy When Catherine Zeta Jones appeared in a television commercial, she was one of the first to advertise one of the newest additions to a cell phone: the camera phone. The purpose of the commercial was to show how convenient, compact and useful such an apparatus could turn out to be. The theory is quite simple, basically combining a cell phone and a digital camera into one gadget. Major cellular companies like Nokia, Samsung and Sanyo observed how popular digital cameras were becoming, and decided to integrate it with one device most Americans find a necessity and not a luxury; the cell phone. No sooner than the phones hit the market, did the stores sell out of the phone. In 2002 An estimated 16 million camera phones were sold worldwide, with 5 million of those being in the U.S. (strategyanalytics). The camera phone had become a hit. Not even a few months after the release of the phone did controversy hit. What appeared to be a harmless little tech device left some people feeling invaded. Apparently, the phones picture-taking ability was being exploited to covertly photograph individuals with out their consent. In addition to people, certain places could not be captured on disk that usually prohibit photography. This can then allow the picture taker to post these pictures on the internet, sell them, or blackmail people for favors. The question that then must be asked is how is a camera phone any different than any other form of surveillance where your picture is taken? This is a very difficult question to answer and one that will be addressed in a legal sense. After all, having your picture taken by a camera phone or by a hidden camera in a shopping mall could be the s... ...: Look At Me† Ctnow: Technology March 2, 2003 http://www.ctnow.com/technology/hc-camphones.artfeb,27,0,5168365 (2) Batista, Elisa. â€Å"New Privacy Menace: Cell Phones?† WiredNews March 3, 2003 http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,57692,00.html (3) Lacey, Eugene. â€Å"Smile! You’ve just been caught out on camera phone† ZDNet UK Febuary 28, 2003 http://comment.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t527-s2122702-pl,00.html (4) â€Å"STRATEGY ANALYTICS: 10 MILLION CELLULAR CAMERA PHONES SOLD WORLDWIDE THROUGH Q3 2002† March 3, 2003 http://www.strategyanalytics.com/press/PR00026.htm (5) Greenspan, Robin. â€Å"The digital imaging big picture† Cyberatlas Hardware March 2, 2003 http://cyberatlas.internet.com/big_picture/hardware/article/0,,5921_1546341,00.html (6) Jones, Rob. â€Å"Saudi phone ban may be lifted† vnunet March 4, 2003 http://www.vnunet.com/news/1337796

Managing Pibrex Russia Essay

Pibrex, a European leader in the production and development of polymers, faces the loss of its three Russian subsidiaries. This threat stems from issues encountered after entering the region in 1992 and then being hit with the Russian financial crisis of August 1998. As result, a steering committee comprised of three senior managers from Pibrex Region Europe North (PREN) exercised many anti-crisis initiatives including assigning newly appointed financial controller Elena Michailova with the task of auditing all three Pibrex Russian subsidiaries. Upon completion of Michailova’s audit, she has discovered that it is the combination of remaining issues from the reduction period and the Russian financial crisis that threaten the existence of Pibrex’s existence in Russia. The steering committee’s ultimate goal is to resolve these issues to ensure survival of the Russian subsidiaries and breaking financially even in the near future. Issues Short term 1. Lack of an integrated operating system and task redundancy across departments 2. Large differences in wages between managers, sales, marketing, and production workers 3. Very little communication between management and subordinates 4. Poor working conditions Long term 1. In the plant there is a lack of order and financial control 2. Contention between staff and management 3. Bad management and employee relations 4. Outdated facilities Analysis Let us use the five why’s method of analysis to find the root cause: 1. Why is Pibrex in danger of losing its Russian subsidiaries? Pibrex is in danger of losing its Russian subsidiaries because of unresolved issues lingering after the reduction period and the Russian financial crisis. 2. Why were these issues left unresolved? The issues were never resolved by previous management. 3. Why were these issues never resolved by previous management? Managers were distant and many times unaware of issues within the organization. 4. Why were managers distant and unaware? There was a lack of communication and operational control for the management of Pibrex Russia. 5. Why was there was a lack of communication and operational control for the management of Pibrex Russia? Pibrex used a decentralized structure worldwide. This structure was complicated and Russians did not easily adapt to it. Pibrex Region Europe North had many other subsidiaries besides Russia therefore issues in the Russian subsidiaries were often over looked. This limited progress and denied proper management of Pibrex Russia. The root cause of Pibrex being in danger of losing is Russian subsidiaries is the use of a decentralized structure. Alternatives 1. Go to a much more centralized structure that the Russians are more accustomed to 2. Restructure management my replacing all managers 3. PREN would focus more on the Russian subsidiaries 4. Drop all Russian subsidiaries and disperse production duties among other subsidiaries in PREN Criteria 1. Financial losses from the Russian subsidiaries must stop 2. Management should be more accessible and properly trained 3. Communication between managers and subordinates is key 4. Improve workforce morale 5. Increase efficiency Decision Pibrex needs Elena Michailova to take the job of financial and managing director of Pibrex KZ. I believe that her taking on both positions is the only scenario where Pibrex can keep the Russian subsidiaries and eventually make them profitable again. Michailova has seen the issues and identified them through her audit. There is no one else more qualified than her to take on these two positions. She also happens to be Russian a unlike her predecessor. This should help greatly in resolving the tense relationship with the workers and management. With her experience and a well thought out restructuring plan, I have the up most confidence that the Russian  subsidiaries can be saved. Programming the Decision Elena Michailova as the experience, all she needs is a solid restructuring plan. The short term issues should be addressed immediately. Finances will be tight at first so she might have to think outside of the box to be able resolve some of these issues. For instance, if the budget will not allow for a new integrated operating system she might have to find a better way of communication to cut down on task redundancy and revenue loss due to missed deliveries. Michailova will also have to decide if she can make the decentralized management work in Russia. If she can get the Russians to adapt to the concept it might be beneficial. Decentralized management makes access to excellent expertise but if the Russians cannot adapt then it might be more productive to have a more centralized form of management for them. She will also have to deal with the financial crisis. This might mean more layoffs to cut costs. It will definitely mean making production more effective. The subsidiaries will no t survive in this financial climate if it cannot find ways to save money and make a profit.

Jarhead Movie Review

A man fires a rifle for many years, and he goes to war. And afterward he turns the rifle in at the armory, and he believes he's finished with the rifle. But no matter what else he might do with his hands; love a woman, build a house, change his son's diaper; his hands remember the rifle. † Jarred is not a war movie about a physical war between countries; it is about an internal war a soldier faces during, and following a physical war in which he is a witness.The main character, Tony Oxfords tells his story starting at boot camp, through the first Gulf war, and shortly after his discharge; in an attempt to give the audience a better understanding of what happens within a soldiers mind as a result of being in combat. It is incredibly hard to imagine the toll that being in the Marine Corps, and being involved in such a situation, could take on your mind and body but this movie makes a really good attempt.Unlike most war movies Jarred does not focus on the enemy or the war at hand, it gives us here at home a little inside look at what the soldiers experience and why their lives and minds are changed forever. Tony shows us how tot camp tore him down and rebuilt him as a killing machine, â€Å"l wanted the pink mist,† he says referring to the splatter of blood seen through the scope of the rifle of a Marine sniper. There are scenes of the soldiers watching the old war movie, Apocalypse Now, following along with the music, and thirsting for the first sight of bloodshed.The soldiers soon get their orders to go overseas and they think that their war is about to begin. When they fly Into the desert and get their orders to guard the oil fields they assume that this Is Just until the war actually begins. When â€Å"their war† anally does begin, Instead of using their carefully honed skills, they are faced with the reality that, unlike the movies they watched with such fascination, foot soldiers are all but useless In our age of technology. They face Inc redible frustration and aggravation playing the waiting game.For Tony's best friend and spotter, Troy, the frustration reaches a boiling point when their one and only opportunity Is quickly taken away by a commanding officer who rather bomb the tower they were scoping out. â€Å"It's our kill! Just let us do It one time, PLEASE,† Troy pleads with the officer as Tony tries to calm him down. The officer calls the Jets to complete the mission and Troy Is reduced to the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably. It Is a very painful scene to take In. Just to Imagine how frustrated a grown man has to be to succumb to such a state of utter disappointment.In today's society we have all heard of post- traumatic stress disorder (PETS), watching this movie gives the viewer's Insight as to why/what kinds of events transpire that could cause a person to experience PETS. The scene where they come across a traffic Jam that was turned to ash Is very surreal, owe will those soldiers feel when t hey see or are In a traffic Jam once they return home? The final scene shows Tony looking out the window In his apartment back dying; will always be me. We are still In the desert. The director hammers home the basis that Marines are Marines forever, especially In their own minds. Once they witness war they are forever changed, their life Is never the same. Jarred Movie Review By Confederacy war is about to begin. When they fly into the desert and get their orders to guard the oil fields they assume that this is Just until the war actually begins. When â€Å"their war† anally does begin, instead of using their carefully honed skills, they are faced with are all but useless in our age of technology.They face incredible frustration and frustration reaches a boiling point when their one and only opportunity is quickly out. â€Å"It's our kill! Just let us do it one time, PLEASE,† Troy pleads with the officer as Troy is reduced to the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably . It is a very painful scene to take in. Just to imagine how frustrated a grown man has to be to succumb to such traumatic stress disorder (PETS), watching this movie gives the viewer's insight as toThe scene where they come across a traffic Jam that was turned to ash is very surreal, how will those soldiers feel when they see or are in a traffic Jam once they return home? The final scene shows Tony looking out the window in his apartment back home, seeing nothing but desert, and he quotes, â€Å"And all the Soreheads; killing and dying; will always be me. We are still in the desert. † The director hammers home the basis that Marines are Marines forever, especially in their own minds. Once they witness war they are forever changed, their life is never the same.

Free Essays on Causes Of The Civil War

The Civil War was caused by a myriad of conflicting pressures, principles, and prejudices, fueled by sectional differences and pride, and set into motion by a most unlikely set of political events. At the root of all of the problems was the institution of slavery, which had been introduced into North America in early colonial times. The American Revolution had been fought to validate the idea that all men were created equal, yet slavery was legal in all of the thirteen colonies throughout the revolutionary period. Although it was largely gone from the northern states by 1787, it was still preserved in the new Constitution of the United States, not only at the request of the Southern ones, but also with the approval of many of the Northern delegates who saw that there was still much money to be made in the slave trade by the Yankee shipping industry. At the Constitutional Convention there were arguments over slavery. Representatives of the Northern states claimed that if the Southern slaves were mere property, then they should not be counted toward voting representation in Congress. Southerners, placed in the difficult position of trying to argue, at least in this case, that the slaves were human beings, eventually came to accept the three-fifths compromise, by which five slaves counted as three free men toward that representation. By the end of the convention the institution of slavery itself, though never specifically mentioned, was well protected within the body of the Constitution. It seemed to many that slavery was on its way out. It was becoming increasingly expensive to keep slaves in the agrarian society of the south. Northern and Southern members of Congress voted together to abolish the importation of slaves from overseas in 1808, but the domestic slave trade continued to flourish. The invention of the cotton gin made the cultivation of cotton on large plantations using slave labor a profitable enterprise in the South. Slav... Free Essays on Causes Of The Civil War Free Essays on Causes Of The Civil War The Civil War was caused by a myriad of conflicting pressures, principles, and prejudices, fueled by sectional differences and pride, and set into motion by a most unlikely set of political events. At the root of all of the problems was the institution of slavery, which had been introduced into North America in early colonial times. The American Revolution had been fought to validate the idea that all men were created equal, yet slavery was legal in all of the thirteen colonies throughout the revolutionary period. Although it was largely gone from the northern states by 1787, it was still preserved in the new Constitution of the United States, not only at the request of the Southern ones, but also with the approval of many of the Northern delegates who saw that there was still much money to be made in the slave trade by the Yankee shipping industry. At the Constitutional Convention there were arguments over slavery. Representatives of the Northern states claimed that if the Southern slaves were mere property, then they should not be counted toward voting representation in Congress. Southerners, placed in the difficult position of trying to argue, at least in this case, that the slaves were human beings, eventually came to accept the three-fifths compromise, by which five slaves counted as three free men toward that representation. By the end of the convention the institution of slavery itself, though never specifically mentioned, was well protected within the body of the Constitution. It seemed to many that slavery was on its way out. It was becoming increasingly expensive to keep slaves in the agrarian society of the south. Northern and Southern members of Congress voted together to abolish the importation of slaves from overseas in 1808, but the domestic slave trade continued to flourish. The invention of the cotton gin made the cultivation of cotton on large plantations using slave labor a profitable enterprise in the South. Slav... Free Essays on Causes Of The Civil War The Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1877, was mainly caused by the diverging society between the North and the South. The North and the South had different goals. There were many factors that led to the war and the chief ones were political and economic differences between the North and the South. The North’s aggression to control the South had led to the point where it was intolerable. The issue on slavery was one of the causes of the Civil War. Slavery and slave trades had become a big part of the South’s economy. The slaves were needed to work on plantations which helped the South prospered. During the 19th Century, the North worked hard on abolishing slavery that they thought was a disgrace to the Union. Compromises were proposed working toward an end to slavery. One of the compromises was the Missouri Compromise that made Maine, a free state, and Missouri, a slave state, excluded slavery from Louisiana Territory and everything above the 36Â ° 30’ north latitude. Other compromises such as the Compromise of 1850 did please both sides. The Compromise included admitting California as a free state and interstate slave trade to be abolished which went in favor of the North. The Compromise also went with the South when it included stricter fugitive slave laws and New Mexico and Utah were created without slave restrictions. A book called, "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" was also published at this time emphasizing the evils of slavery. This added tension between the North and the South. The compromises seemed to have settled the issue of slavery but it was just putting back the problem. The North and the South were far from settling the slave issue. Another reason that caused the South to go to war was the difference in economic policies. The North was expanding more in the commercial and industrial side while the South was reliant on agriculture. Cities and factories had developed in the North and in the South; it was still staple producin...

Free Essays on Religion

World Views on Religion Religion is the eternal search for the divine. This quest has been sought after since the dawn of mankind. Over time there have been countless types of religions. People have died for their religion, people have killed for their religion and people have dedicated their lives to their religion. With such a powerful force as religion it is no wonder why people are so dedicated to their beliefs. Due to this fact it is easy to see why there is so much conflict in regards to this driving force. There are many types of world views that define the meaning of religion. I feel that religion is a choice of a person’s beliefs and the goals in their daily lifestyle they wish to pursue. Every culture in the religious world differs from one another. The question we ask ourselves is what is the difference? The beliefs of the eastern philosophies have a different outlook on religions than the western philosophies. In the western beliefs, people focus on the question in relation to one single god and its overall relationship with the universe and mankind. In the eastern beliefs people analyze the factual details in life and nature and the spirituality in life. As of my own personal views on religion as a whole, I believe that it works as a foundational â€Å"brace† for humankind. It allows a culture to follow traditions in their religion to reach their goals and moral standards.... Free Essays on Religion Free Essays on Religion It is important to show simultaneously the exceptional and the common, the national and the universal, the realistic and the mystical. The moment a writer attempts to generalize a problem and see it on an expansive scale, he stops being a writer. It is only after his literary endeavor is completed that he may go and make a speech in support of a candidate or a loved one. His novel, however, must not be a political dissertation. The role of literature is not to analyze ideas but to describe experiences. Frankly, mixing social and political issues with writing is not a very healthy practice: its outcome will reside outside true literature. True literature focuses on experiences and situations. When you read the Bible, you do not know what somebody was thinking, but you always know what the person was doing. People may sit and talk for hours about what they are thinking, but it is only through their action that we may judge their true colors. It is a heresy of our times that we use our thoughts and moods as the yardsticks in appraising almost everything that is around us. Instead of searching for words, the contemporary art of writing consists of restricting them so much that they become cliches. I refer to such words as good, bad, decent, immoral, charming, ugly, noble, abstract, cunning, talented those and many others which have been emasculated. Talents are born; I do not believe talent can be achieved through hard work. Genes do not produce many talents, in every generation talent is a rarity. Talent is a freak of nature. At the same time, it would only be fair to say that a talented person may write bad novels and bad stories. AZ-B: How do you write? IBS: In my early days, I wrote in the third person, now in the first, but I will go back to narrate in the third person. I write with a pen, then I type, but I find it more and more difficult to write by hand. I think I will soon switch over to a typewri... Free Essays on Religion case for prayer in school Many people believe that prayer and religion should be placed in schools for the betterment of children of all ages and society as a whole. There are many strong opposing facts to say why prayer and religion should not be allowed in schools. Those who feel religion has a place in school say that the violence of the world would be diminished with religion and prayer in schools. While those who feel otherwise believe prayer in school would not do any good and that it blatantly violates the 1st and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution. In this paper I will argue why religion and prayer should be placed in school to increase morale and behavior of children, and how prayer in school would decrease violence in and out of school. The separation of Church and State is a fundamental principle of American government which rests primarily on the Constitution's First Amendment, which states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." While many may argue that prayer in school violates the constitution, our First Amendment didn't separate God and government but actually encouraged religion. The First Amendment of the Constitution declares that the federal government cannot establish one religion for all of the people. The simple idea of everyone in our nation being limited to one form of religion is inconceivable. The second section insists that the government should do nothing to prevent people from exercising religion. But forbidding officiated prayer in schools discourages religion, doesn't it? The founders of the Constitution recognized the freedom of religion as an important factor in establishing a democracy. The government is not upholding their part of the Constitution. They are trying to tell people that saying prayers in public school is unconstitutional. I attended a public school which allowed us to pray before class. Pray... Free Essays on Religion While other religions are precisely defined by explicit and often unyielding beliefs, Hinduism condones no such constraints. For the Hindu, intuition is far more important than intellect; experience supercedes dogma; and personal realization is held infinitely more precious than outer expressions or affiliations of faith. Philosopher and once President of India, S. Radhakrishnan said it well: "The mechanical faith which depends on authority and wishes to enjoy the consolations of religion without the labor of being religious is quite different from the religious faith which has its roots in experience." Hindu religious philosophy is based on experience, on personal discovery and testing of things. It does not say, "Believe as others do or suffer." Rather, it says, "Know thy Self, inquire and be free." There are no heretics in Hinduism, for God is everywhere and in all things. In such an open laboratory, Hindu spirituality has grown over the millennia so diverse and rich that it defies definition. Even knowledgeable Hindus, after a lifetime of study, will hesitate to say that Hinduism is one thing and not another. Indeed, the very idea of a Hindu catechism is, for many, unthinkable, a perilous and impertinent pursuit. Until now, no one has attempted such a complete overview, making this a rare, and perhaps remarkable, book. One might even say an inevitable one. If, therefore, in undertaking the impossible we have overlooked any lineage, neglected any tradition or vital issue, please call to mind that it is human to err and only God is perfect and find room in your heart to overlook a ny oversight. A simple warning is due. This collection of customs and beliefs is not a detached, scholastic analysis of Hinduism, but a view from the inside, a view of the religion as Hindus themselves would wish their tradition honored and explained to others. Nor is this yet another dogma added to the mountains of doctrines and decrees which ha... Free Essays on Religion Religion is part and parcel to every culture’s worldview. Religion serves to answer questions, which otherwise are beyond a group’s control. Whereas in most complex cultures religion has a certain time and place, amongst structurally simpler societies, religion is inextricably weaved in the fabric of their existence. The supernatural beings that are specific to a certain culture can be grouped into several categories. First, there are gods and goddesses. A pantheistic religion has several gods and goddesses. Goddesses are most prominent in societies where women play a significant role in the economy and in egalitarian economies. Second, ancestral spirits resemble humans in their appetites, feelings, emotions and behavior. Ancestral spirits reinforce social reality. Third, we have animism, a belief that nature is energized by distinct personalized spirits, separate from bodies. This belief is popular amongst people who view themselves as a part of nature rather than supe rior to it. Fourth, is animatism; a belief that nature is enlivened by a certain impersonal spiritual power. Religious specialists, also known as priest priestesses, and shamans serve to guide and supplement religious practices. All cultures have religious rituals that mark important events in the persons life. These rites of passage have three different cycles, including separation, transition, and incorporation. Witchcraft serves as a means for people to explain their personal misfortunes. It allows them to place blame on something or someone else rather than to take responsibility of their own actions. Religon serves many functions, some of them which include, building social solidarity, and providing guidelines of acceptable conduct.... Free Essays on Religion Religion: Important or Insignificant? Religion is a very vital and meaningful thing in most people’s lives. Each person believes in a type of religion to guide their lives or doesn’t believe in it at all. This is an important ethical issue to Americans and world citizens that involves questions of duty, consequences, and moral reconstruction and was highly recognized by many famous philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, John Dewey, Karl Marx, and Augustine. Dewey begins by claiming that doubt or insecurity creates the quest for certainty. Before there was modern science, religion had an answer to all questions about the world and any doubt was resolved by religious explanations. "Unity of thought and practice extended down to every detail of the management of life; effectiveness of its operation did not depend upon thought. It was guaranteed by the most powerful and reliable of all social institutions."(Pg. 291) This â€Å"powerful authority† was religion and it was very useful in sustaining a stable social system in times when security was hard to come by. Religion’s function was to provide certainty, but the development of science began eating away at away this single reality. Dewey defined religion as the higher realm, "consisting of the powers which determine human destiny in all important affairs"(Pg. 290). The other significant field of exploration was man’s own skill or matter-of-fact insight. Based on the same concept as mathematics, the idea of having a purely logical and rational knowledge became very important. Many people began to believe that this â€Å"rational ideal† was exercised in science. Science tended to have â€Å"explained† many things that led to a questioning of the importance of religion in people’s daily lives. Science uses an experimental procedure in order to draw conclusions about a given situation. The use of the experimental method in order to determine things was changing the way one ha... Free Essays on Religion There is nothing more powerful than a strong belief, it is what pushes a zealot, and it is what brings people together. Religion is the core of civilization, but is it still needed in today’s society? In the past it has been used to placate people during hardships, to make them realize that no matter how bad things are now, there will come a time of peace. It doesn’t matter if life is tough and there is no reason to fear death, because in the end all righteous people will reach a better place. There are no highs nor lows, tremendous victories, or crushing defeats, they are all gods’ will and you are no more than a pawn in a cosmic game of chess between good and evil. This is why religion is not as widespread and zealously followed in a place like the United States as it is in most third world countries. Citizens of the United States are living the good life, we are rewarded for the work we do, we don’t have widespread poverty and starvation there is a sense of security v! irtually all the time. People in third world countries don’t have the luxuries of a nice house, or warm meal like we do, and in many of those countries violence is a daily occurrence. Gunfire and bombings do irreparable damage to the human psyche, these people need something to cling to, and when death is everywhere it is something you worry about on a daily basis. "As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?" - John Adams, letter to F.A. Van der Kamp, Dec. 27, 1816 The danger of religion lies in belief and how it affects desperate and evil people. Being raised in a shack, sleeping on a dirt floor, eating spoiled food, and the interminable presence of death are the fuel for the fire. In the United States we worry about television ... Free Essays on Religion No part of the Bible and its interpretation is more controversial than the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is the last profound book in the New Testament. It conveys the significant purpose of Christianity by describing God’s plan for the world and his final judgment of the people by reinforcing the importance of faith and the concept of Christianity as a whole. This book was written by John in 95 or 96 AD. What is, what has been, and what is to come is the central focus of the content in Revelation. Literalist fundamentalists read Revelation’s multivalent visions as predictions of doom and threat, of punishment for the many and salvation for the elect few. Scholarly scientific readings seek to translate the book’s ambiguity into one-to-one meanings and to transpose its language of symbol and myth into description and facts. In Elisabeth Schà »ssler Fiorenza’s The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment, a third way of reading Revelation is depicted. The collection of essays in this book seeks to intervene in scholarly as well as popular discourses on the apocalypse from a liberationist feminist perspective. The first two parts of the book discuss the kind of theological-historical perspective and ecclesial situation that determines the form-content configuration of Revelation. The first section attempts to assess the theological commonality to and differences from Jewish apocalypticism. Fiorenza focuses of the problem that although Revelation claims to be a genuinely Christian book and has found its way into the Christian canon, it is often judged to be more Jewish than Christian and not to have achieved the â€Å"heights† of genuinely early Christian theology. In the second part of the book, Fiorenza seeks to assess whether and how much Revelation shares in the theological structure of the Fourth Gospel. Fiorenza proposes that a careful analysis of Revelation would suggest that Pauline, Johannine, and C... Free Essays on Religion â€Å"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.†(Romans 3:23) The fall of man- it’s a common topic all throughout the Bible. Many allusions to this familiar Biblical theme are made in the war-time novel, A Separate Peace, by American author John Knowles. In this work, Knowles relates many of his experiences as a teenage boy attending boarding school during World War Two. He uses Biblical allusions to reveal much about human nature. In Genesis 4:3-5 the Bible says, â€Å"In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Able brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry and his face was downcast.† Much like Cain’s jealousy toward his brother Abel in Genesis, the protagonist Gene is often placing himself in competition with his best friend and worst enemy, Phineas. Phineas, affectionately known as Finny is much like Able. He is innocent and pure in his views on life and others. Knowles says he â€Å",Did abide by certain rules which he seemed to cast in the form of Commandments. (Pg 26)† Able was honest and wise by choosing to follow God’s orders. Thus, God was pleased with Able’s offering. Cain, on the other hand was quite the opposite. He is presented as being rather depraved and corrupted. In this way, Gene is similar to Cain. In the book Gene realizes the grip that sin has on his soul and claims, â€Å"It was just some ignorance inside me, some crazy thing inside me, something blind, that’s all it was. (Pg 183) † Unfortunately, Gene, like Cain, becomes consumed with jealousy of Phineas, due to the realization that he can never be as good as Finny- morally or athletically. The reader sees this when Gene states that, â€Å"there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same... Free Essays on Religion A religion is a system of beliefs usually involving the worship of supernatural forces or beings. Religious beliefs provide shape and meaning to one's perception of the universe. In other words, they provide a sense of order in what might otherwise be seen as a chaotic existence. Religions also provide understanding and meaning for inexplicable events such as a loved one being killed in an earthquake or some other unpredictable force of nature. For most religious people, their beliefs about the supernatural are at the very core of their worldviews. Karl Marx declared that as society changes so does religion. Marx’s opposition to this was from Max Webber who stated that religious ideas and beliefs shape changes in society. Although these men had varying ideals of society and religion, it is my belief that neither of them is incorrect in their thinking. When one looks at the origin of the major religions throughout the world one notices on important fact about each one. Each religion was created, by man, after the creation of the group of people who follow it. Marx was correct in his belief tat social changes bring on religious changes. Religions fulfill psychological needs. They help us confront and explain death. They help relieve our fears and anxieties about the unknown. Supernatural powers and beings may be appealed to or manipulated by people in times of crisis, as for example in praying to win a war or survive a fierce storm. Religions help ease the stress during life crises such as birth, marriage, serious illness, and death. It is not a coincidence that in most societies the "rites of passage" that are performed to help people adjust to these often highly emotional transitions are strongly religious. We also get psychological relief from "divinely given" moral codes. They lift some of the burden of decision making from our shoulders in difficult situations because they tell us what is right and wrong. Knowi... Free Essays on Religion What do I think about religion? That is a very tough question to ask myself. The first thing that comes to mind is what I was taught as a younger version of myself. That religion, in my case Christianity, was what my family did on Sundays. I was taught that religion was the reason I was here and why I continue to be here. It was a place and a thing of comfort. It had all the answers, except when it came to the point where I actually needed them. I was taught that the reason religion was around is to give the people that believe in it, hope. It was also our job to tell the people who did not believe that they should. Over the 23 years of my life I had had many â€Å"religious† experiences some good most bad. I have had a very tumultuous life in which I have been an inch away from death 3 times, in a coma for 2 weeks, and had many surgeries, most poignantly the removal of my left lung when I was 2 and a Kidney Transplant 1  ½ years ago. Now the reason I call these â€Å"religious† experiences is that my parents believe that God saved me. Also they think that I was â€Å"saved† for some reason that I have not figured out yet. They also believe that He (being God, of course) will show me the way. The reasoning for all this back story on me is so that you might understand what I think religion is, not necessarily what it was meant to be, but what I think it is now. I think religion originally intended on being exactly what my parents sought to teach me, a place of hope, faith, and love; knowing that some higher power is up there watching out for us. After many long years and numerous churches, youth groups, pastors, and sermons, I have come to think something entirely different from anyone else I know. Religion has come to be a place where the people who are â€Å"allowed in† come to bask in their own self-righteousness. It is an institution of separation. I am not saying that there is no such thing as religion any more, I... Free Essays on Religion Many people may be wondering what religion is exactly? Religion is a sacred engagement in which is believed to be a spiritual reality. Religion is a worldwide event that has played a part in all human culture and it is a much broader, more complex category than the set of beliefs or practices found in any single religion tradition. In all cultures, human being make a practice of interacting with what are taken to be spiritual powers. These powers may be in the form of god, spirits, ancestors, or any kind of sacred reality with which humans believe themselves to be connected. Sometimes a spiritual power is understood broadly as a complete reality, and sometimes it is approached through its appearance in special symbols. It may be regarded as external to the self, internal, or both. People interact with such presence in sacred manner-that is, with reverence and care. Religion is the term most commonly used to designate this difficult and different area of human experience. Where did religion come from? The word religion is derived from the Latin noun religio, which denotes both earnest observance of obligations and an inward spirit of reverence. Ways of Defining Religion In modern usage, religion covers a wide range of meanings that reflect the huge variety of ways the term can be interpreted. At one extreme, many committed believers recognize only their own traditions as a religion, understanding expressions such as worship and prayer to refer completely to the practices of their tradition. Some see religion-for example, â€Å" true love of God†, or â€Å" the path of enlightenment.† On the other hand it could be equated wit ignorance, passion, or wishful thinking. By defining religion as a sacred engagement with what is taken to be a spiritual reality, it is possible to consider the importance of religion in human life without making claims about what it really is or ought to be. Religion is not an object with a single, fixed defin... Free Essays on Religion Religion Religion in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's was seen as a spiritual movement and today since times have changed it is more what God can do for me than what I can do for God. So if we are to view in proper perspective the spiritual and religious conflicts of our age, as they are reflected in drama and fiction, then we must look at the outset to understand the nature of the relationship between literature and belief. Nothing is harder for a writer to write how they view religion or anyone else for that matter because it does not always go along with society’s ideals or views. Religion itself to day is seen as a joke especially with the televised religion that just takes money out of your pocket. After the attack on 9-11 and the war with Iraq this nation has started to turn towards God again, but honestly they are still to impatient because they don’t understand why things happen or for what reason. The world is running on time instead of patience or faith and that is wh at has lead this world into a downfall with religion. My father is almost fifty-one years old and grew up in a time in this country when there was a great spiritual awakening and a sensitivity to the things that pertained to God and it seemed like with religion, it didn’t matter what you believed there was a sacredness to it. For example in the Protestant religion they communed with God in their daily lives, either through their own understanding of the Bible or through experience with the Holy Spirit, and therefore needed no special rituals to secure or strengthen their faith. In practice, though, Protestants depended primarily on the Sunday service to preserve and reinforce their religious sentiments. It was in the church that people felt closest to God. It was there they heard the sermons that explained the Bible and upheld the evangelical ideal of moral behavior. My father said the he has seen many changes over the last few decades. His view on t... Free Essays on Religion According to the dictionary "religion is the service and worship of God or the supernatural."1 I challenge that definition. It is true that all religions do involve the worship of some supernatural force, however, it is also true that no religion in history has ever stopped at that. For a more complete definition of the word religion we also have to examine two other aspects. How has it affected man over the centuries? And what is the true motivation of its leadership? Some would have you believe that it has brought peace and harmony to the world and that its leaders are motivated by the service of their god. I suggest that a more accurate definition of word would be as follows. Religion, a feudal system of government which uses fear, hate and sometimes lies to control and manipulate people for the betterment of a select group of individuals. To better illustrate this point let's look at just three of the countless examples that human history has to offer. The Inquisition, "judicial institution, established by the papacy in the Middle Ages, charged with seeking out, trying, and sentencing people guilty of heresy."2 Heretics were considered enemies of the state. The penalty for heresy was torture and death. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, "Jesus was taken to Golgotha and nailed to a cross, the Roman punishment for political offenders and criminals."2 The Crusades, "The name Crusade (from Latin, "Cross") was also applied, to the wars against pagan peoples, Christian heretics, and political foes of the papacy."2 All three examples illustrate how man has used God to justify his greed and quest for power. When the leadership was challenged, it used devine decree to justify the murder and torture of the innocent. We are expected to believe that a non-physical being order the religious leadership to aquire riches and land, ofte n at the demise of the poor and helpless. The misuse of God isn't limited to the Ancient world. Today we have... Free Essays on Religion Ethical Values In The Old Testament How we live our lives is governed by ethics. Ethics is â€Å"human moral conduct according to principles of what is good or right to do.† Our ethical values today descend primarily from a Christian ethic in which â€Å"a truly ethical decision, we are told, must be spontaneous, undirected, free - the individual's unfettered and uncoerced response to each new decision-demanding situation.† The ethical values of today, especially Christian ethics, borrow and carry forward the Hebrew ethics of the past. Yet it is hardly fair to explain Old Testament ethics with only what was borrowed from it. What sets Judaism apart from other religions of the time was its monotheistic basis. The ethics of Judaism is historical and traditional as opposed to philosophical and theoretical. â€Å"In Israel, for the first time, an ethical conception of God is attained, and this not philosophically but historically; while its view of the moral life is certain of justification not only by reason but by history.† Thus God is looked at as an ethical personality and is looked to as an example of good and right. In the Old Testament, God's voluntary (voluntary for God) covenant with man must be looked at as the prime example of ethical value. The covenant's requirements is the source of all ethics, morals, laws, and justice in the Old Testament. The Mosaic Covenant is the best example of ethical values and norms in the Old Testament. The Mosaic Covenant has three parts; the Decaloque, the Covenant Code; and the Holiness Code. The Decaloque is made up of apodictic (or absolute) law, it is unconditional and has no â€Å"ifs or buts† about it. This is commonly refereed to as the "Ten Commandments." Although legally vague these commandments are the basics for all ethical norms in the Old Testament. The Covenant Code is made up of casuistic (or conditional) law, it has a characteristic ... Free Essays on Religion Throughout the ages of Christianity, there have been many drawbacks to this cause. Many leaders among the Christian community were persecuted due to the disbelief of Christ being the Messiah among pagan worshipers, heathens, and even other credible religious leaders. This persecution more often led to death, or other horrifying results. But no matter what horrendous effects, there was always a brighter side causing the Christian faith to grow even stronger. Because of Rome’s strictness in following the laws and rules, they were very tradition bound. Many of the Pharisees were determined that the Old Testament was the only acceptable basis of religious law that the people of Rome should follow. The believed that Elijah was the Messiah, and they were waiting for his return. They also didn’t expect a â€Å"Messiah† to act the way that Christ did, having anything to do with sinners was looked down upon. However, after Christ’s death and resurrection, the disciples were told to go out into the world and spread the good news of their salvation. This didn’t appeal to the Pharisees at all, and they immediately set out to stop this message of freedom. The religious officials continuously put Simon and Peter in jail, Stephen was stoned to death, and there have been accounts of John’s attempted murder in boiling hot oil. Many Christians were flogged, stoned to death, skinned alive, fed to lions, an d many more gruesome things. Nero burned half of Rome and then blamed the Christians, he even dipped some in kerosene and then lit them on fire so that there was light for the sporting events. Peter was even crucified, but he didn’t feel he deserved to die the same way as Christ so he was crucified upside-down. Persecution was so bad that Christians were accused of having a â€Å"hatred for the human race,† cannibalism, and incest. The response of the Christians has a lot to do with the influence upon the church. The Bible sta... Free Essays on Religion World Views on Religion Religion is the eternal search for the divine. This quest has been sought after since the dawn of mankind. Over time there have been countless types of religions. People have died for their religion, people have killed for their religion and people have dedicated their lives to their religion. With such a powerful force as religion it is no wonder why people are so dedicated to their beliefs. Due to this fact it is easy to see why there is so much conflict in regards to this driving force. There are many types of world views that define the meaning of religion. I feel that religion is a choice of a person’s beliefs and the goals in their daily lifestyle they wish to pursue. Every culture in the religious world differs from one another. The question we ask ourselves is what is the difference? The beliefs of the eastern philosophies have a different outlook on religions than the western philosophies. In the western beliefs, people focus on the question in relation to one single god and its overall relationship with the universe and mankind. In the eastern beliefs people analyze the factual details in life and nature and the spirituality in life. As of my own personal views on religion as a whole, I believe that it works as a foundational â€Å"brace† for humankind. It allows a culture to follow traditions in their religion to reach their goals and moral standards....

The Conditional Tense of Spanish

The Conditional Tense of Spanish Just as in English, the conditional tense of verbs in Spanish is difficult to classify. Unlike the past, future and present tenses, it doesnt always refer to a particular period of time. And while its name suggests that it is used when theres a condition involved, in Spanish it also has some close connections with the future tense. In fact, in Spanish, the conditional tense is known as both el condicional and el futuro hipotà ©tico (the hypothetical future). The conditional also has various uses that dont at first glance seem closely related. But the connection among them is that verbs in the conditional dont refer to events that definitely or necessarily have happened or are happening. In other words, the conditional tense refers to acts that can be seen as hypothetical in nature. Conditional Tense Often Translates English 'Would' Fortunately for those of us who speak English, the theory is fairly easy to apply, since the conditional tense can usually be understood as the Spanish verb form that is used to translate English would verb forms. In most cases where we use would in English we use the conditional in Spanish, and vice versa. As long as you remember the rare exceptions, you wont go wrong often by thinking of the conditional as the would tense. Here are some examples (in boldface) of the conditional tense in use: No comerà ­a una hamburguesa porque no como animales. (I wouldnt eat a hamburger because I dont eat animals.)Si pudiese, vivirà ­a en Guadalajara. (If I could, I would live in Guadalajara.)Hay seis pelà ­culas que yo pagarà ­a por ver. (There are six films I would pay to see.) Here are the major usages of the conditional that can be understood by using the English would. If the explanations are confusing, read the examples for clarification: Using the Conditional for Actions Conditioned on Something Else Another way of putting this is that the conditional indicates the possibility of an action related to specific circumstances. The circumstances (that is, the condition) can be stated, but they dont have to be. Note the following examples, with the conditional verb in boldface: Si tuviera dinero, irà ­a al cine. (If I had money, I would go to the movies. The condition is having money. In this case, the condition in Spanish is stated in the imperfect subjunctive, as is very common. It is also stated in the subjunctive in the English sentence, and this is one of the few constructions where the subjunctive form is still used in English today.)Yo comerà ­a la comida, pero soy vegetariano. (I would eat the meal, but Im vegetarian. (he condition is being a vegetarian.)Marà ­a habrà ­a venido, pero su madre estaba enferma. (Mary would have come, but her mother was sick. The condition is her mothers sickness. This sentence is in the conditional perfect form, using the conditional tense of haber followed by the past participle.)Marà ­a habrà ­a venido. Mary would have come. (This sentence is the same as the one above, but without the condition explicitly stated. The condition would have to be inferred from the context.)Con ms dinero, yo ganarà ­a. With more m oney, I would win. (The condition is having money. This is a case where a condition is expressed without using si.) Yo no hablarà ­a con ella. (I wouldnt talk with her. The condition is unstated.) Using the Conditional in a Dependent Clause Following a Past Tense Sometimes, the conditional is used in a dependent clause that follows a main clause that uses a past-tense verb. In such cases, the conditional tense is used to describe an event that might have happened after the event in the main clause. A few examples should help clarify this usage: Dijo que sentirà ­amos enfermos. (He said that we would feel sick. In this case, feeling sick happened, or might have happened or will happen, after he made his statement. Note that in such a sentence construction, the que, or that, doesnt always have to be translated into English.)Supe que yo saldrà ­a. (I knew I would leave. As in the above sentence, the act of leaving isnt connected to a specific period of time, except that it takes place, or could take place, at some time after the knowing.)Me prometià ³ que ganarà ­an. (She promised me they would win. Again, we cant tell from this sentence whether they actually won, but if they did it came after the promise.) Using the Conditional for Requests The conditional can also be used to make requests or some statements sound less blunt. Me gustarà ­a salir. I would like to leave. (This sounds gentler than Quiero salir, I want to leave.) ¿Podrà ­as obtener un coche? (Would you be able to get a car?) Note that querer in the subjunctive is sometimes used in a similar way: Quisiera un taco, por favor. I would like a taco, please. Conjugating the Conditional Tense For regular verbs, the conditional tense is formed by adding a suffix to the infinitive. The same suffixes are used for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. Hablar is used here as an example: hablarà ­a (I would speak)hablarà ­as (you would speak)hablarà ­a (you/she/he/it would speak)hablarà ­amos (we would speak)hablarà ­ais (you would speak)hablarà ­an (you/they would speak) Key Takeaways As its name suggests, the Spanish conditional tense is typically used, like would, to indicate that a verbs action that is conditioned on some other event, which need not be explicitly stated.The conditional tense can refer to real or hypothetical actions in past, present, and future.The same method is used to form the conditional tense for all regular verbs, regardless of whether they are -ar, -er, or -ir verbs.

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Economic - Essay Example Risk averse individuals are better off with purchase of insurance because they prefer certain losses to uncertain ones of the same scale. Given that the marginal utility of wealth is diminishing they are ready to give up certain and reasonable amount of money in the form of insurance premium to avoid chance of large and uncertain loss. Thus, it is in their interest to buy insurance because of certainty it provides. According to the expected utility model the individuals tend to undertake actions that increase the expected utility value (U), which can be expressed as the function of the income (Y). If the probability of the accident resulting in the loss of X is indicated as P and assuming that insurance company in the case of accident will pay the amount equal to X, the expected utility for an individual who does not buy insurance is equal to: If per unit tax on a good is imposed and the tax revenue is then used to offset the decrease in consumer surplus the consumers still would be worse of than before introduction of the tax. It happens because the consumer bears an excessive burden which is equal to the difference between the value of equivalent variation (compensation that allows the customer to achieve the same level of utility as before tax, graphically – vertical distance between pre- and post-tax indifference curves) and tax revenue that the government can use in order to offset the effect of tax (graphically - vertical distance between corresponding budget constraint lines). It may be beneficial for the companies offering service or good A to introduce a choice of price and service options in order to target the groups of customers with different levels of income and needs. The optimal bundle of the service A and all the other goods will vary depending on the budget constraint and marginal utility of A for a certain group. Introducing number of variations A1, A2,†¦., An (from low price – low service to higher priced

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS - IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL GROWTH IN Essay

REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS - IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL GROWTH IN ORGANIZATIONAL WORK PERFORMANCE - Essay Example This topic examines the importance of creating policies that enable the increasing of the capacity of existing labor force within the organization in line with the organization’s business needs. This thereby ensures that there is overall capacity to achieve set short and long-term goals and objectives. To establish this, the topic targets the issues affecting individuals’ place and meaning within the firm. How does the firm treat its members? Are the members satisfied by their current job? Are the efforts and interests of the members streamlined with those of the organizations? What is the impact where there is a mismatch and conflict between these two forces i.e. the individual and the organization? The topic draws from module studies under employee dignity, employee branding at work and talent management processes and programme development. Models in talent management will especially be useful in the arguments herein due to my perceived strong linkage between the modu le of employee dignity and branding at work (which is a representative association of employee and work performance). The models that I have focused on in addition to those in the, class modules are the Job Competency Assessment model (JAC) and the ‘high impact talent management’ model. ... A deliberate and well-designed plan must be at the core of its total business strategy as opposed to being a limited human resource function (called upon during hiring of employees and performance review process) in relational to personal working experiences. Literature review To elaborate better how the selected topic provides a point of focus for reflective analysis, a prior understanding of the key terms used is very essential. It helps avoid ambiguities and minimize assumptions that they reader might have based on prior interactions with the terms and, therefore, localizing its contextual use to within the reflective limits. Definition and differentiation of terms There has been a lack of convergence between different professions as to what exactly dignity is (Sayer, 2007). Most debates about dignity have taken to broad approaches of political (such as citizenship); social (such as mutual satisfaction and welfare) and economic (such as pride in work, autonomy and responsibility) attributes that have only served to further the gap between the definitions and make it more ambiguous than before. However, a basic elaboration based on its function would reveal that dignity is a basic property, characteristic or attribute of human beings that ably reflects their worth. Talent refers to those individuals who demonstrate highest levels of potential for positive impact in the performance of organizational tasks and responsibilities (Workitect, Inc., 2011). Collectively, it comprises a team of individuals with excellent qualifications and unique competencies which have the capacity to improve the organization’s performance significantly. Closely related to this and also fundamental to its management is talent intelligence. Talent

Real Estate and Recession Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Real Estate and Recession - Research Paper Example This is what happened in United States before the global financial crisis. The values of houses touched the peaks during the year 2006 which begin to rapidly decline during 2006-2007. Now let us discuss some of the causes which led to the burst of housing bubble. The housing tax policy as discussed in taxpayer relief act of 1997 encouraged people to invest in housing rather than stocks and other types of investments. There were not enough regulations in place to have a proper check and balance on such housing investments. The use of mandated loans is considered another cause of the burst of housing bubble. Then the federal bank also lowered interest rates while the rise of houses was not uniform in all regions of United States. The Americans used to believe that investing in houses is a secured investment and they even preferred to become owners of their houses. There were many marketing campaigns being run to encourage people to invest in real estate. This encourages more and more p eople to invest. However, the high values of houses were later followed by decline in prices which busted the bubble. The housing bubble affected the U.S economy in various ways. Millions of new houses were built and sold. The share prices and revenues of big construction companies reached to the peak and made millions as a result. There was a large increase in mortgage equity withdrawals which usually include loans for home equity and cash out refinancing. The housing bubble led to the recession in United States which was the worst after great depression. Many Americans were forced to migrate from the expensive metropolitan areas due to price variation in different regions on United States. The subprime mortgage crisis was one of the most important reasons which led to the global financial crisis. This was due to the result of delinquencies and foreclosures in subprime mortgages. Then it was followed by the decline in value of these securities backed by the underlying mortgages. Th e financial crisis and recession has not ended yet. Financial experts believe that the slow growth will continue till the end of year 2012. The entire world in interconnected and the United States is bound to suffer due to the events and happenings across different countries. Since the start of financial crisis, the federal government has been taken serious effects to avoid this in future. However, there are few things which need to be emphasized. There must be some lender of the last resort such as International Monetary Fund (IMF) who can come for help whenever needed. Unfortunately, IMF doesn’t have this job role or enough resources to handle such situations. This needs to be raised during the coming IMF meetings. Then there is need of regulations which can protect the organizations from taking excessive risk. The leverage ratios can also be put in some limit in order to estimate the damage by the shock. The federal bank should put special efforts to control the growing po wers of big firms which can even negatively affect the situation. The firms and even government institutions should pay special consideration while extending credit to borrowers. The credit history of prospective buyers needs to be checked before giving them loans. In order to avoid mortgage crisis, Federal Deposition Insurance Corporation (FDIC) came out with loan work out model. This model was introduced with the

The intersection between ethics and politics in ANIMAL RIGHTS about Essay

The intersection between ethics and politics in ANIMAL RIGHTS about Animal Genetic Testing - Essay Example Animal testing is one of the most ethically gray points in society. One can say that it can is a necessary evil as it is an important factor in keeping technology, as in medical technology. We need to know how certain chemicals can work in our body when dispensed, hence animal testing. In short, the development of drugs is one of the reasons why there is animal testing in the midst. However, we are also aware of the fact that animal testing is brutal as it is (most of the time) done without painkillers – meaning, the animals would suffer for the plight of the people, plight of the people that make them miserable and take their services for granted, as they are inferior – animals as they are called. There are about 20 million animals that are killed every year for experiments. 75% of the said figure are killed because of medical testing and that the rest of them are killed to try new products (as in animal testing). Ten percent of the 20 million figure are said to be und ergoing procedure without any pain killers. There are many people, especially the animal rights advocates, who oppose the use of animals in medicine and health services, that is true. They are imposing various government to give restrictions on companies and businesses that do not respect animal rights for research. However, this movement is also taking a call to stop as there are also a growing number of people who do not want to stop experimenting on the animals. This is due to the fact - or fear – that medical research and technology would stop growing at the rate that it is growing now. This means that the stoppage of the use of animals in research would curtail the growth of the knowledge and scientific progress. Pain is an intrinsic evil. Those people who argue that painful experimentation on animals should be avoided, or stopped (in a perfect world), say that, and anything (or anyone) that causes pain to another creature or animal is immoral. Using the words of Jeremy Bentham, one cannot say (or use the argument) that the animals â€Å"can’t talk, or reason† hence they can be used. The real question that should be asked is â€Å"do animals suffer?† The answer is yes. They do suffer because they feel pain. The scientist who conducts research the rat for some new formulation about a new drug knows that the rat feels pain because it needs to know how the human would react if it is subjected to the new drug – will the new drug cause pain to the patient or not? Every writhe and struggle of the anilam is recorded and then will be used to improve and design a new drug. Even the fact that the scientist will have to let the animal choose to what its setup is: to have electric shocks or to have hunger, is immoral. Although the data will be used and collected to know whether ulcers of some kind would be formed, the doctor still uses the animal to know how the human mind works as the rat and humans have the same neural responses. Basically, we are like rats. Pain is an intrinsic evil. It does not matter if it is experienced by a man, child or animal. If it is wrong to inflict pain on a human being, then it is wrong to inflict pain on an animal, or any creature for that matter. Another thing that should be

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market Essay

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market - Essay Example Every buyer in a financial market is an investor. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Risk management is a very important concept in both money and capital market. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: Systematic risks and Unsystematic risks. Systematic Risks Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. (Kidwell et al. 2007) It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Systematic risks are those risks which nobody can predict. As you cannot foresee it, you cannot reduce it or protect yourself against it. For example, the recent political turmoil in Egypt sent all the share markets in the world downward. All investors lost a lot of sum. This political crisis was unpredictable and no investor was able to protect his investment against this downf all. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Economists use the term ‘beta’ to show the relationship between a stock’s return and the general market movement. For example, if you assign beta 1 to general market (index) and 2 to a particular share, it means if the market goes up 20%, the share goes up 40% and if the market goes down 10%, the share goes down 20%. It means, this particular share is twice as volatile as the market index. Shares with betas greater than 1 are called aggressive shares as they carry more risk than the market. In addition, they affect the entire portfolio in a greater degree than the market...This paper describes financial market, outlines different types of risks in that market and methods for buyers to reduce the risk. Financial market is a mechanism that enables buyers and sellers to meet their financial requirements. Buyers are the investors who purchase short term or long term financial assets while sellers raise funds for their short term and long term requirements. The globalization made world markets more integrated and provided more opportunities in overseas investments. Based on the instruments dealt in the market, financial market divides into money market and capital market. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Money market deals with short term trading (buying and selling) of financial assets which have maturity period of one year or less. Capital market deals with securities (debt or equity) which companies and governments used to raise long term funds. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: systematic risks and unsystematic risks. Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Unsystematic risk is defined as â€Å"The unique or security specific risks that tend partially to offset one another in a portfolio Foreign exchange risk occurs due to changes in exchange rate

Fertility and Social Change in Oman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fertility and Social Change in Oman - Essay Example On the contrary, being a real estate agent may require you to spend long hours away from home. However, being a real estate agent enables you to have a more flexible time at work. With a good time management program, you will be able to have the option of arranging the time when you can meet up with your prospective clients. In terms of financial income, you can earn along $30,000 each year in the holiday ornament business as compared to at least $40,000 per annum if you could complete at least four appraisals each week at the value of $200 each. In other words, the possible financial gain out of making the ornaments is way much less as compared to the profit you can earn if you choose to become a real estate agent. In any business, operational expenses are always expected to be high in the beginning. Given that you are able to complete at least six appraisals each week at the value of $200 each, you will be able to earn as much as $57,600 revenues per annum. For this reason, the $10,000 start-up costs associated with becoming a real estate agent is not a big issue. If we deduct $10,000 start-up costs in your annual revenue of $57,600, you will still end up earning $47,600 on your first year. This amount of income is really promising as compared to the holiday ornament business. Depending on your ability to close a business deal, your annual revenue could still increase over the next few years to come.

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market Essay

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market - Essay Example Every buyer in a financial market is an investor. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Risk management is a very important concept in both money and capital market. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: Systematic risks and Unsystematic risks. Systematic Risks Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. (Kidwell et al. 2007) It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Systematic risks are those risks which nobody can predict. As you cannot foresee it, you cannot reduce it or protect yourself against it. For example, the recent political turmoil in Egypt sent all the share markets in the world downward. All investors lost a lot of sum. This political crisis was unpredictable and no investor was able to protect his investment against this downf all. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Economists use the term ‘beta’ to show the relationship between a stock’s return and the general market movement. For example, if you assign beta 1 to general market (index) and 2 to a particular share, it means if the market goes up 20%, the share goes up 40% and if the market goes down 10%, the share goes down 20%. It means, this particular share is twice as volatile as the market index. Shares with betas greater than 1 are called aggressive shares as they carry more risk than the market. In addition, they affect the entire portfolio in a greater degree than the market...This paper describes financial market, outlines different types of risks in that market and methods for buyers to reduce the risk. Financial market is a mechanism that enables buyers and sellers to meet their financial requirements. Buyers are the investors who purchase short term or long term financial assets while sellers raise funds for their short term and long term requirements. The globalization made world markets more integrated and provided more opportunities in overseas investments. Based on the instruments dealt in the market, financial market divides into money market and capital market. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Money market deals with short term trading (buying and selling) of financial assets which have maturity period of one year or less. Capital market deals with securities (debt or equity) which companies and governments used to raise long term funds. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: systematic risks and unsystematic risks. Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Unsystematic risk is defined as â€Å"The unique or security specific risks that tend partially to offset one another in a portfolio Foreign exchange risk occurs due to changes in exchange rate

The supernatural is the force responsible for many of theevents of Macbeth Essay Example for Free

The supernatural is the force responsible for many of theevents of Macbeth Essay The supernatural is the force responsible for many of the events of Macbeth. How far do you agree with this statement? Throughout the play Macbeth goes through many changes, but the question is what is responsible for these changes? Responsible means to have control over something or someone something definitely has control over Macbeth, whether he himself has this control or the supernatural or even Lady Macbeth does I will be discussing in this essay. I will also decide what I think is responsible for the actions that Macbeth takes in the play. The supernatural may not be completely responsible for Macbeths actions but they almost certainly play an important part in the development of Macbeths character. Because the supernatural was a force that was believed in by everyone at that time Macbeth is willing to deem what they say: Macbeth: Into the air; and what seemd corporal melted As breath into the wind. Would they have stayed. Banquo: Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root That takes the reason prisoner? This extract is taken from after the witches first appearance in the play. Banquo is interested as to what they are, whereas Macbeth is intrigued about what they said. This could be the turning point for Macbeths development, the witchs predict that he will become King so maybe Macbeth thinks that he should help things along and that by killing the present King it wouldnt be disrupting the great chain of being because he would have become King anyway. In the first scene when the witchs first appear they immediately overturn ideas of good into bad with an incantation, Fair is foul and foul is fair. This could be responsible for Macbeth turning from a kind-hearted, considerate man into an insensitive, callous man. But this could be because of how Macbeth interprets their predictions, the witchs never actually told Macbeth to go and kill the king, they just said All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter! The witchs said no more about him becoming king or how he would become king. Banquo realises that they are a temptation and does not believe them, however they told Macbeth what he wanted to hear so they ratified his thoughts. But Macbeth never admits to acting on the basis of what they told him, damned all those that trust them Macbeth says this quite near to the end, after he has killed Duncan, Banquo and just before he has Macduffs family killed. Him having Macduffs family killed is also because of the witches, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff. This was the witchs first apparition in their second appearance in the play (they appear three times in total because three is a magical number and it sets the supernatural atmosphere that is the theme of Macbeth.) Soon after, Macbeth decides to have Macduffs family killed as a reprisal. I think that the witchs manage to have Macbeth put under their spell after the first prediction comes true He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor. This gives Macbeth proof that the witchs know his future and what lies in store for him. The dagger can be interpreted in two ways; either as a hallucination or a real dagger the witchs made in an incantation to tempt Macbeth further. Firstly I will talk about the dagger as a hallucination. Macbeth is a tragic hero and every tragic has a fatal flaw; Macbeths fatal flaw is ambition. Throughout the play he lets his ambition get the better of him and this ambition could be what drives him into hallucinating about the dagger because at this early point in the play Macbeth is still unsure of whether he should be killing the king or not, so he could be looking for encouragement a dagger pointing the way that he wants to go definitely is a good source of encouragement. But even Macbeth is unsure if it is real. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heart-oppressed brain? He debates in his mind for a while whether he is seeing it as a hallucination to reinforce his will to commit regicide. The other reason about the existence of the dagger is that it could be a creation made by the witchs. The witchs main role throughout the play is to violate Gods natural order and encourage Macbeth to overturn the great chain of being. So if the dagger is one of the witchs creations then they are certainly fore filling their role. Macbeth interprets the dagger as a sign that he must commit regicide (overturning the great chain of being) and so he does. Either way, the dagger is partly responsible for the continual trip that Macbeth takes down the path of evil. Although Banquo proves to be immune to the temptation of the witchs themselves, he is not immune to their prophecies. By Act III, two of the three prophecies have come true; the only one left is that Banquos offspring will in future become kings. This is a threat to Macbeth because he has gone through so much for him to become king and therefore his offspring to follow; he doesnt want these sacrifices he has made to be futile. Banquo also starts to infer that Macbeth is not the rightful king. This is why Macbeth decides to have Banquo killed. However, when Banquo is murdered Fleance escapes, thus making Macbeths conscience and fear of the truth come into play again. When Macbeth is at the feast, he sees the ghost of Banquo, but nobody else there does. This can also be interpreted in two ways, either the ghost was created by the witchs or it is Macbeths conscience making him hallucinate. If the ghost is real, he could be trying to warn Macbeth that what he is doing is wrong and he must turn back, however this is unlikely because there havent been any other events which have warned Macbeth that he is doing bad things this could mean that every event could be traced back to the witchs because they wouldnt want to discourage Macbeth, especially with their aim being to overturn the ideas of good into bad. However, if he is real and is going against what the witchs want it could be showing the disorder that Macbeth and his activities have brought into society. There are many other influences that could be responsible for Macbeths actions, one of which is Lady Macbeth. Macbeths role is to play the tragic hero whose fatal flaw is ambition. But he isnt the only one to be ambitious; Lady Macbeth is the dominant person in their relationship and her ambition for Macbeth shines through in the course of events. It is her that first plants the idea of killing Duncan in Macbeths head and it is her that provides the encouragement for Macbeth that he needs for confidence. She could easily be judged as selfish and manipulative because she got Macbeth to do the dirty work. Her role could be described as vital but still supplementary to the witches. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth by questioning his manhood; he could be seen as a feeble if he isnt willing to kill Duncan for his and her future. With a mixture of ambition and Lady Macbeths manipulative and encouraging characteristics there is definitely reason to doubt that the supernatural are responsible for Macbeth and his behaviour. The audience is immediately plunged into a mystical atmosphere because the first scene is with the witchs performing an incantation; this helps the audience to view the play from a spiritual view. The supernatural element does not only make itself known through the witchs, there are also references made to prayer, sanctity and cleansing. Another important aspect of the atmosphere of the play is the importance of dark and light. He witches are introduced to the play in foul weather they speak of thunder, lightning, fog, and filthy air this sets the play as one that the theme of evil is central. The witchs also say Fair is foul and foul is fair this shows how things are overturned in this play. The ironic part of that line is that when Macbeth himself enters; his first line is So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

Overview And Analysis Of Overconfidence

Overview And Analysis Of Overconfidence Overconfidence has to with presumption and excessive believe in ones abilities. In as much as people are gifted with various talents and abilities, it is incumbent of people to try and tone down on how they expose these to others as people can be very judgmental. Overconfidence therefore is having a cocksure mentality which is mostly not desirable in the society today. I really detest cocky individuals as they have a mentality of knowing-it-all and have a great disregard about other peoples opinions and contributions in day to day events in our lives. In this way most people often shun away these individuals as they are mostly self-centered and egocentric. Overconfidence can turn tragic if events dont work out as anticipated and it is therefore advisable not to be so certain about what lies in the realms of the unknown future. It also certainly adds pressure to our lives as we try too hard to achieve and even exceed in things that we do. It therefore leaves us doing our daily activities anchoring the outcome on what people would think of it therefore disregarding the very purpose of simplicity and comfort in life. Overconfident people are seen to be obnoxious and personally do not attract me very much. Creating an air of self-reliance in thoughts therefore isolates and individual as many tend not associate with people who do not appreciate contributions of others in society. Therefore loosening up and accommodating others makes them feel less intimidated and give them a feeling of playing a role in a team Overconfidence should therefore generally be discouraged unless it is done with moderation so as not to look unpleasant to others. This is especially in places like job interviews when one has little time to cut a niche for themselves and appear as the most ideal candidates for positions. Hypothesis This is a tentative proposition that is due to be verified or proven in future. It is a proposition whose approval is subject to investigations, often scientific to either affirm or decline the proposition. Personally I have often encountered cases that could have divergent but unknown values or results. The most common way in which I have been able to establish the true values is through hypothesis-testing. This involves giving a statement in the affirmation regarding the hypothesis and another nullifying proposition, often known as the null hypothesis. After research and scientific-based investigations, conclusions are made based on the results that would either confirm or negate the hypothesis. I often feel that hypotheses are a good way of proving scientific theories or untested facts. The hypothesis must always be worded so that it can be able to be tested in your experiment. Do this by often expressing the hypothesis using your selected independent variable (the variable you would be changed during your experiment) and the dependent variable (the variable that is observed-changes in the dependent variable would depend on changes in the independent variable). In fact, in many hypotheses, there are stated exactly as: If a particular independent variable is changed by a given value, then there is also a subsequent change in a certain dependent variable. Hypotheses can sometimes be used to give the wrong analysis of facts. I therefore think that careful scientific backing is mandatory in any of these experiments. In this way, the results are sound and can be proven by any replicated experiment. Critical thinking Critical thinking is a high level of looking at issues in a manner that questions the often assumed conclusions and goes a long way in asserting a sense of exploring every possibility in a theory or allegation. I have always thought of critical thinking as an emancipation of the mind in a way that frees one from the conventional and often made assumptions. Free and independent-mindedness is seminal for critical thinking. It is the only way that people can start to think outside the box and away from the norm. Critical thinking is an intellectually disciplined process which involves use of actively and skillfully applying, conceptualizing, analyzing and evaluating information that has been gathered as a result of experience observation, reflection, reasoning, or even communication. It is based on universally accepted intellectual values that are beyond any subject matter divisions like precision, clarity, consistency, sound evidence relevance or even fairness. It would entail the close scrutiny of elements of thought or structures implicit in all aspects of reasoning: empirical grounding; purpose concepts reasoning leading to conclusions; implications of conclusions and their consequences; objections from alternative views as well as frame of reference. Critical thinking is being responsive to variable viewpoints in subject matter, purposes and issues. It is incorporated in a class of interwoven modes of thinking, among them- mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, economic thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, moral thinking, as well as philosophical thinking. Culture Culture is a set of shared pattern or thought that are common in a given society. The underlying culture of a given person is highly likely to affect an individual. Culture is diverse and it is a product of the environmental set up, this is the reason why, different people in different geographical settings embrace different sets of cultures that are almost similar to those of other people in those particular settings. Each culture has a set of elements that are inherent to that particular culture. In most cultures, language is the key element that determines how different members that belong to that culture communicate. Taboos and norms define what is acceptable within that particular culture. The various elements as defined in each culture help bringing social harmony, which is basically a state of synchronization between various individuals that co-exist in a given society. Without the existence of culture (and the corresponding values), the likelihood of unnecessary collisions with other members of society is very high. More often than not, an individuals culture usually comes into play before making many critical decisions. As a student, more often than not, the decisions I have are to some extent influenced by the different cultures at play-where to learn and the culture of the people there, the various eating cultures of the people, who to interact with and their culture. Most people however, are not very much aware of how culture really affects the short term or long term decisions that they make. Endorphins Endorphins chemicals housed in the brain referred to as neurotransmitters. They perform their functions by transmitting signals of an electrical nature in and around the nervous system. The human system has exhibited numerous types endorphins, which are manifested in different parts. The pituitary gland is where the endorphins are found, the other place is in some parts of the brain and also, they are well distributed in the nervous system. Pain and stress are most common factors leading to the release of endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that are released primarily to ease pain in the body. Endorphins have also been known to produce a euphoric feeling amongst people. The release of Endorphin varies among individuals. This means that two people exercising at the same level or suffer the same degree of pain may not necessarily produce similar levels of endorphins. Various activities can be used to increase the levels of endorphin. Studies of acupuncture and massage therapy have shown that exercise can stimulate endorphin secretion. Change of blindness Change blindness refers to the fact that the brain, does not envisage the accurate presentation of the world and the surrounding. The brain first scrutinizes the suitability of data before subsequent storage. One would think that, it all has to do with the eyes, but that is not the case. The brain is responsible for everything that the eyes land on. This implies that, it is not possible for the brain to recognize change to any given object, if there is no memory of the object stored in the brain. This explains the reason why the people could not detect any change when the construction workers switched position and clothing. The attentive nature also contributes to the degree of whether an incidence is stored in the brain or not. If a person is paying close attention to the subject matter, then there is no doubt the brain will be able to store the event and could easily recognize any form of change to the element or object thereof. In the event that, the person was not paying attention, the incidence in question should be one that is able to distract, the people from whatever they are doing to concentrate on it. The brain deals with different situations on a first come, first serve basis. In order for the brain to have memory of the incident, concentration even for a moment is fundamental. Whether the brain is able to absorb and store information or even the change of an element, it all depends on state of mind of the person at the time. Busy minds will tend not to notice any changes in the surrounding at all. This is because the mind is occupied. However, idle minds will most certainly see a change in the environment. This is because the brain is not concentrating on any particular element or issue for storage in its memory. However the nature of the event should be able to attract significant attention. Rapid eye movement Rapid eye movement is the commonly known as REM sleep is the point of sleep, where there is movement of eyes randomly. Random eye movement is subject to numerous changes in the physiology, in addition to the fact that it is periodical in nature. When we are asleep and not having any dreams our eyes do not record any movements at all. The random movement of eyes is demonstrated when one starts to dream. At this point the activity recorded by the brain bears a close resemblance to that when one is awake. REM sleep is progressive in nature and will keep up to the pick of the night, when it is assumed that one is at the pick of his or her sleep. As the night drifts towards the end, the intensity of REM sleep increases. However the REM sleep differs significantly depending on the age of the person. This implies that REM sleep is more pronounced in babies than it is experienced by adults. The babies experience REM sleep in most of their sleep. The adults on the other hand experience REM sleep in a very small portion of their sleep. REM sleep is essential in the preservation of the overall memory in the brain. Despite this, REM sleep is accompanied by irregularity of the rate of the heart, coupled with the fact that, the rate of breathing is irregular. In addition to this, REM results to the improper regulation of the temperature in the body. REM is not common at all, and the only way one can easily slide to REM sleep is in the event of deprived sleeping hours. The people who have not slept for a while will most certainly drift to REM sleep much faster than those who are in a good condition as regards sleep deprivation. During REM sleep, it is not the brain only where activity is recorded, rather in numerous other parts of the body. One thing is for sure REM sleep, engages parts of the body as if the person was awake. Depressants A depressant refers to a substance, especially drug that impairs by slowing down the nervous system. The operational effect of these drugs to the central nervous system entails action on the neurons which in turn leads to symptoms that vary significantly from one another. The symptoms experienced are relaxation, dizziness, and death in some extreme instances, to mention but a few. Prior to the manifestation of symptoms, the depressants in addition to reducing brain awareness, have the effect of decreasing the central nervous activities. The differences exhibited by these drugs are extremely wide as regards the harmful and safety effects manifested. There is no doubt; most of these drugs are more often than not harmful coupled with the fact that they are pretty much addictive, however a significant portion of these drugs is also safe and of great importance in the medicine world. Benzodiazepines, ethyl alcohol and barbiturates are examples of depressants. Barbiturates for instance is used in medicine to manage seizures, however, it is highly addictive. As a result it not commonly used in hospitals. Alcohol on the other hand is no doubt the most common of all. The effects of alcohol are known to all. In this century, alcohol is the most abused, even the minors are no exception to this predicament presented by alcohol. Despite the problems associated with alcohol, it is not possible to do away with it, because in addition to being legal, it is readily available to any willing buyer. Depressants, though of value to the people are harmful in many ways and people take them despite the impending dangers presented by these drugs. The depressants affect neural activities and as a result create illusion tendencies to the addicts whenever they take them. The depressants temporarily put the addicts in an ideal world, where the reality of life is none existent. This fact makes depressants extremely addictive especially for those who are desperate to escape from the realities of life even for a moment. Color deficient vision Color deficient vision also known as Color blindness is the reduced ability to distinguish between two different colors. The nature and impact of color deficient vision varies depending on the gender of the person. It is no secret; color blindness is more pronounced and manifested in men compared to women. Almost all people who suffer from color deficiency vision suffer specifically from the red-green color blindness. The main reason why men are more likely to be color blind, all has to do with the fact that, color blindness is mainly of red-green type. The red-green color blindness is gender bias, by the fact that it is enjoined in the x chromosomes. The resultant effect is that men will more likely than not suffer from color deficiency vision compared to the women, given that the red-green color deficiency vision is encoded in the xx chromosomes. The red-green color blindness is usually inherited from grandparents. The women do not necessarily suffer from the color deficiency vision, but they carry it pass it over to the child. The woes of people who suffer from the red-green color blindness are not just limited to the green and red color only, but rather extend to other colors in the spectrum. The major problem for the people suffering from the red-green color blindness is associated with the orange color and the green color. However this is not to say that the other colors do not cause their fair share of problems to the people suffering from color blindness. They certainly do, given the fact red-green color blindness is rampant with virtually all people with color deficiency vision suffering from it. Color deficiency vision; though a sensitive issue in different environmental set up and occupations, it does not in any way render the person suffering incompetent. The people could easily do well in the respective work despite the setback of color deficiency vision. Parallel processing Parallel processing refers to the capability of the brain to process and execute information that is of distinct quality. Vision is fundamental, given the fact that the brain the brain partitions whatever that comes to its sights into four sections of motion, depth, color and shape. The brain takes the initiative and scrutinizes them and subsequently evaluates them by making comparisons with the memory. Unlike the processor in the computer, the human brain has the ultimate capability is to process and execute numerous tasks at the same time with the assistance of the central nervous system and other close functions of the body, from the cognition aspects as regards the overall perception, to hearing, and lastly speaking. Co-ordination of a special nature for all these tasks is of great importance for the brain to complete the process successfully. Whereas the computers appears to process multiple tasks at the same time (multi-tasking), what really happens is that the instructions are read into the computer one by one in a mode that is referred to as serial transmission, this helps the computer in allocating suitable time cycles and avoiding resource conflicts that may arise. The working of the computer and the brain can however, be compared. The computer and the human brain have parts that are dedicated to their functionality. At no given point will these parts be used for other purposes and therefore reducing the chances of conflict of resources which may lead to a deadlock. The human brain may be slower than the computer, but one thing is for sure, it is extremely efficient and flexible compared to the processor of the computer. In addition to basic inputs, the computer will require instructions before executing any processes at it disposal.