Imperial presidency Essay

In the age of the imperial presidency, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that, in the totality of American history, a powerful chief executive has been the exception rather than the rule. Indeed, until the mid-twentieth century, the most powerful person in peacetime American governments was the Speaker of the House of Representatives rather than the president. Prior to World War II, presidential power was ascendant only during wartime. It is no mistake that the three men commonly cited as our greatest presidents also led the nation through its three most important wars. The image of George Washington as president is inseparable from his role in the American Revolution. Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his role in preserving the Union through the Civil War; other aspects of his presidency are largely ignored. Although Franklin Roosevelt accumulated considerable personal power during the 1930’s, he will be remembered for guiding the United States through World War II in the 1940’s. George W. Bush often refers to himself as the â€Å"Commander in Chief† rather than simply the â€Å"President† or the â€Å"Chief Executive†. This reflects President Bush’s acknowledgement of the fact that â€Å"Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces† is the most concentrated and unchecked power that a president is granted under the constitution. Any student of history is aware that a president is far more powerful when he is perceived to be not just a chief executive but a commander in chief. In other words, for a president to be historically powerful, there must be a war on. The watershed moment for the imperial American presidency was the aftermath of World War II. After every prior American war, the nation had demobilized, the president had assumed his traditional, more limited portfolio, and the Congress had reestablished its position as the pivotal branch of the federal government. After World War II, however, and especially after the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, there was no demobilization. Instead, the executive branch of the federal government underwent an overhaul and reorganization that irreversibly changed the nature of the presidency and of the United States itself. President Truman would mold a policy that was without precedent in American history; this policy would call for large standing armies in peacetime, a radically strengthened and centralized executive, and a willingness to project American force around the world, at times without direct congressional approval. The underlying logic to this revolution in American government was the need to contain the expansionist designs of the Soviet Union. In 1947, the National Security Act created the CIA, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Council. This creation of a spy agency, a permanent standing army, and a radically strengthened executive changed forever the nature of American government. After the National Security Act of 1947, a permanent war footing, or at least a war psychology, settled over Washington, D. C. Although the United States was technically at peace more often than not for the rest of the century, the president’s identity as â€Å"commander in chief† maintained a gravity that simply would have been impossible in prior periods. One mitigating factor in this shift was the logistical realities of modern warfare, embodied most purely and terribly by nuclear weapons. The incomparable damage that such weapons could exact, and the relative speed with which they could be delivered, precluded consultations between the President and the Congress under many feasible scenarios. This inevitably strengthened the latitude and increased the responsibility of the chief executive, who could become the commander in chief, responsible for the physical survival of the United States, at any given moment. The psychological shift was just as important as the revolution in weaponry. For the first time the United States, or at least its leadership, perceived itself to be under siege even in the absence of a hot war. The idea of a global and aggressive Soviet menace led to a willingness in American leaders to interpret local and isolated conflicts as part of a broader communist conspiracy that must be contained by a massive American military machine. Human nature being what it is, the unprecedented size and power of the Pentagon made it far easier for American presidents to order the use of force, which in turn consolidated their power as active â€Å"commanders in chief†. From 1947 through 1991, the United States fought two major wars in Korea and Vietnam, but the overarching Cold War solidified the idea that the president’s primary and permanent role was to serve as commander in chief. This notion would have known no place in America prior to World War II. The nation was founded on a well-reasoned fear of centralized executives and the nation had spent most of its early history avoiding such pitfalls. During the Cold War, it embraced this pitfall as an unfortunate necessity, if not a virtue. At the end of the Cold War, there was talk of a â€Å"peace dividend† which would allow for radically reduced defense spending and, by implication, a more restrained presidency. The Gulf War of 1991 arrived just in time to forestall any radical lurch in that direction. During the Clinton administration, the presidency remained powerful, and the United States carried out several military operations from Haiti to Kosovo. The strength of the presidency was only magnified by the fact that the United States was now the only global superpower. The 9/11 attacks, of course, put America on an indefinite war footing analogous to the Cold War. George W. Bush declared with what looked to some as great excitement that he was a â€Å"war president†. Since the United States has been at war in Afghanistan and Iraq for six years, Bush’s personal power has been established by stressing his identity as commander in chief, identifying the defense of the United States as his most important task. Another issue that has risen out of Bush’s embrace of the imperial presidency is how such power is exercised domestically as opposed to internationally. President Bush and his attorneys have argued that the United States is involved in a war in which all of the Earth, including the United States, is the â€Å"battlefield†. This means, according to their arguments, that the president’s power as commander in chief applies just as much in the United States as anywhere else. This dubious and dangerous idea has led to unwarranted surveillance of American citizens in the United States, indefinite detention without charge or legal representation for anyone identified by the commander in chief as an â€Å"enemy combatant†, and the use of â€Å"enhanced interrogation† on detainees, which any honest person would call torture. These draconian measures are best embodied in the Military Commission Act of 2006, which effectively suspends Habeas Corpus and all subsequent legal rights to any individual declared an enemy on the sole authority of the commander in chief. The domestic and international conditions which prevailed when the founding fathers wrote the constitution are obviously no longer valid. It is a testament to the genius of these men that the American system has lasted as long as it has. While certain changes are necessary and inevitable over the decades and the centuries, I am personally very uncomfortable with the level of power that is concentrated in the modern presidency, especially as manifested by the Bush administration. The current administration is the embodiment of the danger inherent in so much power being vested in a single person. After World War II, new global realities called for a more robust presidency, but the balance that was struck with varying degrees of success throughout the Cold War is absent from the current situation. The Military Commission Act of 2006 allows the President to kidnap an American citizen, hold him in prison without charging him with a crime, letting him see a lawyer or a judge, or telling his family where he is, torture him, and never release him. This is not hyperbole; it is now allowable under American law. Most people with respect for human dignity and for the American constitution can agree that this is not the America we want to live in. â€Å"A democracy cannot wage war. When you go to war, you pass a law giving extraordinary powers to the President. The people of the country assume when the emergency is over, the rights and powers that were temporarily delegated to the Chief Executive will be returned to the states, counties and to the people. † –General Walter Bedell Smith (Weiner 189). Works Cited Lowi, Theodore J. , Benjamin Ginsberg, and Kenneth A. Shepsle. American Government: Power and Purpose. W. W. Norton, 2005. Shafritz, Jay M. and Lee S. Weinberg. Classics in American Government. Wadsworth Publishing, 2005. Weiner, Tim. Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Doubleday, 2007.

Early to Bed

Early to Bed April 17th 2013 Section 1 It’s not unusual you can hear the floorboards creak, the toilet flush, and the sound of the first one shoe drop to the floor from your neighbor at 1 a. m. in your apartment, and you may be one of them. Nowadays many people stay up late, especially for those people who have variable sleep schedules, such as university students. University students usually change their sleep schedules due to studying, working for a living, or working for social networking (e. g. alcohol and caffeine consumption). Staying up late usually leads to insufficient sleep, and this situation is prevalent among university students. According to a survey done by Leon C. Lack Ph. D. in the journal â€Å"Delayed Sleep and Sleep Loss in University Students†, â€Å"A sample of 211 university first-year psychology students†¦ accounted for about 50% of the total enrollment in the course†¦ about 50% of the sample complained of insufficient sleep and estima ted needing about half an hour more sleep on the average to feel rested. (Lakc, 2010) Moreover, the author also realized the linkage between staying up late and the insufficient sleep, â€Å"Delayed sleep pattern presumably arises from a delay in their endogenous biological rhythms that creates difficulty in falling asleep early enough to get sufficient sleep before necessary weekday morning awakening. † (Lakc, 2010) Both delayed sleep and insufficient sleep can cause serious healthy issues, and also affect one’s working productivity. Based on the Journal named â€Å"Pathways to adolescent health sleep regulation and behavior† by Ronald E Dahl, M. D. â€Å"There is mounting evidence that sleep deprivation has its greatest negative effects on the control of behavior, emotion, and attention†¦ the most obvious direct health consequences of insufficient sleep are high-risk behaviors associated with substance abuse and automobile accidents. † (Dahl, 2002) Delayed sleep may harass one’s circadian rhythm, and further lead to delayed sleep phase disorder. Insufficient sleep may cause emotional fluctuation, which further affect your social networking relationships since being tired usually means being grumpy. Students usually think that they are more productive at night, owever the truth is opposite. Humans aren’t used to saying up late, in the optimal situation, based on an article from CNN Health, â€Å"we rise in the morning and after about 16 hours of wakefulness we are sleepy and we go to bed and sleep for eight hours† (Shives, 2010) Staying up simply means we use our brains so intensively even when our brains are ready for a rest. During the weekdays, delayed sleep and insufficient sleep make us feel tired in the daytime, and it is difficult for students to be concentrated in classes, then further affect students’ academic performances.The benefits of sleeping early are obvious. Going to bed early helps us maintain the order of circadian rhythm and ensures the quality of sleep at night. Based on Dahl’s journal, â€Å"Sleep appears to be particularly important during periods of brain maturation. † (Dahl, 2002) Sleeping is the process of restoring our brain, we would be more productive, concentrated, and confident in our work during daytime. Sleeping early means we can have more time in the morning. Changing and maintain sleep schedule is a continuous process. It is impossible to accomplish all the changes overnight.In order to successfully switch sleep schedule to optimal situation, we should be aware the healthy issues derived from delayed sleep, identify a target behavior with a personal research, set achievable and incremental goals as time goes by, and finally reward your success. Section 2 As a junior-year university student at business school, both my academic and personal life have been busy, being productive is one of the major factors that let me survive. I o ften stayed up late to get work done since I thought sacrificing sleep created more time for work, and then I could keep abreast of my schedule.However, things just went contrary to my wishes. First of all, staying up shorted my sleep time, which led to insufficient sleep time. Then I had to use coffee to fight for fatigue and tiredness, but my productivity still kept low during classes. In order to catch up what I left during the classes, I had to spend more time to study outside. After I finished all my homework, it was usually around 1 a. m. , but the drag effect of caffeine kept me waking up at that time. My daily life was a vicious spiral and I found my body reactions slowed down physically and mentally, my motion was under the weather and even affected the relationship with my girlfriend. Therefore, the main reason I’ve chosen to sleep early is increasing my productivity and getting rid of fatigue and tiredness without caffeine. In order to optimize my sleep schedule, I organized a three-stage target schedule: The first stage (3/30 to 4/15), I went to bed at 12:00 a. m. and woke up as usual; the second stage (4/15 to 4/30), I went to bed at 12:00 a. m. and woke up half an hour early as usual; the third stage (After 4/30), I went to bed at 11:00 p. m. and woke up one hour early.Half a month has passed, even though I am in the second stage, but I do have some progresses that benefit for my daily life. Setting a fixed time to go to bed forces me to manage my time more effectively. Most importantly, sleeping early gives me more energy in daytime, and now I can keep my brain working without caffeine even I wake up half an hour early than before. My productivity is improving, and the biggest change is I can keep myself on the same page with professor in lectures simply because I have enough energy to think more and interact mentally.Nevertheless, things won’t change overnight, and I do encounter some difficulties during my behavior changing. So f ar, the biggest challenge has been my habit of staying up in my sub-consciousness. During weekdays, as long as my schedule gets crowded, I will have the intent to delay sleep time out of habit even those tasks are not urgent; in weekends, parties are attractive for me and most of them last until late night. Be honest, I did not meet my short-term goal three times so far. Reaching my ultimate goal is not easy, and I am implementing some strategies hopefully to keep myself on the right track.First of all, I believe separating my plan into three short-term stages makes my plan as a continuous improvement that is easier to accomplish and encourages me to proceed; second, finding a change agent is important. My girlfriend is my change agent, and she has helped me to act with the criteria I set closely. One advantage of choosing my girlfriend as the agent is I have to listen to her order because I do not want to piss her off. Even though I’ve not reached my ultimate goal yet, some potential long-term benefits can be observed.First and foremost, I will be more productive in my academic performance. Sleeping early provides my body an optimal circadian rhythm which gives me a high quality and sufficient sleep at night. Consequently, I will have abundant of energy to handle my busy university life. Moreover, sufficient energy will enable me to balance my academic life and personal life more reasonably, and then I will have a great passion to maintain my private relationship with my girlfriend and my social networking.Last but not least, sufficient sleep will give me a healthy life that will be the upmost foundation for my body health in my future life. Section 3 By reviewing my journal entries for the past half a month, in sum, I did follow my stage short-term target in weekdays. Meeting the short-term target in each stage is easier in weekdays because my class schedule is relatively fixed. Nevertheless, meeting the target in weekends has been the difficult part. As I mentioned in the last section, attending parties held in weekends last late made me out of my planned track.Moreover, since I was used to stay up late for a long time, sometimes I still consider staying up is a way to relax myself. As for the change of emotional process, at the very beginning, I even felt anxious when I went to bed without completing my tasks as usual, and this emotion hindered me to fall asleep. Fortunately, as I reorganized my tasks priority corresponding to my early to bed plan, and that anxious emotion has no longer been a problem. Below is a snapshot of my tracking chart.Cells with yellow filling indicate weekend days, and times in red font indicate failing fulfillments. Works Cited Lakc, L. C. (2010). Delayed Sleep and Sleep Loss in University Students. Journal of American College Health , 105. Dahl, R. E. (2002). Pathways to adolescent health sleep regulation and behavior. Journal of Adolescent Hleath , 10-11. Shives, L. (2010, 11 30). Get Some Sleep: A re you a night owl? Here's why. Retrieved 4 17, 2013, from CNN Health: http://thechart. blogs. cnn. com/2010/11/30/get-some-sleep-night-owl-its-a-real-condition/

Frostbite Chapter 12

Twelve I WAS OUT OF BED in a flash. We found the entire lodge abuzz with the news. People clustered in small groups in the halls. Family members sought each other out. Some conversations were conducted in terrified whispers; some were loud and easy to overhear. I stopped a few people, trying to get the story straight. Everyone had a different version of what had happened, though, and some wouldn't even pause to talk. They hurried past, either seeking out loved ones or preparing to leave the resort, convinced there might be a safer place elsewhere. Frustrated with the differing stories, I finally- reluctantly- knew I had to seek out one of the two sources who would give me solid information. My mother or Dimitri. It was like flipping a coin. I wasn't really thrilled with either one of them right now. I debated momentarily and finally decided on my mother, seeing as how she wasn't getting it on with Tasha Ozera. The door to my mother's room was ajar, and as Lissa and I entered, I saw that a sort of makeshift headquarters had been established here. Lots of guardians were milling around, moving in and out, and discussing strategy. A few gave us odd looks, but no one stopped or questioned us. Lissa and I slid onto a small sofa to listen to a conversation my mother was having. She stood with a group of guardians, one of whom was Dimitri. So much for avoiding him. His brown eyes glanced at me briefly and I averted my gaze. I didn't want to deal with my troubled feelings for him right now. Lissa and I soon discerned the details. Eight Moroi had been killed along with their five guardians. Three Moroi were missing, either dead or turned Strigoi. The attack hadn't really happened near here; it had been somewhere in northern California. Nonetheless, a tragedy like this couldn't help but reverberate within the Moroi world, and for some, two states away was far too close. People were terrified, and I soon learned what in particular made this attack so notable. â€Å"There had to be more than last time,† said my mother. â€Å"More?† exclaimed one of the other guardians. â€Å"That last group was unheard of. I still can't believe nine Strigoi managed to work together- you expect me to believe they managed to get more organized still?† â€Å"Yes,† snapped my mother. â€Å"Any evidence of humans?† someone else asked. My mother hesitated, then: â€Å"Yes. More broken wards. And the way it was all conducted†¦it's identical to the Badica attack.† Her voice was hard, but there was a kind of weariness in it, too. It wasn't physical exhaustion, though. It was mental, I realized. Strain and hurt over what they were talking about. I always thought of my mother as some sort of unfeeling killing machine, but this was clearly hard for her. It was a hard, ugly matter to discuss- but at the same time, she was tackling it without hesitation. It was her duty. A lump formed in my throat that I quickly swallowed down. Humans. Identical to the Badica attack. Ever since that massacre, we'd extensively analyzed the oddity of such a large group of Strigoi teaming up and recruiting humans. We'd spoken in vague terms about â€Å"if something like this ever happens again †¦Ã¢â‚¬  But no one had seriously talked about this group- the Badica killers- doing it again. One time was a fluke- maybe a bunch of Strigoi had happened to gather and impulsively decided to go on a raid. It was horrible, but we could write that off. But now†¦now it looked as though that group of Strigoi hadn't been a random occurrence. They'd united with purpose, utilized humans strategically, and had attacked again. We now had what could be a pattern: Strigoi actively seeking out large groups of prey. Serial killings. We could no longer trust the protective magic of the wards. We couldn't even trust sunlight. Humans could move around in the day, scouting and sabotaging. The light was no longer safe. I remembered what I'd said to Dimitri at the Badica house: This changes everything, doesn't it? My mother flipped through some papers on a clipboard. â€Å"They don't have forensic details yet, but the same number of Strigoi couldn't have done this. None of the Drozdovs or their staff escaped. With five guardians, seven Strigoi would have been preoccupied- at least temporarily- for some to escape. We're looking at nine or ten, maybe.† â€Å"Janine's right,† said Dimitri. â€Å"And if you look at the venue†¦it's too big. Seven couldn't have covered it.† The Drozdovs were one of the twelve royal families. They were large and prosperous, not like Lissa's dying clan. They had plenty of family members to go around, but obviously, an attack like this was still horrible. Furthermore, something about them tickled my brain. There was something I should remember †¦ something I should know about the Drozdovs. While part of my mind puzzled that out, I watched my mother with fascination. I'd listened to her tell her stories. I'd seen and felt her fight. But really, truly, I'd never seen her in action in a real-life crisis. She showed every bit of that hard control she did around me, but here, I could see how necessary it was. A situation like this created panic. Even among the guardians, I could sense those who were so keyed up that they wanted to do something drastic. My mother was a voice of reason, a reminder that they had to stay focused and fully assess the situation. Her composure calmed everybody; her strong manner inspired them. This, I realized, was how a leader behaved. Dimitri was just as collected as she was, but he deferred to her to run things. I had to remind myself sometimes that he was young as far as guardians went. They discussed the attack more, how the Drozdovs had been having a belated Christmas party in a banquet hall when they were attacked. â€Å"First Badicas, now Drozdovs,† muttered one guardian. â€Å"They're going after royals.† â€Å"They're going after Moroi,† said Dimitri flatly. â€Å"Royal. Non-royal. It doesn't matter.† Royal. Non-royal. I suddenly knew why the Drozdovs were important. My spontaneous instincts wanted me to jump up and ask a question right now, but I knew better. This was the real deal. This was no time for irrational behavior. I wanted to be as strong as my mother and Dimitri, so I waited for the discussion to end. When the group started to break up, I leapt up off the sofa and pushed my way toward my mother. â€Å"Rose,† she said, surprised. Like in Stan's class, she hadn't noticed me in the room. â€Å"What are you doing here?† It was such a stupid question, I didn't try to answer it. What did she think I was doing here? This was one of the biggest things to happen to the Moroi. I pointed to her clipboard. â€Å"Who else was killed?† Irritation wrinkled her forehead. â€Å"Drozdovs.† â€Å"But who else?† â€Å"Rose, we don't have time- â€Å" â€Å"They had staff, right? Dimitri said non-royals. Who were they?† Again, I saw the weariness in her. She took these deaths hard. â€Å"I don't know all the names.† Flipping through a few pages, she turned the clipboard toward me. â€Å"There.† I scanned the list. My heart sank. â€Å"Okay,† I told her. â€Å"Thanks.† Lissa and I left them to go about their business. I wished I could have helped, but the guardians ran smoothly and efficiently on their own; they had no need for novices underfoot. â€Å"What was that about?† asked Lissa, once we were heading back to the main part of the lodge. â€Å"The Drozdovs' staff,† I said. â€Å"Mia's mom worked for them†¦.† Lissa gasped. â€Å"And?† I sighed. â€Å"And her name was on the list.† â€Å"Oh God.† Lissa stopped walking. She stared off into space, blinking back tears. â€Å"Oh God,† she repeated. I moved in front of her and placed my hands on her shoulders. She was shaking. â€Å"It's okay,† I said. Her fear came to me in waves, but it was a numbed fear. Shock. â€Å"This is going to be okay.† â€Å"You heard them,† she said. â€Å"There's a band of Strigoi organizing and attacking us! How many? Are they coming here?† â€Å"No,† I said firmly. I had no evidence of that, of course. â€Å"We're safe here.† â€Å"Poor Mia †¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was nothing I could say to that. I thought Mia was an absolute bitch, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone, not even my worst enemy- which, technically, she was. Immediately, I corrected that thought. Mia wasn't my worst enemy. I couldn't bear to leave Lissa's side for the rest of the day. I knew there were no Strigoi lurking in the lodge, but my protective instincts ran too strong. Guardians protected their Moroi. Like usual, I also worried about her being anxious and upset, so I did my best to diffuse those feelings. The other guardians provided reassurance for Moroi too. They didn't walk side by side with the Moroi, but they reinforced lodge security and stayed in constant communication with guardians at the scene of the attack. Information flowed in all day about the grisly specifics, as well as speculation about where the band of Strigoi was. Little of this was shared with novices, of course. While the guardians did what they did best, the Moroi also did what they- unfortunately- did best: talk. With so many royals and other important Moroi at the lodge, a meeting was organized that night to discuss what had happened and what might be done in the future. Nothing official would be decided here; the Moroi had a queen and a governing council elsewhere for those types of decisions. Everyone knew, though, that opinions gathered here would make their way up the chain of command. Our future safety could very well depend on what was discussed in this meeting. It was held in an enormous banquet hall inside the lodge, one with a podium and plenty of seating. Despite the businesslike atmosphere, you could tell this room had been designed for things other than meetings about massacres and defense. The carpet had the texture of velvet and showed an ornate floral design in shades of silver and black. The chairs were made of black polished wood and had high backs, clearly intended for fancy dining. Paintings of long-dead Moroi royalty hung on the walls. I stared briefly at one of a queen whose name I didn't know. She wore an old-fashioned dress- too heavy on lace for my tastes- and had pale hair like Lissa's. Some guy I didn't know was in charge of moderating and stood at the podium. Most of the royals on hand gathered at the front of the room. Everyone else, including students, took seats wherever they could. Christian and Mason had found Lissa and me by that point, and we all started to sit in the back when Lissa suddenly shook her head. â€Å"I'm going to sit in the front.† The three of us stared at her. I was too dumbfounded to probe her mind. â€Å"Look.† She pointed. â€Å"The royals are sitting up there, sitting by family.† It was true. Members of the same clans had clustered near each other: Badicas, Ivashkovs, Zekloses, etc. Tasha sat there as well, but she was by herself. Christian was the only other Ozera there. â€Å"I need to be up there,† said Lissa. â€Å"No one expects you to be there,† I told her. â€Å"I have to represent the Dragomirs.† Christian scoffed. â€Å"It's all a bunch of royal bullshit.† Her face set into a determined expression. â€Å"I need to be up there.† I opened myself up to Lissa's feelings and liked what I found. She'd spent most of the day quiet and afraid, much as she had when we'd found out about Mia's mom. That fear was within her still, but it was overpowered by a steady confidence and determination. She recognized that she was one of the ruling Moroi, and as much as the idea of roving bands of Strigoi scared her, she wanted to do her part. â€Å"You should do it,† I said softly. I also liked the idea of her defying Christian. Lissa met my eyes and smiled. She knew what I had sensed. A moment later, she turned to Christian. â€Å"You should join your aunt.† Christian opened his mouth to protest. If not for the horribleness of the situation, seeing Lissa order him around would have been funny. He was always stubborn and difficult; those who tried to push him didn't succeed. Watching his face, I saw the same realization I'd had about Lissa come over him. He liked seeing her strong too. He pressed his lips together in a grimace. â€Å"Okay.† He caught her hand, and the two of them walked off toward the front. Mason and I sat down. Just before things started, Dimitri sat down on the other side of me, hair tied behind his neck and the leather coat draping around him as he settled in the chair. I glanced at him in surprise but said nothing. There were few guardians at this gathering; most were too busy doing damage control. It would figure. There I was, stuck between both of my men. The meeting kicked off shortly thereafter. Everyone was eager to talk about how they thought the Moroi should be saved, but really, two theories got the most attention. â€Å"The answer's all around us,† said one royal, once he'd been given leave to speak. He stood by his chair and looked around the room. â€Å"Here. In places like this lodge. And St. Vladimir's. We send our children to safe places, places where they have safety in numbers and can be easily guarded. And look how many of us made it here, children and adults alike. Why don't we live this way all the time?† â€Å"Plenty of us already do,† someone shouted back. The man waved that off. â€Å"A couple of families here and there. Or a town with a large Moroi population. But those Moroi are still decentralized. Most don't pool their resources- their guardians, their magic. If we could emulate this model†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He spread his hands out. â€Å"†¦ we'd never have to worry about Strigoi again.† â€Å"And Moroi could never interact with the rest of the world again,† I muttered. â€Å"Well, until humans discovered secret vampire cities sprouting up in the wilderness. Then we'd have lots of interactions.† The other theory about how to protect the Moroi involved fewer logistical problems but had greater personal impact- particularly for me. â€Å"The problem is simply that we don't have enough guardians.† This plan's advocate was some woman from the Szelsky clan. â€Å"And so, the answer is simple: get more. The Drozdovs had five guardians, and that wasn't enough. Only six to protect over a dozen Moroi! That's unacceptable. It's no wonder these kinds of things keep happening.† â€Å"Where do you propose getting more guardians from?† asked the man who'd been in favor of Moroi banding together. â€Å"They're kind of a limited resource.† She pointed to where I and a few other novices sat. â€Å"We've got plenty already. I've watched them train. They're deadly. Why are we waiting until they turn eighteen? If we accelerated the training program and focused more on combat training than bookwork, we could turn out new guardians when they're sixteen.† Dimitri made a sound low in his throat that didn't seem happy. Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands, eyes narrowed in thought. â€Å"Not only that, we have plenty of potential guardians going to waste. Where are all the dhampir women? Our races are intertwined. The Moroi are doing their part to help the dhampirs survive. Why aren't these women doing theirs? Why aren't they here?† A long, sultry laugh came as an answer. All eyes turned toward Tasha Ozera. Whereas many of the other royals had dressed up, she was easy and casual. She wore her usual jeans, a white tank top that showed a bit of midriff, and a blue, lacy knit cardigan that came to her knees. Glancing at the moderator, she asked, â€Å"May I?† He nodded. The Szelsky woman sat down; Tasha stood up. Unlike the other speakers, she strode right up to the podium, so she could be clearly seen by everyone. Her glossy black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, completely exposing her scars in a way I suspected was intentional. Her face was bold and defiant. Beautiful. â€Å"Those women aren't here, Monica, because they're too busy raising their children- you know, the ones you want to start sending out to the fronts as soon as they can walk. And please don't insult us all by acting like the Moroi do a huge favor to the dhampirs by helping them reproduce. Maybe it's different in your family, but for the rest of us, sex is fun. The Moroi doing it with dhampirs aren't really making that big of a sacrifice.† Dimitri had straightened up now, his expression no longer angry. Probably he was excited that his new girlfriend had mentioned sex. Irritation shot through me, and I hoped that if I had a homicidal look on my face, people would assume it was for Strigoi and not the woman currently addressing us. Beyond Dimitri, I suddenly noticed Mia sitting by herself, farther down the row. I hadn't realized she was here. She was slumped in her seat. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face paler than usual. A funny ache burned in my chest, one I'd never expected her to bring about. â€Å"And the reason we're waiting for these guardians to turn eighteen is so that we can allow them to enjoy some pretense of a life before forcing them to spend the rest of their days in constant danger. They need those extra years to develop mentally as well as physically. Pull them out before they're ready, treat them like they're parts on an assembly line- and you're just creating Strigoi fodder.† A few people gasped at Tasha's callous choice of words, but she succeeded in getting everyone's attention. â€Å"You create more fodder still if you try making the other dhampir women become guardians. You can't force them into that life if they don't want it. This entire plan of yours to get more guardians relies on throwing children and the unwilling into harm's way, just so you can- barely- stay one step ahead of the enemy. I would have said it's the stupidest plan I've ever heard, if I hadn't already had to listen to his.† She pointed at the first speaker, the one who had wanted Moroi compounds. Embarrassment clouded his features. â€Å"Enlighten us then, Natasha,† he said. â€Å"Tell us what you think we should do, seeing as you have so much experience with Strigoi.† A thin smile played on Tasha's lips, but she didn't rise to the insult. â€Å"What do I think?† She strode closer to the stage's front, gazing at us as she answered his question. â€Å"I think we should stop coming up with plans that involve us relying on someone or something to protect us. You think there are too few guardians? That's not the problem. The problem is there are too many Strigoi. And we've let them multiply and become more powerful because we do nothing about them except have stupid arguments like this. We run and hide behind the dhampirs and let the Strigoi go unchecked. It's our fault. We are the reason those Drozdovs died. You want an army? Well, here we are. Dhampirs aren't the only ones who can learn to fight. The question, Monica, isn't where the dhampir women are in this fight. The question is: Where are we?† Tasha was shouting by now, and the exertion turned her cheeks pink. Her eyes shone with her impassioned feelings, and when combined with the rest of her pretty features- and even with the scar- she made a striking figure. Most people couldn't take their eyes off her. Lissa watched Tasha with wonder, inspired by her words. Mason looked hypnotized. Dimitri looked impressed. And farther past him †¦ Farther past him was Mia. Mia no longer hunched in her chair. She was sitting up straight, straight as a stick, her eyes as wide as they could go. She stared at Tasha as though she alone held all the answers to life. Monica Szelsky looked less awed, and she fixed her gaze on Tasha. â€Å"Surely you aren't suggesting the Moroi fight alongside the guardians when the Strigoi come?† Tasha regarded her levelly. â€Å"No. I'm suggesting the Moroi and the guardians go fight the Strigoi before they come.† A guy in his twenties who looked like a Ralph Lauren spokesmodel shot up. I would have wagered money he was royal. No one else could have afforded blond highlights that perfect. He untied an expensive sweater from around his waist and draped it over the back of his chair. â€Å"Oh,† he said in a mocking voice, speaking out of turn. â€Å"So, you're going to just give us clubs and stakes and send us off to do battle?† Tasha shrugged. â€Å"If that's what it takes, Andrew, then sure.† A sly smile crossed her pretty lips. â€Å"But there are other weapons we can learn to use, too. Ones the guardians can't.† The look on his face showed how insane he thought that idea was. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Oh yeah? Like what?† Her smile turned into a full-fledged grin. â€Å"Like this.† She waved her hand, and the sweater he'd placed on the back of his chair burst into flames. He yelped in surprise and knocked it to the floor, stamping it out with his feet. There was a brief, collective intake of breath throughout the room. And then †¦ chaos broke out.

About Yang Fudong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About Yang Fudong - Essay Example Just like any other works of art photography in an in-grown skill and the craftiness of photography is essential in determining the quality of a photograph. In this essay, we shall focus on Yang Fudong as the central reference in reviewing different aspects or art. In addition, we shall focus on the location; explore some details concerning the nature of photographs and why his work of art is significant. Yang is an experienced photographer whose birth dates back to 1971 in Shanghai china. Unlike some professional photographers, yang Fadong’s involvement in photography is driven by his interest in films, photographs and video. In all his works, the main focus is to realize the full power of imagery in exploring subjectivity, experience and thought. His ability to draw stylistically important details from the history of Chinese cinema is worth noting. This information is then presented in the form of open ended narratives that combine quotidian ritual with a dream and fantasy. In addition to his undisputable interest in art, yang is a trained painter with credentials from china academy of fine arts in Hangzhou (Ye Jiang, 2011, p.1). Yang has been in the art industry for a long time which explains his experience and the ability to produce quality and moving works of art. His venture into serious photography and art work started in the 1990s where he worked in the medium of film and video. Photographs and pieces of art made by yang Fudong are uniqueand stand out even when theyare put together with other pieces of art. All his works portray a high level of cinematography and clearly prove his mastery of cinematic style. Yang also appreciates the diversity of art. He believes that art is not restricted or governed by a set of rules or conditions. The freedom of expression in art is evident through the various photographs, films and paintings at UC Berkley art museum. The films have two major characteristics. They are open-ended and philosophical. This means t hat the films trigger questions that revolve around both history and contemporary life particularly in issues that affect the young people. The black and white film, seven intellectuals in a bamboo forest, which is adopted from a traditional Chinese tale-the seven sages of bamboo grove- is fantastic and a commendable work of art. He uses a romantic framework cautiously and courteously to preserve Chinese contemporary values to examine the societal and organizational structures in china today. In this piece of art, yang examines china through the eyes of young urban intellectuals and tries to establish their thoughts and feelings. This portray the real potential that art has in expressing peoples thoughts, feelings and grievances or problems that affect them in their daily lives. The Nightmancometh is a single screen work which unveils in the realm of historical fantasy to adequately encompass thought and feelings through the use of immortal characters. This piece of work is very pop ular among the many film, photographs and paintings that yang funding has developed in his lifetime. In developing and presenting this piece of work yang settled for a neo-realism description rather than historical or allegorical one. This method combines current and contemporary social factors in one piece of artwork. This film is a clear expression of the fact that when historical events appear and reappear, they seize being part of history and become part of the present or future. In viewing this film, the writer is taken through a series of changing emotions and thoughts as the warrior faces different circumstances. The view is left to wonder whether the warrior will continue fighting or will quit the battle half way. Yang fundong’

Microbial physiology and culture (Practical Oxygen Transfer in a Essay

Microbial physiology and culture (Practical Oxygen Transfer in a Stirred Tank Reactor) - Essay Example In this experiment, this method is used in the determination of KLa. This process is important since it is applied in many fermentation processes which undergo aerobic reactions. This allows meeting the necessary metabolic demands of aerobic microorganisms. In this process, air is passed through a reactor at a constant flow rate at given speed in revolutions per minute. From the data, CL and time, it’s able to calculate KLa using the formula. Drawing a graph of  against time produces a straight line whose gradient is KLa (Karimi, 2013). Question 1 RPM = 200 From the graph, Thus M=0.0594 KLa=3.564 RPM at 400 From the graph, Thus Therefore the slope, m=0.0146 Thus, KLa = 0.0146*60 = 0.876 h-1 RPM at 600 From the graph, Thus Therefore the slope, m=0.0343 Thus, KLa = 0.0343*60 = 2.058 h-1 RPM at 800 From the graph, Thus Therefore the slope, m=0.0344 Thus, KLa = 0.0344*60 = 2.064h-1 Second practical Flow rate 0.5 Rpm 500 From the graph, Thus Therefore the slope, m=0.0114 Thus, KLa = 0.0114*60 = 0.684h-1 Flow rate 1.50 Rpm 500 Start air concentration 5.7 From the graph, Thus Therefore the slope, m= Thus, KLa = *60 = 2.07h-1 Flow rate 2.0 Rpm 500 Start air concentration 5.7 From the graph, Thus Therefore the slope, m= 0.0594 Thus, KLa = 0.0594*60 = 3.564h-1 Question 2 KLa F N Log KLa Log N 3.564 1 200 0.551938 2.30103 2.058 1 600 0.313445 2.778151 2.064 1 800 0.31471 2.90309 Since Log KLa= y log N + constant From the graph, The equation y=-0.4234X + 1.5199 Therefore the constant y=0.4234 KLa F N Log KLa Log F 0.684 0.5 500 -0.16494 -0.30103 2.07 1 500 0.31597 0 3.564 1.5 500 0.551938 0.176091 Since Log KLa= X log F + constant From the graph, The equation y=-1.5127X + 0.2973 Therefore the constant x=1.5127 Question 3 Factors affecting KLa in STR: 1. Culture Conditions 2. Operation of the fermenter 3. Impeller Design Question 4 Increase in the values of the above stated factors reduces the time for the dissolved oxygen concentration. Question 5 Why KLa ra ther than KL It is extremely impossible to measure KL alone. Therefore, to make KL measurable it has to be combined with a to form KLa (Volumetric mass – transfer coefficient) which is easier to determine Question 6 Polarographic oxygen electrode measure Polarographic system is used to measure dissolved oxygen. In this system, the measurement device known as a transducer is the Clark oxygen electrode. An oxygen monitor is the processing (coupling Device) and the recording device is a computer aided data system. Question 7 Importance of KLa KLa is important since it facilitates establishment of efficiency and also it helps in quantifying effects of operating variables that has to be applied on the provision of oxygen. Question 8 Techniques of determining KLa Sulfite oxidation technique In this process, the Oxygen transfer rate is determined by the oxidation of sulfite solution. Gassing-out techniques In this process, the estimation of KLa is done by monitoring the increase of dissolved oxygen in during the process of aeration and agitation. Question 9 From the graphing and the trend of the graph, it can be determined that as the agitation speed increases, the time taken for the dissolved oxygen to reach dissolved oxygen concentration is shortened. Bibliography Karimi, A., 2013. Oxygen mass transfer in a stirred tank bioreactor using different

In report format, prepare a services marketing mix (people, process, Essay - 1

In report format, prepare a services marketing mix (people, process, physical evidence) for the service offering on which you based assignment one - Essay Example All the outlets run their businesses 24/7 as opposed to what other institutions and players in the industry do. Definitely, providing accommodation service through any other system is questionable. The marketing process applied by the hotel justifies its quest to remain competitive in the industry and business. The process of marketing Holiday Inn starts with a decision defining the position of the hotel would be products, and services that would go on sale (Jerome 21). The visualized types of clients also appear at the initial stages of designing a marketing process. Essential marketing process includes creating awareness as of the hotel and its services and products as igniting the demand for the services and products offered at the hotel. They essentials help in meeting the set goals as well as gaining a competitive advantage in the market against other players. The growth of electronic marketing is one of the most influential, and essential patterns in the field of information and communication technology as well as marketing and business. The trend remains part of these fields over the past ten to twenty years. E marketing continues to revolutionize ways through which businesses carry out their promotional activities. The development of social media platforms provides the possibility to expand the manner in which business organizations and their interaction with consumers in future business environment. This discourse delves in to the analysis of the influence of e marketing on the business environment and the entire business as well. In carrying out the evaluation, the paper follows three comprehensible parts. Defining the concept of electronic marketing is in the first section the discourse giving room for evaluating ways through which e marketing contributes to the efforts by business institutions reaching their target market segment. Finally, the author of the paper

Legacies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legacies - Essay Example It wanted to free itself from the United States. This led to a bloody war between these two parties for four years. The Confederacy  was disadvantaged  in this war. This is because the U.S. government had  support  from twenty five  free  states from the north and the borders. They had a tremendously strong population base that helped them to  defeat  the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Party was against the promotion of slavery into other states that it never existed. The Republicans were victorious in their campaigns. This led seven states to  declare  secession from the U.S. federal government. These states united and formed the Confederacy States of America in 1860. The war began in 1861 after a U.S. military base  was attacked  by Confederate forces.  The U.S. federal government called on other states to  volunteer  their armies to fight back.  Both parties formed strong armies that fought against each other. There was a bloody  war  for four years (the American civil war). After the war, slavery  was brought  to an end. Slaves from the border and other Confederate slaves  were freed  by the state. There were numerous and tireless efforts to  reconstruct  the U.S. All in all, many historians today are of the opinion that the reconstruction was never a  success. It was a complete failure because many issues still remain unresolved.

What do you think will be the most critical issue facing the corporate Essay

What do you think will be the most critical issue facing the corporate world during the next few years - Essay Example For companies to adapt to the fast-paced business scenario, change in prevailing organizational culture is required. To address this, companies should find means to communicate desired changes to employees. They should be able to hone their workforce such that everybody becomes committed to make their respective companies more competitive. To maximize their productivity, companies should be able to instill to their employees that high-quality output and multi-tasking are rewarded and held at a premium. Moreover, companies should be able motivate their employees amidst the uncertainty of employment tenure. With globalization, labor turnover has dramatically escalated. As companies pursue streamlined operations, changes in skill requirements result. As such, thousands of people have been retrenched. Those retained by the companies usually feel demotivated with their productivity adversely affected. In view of the above, companies should be able to fortify their human resource management function. They should continuously undertake staff programs that will further enhance employee performance. Furthermore, they should be able to balance the process of economic globalization with employee welfare and satisfaction (Kinley & Joseph).

Marketing distribution management#3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Marketing distribution management#3 - Essay Example These can be through charity work and donations. Sales promotion involve seasoned media or non-media communications that aims at increasing consumer and market demands as well as product availabity through coupons, product samples or trade shows. Direct marketing involve channel agnostic advertisements like mobile messaging, online display ads or interactive consumer websites. Brand vision is to empower people with great software on any devise, anytime and anywhere. Brand position would be the market leader, while brand personality is safe. These brands increases sales of Microsoft goods and services as for example, one would prefer services from number one leader and more so a safe one. Building a brand before its launch before its launch is important in ensuring that it does not fail to meet its target or cause problems like Microsoft vista. It would also ensure that the corporation creates necessary structure for accommodating increased services if the brand is successful (Solomon, Cornel and

Personal values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal values - Essay Example This is of specific reference for me as I believe that the advantages of a diversified workforce can provide various benefits to an organization as a whole. This is due to the fact that each culture has its own positive input into the business mix, if managed correctly. This appears to be the case, as the performance appraisals reveal that a more nurturing and encouraging environment is evident from the analyses of these appraisals. The entire customer service ethos within Kudler is remarkable, as this is revealed in the mission statement of the company. Issues such as professional courtesy are of specific relevance, in terms of their customer care. In my appreciation of these factors, I am in total agreement of the customer service aspect as the correct treatment of the customer can, and normally does contribute to the business’ success and overall profit. Incorporated in the consumer care, Kudler continues to strive for additional choices of products for the customer, and although at times this may prove to be expensive in terms of the cost of holding the inventory, it will rather encourage the repeat customer as well as the addition of new customer seeking such a large variety in terms of their shopping requirements. The fact that the Kudler organization is a small business and is poised for growth, contributes to my personal value of growth. This represents an opportunity for growth and advancement within the business, as it expands and opens more stores across California and further when they decide to expand beyond the Californian borders. This in turn will offer the opportunity of progressing from a junor management role into a more senior management position as the company expands. This ties in with my personal value of personal growth, which can be applied as the organization grows into a larger and more expansive retail operation, as it grows towards the planned San Francisco store and expansion. Additionally

A Message to Garcia Essay Example for Free

A Message to Garcia Essay A Message to Garcia is an award winning essay written in 1899. It serves as an inspiration to some as well as a lesson. In the essay President McKinley needed to have a message delivered to Garcia in the jungles of Cuba, he trusted one man with this mission, Rowan. He gave Rowan clear instructions on what to do. He gave him no tips nor told him any way he could complete this mission, he simply trusted Rowan to get the job done with his skill alone. What I’ve taken from this is the leadership and trust that is put into action throughout a unit. The company commander passes down an order to the platoon commander who in turn passes it down to the platoon sergeant and then to the squad leaders and fire team leaders who are tasked with accomplishing the mission. The trust that was put in Rowan is the same trust that is tasked throughout squads and fire teams. We have to be able to use the resources that we have on hand and the skills we learn throughout our training to be able to accomplish whatever mission and task is set before us. It gives examples at the end of the essay of different types of people who could be tasked out for missions but get lost along their way and lose sight of what needs to be done. It talks about people who need to do work when the â€Å"boss† is away and does work as well when he is at home. The man who when given an order doesn’t question it, but obeys without hesitation and does his job proficiently and thoroughly. The leaders who step up when it is needed and when it is not to be able to build trust in one another and earn the respect of his peers. A Message to Garcia highlights a prime example of the leadership that is need in a battalion, company, platoon and squad sized element, as well as the society we live in.

A Historical Look at U.S. GAAP Essay Example for Free

A Historical Look at U.S. GAAP Essay ABSTRACT This paper discusses the historical development of generally accepted accounting principles through its contributing sources from 1930 to the present. U.S. Businesses had been using double entry accounting since the 1800s yet no uniform accounting practices had been introduced until the American Institute of Accountants (AIA) recommended to the New York Stock Exchange in 1932, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ five broad principles of accounting which have won fairly general acceptance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , (Zeff, 2005, para. 4). In which, the terms â€Å"fairly present† and â€Å"in accordance with† were first used followed up with â€Å"generally accepted accounting principles†. Later, a sixth principle was approved. These recommendations were based on the three assumptions that all business transactions were apart from the business owner, all transaction currencies measured in the US dollar, the assumption of time and the matching principle. Thus establishing a foundation of which all future accounting principles are based. The AIA formed the Committee on Accounting Procedures (CAP) to publish Accounting Research Bulletins (ARB) on GAAP under the authority of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) created by the Securities Act of 1934. The CAP was later reorganized into the Accounting Principles Board (APB) that issued Opinions between 1959 and 1973. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has been the source for private sector generally accepted accounting principles since 1973. Input by the private sector has been crucial to the development of GAAP since 1930. Historically, GAAP is influenced by the business condition and public interest. The Great Depression left the public with little faith in the private sector. Although the knowledge and experience of businesses would be consulted for standards; businesses were not trusted to set and regulate accounting standards. A common practice in the 1920s was to adjust asset values upward to the highest market value arguably misleading investors prior to the 1929 crash (Zeff, 2005, para. 10). In response, CAP and the SEC strongly mandated historical cost accounting as the acceptable basis of reporting. Shortly after, the U.S. was brought into WWII directing the CAP’s focus to issues pertaining to war time accounting. In addition, the CAP addressed the issues of the exclusion of unrealized profit from income, the use of capital surplus to offset losses, and notes and accounts receivable from officers, employees, and affiliated companies. The most notable item during the CAP’s tenure summed up was its ARBs issued in response to congress’s decision permitting companies to use the LIFO inventory method. This was a rare instance that tax policy influenced GAAP and was initially directed to companies purchasing natural metals because the FIFO method was equated to higher income taxes due to the time lapse between the asset’s acquisition and sale (Zeff, 2005). The method was available to all industries in 1939. While CAP was praised for addressing questionable reporting practices prior to the crash; it was mostly labeled as weak by critics for failing to set a uniform accounting framework to mitigate comparability issues. At the advice of the AIA, now known as the AICPA, the Accounting Principles Board replaced the CAP. ARB 43 was quickly published to restate all Accounting Research Bulletins and eliminate any superseded ARBs. The research driven APB published 31 opinions. The first few answered reporting questions regarding the investment credit per the Revenue Act of 1962 allotting businesses a credit for a â€Å"†¦specified percentage of the cost of certain depreciable assets placed into service after 1961† (FASB, 1962, para.1). The board concluded that the credit may be recorded as an offset to net income over the asset’s life or as a reduction in acquisition cost during the period it occurred. This is important because it is a conceptual precursor to today’s section 179 and bonus depreciation credits of which most small and medium sized businesses depend on and consider when determining capital investments. All opinions regarding credits and other tax reporting issues were later superseded by the FASB’s statement number 109, Accounting for Income Tax. Many of the APB’s remaining opinions dealt with emerging issues brought about by the postindustrial economy. For instance, the board developed guidelines for intangible assets such as goodwill, the equity method of accounting for common stock, accounting for employee stock options, the reporting of extraordinary items in the income statement, and set the criteria to use pooling of interest or the purchase method in business combinations. The most controversial accomplishment of the APB was its 1970 publication Basic Concepts and Accounting Principles Underlying Financial Statements of Business Enterprises. The board’s issuance of this as a non-authoritative â€Å"standard† rather than opinion was met with negative criticism as it failed to commit to any conceptual framework solutions and reaffirmed the fundamental disagreement among members on this topic. The board was soon after dissolved and replaced by the FASB with new, independent members in 1973. Nearly all APB Opinions were superseded by FASB statements (FAS) at different points in time. The FASB remains the authoritative source for private sector accounting practices today. The Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 restated the FASB’s position in setting accounting standards. The FASB does not have the authority to enforce standards. The responsibility has always been with managers to prepare and file financial statements in accordance to GAAP with the SEC. Auditors, overseen by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), issue opinions on the conformity and accuracy of the financial statements. The role of auditors has become increasingly crucial in the post Enron era. The FASB remains committed to addressing any deficiencies in the reporting process and meeting regularly with the PCAOB and SEC to prevent future financial disasters. Probably the most serious issues to date addressed by the FASB resulted from the subprime mortgage crisis and the subsequent financial crisis of 2008. According to Leslie Seidman (2011), chairman of the FASB, high profile controversy relating to the determination of the fair value of assets and liabilities in an illiquid market prompted the issuance of FAS 157, Fair Value Measurements. Effective November 2007, the standard expanded disclosure for fair value measurements and included changes in fair value practice â€Å"†¦ for certain entities† (FASB, 2006, para. 1). The FAS 133 released in January 2008 provided new and additional guidance on derivatives and designated a team within the FASB to assist with statement implementation. The FASB works to â€Å"harmonize† the previously mentioned standards and all others with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Discussion of international accounting principles has occurred for decades and an International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) has existed since 1973. It was not until the 1990s when globalization motivated the FASB to deliberate a strategic plan for international activities. In 2002, the FASB and IASB started collaborating to â€Å"converge† US GAAP and International Accounting Standards. A memorandum of understanding was released by the two boards in 2006 and amended in 2008. In 2011, the FASB sent a letter to the IFRS Foundation Trustees describing its views on many key issues. The FASB continues to balance long term IASB projects with its work on issues relating to US GAAP. REFERENCES Financial Accounting Standards Board. (1962). APB 2: Accounting for the â€Å"Investment Credit†. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/cs/BlobServer?blobkey=idblobwhere=1175820900137blobheader=application%2Fpdfblobcol=urldatablobtable=MungoBlobs Financial Accounting Standards Board. (2006). Summary of Statement No. 157. Fair Value Measurements. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/summary/stsum157.shtml Financial Accounting Standards Board. (2012). International Convergence of Accounting Standards –Overview. IASB-FASB Update Report. Retrieved from http://www.fasb.org/jsp/FASB/Page/SectionPagecid=1176156245663 Seidman, L.F. â€Å"The Role of the Accounting Profession in Preventing Another Financial Crisis.† U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment [Testimony]. FASB. April 6, 2011. Zeff, S. A. (2005). The Evolution of U.S. GAAP: The Political Forces behind Professional Standards. The CPA Joural, Retrieved fro m http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2005/105/infocus/p18.htm

A Look At Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe English Literature Essay

A Look At Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe English Literature Essay Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe (1719) is regarded as the most notable forerunner of the English Novel or to some extent the first English Novel. It was written at the beginning a century that witnessed great changes in the economic order. The cognoscenti have dealt with the character of Robinson Crusoe, bringing out several points of view. The motive of this piece of work is to study Crusoes philosophy about trade, religion and non-Europeans in its historical background. These three facets of Crusoes personality are inherently connected with each other and are thus fundamental to an appreciation of Crusoes mindset and character. His disposition towards dealings and religion is prompted by realistic considerations. He capitalizes on non-Europeans and is backed by spiritual beliefs in his discriminating treatment. The next consideration of the three main aspects of Crusoes nature will help us to grasp his character and inform us of the prevalent trends of the Eighteenth Century. Right from the beginning, Crusoe appears to be a star-crossed navigator and tradesman, however his ambitions are not impeded by shipwrecks and captivity. He is not the archetype of a man who could be impelled to abandon his Marxist principles by bad luck; contrariwise these misfortunes and his defencelessness tend to become a driving force. Robinson has the personality of a well-bred dealer whom setback or hardship does not break but whose perseverance and composure are magnified. Such mischance adds to his wisdom and predisposes him to future challenges. He never omits any scope for investment and commerce. In Brazil, besides exploring other opportunities for making money, he cautiously inspects the land, the plantations, and the regulation of the country. Crusoe undoubtedly inherited his methodical and businesslike way of living from his natal home in York. To put down roots as a planter in Brazil, it is needed to acquire property and obtain an allowable license. He makes profits on the situation and starts out to contemplate future prospects as a prosperous planter. Crusoe is the only one who survives from the hapless shipwreck. Although the craft is filled with water, he takes all the useful items to the island. He dwells on this remote island thanks to his remarkable shrewdness. His living the supervision of the resources on the isle and his discrimination in the dreariest details of everyday life are germane to his mercantile interests. Albeit he calls money a Drug and nasty, sorry, useless Stuff he does not get rid of it but rather encases it in a piece of canvas and preserves it for the future. Robinson Crusoes life as a dynamic trader arises out of his arrival in Lisbon after having spent more than twenty-eight years on the island. It is as though he were leading off a new life from scratch inquiring about the state of his plantation in Brazil and aiming at renewing his old trade contacts. He discovers that his plantation is still thriving and earns from its profits over five thousand pounds in sterling silver. Thenceforth, he disposes of his plantings and takes up residence in England. Crusoes feeling about nature is likewise practical. He exploits the island exclusively for his own subsistence and satisfaction and feels no aesthetic gladness form its magnificent scenery. He just fusses about the improvement of his land and has no leisure to notice that the island provides a beautiful landscape. Crusoes sole pleasure comes from examining his goods: I had everything so ready at my Hand and that is was a great Pleasure to me to see all my Goods in such order and especially to find my Stock of all Necessaries so great. He always pleaded for his freedom when he was on the Island of Despair. But after his deliverance, and on getting back home, he is not inclined to overlook the investment he has made in the island. Apart from his nostalgic association for him, the island is linked to his commercial motives. He writes: Besides this I shard the island into parts with em, reservd to myself the Property of the whole, but gave them such Parts respectively as they agred on; and having settld all Things with them, and engagd them not to leave the Place, I left them there. Crusoes penchant for mercantilism proves to be surprisingly realistic and precautionary; his thrifty investments have brought him a substantial coming back. He is an affluent tradesman and his adventures represent the virtues of individualism and absolute economic, social and intellectual freedom for the individual. Despite the recurrent religious cogitations in Defoes story, we are aware that it would be inaccurate to take the purpose of the novel or even its central theme as being pious in nature. Intuitively assessed, the book looks secular, more instantly and more steadily concerned with a mans earthly fulfillment than with his duty towards the Providence under the guidance of religion. After returning to England, Crusoes comparison of himself to the biblical character Job in chapter XXIX displays much about how he gives his martyrdom religious meaning: I might well say now indeed, that the latter End of Job was better than the Beginning. It is impossible to express here the Flutterings of my very Heart when I looked over these Letters and especially when I found all my Wealth about me; for as the Brazil Ships come all in Fleets, the same Ships which brought my Letters brought my Goodsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . Like Job, whose religious devotion was gauged by God through the deprivation of family and wealth, Crusoe is dispossessed of his money while nonetheless pledging allegiance to the Deity. In a similar way, the protagonists pride in escaping the middle Station is a mark of Greek mythology in which the characters suffer from hubris and are therefore scourged by their sin. His fathers dictum sounds like a prophetic statement for Crusoes predicament: Boy might be happy if he would stay at Home, but if he goes abroad he will be the most miserable Wretch that was ever born. He unremittingly ponders over his connection with the Lord throughout the novel and how much God is penalizing him for his wicked Days. Halfway through the novel, Robinson, after a long rumination on whether religion allowed him to murder without warning or provoking the cannibals on the island, ends by observing that they might kill him. His observation is: Religion joyned in with this prudentialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦me. Religion has a way of concurring with the protection and comfort of Defoes fictional character. As we said previously, Crusoes maiden imprudence is going off to sea without his fathers consent, which is viewed by him and is considered to be so viewed by us, as deliberate insubordination to God, that these calamities are meant to lead him into remorse for his offence and into the pardon and kindness of God, and that his ultimate prosperity is a proof of Gods care for him. Despite the dramatic events, Crusoes temperament does not seem to alter, even if he is in a state of sin or of repentance. The necessity of repentance is a key element in the novel. The Preface indicates the moral and religious dimensions of the story, which states that Crusoes travelogue is published to instruct others in Gods wisdom and the importance of repenting ones sins: The Story is told with Modesty, with Seriousness, and with a religious application of Events to the Uses to which wise Men always apply them to the Instruction of others by this Example, and to justify and honour the Wisdom of Providence in all the Variety of our Circumstances, let them happen how they will. Crusoe needs compunction most when he is told from the fiery angelic figure that comes to him during a feverish hallucination and says: Seeing all these Things have not brought you to repentance, now you shall die. He believes that his major sin is his rebellious behaviour towards his father, which he compares to a biblical reference: I have been in all my Circumstances a Memento to those who are touched with the general Plague of Mankind, whence, for ought I know, one half of their Miseries flow; I mean, that of not being satisfyd with the Station wherein God and Nature has placd them; for not to look back upon my primitive Condition, and the excellent Advice of my Father, the Opposition to which was, as I may call it, my original Sin. It is akin to Adam and Eves defiance of God, which may suggest that Crusoes exile from civilization symbolizes Adam and Eves expulsion from Eden. According to Robinson, contrition consists of acknowledging his desolation and his complete reliance upon the Lord. A main part of the plot of the novel relies on the fact that Crusoe is shipwrecked on the island as Gods way of bringing him to repentance and redemption. On several occasions in the novel, Defoe achieved a kind of grandeur of vision; in which the might and majesty of God are praised: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I had now brought my state of lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦next to miraculous. Here the Puritan sense of the grace of God for an unworthy sinner is well-expressed. It is unlikely that a hypocrite would pen these lines. If the intensity of religious belief appears less in Defoe and the concern with substantial success greater than in the works of his puritan predecessors, that intensity of feeling is yet anything but missing. This may seem the mark of a hypocritical religious belief, despising the wealthy yet labouring to achieve them, but to the Puritan, there is nothing contradictory in this. The most unpleasant leitmotiv in Defoes novel is the way Crusoe behaves towards non-Europeans. The fact that his attitude is very repulsive arouses our interest, for it assures us to understand the foundations of British Imperialism that were being laid at when the novel was written. There is no possibility but that the opinions expressed by Crusoe are those of the author as well. We know enough of Defoes own political career as an agent of the Prime Minister who made the treaty endowing Great Britain with its slaving rights, Sir Robert Harely, to be certain he was in concord with British policy. Moreover it is obvious that Defoe is manifesting his casual sense of superiority to non-Europeans, as shown by his readers sympathy, even to the point of making native humour one of the interests of the novel. We shall consider four aspects of Robinson Crusoe before trying to come to some conclusion: the jocular use of language to characterize non-Europeans; the prejudice practiced by Crusoe; Crusoes belief that other peoples should work for him; and his reflections on nationality. The first part of the demonstration seems innocuous, but it is not. The problem lies in the fact that both Xury and Friday speak very bad English indeed. Concerning Xury, the thing that may surprise us is that he speaks English, because we are told that Crusoe had no fellow-Europeans to communicate with while he was at Sallee. We should expect that he and his fellow slaves would speak Turkish or Arabic or Berber, some language that is used in the Maghreb. Nevertheless Xury speaks bad English in conversing with Crusoe. As for Friday, he could not utter a word in English before meeting Crusoe. Yet, his English is no better than Xurys, even after some three or four years of continual conversation in English. Despite this, other foreigners, from Europe like the Portuguese sea-captain, speak completely good English. Now the vernacular is one mark, a most meaningful sign, of the equivalence between human beings. That Defoe presents Xury and Friday thus, making funny use of their defective English, has the insidious effect of making us perceive them as somehow inferior to Crusoe and to Englishmen in general. The second thing to clarify is another token of Crusoes discrimination. In the episode where Crusoe, after having decided not to interfere in the cannibalistic customs of the Indians on the island, changes his mind on the spur of the moment and does interfere, the reason of his intervention is that one of the victims is a European. This could be abstractly justified, on the basis of Crusoes concept of nationalities. Still, this would be too insubstantial to account for the strength of Crusoes reaction. Fridays pronouncement that one of the victims is a European fired all the very Soul within him. He was filled with Horror at the very Naming of the white bearded man, whom he saw vividly was a European, and had clothes on. Such a fact clearly unfolds Crusoes real sympathy for Europeans, whatever he might say in calmer moments. The coming idea we have referred to is not easy to elaborate. We can pay attention to the fact that Crusoe is never disposed to acknowledge a relation on equal terms with non-Europeans. He purposely strives for appearing to them awe-inspiring and assumes, as a matter of course, that they should be willing to offer up their lives for his privilege. Lastly, the fourth aspect to expound is that Crusoes concept of nationalities, though not racist, seems to be prejudiced against the bulk of native peoples who are seen as evil and deserving of Gods punishment. It is true that he leaves it to God to punish them, but the expression of the theory is meant to limit our empathy for them. In the following paragraph Crusoe goes on to observe: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we did not know by what Light and Law these should be condemned; but that as God was necessarily, and by the Nature of His Being, infinitely holy and just, so it could not be, but that if these Creatures were all sentenced to Absence from himself; it was on Account of sinning against the Lightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.

Menstruation in Virgins Essay example -- Ancient Greece Puberty Female

Menstruation in Virgins Modern society has grown to believe that puberty in young girls, watching as they develop in to women is something beautiful. Though a confusing time, it is also important and special, and even menstruation is seen as a unique rite of passage. This wasn’t always true. In ancient Greece, it simply signaled the time when a girl could physically begin to reproduce, which also meant marriage and management of her own household. Traditionally, the justification for puberty and menstruation came spiritually, the gods deciding that this was the time for such a transition. Beginning in the 4th century B.C., a small group, including Hippocrates, began to form theories that all behavior, including those associated with menstruation, could be explained physiologically—any erratic activity or withdrawn moods was simply called â€Å"hysteria.† What the Hippocratics failed to appreciate, though, was the cultural significance of the period through which these g irls were going, and the great stress that it created for them. The hysteria that occurred during puberty was due just as much to cultural and psychological factors as physiological factors. According to Hippocrates, menstruation began the same in all women--the blood collected in the womb in order to flow out. When a girl was no longer a virgin, and her â€Å"egress† opened, then she could menstruate safely with a clear pathway from the womb. If the girl’s virginity was still intact, as was common at the time of their first periods, and the egress was not open, then the blood could not flow as freely and instead gathered around the heart and lungs. When â€Å"these [were] filled with blood, the heart [became] sluggish, and then, becau... ...n their own they sound ludicrous as sole explanations for this change and â€Å"insanity† in both females and males. The public knowledge that we all have now was not so true in Greece 2500 years ago. Those that aligned with Hippocrates believed in the physical body, the women themselves behaved culturally and spiritually, and Galen put himself out on a limb to adhere to psychological beliefs--beliefs that would not be rediscovered again until the twentieth century (Galen, Diotima, 352). Perhaps we should be thankful that the modern world does not adhere to just one discipline in order to explain the phenomena occurring in our own bodies—girls experiencing puberty are not hysterical, the gods are not punishing them, and they are not merely encountering â€Å"mental uneasiness.† They are menstruating, and growing, and developing—events that have become something beautiful.

athletes Essay examples -- essays research papers

Different Types of Athletes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between the indifferent and the protestor, we find a marvelous creature called an athlete whose species is varied into many different types; the marshmallow, the jelly bean, and the rock. Athletes can be found everywhere- in the classroom, locker room, the gym, the thick of the game, and in church. Places people will not find athletes are up late, in bars, missing church, in trouble, or being disrespectful to his elders. An athlete is made of wondrous stuff. Athletes have the eyes and the steadiness of an architect, the muscles of a body builder, the speed of a bullet, the reflexes of a cat, the heart of a lion, and the faith of a saint. To his coach an athlete is a modeled player, a perfectionist to be encouraged, a student to be taught, and a dream come true. To his teammates an athlete is a hard worker, unselfish, modest, determined, and understands the meaning of teamwork. To himself the athlete is never good enough, aware that he is an example to others, the reason his team lost, but never why they won. An athlete is an amazing being. People may dislike him, but you have to admire his performance; doubt his capabilities, but never his courage; question his efficiency, but never his effort. People might be able to defeat the athlete, but never make him quit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The marshmallow athletes are the ones who do not care if they are on the team or not. A marshmallow is soft on the outside and...

Computer Network Management Essay -- Networks Telecommunications

The Basics of Network Management In the computer world, networks are the primary means of inter-computer communications. The building and maintenance of a network is the responsibility of the network manager. The network manager must have the expertise to design and implement an appropriate network for his client. The proper design of a network is based on more than a few principles. However, the job of the network manager encompasses more than simply building a useable network, although that is the end result. The network manager must have many characteristics in order to fulfill his job. After years of training, a network manager will know how to select the proper network topology for the client. After some investigation into the company’s needs, the topology should become more apparent. Being able to choose a configuration means nothing, however, if the network manager is unable to convince the client. Persuasion is a necessary trait, but a strong sense of ethics must also be present. If a network manager tries to sell something other than what the client needs legal proceedings may be close behind. Selecting a network topology and convincing the client of their needs are the technical functions of the job. After selecting a network plan, the network manager needs to assemble a staff that is capable of implementing the network and maintaining that network. A crew with the appropriate training is a must, but the network manager has to find the best candidates. The network can grow to be a large and complex web. Job specialization will increase productivity and the total amount of knowledge available to the company. A network manager is also a personnel manager. Most clients have a limited budget set aside ... ...Accounting management collects the information about the clients’ usage of the services to keep track of billing. Tariffs, pricing, and collections may also be controlled. Finally, common management is applicable across more than one area of management such as autonomous events. The external communications functions are those necessary to convey the management information, to provide an infrastructure to the network. Together, these functions, the logical, management, and external communications, are the building blocks of a network. A network manager is responsible for being aware of the functions of each aspect of network management in order to build a successful network. Bibliography Ramon, Lakshmi. Fundamentals of Telecommunication Network Management. New York: IEEE Press, 1999. Rhodes, Peter. Building a Network. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.

Good vs Evil in Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked” Essay

What is good and what is bad seems pretty easy to define. Good is being morally right, an action or a quality that does not cause harm to people, harm to self, nor cause sadness. Goodness benefits others, if not the self, and it causes happiness. Evil is the opposite of good, or the absence of good. But these are only the general meanings of these two concepts. In religion, good and evil are represented by different beings. In Christianity, being good means to please God, the Creator. Jesus Christ is also good, and heaven is where good souls go to. On the other hand, the Devil, being a fallen angel, represents evil, and hell is where bad souls are tortured for eternity. Other religious practices in the world may or may not have divine beings that people worship, but they also have concepts of good and evil. Evil is defined by goodness. If good is defined, bad is automatically defined as well, because bad is, to put simply, not good. For example, if good would be represented by a child who obeys his/her parents, then bad would be a child who does not obey his/her parents. The question is what if the â€Å"bad† child has a reason to not obey his/her parents? What if the reason is besides being bad, such as what if the child disobeyed his/her parents to fulfill a promise to a friend? Good and evil only represents the black and white, but reality tells us that there are also grey areas, some things which are not exactly bad, but not exactly good either. Gregory Maguire’s novel, â€Å"Wicked†, a sort of prequel to the classic children’s novel, L. Frank Baum’s â€Å"Wizard of Oz†, is about good and evil, and these grey areas in between, which are acts done by people which are not good but also not evil. It tells of the story of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. In the original â€Å"Wizard of Oz† books, the witch is not named, only given the title of The Wicked Witch of the West. Described as green-skinned, wearing black clothes with a black pointed hat, riding on a broomstick, and afraid of water, this witch character became almost a stereotype for all other witches. In â€Å"Wicked†, this witch is given the name Elphaba Thropp, with the first name take from the initials of the original author of â€Å"Wizard of Oz†. One of the first things that readers will notice and perhaps find interesting is the quotations in one of the first pages. Maguire quotes three, one of which is from â€Å"The Wizard of Oz†, about the dialogue between the Wizard and Dorothy. The Wizard requests Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, and in return he will help her return to Kansas. This quote may make a child think, given that the child fully understands what is morally right and wrong in the society. Killing is wrong. Why should Dorothy kill the witch? Because she is bad? But killing a bad person will not make a person good. Or does it? Does a wrong action turn into a right action if there is a good reason for committing the action? With this quote, a person who is about to read â€Å"Wicked† will start thinking about the nature of good and evil, and will get the central idea of the book. In the first part of the â€Å"Wicked†, the birth of Elphaba is told. Readers will learn the occurrences when she was born and the background of her parents. From the time she was born, Elphaba had skin of â€Å"undeniable green† (p. 20). She also had sharp fangs that she bit off the finger of the fisherwife when she was still a baby (p. 20). These different characteristics makes her an oddity, and somehow inhuman. For this reason, it is assumed that Elphaba grew up being a victim of prejudice. This prejudice later proved to be an important experience for her, because her intentions and motivations all came from the prejudice and cruelty that she experienced as a child, and even as an adult. Despite this, she grew up smart and curious. She also questions things that most people accept, such as the concept of evil. In a conversation with Galinda, she asks if evil does exist. â€Å"They seemed to be obsessed with locating it [evil]†¦ an evil spring in the mountains, an evil smoke, evil blood in the veins†¦ â€Å"†¦ The early unionists†¦ argued that some invisible pocket of corruption was floating around the neighborhood, a direct descendant of the pain the world felt when Lurline left. Like a patch of cold air on a warm still night. A perfectly agreeable soul might march through it and become infected, and then go and kill a neighbor. But then was it your fault if you walked through a patch of badness? If you couldn’t see it? † (p. 80-81) This is foreboding, because later in the story, Elphaba does â€Å"walk through a patch of badness†, though she does not mean to walk into it.

Memory Management Strategies

ITCS 343 Opera-ng System Principles Memory Management Strategies Virtualizing Resources †¢? Physical Reality: Di? erent Processes/Threads share the same hardware –? Need to mul-plex CPU (Just ?nished: scheduling) –? Need to mul-plex use of Memory (Today) –? Need to mul-plex disk and devices (later in term) –? The complete working state of a process and/or kernel is de? ned by its data in memory (and registers) –? Consequently, cannot just let di? erent threads of control use the same memory –? Probably don’t want di? erent threads to even have access to each other’s memory (protec-on) †¢?Physics: two di? erent pieces of data cannot occupy the same loca-ons in memory †¢? Why worry about memory sharing? Memory Hierarchy of a Modern Computer System †¢? Take advantage of the principle of locality to: –? Present as much memory as in the cheapest technology –? Provide access at speed o? ered by the fa stest technology Processor Control Second Level Cache (SRAM) Main Memory (DRAM) Secondary Storage (Disk) Tertiary Storage (Tape) On-Chip Cache Registers 1s 100s Datapath Speed (ns): Size (bytes): 10s- ­? 100s Ks- ­? Ms 100s Ms 10,000,000s 10,000,000,000s (10s ms) (10s sec) Gs Ts Background ? Program must be brought (from disk) into memory and placed within a process for it to be run †¢? CPU can access directly to registers and main memory –? Register access in one CPU clock (or less) –? Main memory can take many cycles †¢? Cache sits between main memory and CPU registers - ­? to reduce CPU idle .me and make the available data faster to access. †¢? Protec-on of memory ensures correct opera-on –? to protect the opera. ng system from access by user processes and, –? to protect user processes from one another. –? One simple implementa. on is through base and limit registers Mul– ­? stepProcessing of a Program for Execu-on †¢? Prepara-on of a program for execu-on involves components at: †¢? Addresses can be bound to ?nal values anywhere in this path †¢? Dynamic Libraries –? Compile -me (i. e. â€Å"gcc†) –? Link/Load -me (unix â€Å"ld† does link) –? Execu-on -me (e. g. dynamic libs) –? Depends on hardware support –? Also depends on opera-ng system –? Linking postponed un-l execu-on –? Small piece of code, stub, used to locate the appropriate memory- ­? resident library rou-ne –? Stub replaces itself with the address of the rou-ne, and executes rou-ne Mul– ­? step Processing of a Program or Execu-on †¢? User programs go through several steps before being able to run. †¢? This mul– ­? step processing of the program invokes †¢? The appropriate u-lity (the rectangle) †¢? Generates the required module at each step (the circle) †¢? Basically, it is all about bind – addres s mapping. Binding of Instruc9ons and Data to Memory †¢? Address binding of instruc-ons and data to memory addresses can happen at three di? erent stages –? Compile 9me: If memory loca-on known a priori, absolute code can be generated; must recompile code if star-ng loca-on changes –? Load 9me: Must generate relocatable ode if memory loca-on is not known at compile -me –? Execu9on 9me: Binding delayed un-l run -me if the process can be moved during its execu-on from one memory segment to another. Need hardware support for address maps (e. g. , base and limit registers) †¢? Controlled overlap: †¢? Address Type: –? Separate state of threads should not collide in physical memory. Obviously, unexpected overlap causes chaos! –? Conversely, would like the ability to overlap when desired (for communica-on) –? A physical (absolute) address is a physical loca-on in main memory. –? A logical (virtual) address is a eference to a m emory loca-on that is independent of the physical organiza-on of memory. –? All memory references in user process are logical addresses. –? A rela-ve address is an example of logical address in which the address is expressed as a loca-on rela-ve to some known point in the program (ex: the beginning address). †¢? Transla-on: †¢? Protec-on: –? Ability to translate accesses from one address space (virtual) to a di? erent one (physical) –? When transla-on exists, processor uses virtual addresses, physical memory uses physical addresses –? Side e? ects: Can be used to avoid overlap,Can be used to give uniform view of memory to programs –? Prevent access to private memory of other processes †¢? Di? erent pages of memory can be given special behavior (Read Only, Invisible to user programs, etc). †¢? Kernel data protected from User programs †¢? Programs protected from themselves Base and Limit Registers †¢? Each process has a separate memory space (logical/user address space). †¢? A pair of base and limit registers de? ne the logical address space –? base register holds the smallest legal physical address –? limit register speci? es the size of the range of a process †¢? Could se base/limit for dynamic address transla9on (oBen called â€Å"segmenta9on†): –? Alter address of every load/store by adding â€Å"base† –? User allowed to read/write within segment  »? Accesses are rela9ve to segment so don’t have to be relocated when program moved to di? erent segment –? User may have mul9ple segments available (e. g x86)  »? Loads and stores include segment ID in opcode: x86 Example: mov [es:bx],ax.  »? Opera9ng system moves around segment base pointers as necessary Mul-programming †¢? Problem: Run mul-ple applica-ons in such a way that they are protected from one another †¢? Goals: –?Isolate processes and kernel fro m one another –? Allow ?exible transla-on that: †¢? Doesn’t lead to fragmenta-on †¢? Allows easy sharing between processes †¢? Allows only part of process to be resident in physical memory †¢? (Some of the required) Hardware Mechanisms: –? General Address Transla-on –? Dual Mode Opera-on †¢? Flexible: Can ?t physical chunks of memory into arbitrary places in users address space †¢? Not limited to small number of segments †¢? Think of this as providing a large number (thousands) of ?xed- ­? sized segments (called â€Å"pages†) †¢? Protec-on base involving kernel/user dis-nc-on

Islamic Extremists Essay

Nearly everyone has heard about Islam and the Arab world. In addition, many countries have already faced issues with the Muslim believers. Islam has caused problems, terrorist attacks, anti-democracy all over the world. They were also very successful in sending a message of who they truly are. People who are literally obedient to the Islamic faith are called Islamic Extremists. People, who are of the Islamic faith however desire to survive in peace without tribulations are not considered obedient or dutiful to the Islamic faith, these people are called moderate Muslims. Therefore, the Islamic religious extremists are the major group in Islam who follow the Qur’an word for word and create extreme violence that moderate Muslims do not. Islamic extremism started in Egypt in the late 1920s. During the inter-war years, the country was occupied by the British military. The Nationalist Wafd movement, led by Saad Zaghloul, opposed the presence of the British, as would anyone whose cou ntry is being occupied by a foreign military power. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) In 1928, Hassan al-Banna established the term â€Å"The Muslim Brotherhood† which was the first Islamist movement. The British government supported the nascent movement in an attempt to counterbalance the Nationalists. In modern Egyptian politics, the Muslim Brotherhood is the largest opposition party to Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party. Mubarak has been in power since the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981. The Muslim Brotherhood has always been illegal, and, over the years, thousands of its members have been imprisoned by the Egyptian government. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) The ideology of the early Brotherhood is very similar to that of Islamist groups today – they denounced the Egyptian government as secular and regarded Egyptian society in terms of â€Å"jahaliya† or a barbaric, pre-Islamic society not based on Islamic shari’a law. Sayyed Qutb, an Egyptian intellectual associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, wrote a book c alled Ma’alim fil Tariq (â€Å"Signposts on the Road†), which proved to be highly influential on the thinking of modern Islamists. Qutb wrote the book in 1964 while in prison; 2 years later he was executed by hanging. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) In the late 1970s, the CIA financed and trained the mujahideen (â€Å"Holy Warriors†) in order to fight a proxy war with the Soviet army, which had invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Training, funding and the provision of arms to the mujahideen was carried out covertly via Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; one of the so-called â€Å"Afghan Arabs† who was trained by the U.S. was a young man called Osama bin Laden. (A brief history of Islamic extremism) In the recent years, Bangladesh was suspected of becoming a haven and breeding ground for Islamic terrorist groups with links to Al-Qaida. Domestic Islamic extremist groups are said to funnel Al-Qaida money, arms, and fighters through the country. In March 1999, IOJ chairman Amini told a public meeting: â€Å"We are for Osama [bin Ladin], we are for the Taliban, and we will be in government in 2000 through an Islamic revolution.† (Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, B.) Bangladeshi support for Osama bin Ladin and Al-Qaida rose following the September 11 attacks and the subsequent American assault on the Taliban in Afghanistan. The U.S. conveyed its displeasure with Dhaka’s failure to quell anti-American, pro-Osama bin Ladin rallies in the wake of the American attack on Afghanistan. In November 2001, IOJ’s Amini said: â€Å"Osama bin Ladin is loved by the Bangladeshi people. Everyone respects him and considers him to be a leader of Muslims.† (Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, B.) The political characteristics of Islam are derived from the Qur’an, the Sunna (the sayings and living habits of Muhammad), Muslim history, and sometimes elements of political movements outside Islam. Out of the Muslim Brotherhood, recently derived a group called The Muslim Salafeyeen. The Salafeyeen act ridiculously much worse than the Muslim Brotherhood. They have the same mentality as the Muslim Brotherhood; however, they go even beyond the expectations of the Quran’s teachings. For example the Muslim Brotherhood has the word politics in their dictionary, which means they can have political relationships with the westerners but that is to use their help for their own good, such as Saudi Arabia. They also base and enforce the law of the Qur’an on the people. On the flipside, the Salafeyeen do not have the word politics in their dictionary and the way they communicate is through severe violence even on their own people. For example their rule goes as follows: thieves must have their hands cut off, a curser’s tongue must be cut off, an adulterous must be killed with the edge of the sword, and so on with all the sinners. Their judgments are pretty extreme. They currently have a small group in Egypt. There is no research found about them yet, however information has been spread through word of mouth and people’s experiences in the recent days in Egypt. The Salafeyeen have been around and they are very few still. It is not long until the cancer is spread everywhere. Numerous terrorist tribes have eventually been spread all over the world. The Muslim Brotherhood has created a private group in each country who follow their plan. Therefore, every so often, the nation receives news about occurring devastations they have caused. Since the Muslim Brotherhood considers violence is the only method to spread or impose their religion on many countries, they had specifically chosen the United States of America to perform their violence attacks. The United States is currently considered the most powerful country in the world. If they had specifically chosen the United States, their goal is then revealed. The Muslim Brotherhood’s ambition is to attain the power of the United States and rule it. If they conquer this power, they most likely conquered the world. It is not difficult for anyone to figure this exposition. The terrorist attack that occurred in September eleventh of two thousand and one was mainly the first attack the caught the world’ s awareness. Prior to that, the nation was familiar about Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood; however they did not have enough knowledge in regards of whom they truly are. Throughout the years, the Muslim Brotherhood has determined that terrorism would be the only method used to communicate with the world. They have successfully sent out messages about their goals, which are to limit the world in education, political views, democratic views, etc. For example, the Islamic beliefs strain a woman of her basic rights. A woman is not allowed to go to school for education. According to the Shahih Bukhari 1.6.301, Volume 1, Book 6, Number 301: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: Once Allah’s Apostle went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) o ‘Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, â€Å"O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women).† They asked, â€Å"Why is it so, O Allah’s Apostle?† He repli ed, â€Å"I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.† The women asked, â€Å"O Allah’s Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?† He said, â€Å"Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?† They replied in the affirmative. He said, â€Å"This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?† The women replied in the affirmative. He said, â€Å"This is the deficiency in her religion.† Their mentality is very limited in arguments as well. Their beliefs are against freedom of speech, religion, expression, even the Internet because it allows arguments, knowledge, and education and mostly everything that has to do with the human rights. All of their arguments must go back to the Shari’a (law) of Islam, which prevents all these rights. The Shari’a of Islam calls for men to beat their wives. According to 004.034 YUSUFALI: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them; but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance). This type of mentality creates a violence animalistic society. People develop these violent skills through the enforcement of such laws which leads to terrorism. Imagine there is lack of education, freedom of arguments, speech, expression, religion, anti-democracy etc. how will anyone be able to learn, be fair, balanced in thoughts, unprejudiced or even survive in peace? It is certainly impractical. Therefore, to overcome the mentality of terrorism, the nation must understand what Islam and the Qur’an truly teaches Islamists. Some of the Qur’an’s teachings are mostly about the infidels (unbelievers) and how all of them will end up in Hell. According to the teachings of the Qur’an verses freely and blithely mentions: Do not take unbeli evers as friends; caution is necessary to befriend the unbelievers†¦3:28. It is not honourable to take unbelievers as friends†¦4:139. Do not take unbelievers as friends†¦4:144. Believers are not to take the Jews and Christians as friends and protectors; if any believer (i.e. Muslim) turns to them then he also becomes a Jew or a Christian†¦5:51. Real friends are God, His apostle (Muhammad) and the fellowship of pious and charitable believers†¦5:55. God’s wrath and torments is for befriending the unbelievers†¦5:80. Whoever seeks the friendship of evil people will be lead to the penalty of fire†¦22:3. Cannot be on terms of secret intimacy or be friendly with the enemies of faith †¦60:1. This is the very own words of Qur’an that Islamists follow. Some Islamists who live in the west will even criticize their folks for buying a tiny Christmas tree just for the little children or even for attending Christmas parties. They will even go a step further in declaring that the westerners must learn from them (the Muslim migrants) and not the other way around. At this time, since the Q ur’an never called for peace, it is understandable why those Islamists act the way they do. The supreme rage of the Islamists is reserved for the way the western women dress, work and lives. Many Muslim women are deviously forced to wear hijab just to demonstrate to the infidel women the superior chastity of Muslim women. Ten years ago, it was rare to find a hijabi woman in any streets of Europe or the U.S. The situation is quite different now. Any rail-station, shopping center, eating stall, college, university, etc., will regularly notice a hijabi woman standing nearby. Many Islamists openly declare that all Muslim women must cover themselves in (ugly) hijab and cloak no matter what others may think of them. This is because these Muslim women will become the shining examples or beacon of femininity, chastity, and Islamic beauty to the infidel women and they (the infidel women) will eventually follow the Muslim women and happily wear the Muslim garb. These Islamists are absolutely certain that these infidel women will one day, surely be covered by Islamic hijab. Why? Because, Allah has ordained it-one day the entire world will become an Ummah (Islamic community) of some sort. They have no doubt on this. At this point, it is understandable why Islamic extremists commit their terrorism attacks. Their goal is to spread and enforce Islam in the whole world. Research has proved through the very own words of Qur’an and Hadith, action has proved it through terrorism attacks of the infidels (unbelievers), and their day-to-day routine dressing up in the Muslim garb. Many will argue it is not a problem if their religion inquires their women to dress and look that way. They are partially right, only if their purpose is to dress that way and nothing more. However based on research, even modern Islamists are called Islamists because they believe in Islamic Shari’a and law. They have an idea of what Islam is about and if they still call themselves Muslims, they are considered under the same category of religion. They have partially the same thoughts; they may not be interested in murdering, however they will never take a westerner as a friend, unless the westerner becomes a Muslim. This type of thinking is not in any way beneficial for a modern society. In a modern society, it encourages one to look, act, and think in a certain way. This way is not to enforce negative thoughts, beliefs on anyone. It is to encourage education, positive thoughts, and the acting of professionalism with one another. The best method in reaching a solution for the world is to understand that Islam is now spread in many places. Islam has become a whole mentality that people follow not fairly a religion. Islam currently starts in early stages of humans’ lives. A child is raised up receiving hate and all types of negative thoughts, which later develops in his/her core. Therefore, terrorism is never ending; in fact it improves by the days. At this time, there is no way around to end terrorism, but there are ways to make it less occurring in the world. Educating people, and youth on how terrorism started, and how the world perceives it as a negative act will help them understand the concept of terrorism. Also through education, people will have the need to protect their country and defend it. No one is willing to live in a country that is controlled by terrorists. Neither will anyone be willing to limit their thoughts, expression, education, freedom of worship, or personal decisions. In conclusion, Islamic extremists have attempted to impose their religious beliefs on the world. This happens through their violent attacks almost in every western country. The only method to stop this violence is to allow people to understand the true meaning of Islam. This is to educate people about Islam and Muslim extremists in the early stages of life. It is also essential to help the nation learn how the modern Muslims differ from those extremists. Through education, a solution can come into view on how we can end these bloody violent tribes. Even if it takes time, months and years, it can still take a major affect on the long run. References Bas, N. J. (2004). Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA. BukhaÌ„riÌ„, M. i. (1981). Shahih Bukhari. Jakarta: Penerbit Widjaya. Darwish, N. (2006). Now they call me infidel: why I renounced jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror. New York, N.Y.: Sentinel. Jonas, G. (2007). Reflections on Islam: ideas, opinions, arguments. Toronto: Key Porter Books. Katel, P. (2010). Homegrown jihadists: can Muslim terrorists in the U.S. mount serious attacks?. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly. The Big Think Tank: A brief history of Islamic extremism. (2006, April 25). The Big Think Tank. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from http://thebigthinktank.blogspot.com/2006/04/brief-history-of-islamic-extremism.html Quran Shariff. (1978). S.l.: [s.n.]. Yuan, M. (2005). Women in Islam. Detroit: Greenhaven Press/Thomson-Gale. YouTube – 2 year old Muslim Girl answers Questions on Islam. (n.d.). YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tfh2PnvTnY&feature=related Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, B. (2007, January 10). Islamic Extremism and Terrorism in Bangladesh-American Jewish Committee. Home-American Jewish Committee. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=3133321&ct=