Daeodon (Dinohyus) - Facts and Figures

Daeodon (Dinohyus) - Facts and Figures Name: Daeodon; pronounced DIE-oh-don; also known as Dinohyus (Greek for terrible pig) Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Epoch: Miocene (23-5 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 12 feet long and one ton Diet: Omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; quadrupedal posture; long, narrow head with bony warts    About Daeodon (Dinohyus) Chalk up another cool name thats been lost to the technicalities of science: the giant prehistoric porker formerly, and fittingly, known as Dinohyus (Greek for terrible pig) has now reverted back to an earlier moniker, the far less awesome Daeodon. Tipping the scales at a full ton, this Miocene pig was roughly the size and weight of a modern rhinoceros or hippopotamus, with a broad, flat, warthog-like face complete with warts (actually fleshy wattles supported by bone). As you might already have guessed, Daedon was closely related to the slightly earlier (and slightly smaller) Entelodon, also known as the Killer Pig, both of these genera  huge, opportunistic, omnivorous mammalian megafauna, the former native to North America and the latter to Eurasia. One odd feature of Daeodon was its nostrils, which were splayed out toward the sides of its head, rather than facing forwards as in modern pigs. One possible explanation for this arrangement is that Daeodon was a hyena-like scavenger rather than an active hunter, and needed to pick up scents from as wide a range as possible in order to home in on already-dead and rotting carcasses. Daeodon was also equipped with heavy, bone-crushing jaws, another classic scavenging adaptation similar to that of roughly contemporary bone-crushing canids, and its sheer one-ton bulk would have intimidated smaller predators from trying to protect their newly killed prey.

Free Essays on JFK

This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet Military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere. Upon receiving the first preliminary hard information of this nature last Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., I directed that our surveillance be stepped up. And having now confirmed and completed our evaluation of the evidence and our decision on a course of action, this Government feels obliged to report this new crisis to you in fullest detail. The characteristics of these new missile sites indicate two distinct types of installations. Several of them include medium range ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead for a distance of more than 1,000 nautical miles. Each of these missiles, in short, is capable of striking Washington, D.C., the Panama Canal, Cape Canaveral, Mexico City, or any other city in the southeastern part of the United States, in Central America, or in the Caribbean area. Additional sites not yet completed appear to be designed for intermediate range ballistic missilescapable of traveling more than twice as farand thus capable of striking most of the major cities in the Western Hemisphere, ranging as far north as Hudson Bay, Canada, and as far south as Lima, Peru. In addition, jet bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, are now being uncrated and assembled in Cuba, while the necessary air bases are being prepared. This urgent transformation of Cuba into an important strategic baseby the presence of these large, long range, and clearly offensive weapons of sudden mass destructionconstitutes an explicit threat to the peace and security of all the Americas, in flagrant and deliberate defian... Free Essays on JFK Free Essays on JFK It's the most controversial case in modern American history. Did Lee Harvey Oswald kill John Kennedy by himself, or did a conspiracy do it? And if a conspiracy did it, did the conspiracy include Oswald? If you are like most Americans, you believe that a conspiracy killed Kennedy. And if you are like most Americans, you have heard a vast number of bogus factoids about the case. This web site is dedicated to debunking the mass of misinformation and disinformation surrounding the murder of JFK. If you are believer in Oswald as a lone gunman, you are likely to enjoy this web site, since most of that misinformation and disinformation has come from conspiracists. But if you are a sophisticated conspiracist, you likely understand that the mass of silly nonsense in conspiracy books and documentaries does no service to the cause of truth in the assassination, and simply buries the "case for conspiracy" under layers of bunk. Regardless of what you believe, several web sites, mostly conspiracy-oriented are worth checking out. And you may also want to check out my list of recommended books on the assassination. What sort of evidence is there? Dealey Plaza What about those witnesses? Didn't everyone hear shots from the Grassy Knoll? What about the Tague wounding? Who was the "Umbrella Man?" Was the rifle recovered really a Mauser? Does "acoustic evidence" show a shot from the Grassy Knoll? Were the Three Tramps suspicious? How could Kennedy's head go "back and to the left?" The Single Bullet Theory You've seen Kevin Costner give the conspiracy version of the Single Bullet theory. You know: Connally seated directly in front of Kennedy, at the same height, and facing straight ahead. Was that really what happened? Lee Harvey Oswald What sort of person was he? Did he really have "Top Secret" security clearance? Did he shoot at General Walker? Were there two Oswalds? If Oswald shot Kennedy, what was his motive? Was the man ... Free Essays on JFK For over thirty years the people of the United States were led to believe that a single gunman shot and killed John F. Kennedy in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. However, in my paper, I will show that a single gunman was involved, but conspiracy must have had to be present also so that this could have worked. The facts that are shown to that people are that a single gunman killed facts that lead them to believe that show that Kennedy. John F. Kennedy was riding in an open top limousine through Dallas, Texas, when the shooting took place. While riding in the limousine he was shot in the head and neck by an unknown sniper. Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald, a former U.S. Marine and charged him with murder the next morning. Two days after being arrested, Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner, shot Oswald while he was being transported from the city to the county jail. Many of the people of the United States were lead to believe that this is what really happened. The facts show that, Oswald must have killed Kennedy. People have to take a better look at this case. The many people who witnessed the murder of John F. Kennedy disagree with the facts stated above and the ones that the people were lead to believe. Many witnesses’s say that they heard shots from places besides the book depository, and several other things that may oppose what is stated above. One of the witnesses, Abraham Zapruder, â€Å"captured the entire assassination on his Bell and Howell eight millimeter movie camera. This movie, cleverly called the Zapruder Film, is the single best piece of visual evidence in this case.† (The Sixth Floor Museum, 2003) To understand the Zapruder Film, a person must to break the film down into frames. The Bell and Howell movie camera that Zapruder filmed at eighteen and three-hundredths (18.3) frames per second. When looking at the fram... Free Essays on JFK This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet Military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere. Upon receiving the first preliminary hard information of this nature last Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., I directed that our surveillance be stepped up. And having now confirmed and completed our evaluation of the evidence and our decision on a course of action, this Government feels obliged to report this new crisis to you in fullest detail. The characteristics of these new missile sites indicate two distinct types of installations. Several of them include medium range ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead for a distance of more than 1,000 nautical miles. Each of these missiles, in short, is capable of striking Washington, D.C., the Panama Canal, Cape Canaveral, Mexico City, or any other city in the southeastern part of the United States, in Central America, or in the Caribbean area. Additional sites not yet completed appear to be designed for intermediate range ballistic missilescapable of traveling more than twice as farand thus capable of striking most of the major cities in the Western Hemisphere, ranging as far north as Hudson Bay, Canada, and as far south as Lima, Peru. In addition, jet bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, are now being uncrated and assembled in Cuba, while the necessary air bases are being prepared. This urgent transformation of Cuba into an important strategic baseby the presence of these large, long range, and clearly offensive weapons of sudden mass destructionconstitutes an explicit threat to the peace and security of all the Americas, in flagrant and deliberate defian...

The Future of Nursing, Leading Change, Advancing Health Essay

The Future of Nursing, Leading Change, Advancing Health - Essay Example Nursing as a healthcare profession is  highly  dynamic. This paper will discuss the impact that the 2010 IOM report had on the future of nursing, leading change and advancing health (Fitzpatrick, 2010). The 2010 IOM report  was formulated  by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) which is an interdisciplinary advisory  authority  that addresses matters pertaining to the health of the nation. This  body  was established  in 1970 by a charter of the National Academy of Sciences. The body serves a broad  spectrum  of stakeholders who  include  health professionals, the private sector, policy makers and the  public. In 2008, IOM in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) came up with a policy document that suggested various changes to the nursing profession. This report suggested the broadest overhaul in healthcare  provision  since 1965. This report opened with four  main  messages and closed with recommendations most of which  will b e discussed  in the subsequent sections of the paper (WHO, 2010). Key messages of the report The report dubbed â€Å"The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health† contained four key messages.  These included: 1. The nurses’  practice  should be to the full extent of their training and education. 2. They should  attain  higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes  flawless  academic  succession 3. Nurses should fully partner with physicians and other healthcare practitioners, in  re scheming  U.S. healthcare services. 4. Effectual  personnel  planning and policy making necessitate enhanced data  compilation  and an improved information infrastructure Key Message 1 This  message  that proposed that nurses should practice to the full extent of their training had two crucial subcategories. The first subcategory addresses the  scope  of the nurses’ practice while the secon d discusses their residency program. Subcategory 1: Scope of Practice Neuroscience nurses must be able to carry out their duties to the  fullness  of their training and education training despite their posting whether bedside nurses or advanced practitioners in the community (IOM, 2010).  For this cause, the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN)  tactical  plan commissioned a task force to  revise  its 2002 scope and standards  article. There is a need to  incorporate  the  extent  of  practice  for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with those of bedside nurses to enhance the  brilliance  in the neurosciences (IOM, 2010). Subcategory 2: Nurses’ residency Programs This subcategory addresses  matters  pertaining to nurses’ transition from school to  real  practice. At this time, there is a  requirement  to put into practice a multilevel residency curriculum to  supervise  admission  into neuroscienc e nursing and throughout transitions to ranks of greater oversight (IOM, 2010). Key Message 2 The  second  main  message  of the IOM Future of Nursing  report  proposed that nurses should  attain  higher levels of education and training via an enhanced  educational  curriculum that endorses seamless academic  progression  (IOM, 2010). As an  ongoing  education  contributor, AANN encourages the  training  of neuroscience nurses. It is also  crucial  that AANN reflect on supporting options comprising

MPH 504 - Epidemiology (Module 5 - CBT) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MPH 504 - Epidemiology (Module 5 - CBT) - Essay Example However this also eliminates high number of HIV infected individuals due to reduced sensitivity causing undesirable social and health problems (such as risk of spreading the disease and delay for the treatment). To overcome the problems of both extremes A is the most suitable OD ratio to establish the cutoff. 6. Director of Blood Bank: HIV is a deadly disease with no cure. Therefore the intention of screening the donated blood samples against HIV is to totally protect blood receivers from being infected with HIV. Therefore director of Blood Bank has to set the cut off where he can eliminate almost all the HIV infected blood samples. In other words he has to attain 100% sensitivity. Thereby he has to draw the cutoff line for OD ratio at B eliminating the risk of possible false negatives. However this decision dramatically reduces the specificity by increasing the number of false positives. This leads to rejection of higher number of healthy blood samples. Investigator: The investigator needs to select high risk HIV infected individuals to test the efficacy of his potentially toxic antiviral drug through a clinical trial. Since the antiviral drug is potentially toxic he has to select only HIV infected individuals without any false positives. Consequently he has to achieve 100% specificity eliminating all false positive. In doing so he should draw the cutoff line for OD ratio at C. However as a result of this decision he has to reject high number of HIV infected individual who tested negative due to low sensitivity resulted from the newly defined cutoff. This makes him recruit a larger sample (than expected) to get the required number of eligible

Is capital punishemtn a deterrent Essay Example for Free

Is capital punishemtn a deterrent Essay Running Head: Abstract Indeed statistics will show that capital punishment is not an effective deterrent to crime; effective comparisons show that there is no significant correlation between lowered crime rates and the deterrent effect in states which implement the death penalty even with the incorporation of socio-economic elements as evidenced in comparing Virginia against West Virginia. In fact, the opposite is true that the crime rate tends to be lower in states without the death penalty. The majority support capital punishment although the prevailing attitude which is shared by the government as well, is to implement it more cautiously with regards to certain issues and sectors as legal, ethical and moral challenges have been raised against it and the criminal justice system as a whole. Is capital punishment an effective deterrent as compared between states for and against with similar socio-economic backgrounds? Hypothesis: Capital punishment is not an effective deterrent to crime; this hypothesis will be proven through current studies on the issue as well as criminal justice statistics which will show that there is no significant correlation between lowered crime rates and the deterrent effect in states which implement the death penalty. In fact, the opposite is true that the crime rate tends to be lower in states without the death penalty. I. Brief history of death penalty in United States and Supreme Court decisions The death penalty traces its roots in ancient history, making its first appearance in the Codes of Hammurabi in ancient Babylon where 25 kinds of crime warranted the ultimate punishment of death. From the ancient Hittites to the Draconian Code of Athens, the punishment was more severe as all crimes merited the death penalty. During the time of Jesus Christ, the Roman law of the Law Tablets prevailed and routinely invoked such methods as crucifixion, impalement and even being burned to death as penalties (DPIC, 2008). America traces its use of the death penalty to the British settlers with the first known recorded execution in the colonies carried out for a man accused of being a spy for Spain. The death penalty reached a point where it was even meted out to certainly less serious offenses although each colony was left to its own discretion as to how to implement it. Eventually, the Age of Enlightenment created a movement which felt that the death penalty was totally wrong on a whole lot of levels. The abolitionist movement which arose from this period strongly voiced its opinion that there was no way to justify the taking of a person’s life regardless of what he may have done against society. But even as there were formal attempts towards the reformation of the penalty in terms of actually changing the specific death penalty mandates of some states, it wasn’t until the mid-19th century that more successful strides in this regard was made; the first calls were for the imposition of the death penalty on truly serious crimes; later, states in this context began to review the crimes which they felt really warranted the death penalty; changing the manner of executions from being very public to more private confines within newly built correctional penitentiaries (DPIC, 2008). Eventually, an American state finally mustered its constituency to abolish the death penalty with Michigan taking this distinct honor in 1846 followed later by several more states. But even as some states still held onto capital punishment, general reforms on the issue began to shape not only the concept of death penalty, but of the entire criminal justice system as well. There followed greater distinction and sensitivity as to what crimes necessitated the death penalty. The establishment of statutes for one made the justice system more objective and fair; instead of an automatic imposition of the death penalty on capital crimes regardless of the facts surrounding the case, discretionary statutes allowed for an examination of the facts before sentencing was made. But it was only in the latter part of the 20th century that much of the spirited discussion on the death penalty took a more significant turn when the United States Supreme Court took a major role in threshing out some of the thornier points of contention in the debate. Some of its major decisions include; 1. Ruling out the unconstitutionality of the death penalty specifically under the Eighth Amendment; in 1958 in the case of Trop v. Dulles (356 U. S. 86), it was argued that the death penalty at this point in time (1958) was indeed cruel and unusual punishment and as such, that it can no longer be considered as something in keeping with America’s â€Å"standards of decency† and should therefore be abolished (DPIC, 2008). 2. That the death penalty can be imposed only when a jury recommends it was rendered unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in two cases where the prosecutor and the jury had important roles to play in the meting out of the death penalty in capital crimes; in U. S. v. Jackson (390 U. S. 570), the Court upheld that the practice was unconstitutional because it encouraged defendants to waive their right to a jury trial to ensure they would not receive a death sentence (DPIC, 2008). In Witherspoon v. Illinois (391 U. S. 510) the Supreme Court held that a person’s mere hesitancy or reservation towards the death penalty is not enough reason to have him or her disqualified from being part of the jury in a death penalty case; disqualification could only be possible if it can be proven that more substantial display of attitudes can actually affect the outcome of the case. Later similar cases such as in Crampton v. Ohio and McGautha v. California tackled the issue of whether the jury as both the power to not only impose the death penalty as they see fit, but that they could also determine in a single deliberation, the verdict as well as the resulting sentence; in this regard, the Supreme Court in favor of the jury having the ultimate discretion (DPIC, 2008). But in the landmark case Furman v. Georgia (408 U. S. 238)), the Supreme Court again was compelled to decide on these same issues, the result of which was the voiding of 40 death penalty statutes (DPIC, 2008). This had a double edged outcome; even as the death penalty had been deemed unjust (and reinforcing statutes voided in this regard), it still allowed states who still wanted the death penalty to keep it reinstated by simply re-writing their death-penalty statutes. In later years, the debate has shifted equally on both sides. As the United States has opted to keep the death penalty in a global circle of adherents which keep on shrinking, it has however imposed limitations with regards to controversial areas. Special areas of concern with regards to the imposition of death penalty include issues in cases of mental illness and retardation; the factor of race with a disproportionate number of blacks on death row; the constitutionality of executing juvenile offenders. Another important issue is wrongful convictions. As addressed in the case Herrera v. Collins (506 U. S. 390 (1993)) the Supreme Court has mulled over the possibility that people on death row who profess their innocence could actually be innocent (DPIC, 2008). An important outcome of the case was that new evidence for possible innocence could be weighed and a new trial possibly considered. Numerous inmates on death row have been released because of this and their innocence subsequently affirmed through new scientific evidence and technology. II. Stating the problem Does capital punishment deter crime? The pivotal question would seem to be, does capital punishment really deter crime? If public opinion were to be taken as a simplistic barometer to answering this question, it would show that capital punishment as deterrence is perceptual, not factual. The Gallup Poll news service has recorded surveys beginning from 1936 up to the present day which show that public perception is reactionary- people tend to favor it more when confronted with violent and sensational crimes and then falling to record lows when there aren’t any (cited in Gallup Poll, 2004). The fact that the United States is showing declining numbers in death sentences being meted out, from 300 in 1998 down to roughly half of that (143) in 2003 (DPIC, 2008) doesn’t reveal anything except the fact that there are numerous challenges against the criminal justice system which makes for the handing out of death sentences far more difficult than it used to be. Pro-abolitionists are pointing out however that the single most convincing evidence against the death penalty may be the fact that crime statistics and trends show that of the dozen states that have chosen not to enact the death penalty have not had higher homicide rates than states that still impose the death penalty (Bonner, 2000). Highly revealing is the fact that the 10 of the 12 states without capital punishment have homicide rates far below the national average while contrastingly, more than half the states who still impose death have rates above the national average (Bonner, 2000). A state-by-state analysis found that during the last 20 years, the homicide rate in states with the death penalty has been 48 percent to 101 percent higher than in states without the death penalty (Bonner, 2000). Other interesting factual points include the fact that â€Å"homicide rates have risen and fallen along roughly symmetrical paths in the states with and without the death penalty† which means simply that the death penalty as a deterrent doesn’t really work (Bonner, 2000). Critics who are pro-death penalty point out however that there may be other factors which contribute to lower or higher crime rates which are not solely the effect of having or not having the death penalty. They point out other factors contributory to homicide rates such as the state’s demographics, unemployment and police or state defense and security profile. But the analysis found that the demographic profile of states with the death penalty is not far different from that of states without it. The poverty rate in states with the death penalty, as a whole, was 13. 4 percent in 1990, compared with 11. 4 percent in states without the death penalty (Bonner, 2000). III. Virginias death penalty vs. West Virginias life imprisonment A significant point of comparison to make would be between Virginia which still upholds the death penalty as against West Virginia which chooses to mete out life imprisonment. In Virginia, there have been so far 94 executions as of 2005 since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty; to be â€Å"eligible† for the death penalty in this state, one must have committed a capital crime under specific circumstances which can include among other things; robbery or attempted robbery; rape or attempted rape or sodomy, or attempted sodomy, the killing of a law enforcement officer; a multiple homicide; murder for hire; murder while incarcerated, etc (VADP, 2005). Virginia Crime Demographic Vs. West Virginia Crime Demographic In the year 2000 Virginia had an estimated population of 7,078,515 which ranked the state 12th in population; this is compared with West Virginia which had an estimated population of 1,808,344 putting it at a ranking of 37th over-all. In that same year, Virginia’s total crime index was 3,028. 1 reported incidents per 100,000 people, ranking it 41st overall. In comparison, West Virginia had a total Crime Index of 2,602. 8 reported incidents per 100,000 people ranking it at 47th highest over-all (DC, 2007). In terms of violent crime, Virginia had a reported incident rate of 281. 7 per 100,000 people ranking it 37th overall; in comparison, West Virginia had a reported incident rate of 316. 5 per 100,000 people ranking it 34th highest occurrence for Violent Crime among the states (DC, 2007). For crimes against Property, the state had a reported incident rate of 2,746. 4 per 100,000 people, which ranked as the state 41st highest. In comparison, West Virginia reported incident rate of 2,286. 3 per 100,000 people, which ranked it 47th highest (DC, 2007) Also in the year 2000 Virginia had 5. 7 Murders per 100,000 people, ranking the state as having the 20th highest rate for Murder; its 22. 8 reported Forced Rapes per 100,000 people, ranked it 45th highest; for Robbery, per 100,000 people, its rate at 88. 9 ranked the state as having the 28th highest for Robbery. In comparison West Virginia’s figures are the following; at 2. 5 Murders per 100,000 people, it ranks 38th highest rate for Murder; for 18. 3 reported Forced Rapes per 100,000 people, its ranking stands at 49th highest; for Robbery, per 100,000 people, its rate at 41. 4 ranks it as having the 41st highest for Robbery (DC, 2007) For about 164. 3 Aggravated Assaults for every 100,000 people, Virginia ranks at the 40th highest position for this crime among the states; every 100,000 people had about 429. 9 Burglaries, which ranks it at the 46th highest standing among the states. In comparison, West Virginia had 254. 2 Aggravated Assaults for every 100,000 people, which indexed the state as having the 24th highest position for this crime among the states; for every 100,000 people there were 546. 9 Burglaries, which ranks it as having the 36th highest standing among the states (DC, 2007). In larceny, Virginia had theft reported 2,064. 8 times per hundred thousand people which ranks it as the 38th highest among the states; broken down Vehicle Theft occurred 251. 6 times per 100,000 people, which makes it good for 38th highest for vehicle theft overall. For West Virginia, Larceny Theft were reported 1,556. 1 times per hundred thousand people which ranks it 50th highest among the states; broken down, Vehicle Theft occurred 183. 3 times per 100,000 people, which ranks the state as having the 43rd highest for vehicle theft overall (DC, 2007). In terms of economy and socio-economic indicators, it is significant to note that the expectation of poverty indicators as suggestive of influencing higher crime rates does not hold true in this comparative analysis of crime demographics between Virginia and West Virginia. Economically, Virginia dwarfs West Virginia in economic size and strength; According to the 2004 U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Virginia’s gross state product was $326. 6 billion. The per capita personal income was $35,477 in 2004. In 2006 and 2007, Forbes Magazine voted Virginia as having the [ best climate for business] in the United States citing economic growth, business costs/incentives and quality of life (Wikipedia, 2007) In comparison, West Virginia’s has been described as â€Å"very fragile and that according to the U. S. Census Bureau is the third lowest in per capita income ahead of only Arkansas and Mississippi and ranking last in median household income† (Wikipedia, 2007). While it is simplistic to assume that other factors don’t come into play such as the dynamics of crime with changing median incomes, it is hard to ignore the consistency by which the state of West Virginia has bested Virginia in the incidence of various crimes, both capital or lesse in nature across the same population samples. This gives some credence to the argument that even as it cannot be entirely proven that the death penalty does not outrightly deter crime, its use doesn’t give any clear or dramatic evidence that it as as effective as other means of deterents. The fact as proven by the comparison between two states with entirely different socio-economic profiles and crime demographics tends to affirm that those states who don’t use it, do have lower crime rates as a whole. IV. Ethical and moral issues race factor/exonerations/ juvenile/mental health issues The ethical and moral discussions over capital punishment have strong universal resonance; almost since its inception, the the United Nations General Assembly for its part has adopted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights which inevitably promoted a right of life. It was one of the first institutions to recognize and point out attention to the implications of applying the death penalty to juveniles, pregnant women, and the elderly. The international community followed in its footsteps with progressive endeavors in drafting treaties which included the issue of capital punishment and the right to life; it has to be noted though that these treaties to some extent allowed death as punishment, but only in certain extreme circumstances. Despite this exception, many nations throughout Western Europe stopped using capital punishment, even if they did not, technically, abolish it. As a result, this de facto abolition became the norm in Western Europe by the 1980s. (cited in Schabas, 1997). While still holding on to its belief in capital punishment, the United States however has moved towards limitations which it has effectively applied to the ethical and moral questions of the death penalty being applied to juveniles, women, blacks and even the mentally challenged. Some limitations though such as the one evidenced from the 1977 Coker v. Georgia case still stirs up debate as to how the court can stretch the boundaries of limitations. In this case, the U. S. Supreme Court established that the death penalty was an unconstitutional punishment for the rape of an adult woman simply because the victim wasn’t killed. In Ford v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that extreme care should be taken in capital punishment cases where it can be established that the defendant might be certified to be either mentally ill or mentally retarded; as a result, the Supreme Court in this case, banned the execution of insane persons pending establishment of mental incompetence. Notable was Penry v. Lynaugh in 1989 where the Court upheld that executing persons with mental retardation was not a violation of the Eighth Amendment; but it later reversed itself when in Atkins v. Virginia in 2002, the Court pointed out that national and collective consensus against the meting out of the death penalty on the mentally challenged did indeed qualify it as being cruel and unusual punishment under the Eight Amendment (DPIC, 2008). Race has become a controversial issue due to the fact that as Amnesty International reports: Even though blacks and whites are murder victims in nearly equal numbers of crimes, 80% of people executed since the death penalty was reinstated have been executed for murders involving white victims. More than 20% of black defendants who have been executed were convicted by all-white juries (Cited in Amnesty Report). In Virginia, a study by Civil Liberties Union has branded the state’s administration of capital punishment as â€Å"unequal, unfair and irreversible† and citing that â€Å"race is a controlling factor in the way the death penalty is administered in Virginia† (cited in ACLU, 2003). It is in this context that the Supreme Court in Batson v. Kentucky (1986) provides for scrutiny against a prosecutor who might be biased through striking out jury members of a similar case in a disproportionate manner. In the 1987 case of McCleskey v. Kemp (481 U. S. 279), statistical analysis was used as evidence to point out racial discrimination in Georgia state’s administration of the death penalty. The Supreme Court however ruled it out saying; â€Å"that racial disparities would not be recognized as a constitutional violation of equal protection of the law unless intentional racial discrimination against the defendant could be shown (DPIC, 2008). With regards to the application of the death penalty on juveniles, three significant cases allowed the Supreme Court to rule that the execution of offenders aged fifteen and younger at the time of their crimes was unconstitutional. However, juvenile offenders under the age of 16 who have committed capital offenses can be executed if the state that has jurisdiction over their case does not have a minimum age in its death penalty statute; furthermore, the Supreme Court also held that under the Eighth Amendment, there was no effective prohibition for the imposition of capital punishment for offenders aged 16 or 17. V. Conclusion: Death penalty not a deterrent according to statistics, however majority support capital punishment. Indeed statistics will show that capital punishment is not an effective deterrent to crime; effective comparisons show that there is no significant correlation between lowered crime rates and the deterrent effect in states which implement the death penalty even with the incorporation of socio-economic elements as evidenced in comparing Virginia against West Virginia. In fact, the opposite is true that the crime rate tends to be lower in states without the death penalty. The majority support capital punishment although the prevailing attitude which is shared by the government as well, is to implement it more cautiously with regards to certain issues and sectors as legal, ethical and moral challenges have been raised against it and the criminal justice system as a whole. References ACLU (2003) New ACLU Report Finds Virginia Death Penalty System Riddled with Flaws, Recommends Sweeping Changes.Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/ Amnesty Report (2003) United States of America: Death by discrimination the continuing role of race in capital cases. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/ Bonner, R. (2000) States Without Death Penalty Have Lower Homicide Rates. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. sfgate. com/ DPIC (2008) Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/. Disaster Center (2007) Virginia Law Enforcement Agency Uniform Crime Reports 1980 to 2005. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. disastercenter. com/crime/vacrime. htm Disaster Center (2007) West Virginia Law Enforcement Agency Uniform Crime Reports 1980 to 2005. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. disastercenter. com/crime/wvcrime. htm Gallup Poll Service (2004) Public Support Figures for Capital Punishment. Retrieved January 9, 2008 from http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/. Schabas (1997) The Abolition of the Death Penalty in International Law, Cambridge University Press. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/ VADP(2005) Virginia Death Penalty Information. Retrieved January 9, 2008 from http://www. vadp. org/info. htm Virginia Economy (2008) Wikipedia. org. Retrieved January 9, 2008 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Economy_of_Virginia West Virginia Economy (2008) Wikipedia. org. Retrieved January 10, 2008 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/West_virginia.

The Power Struggle in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Essay examples

The Power Struggle in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is a powerful novel about the social changes that occurred when the white man first arrived on the African continent. The novel is based on a conception of humans as self-reflexive beings and a definition of culture as a set of control mechanisms. Things Fall Apart is the story of Okonkwo, an elder, in the Igbo tribe. He is a fairly successful man who earned the respect of the tribal elders. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected member of the tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace graphically dramatizes the struggle between the altruistic values of Christianity and the lust for power that motivated European colonialism in Africa and undermined the indigenous culture of a nation. Okonkwo's father was laughed at by the villagers, and was considered a failure. However, this was not true of Okonkwo, who lived in a modest home. Okonkwo's prosperity was visible in his household. He had a large compound enclosed by a thick wall of red earth. His own hut, or obi, stood immediately behind the only gate in the red walls. Each of his three wives had their own hut, which together formed a half moon behind the obi. The barn was built against one end of the red walls, and long stacks of yams stood out prosperously in it. Unfortunately, the clash of the cultures that occurs when the white man's missionaries come to Africa in an attempt to convert the tribal members, causes Okonkwo to lash out at the white man and results in his banishment from the tribe. Okonkwo had a bad temper which he often displayed: Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear of failure and of weakness. The cracks within Okonkwo's character are not so much external as internal, manifestations of those aspects of his being that have been his greatest strengths: acting without thinking; never showing any emotion besides anger; inflexibility; fear of being perceived as weak and, therefore, womanly. Slowly, these characteristics that have served Okonkwo so well in the past, begin to alter the direction of his life. The first such incident occurs when Okonkwo accidentally breaks the W... ...s return to Umuofia at the end of his exile when he returns home. The white men send their a messenger to the village. Okonkwo is still enraged about Nwoye's conversion. He sprang to his feet as soon as he saw who it was. He confronted the head messenger, trembling with hate, unable to utter a word. The man was fearless and stood his ground, his four men lined up behind him. â€Å"In a flash Okonkwo drew his machete. . . . Okonkwo’s machete descended twice and the man's head lay beside his uniformed body† (204). In the end it is Okonkwo’s inability to recognize change that forces him to commit suicide. It is the white missionaries’ inability to recognize that the Africans did not wish to change which adds to his demise. The missionaries represent the ruthlessness of the white man in Africa. The native Africans were expected to accept the ways of the white culture, for their own benefit, or suffer the consequences. In this light the missionaries can only be seen as brutal, and anything but true Christians, but rather religious zealots who like Okonkwo wish to force their world view upon others. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1959.

Assessing poor quality service: perception of customer service representatives Essay

The article written by Marilyn M. Helms and Donna T. Mayo from Dalton State College, Dalton, Georgia. USA purpose is to explain on how customer service relates with customer dissatisfaction which resulted in customer defection. In service industries, service plays important roles as it relates closely with profit and firm longevity. Researcher also claims that good retention ability from service managers can leverage their organizational performance. This is been done by complain management programs. Also the author claims that poor customer service from customer service representative will also be one of the factors of customer defection. This is been proven that dissatisfaction is derived from experience with a service representative during the dispensing of a service. A survey has been conducted to 100 people for a retailer shop. The retailer can stand to lose 32 to 36 current or potential customers. Dissatisfied customer are ought to spread rumor of their bad experience and has an even greater impact on shoppers that not involved in the problem. Customers are more likely to post their bad feeling on web sites and blogs and 15 percents of dissatisfied customer post their comment. It is critical to determined service crisis and work to correct them before customers defect. Surveys have been done to call center service representative as they experience a different problem from customers every day. This employees is been evaluated based on their service delivery process. This is also to identify areas to improve the service quality given by call center employees. Research has conducted a survey to collect data from the employees perceptions. They had been thrown out a two question surveys. First question is to list out three example of poor customer service by putting employees in customer point of view. Second question is to choose one of the three reasons that can cause them to choose other service provider. The results is been analyze by an experience quality management and current customer satisfaction literature. The result of the data that had been collected shows at least 10 critical reason of customer defection. There are rude employees or poor attitude, slow services, employees not paying attention on attending customers issue, overall poor accommodation, lack of training or lack of product knowledge, service failure, poor quality, lack of patience, product availability, appearance or cleanliness and prices issue. Of all of the reason, most of the largest turnover for customer is rude behavior and attitude of the employees. This is followed by employee not paying attention and poor services to customer. Researches had found out between all the reason, they had categorize which reason that most likely to end the business relationship. They had found out that the above reason were most often within the employees and also one of the top reasons why customer defects. By addressing the above matter correctly can reduce defection from customer before the problem is starting as this can improve customer retention. There were also avoidable service failures such as slow services and errors on delivery. Researchers also conduct surveys on hospitality industries. Most answers from the surveys include slow response, service failure, lack of knowledge and also poor services. Researches have found out several factors that influence customer satisfaction and retention. It has been categorize as technical and interpersonal. As matters relates to technical is such as slow services, employees not paying attention or not attending on customer request, being rushed or associated of being pushy, mistakes and overall poor services. As matters related to interpersonal is more on the employees attitude. Few factors such as rude employees and poor attitude, lack of training, appearances and cleanliness, product availability, poor quality and prices. By identifying this categories can assist to improve service delivery process and revamp the employees training process. The author claims that there is an avoidable and unavoidable group of service failures. Product availability, poor quality and prices is been categorize as a poor service and its seems to influence customer perception of the overall quality. Product availability is an inventory and ordering or scheduling issue that management could easily address. Although prices and poor quality is beyond the control of the management, they should reported back to their vendor. Benchmarking of service delivery among competitors can greatly improve the processes. Author concludes that managers are able to validate most of the problems in avoidable breakdowns categories. Ranking of defection can actually aid managers to directing those service failures that requires most attention. One of the efforts that can be used is by rewarding employees that gives a good service to the customer. Role playing of angry customer and also other variety of service delivery situation should be used for employee screening. Benchmarking comparison of customer service versus rude customer service responses also conclude important training materials. Companies should ensure their delivery sounds genuine and does not appear memorized or rehearsed. Customer may not perceive a long wait or finding the representative mistakes, price or lack of product availability as severe as they might have as long as they been treated in a professional and a courteous manner. Management should take action on employees who’s been rude or having attitude problem towards customer. If customer claims slow service as an indicator of poor service quality, the management can set a time frame of each calls and created a standard service based on time. They can develop procedures to determine an acceptable period of time to perform a particular task. This also can improve standard operating time for each call. Within this, they also can adjust the process of call handling by the agent and set a standardization of service. Companies also can gain benefit from customer feedback on the services. This is when the organization can take action on case to case basis to keep them improvised. As for opinion, this research is important because nowadays, customer service is everywhere. To enhance customer satisfaction, the service providers should identify what make customer satisfaction with their products and services. In order to know either the customers are happy and satisfied with the products and services, feedback from them is important. It is because, the feedback can give company or organization achieved higher profit or reputation. For example, a cosmetic product where the provider ask feedback from the customer by using e-mail, short messaging service (SMS) and calling customer by asking their satisfaction after using the product after one week. This is to know either the customer are satisfied or not with the products and services. Besides, it will give good word-of-mouth when they spread good things about the products and services they used. Thus, some recommendation needs to add in this research which is, the researcher need to expand the respondents to more vary. Besides, these studies also need to focus on sole service industries or companionship segments. Therefore, the agent or the front lines should be train enough to serve customer and make customer satisfied with the products and services provide by the company or organization. In some industries, customer is their asset to gain maximum profit and reputation. So by identifying what make customer unsatisfied with the products and services, they can actually improve their skills, communication, system and also their products and services it to make customer satisfied. Besides, internal customer also needs to focus. It is because, when internal customer satisfied or happy, they can serve external customer with full manner and motivated.

Johannes Brahms symphony no. 4

Johannes Brahms symphony no. 4, opus 98, is a masterpiece that stays in the annals of history of music and the history of symphony. Completed in the 19-th century, it had such glorious predecessors as Beethoven’s symphonies. Therefore, in the times of Brahms, the symphony was considered the proper of great Beethoven and anybody who had courage to compose in this genre would inevitably face the possibility to be compared with Beethoven.Johannes Brahms worried that he was not worthy of the musical tradition set by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. One of the most unfortunate effects of his lack of confidence was expressed in an unwillingness to compose a symphony because he was afraid of being compared unfavourably to those masters, waiting until he was 43 years old to complete his First Symphony. However, once he had completed that initial symphony, he quickly adapted to the form, producing his remaining three symphonies in the space of only nine years.Each seemed to be more succes sful than its predecessors were; each introduced more depth and innovation from the most complex of the 19-th century composers. Just as Brahms's First and Second symphonies appeared in rapid succession as a contrasting pair, so did the Third and Fourth. The Third was finished in the summer of 1883 and the Fourth was begun the following summer. The first mention of the Fourth Symphony is in a letter dated 19 August 1884 from Brahms to his publisher, Fritz Simrock; the work was completed about a year later at Miirzzuschlag in Styria.In October 1885 Brahms and Ignaz Briill gave a two-piano reading of it for a small group of friends including the critic Eduard Hanslick, the surgeon Theodor Billroth, and the historian and Haydn scholar C. F. Pohl. Brahms conducted the first orchestral performance at Meiningen on 25 October 1885 . It is very interesting to observe Brahms's progress as a symphonist. He lived in the time of romanticism in music, when considerations of form gave place to su bjective expression. F.Liszt was then creating his symphonic poems and R. Wagner produced his amazing music dramas – all works strongly colored by literary and poetic ideas, and by a very personal attitude on the part of the composer. Brahms, in his First symphony, if not an outright romanticist, is yet â€Å"romantic† in his attitude, just as Beethoven in his Fifth symphony. Later we see Brahms's progression backward – from the â€Å"romantic† to the â€Å"classic† stress. The Fourth symphony is a pure classic masterpiece.However, the symphony is not only a work of design; it has a subjective undercurrent behind itself. It is perhaps significant that Brahms, ordinarily certain of himself and his work, had misgivings and questionings about this symphony. Some find the symphony an expression of pessimism. They say that it is bitter, that it drips melancholy like the yew tree, that its thoughts are of death. In fact, by that time Brahms had lost his mother who died of a heart attack. He devoted this symphony to the memory of his mother. But pessimism is not despair.At the time when Brahms wrote this symphony, his thoughts were turning towards his own end which was near, and death must have appeared as it should appear to all of us, as a tender friend and a supreme consoler. Brahms's symphonic work embraces all that is tragic and glorious in his music. There is tragedy even in the most wonderful of these movements, where we hear yearning for things gone beyond recall, but more especially in those where he strives to renew the traditions of the classics and proves splendidly that inherited forms may be filled with new matter .Nevertheless, one may safely predict that those portions of his work which show a master's discipline and noble intention as perhaps the most impressive marks of his character, will not be held in so great and lasting an affection as those where he is wholly himself, and where only his pure and great heart, so full of riches and yet so closely guarded, is heard to beat. He deliberately took a path that led him away from the land of romance to seek the land of Bach and Beethoven with all the ardor of his soul.But the spell of the blue flower was stronger. He fancied that he had eschewed the enchantment, but this was a delusion, for he remained a romantic all his life, a dreamy enthusiast, a deep feeling recluse, who clothed in new magical sounds the voices of rustling woodlands, the radiant eyes of virginal queens, the scattered tones of lost love-songs–all this, and his own life, blessed by sorrows and raptures. It is there that he is irresistible and unforgettable.Where he played the part of â€Å"heir† he had too little to squander, though he won and consolidated precious treasure enough. Only as the eternal youth, as one wrestling and longing and drinking from abundant wellsprings, as one of the beloved fairy-tale princes of music who ever and again awaken to deliver s leeping princesses, did he in truth find the land of Bach and of Beethoven. To many listeners, the Third Symphony might have seemed like the natural goal of Brahms's development as a symphonist because it combined the simple characters of folksong and romantic.It added an intense instrumental idiom and deep sense of coherence and overall structure, resolving its tensions at the close in a manner increasingly characteristic of the expression of his most profound songs. Yet any such impression would soon have been dispelled by the symphony, which followed shortly after in 1885, for here he recalls the wealth of ideas, which characterize the Second Symphony and the earnestness, and sense of structural culmination of the First Symphony. Yet here the drama is of a different kind.It is not the classic nineteenth-century struggle from minor to major, in Brahms's case full of romantic symbols in its final stages, but rather an abstract drama, which reaches its climax through the sheer intel lectual rigor and energy of its finale rather than through any conventional symbols. It ends securely in the key in which it began, E minor. And if the Third Symphony had gained something of the personal quality of its opening from the memories of Schubert and Schumann, this goes back to memories of Beethoven and Bach.For, not only does the finale take Bach as its starting point, but the first movement takes Beethoven. As has been noted, the first subject clearly draws on the slow movement of the ‘Hammerklavier' Sonata (bars 78-86) where an identical outline appears as a consequence of the evolving influence of the interval of the third. Yet it comes through an entirely Brahms’ mediation. The setting is very close to the somber opening in which he was soon to place the first of the Motets op.110, the same key and broad shape expressing the text ‘Ich aber bin elend' – ‘But Lord, I am wretched'. Yet the symphony's is a more animated, complex type of exp ression whose distinctive two-note phrasing actually finds its closest parallel in a piece in total stylistic contrast to the motet -the Waltz in D minor, op. 39 no. 9. From this very personal stylistic chemistry, Brahms builds a movement and a work whose lofty style is closest to the Tragic Overture, a greater example of the ‘sublime style' noted in the great choral works with orchestra.And from them it takes much of its orchestral character, especially the fullness of Brahms' scoring, and the telling use of the flute, especially at bar 128 of the finale – surely a Grecian symbol. While Brahms has long since parted company with the storm and stress of the First symphony, the accents of the Fourth are in the highest degree charged with the resignation and the profound understanding that his own earnest nature and the passage of the years had brought him, and the nobility that existed under his crusty exterior.In viewing the work as a whole, its background again provides a key to its special nature and sense of direction. Indeed, it may well reveal the reverse case to that of the First Symphony, for even if it seems clear that it was the resolution of the first movement's implications that provided the compositional problem of the earlier work, it appears likely that the finale was here the starting point and thus determinant of the work's structural nature. And even if other ideas existed at this earlier stage, the special nature of the finale provided the dominant focus for their working and shape.Much of the Fourth symphony is melancholy and lamentful, but it is relieved by the consolatory beatitude of the andante and the elevating stateliness of the conclusion. The austerity with which the composer has been reproached—in many instances unjustly—is here pronounced. The solidity of the structure may be admired, but the structure itself is granitic and unrelieved. The symphony has not the epic grandeur of the first, the geniality of the second, the wealth of varied beauty that distinguishes the third.Although the precise date is not known, Brahms had shown interest in the chaconne bass of the finale of Bach's Cantata No. 150 â€Å"Nach Dir, Herr Verlanget mich† some time before the symphony's appearance. The conductor Siegfried Ochs recalls him demonstrating to Hans von Bulow the structure of the Bach movement, to which von Bulow responded coolly, arguing that it needed more than voices. Brahms agreed, commenting: â€Å"What would you say to a symphonic movement written on this theme one day? But it is too lumpish, too straightforward. It would have to be chromatically altered in some way.† Just how the alteration was effected is clear from the work, where Brahms extends the model from its five-bar length to eight bars, substituting equal dotted minims for its minim-crotchet pattern and creating a climax in the chromatic alteration of A sharp. Now it appears as leading note to the dominant, B. But how the work as a whole stood in his mind at this earlier stage is not clear. Brahms was aware of the possibility that a variation finale can be assumed from the model of Beethoven, and the St Antoni Variations had already presented a basso ostinato variation finale.Yet the precise nature of a finale, which reflected both stimuli – that of a symphonic design in a harmonically restricted form – must have occupied him for long before a solution became clear. In considering the problems, Brahms drew on a considerable knowledge of the form of the chaconne and passacaglia, as has earlier been shown. In the actual period of the work's completion, he acknowledged special interest in the Organ Passacaglia in G minor by Georg Muffat, describing it to Elizabeth von Herzogenberg in 1883 as very fine and acknowledging possession of a copy.His work on the Couperin Edition for Chrysander also gave him an acquaintance with an example from the very different tradition of the French c lavecinists through the form of the Rondeau Passacaille. But the movement for which he had the deepest feeling was the Bach Chaconne for unaccompanied violin. He wrote to Clara Schumann, to whom the arrangement for the piano, left hand, was dedicated, in the following terms: For me the Chaconne is one of the most incredible pieces of music. Using a single system for a little instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest and most powerful expression.If I ask myself if I had written this piece – been able to conceive it – I know for certain the emotions excited would have driven me mad. If one does not have a great violinist at hand, the most exquisite of joys is surely simply to let the Chaconne ring in one's mind. But the piece certainly entices one to occupy oneself with it somehow. From this, he concludes that the only comparable experience is to play it with the parallel restrictions of left hand alone. It seems interesting that in referring to the other w ays of imagining the work recreated he mentions the orchestra.It is not difficult to see the manner and structure of this Chaconne, which he knew so intimately, mixing with his transformation of the Bach cantata bass to provide the foundations of a movement through which both vocal and instrumental limitations are transcended in his most powerful variation structure. Heinrich Reimann gives a short description of the symphony: â€Å"A theme of the second movement constantly returns in varied form, from which the chief theme, the staccato figure given to the wind, and the melodious song of the violoncellos are derived.The third movement, allegro giocoso, sports with old-fashioned harmonies, which should not be taken too seriously† . Seen against the background of Brahms's earlier variations, this movement is unique in its observation of a clear A B A – Coda form. The contrast is provided by changes in dynamics, frequently in mode, and partly in meter. The return of the o pening introduces variation both thematically and in the scope of harmonic movement within the tight restriction of the model, taken even further in the coda.All the previous variations are continuous, though the contrast of mode to major is established from the Variation on an Original Theme. The Bach Chaconne therefore assumes great interest in its adoption of a ternary outline through contrast of mode, in its variation of harmony at the reprise (though the theme is not recalled) and in its length – both movements building to thirty variations from an eight-bar model. The form of the Chaconne is also crucial to understanding Brahms's harmonic methods.Although elements of passacaglia are used in this movement – that is of a repeated ground bass ostinato – the chief spirit of the movement is that of harmonic retention, from which the composer can dramatically move for effect. The model is compounded of Bach's bass in modified form as upper part with a Brahmsâ₠¬â„¢ bass in which descending thirds are prominent. This provides the model for the first four variations and the background to the reprise, with its increasingly free harmonic working until Brahms breaks completely away from the previous patterns in the coda, loosening the original phrasing.The intervening harmony is built either on the ground (variations 4-11, 14-16), or on pedal variants, as in the central part, variations 12-13. Thus, as in earlier variation movements, there are two harmonic models with other freer types, though it is the first, with the theme in the upper part, which has the role of articulating the large structure. This represents, therefore, a considerably more complex form than its immediate predecessor, the ostinato variations of the St Antoni Variations.In fact, Brahms brings to fulfillment the inherent influence of the chaconne, noted as early as the variations of the B flat Sextet though with the added aspect of the passacaglia reflected in the Second Se renade and the St Antoni Variations, together with the outline of sonata form. It is the latter aspect that creates the variation of the reprise, since development cannot be used in the subdued central section. Clearly, such a distinctive structure could not have provided the symphonic climax without intimate relations with the other movements.The observation of the contrapuntal connection between the descending thirds of variation 30 and the first subject of the first movement is only one of many which could be made, for this work is perhaps more subtly and comprehensively integrated than any other. Not only are thirds omnipresent in the work's thematic material – as in the bass of the model – but many other links exist, including the anticipation of the ground in the first subject (bars 9-15). Most impressive, however, is the special harmonic language of the work, which is drawn from the harmony of the model.Both plagal and Phrygian progressions contribute further to the deeply archaic quality of much of the music. For example, the first subject is built on plagal progressions and the movement ends with a very impressive plagal cadence enhanced by pedal. The harmonic language of the second movement is even more special in its modal associations, as will be shown. All these features serve to support the more obvious surface function of variation. For the principle of successive variation, which dominates the finale also, soaks the work as a whole.The links are clearest in the first movement for two principal reasons: the structure of the movement as a whole and, directly related to it, the nature of the first subject. Brahms's tendency to recall the opening material after the recapitulation where no repeat is incorporated finds a particularly plain expression in this movement, which brings an approach associated with finales – those of the First and Third Symphonies and of the Piano Quintet into the context of a symphonic first movement.Y et the method is here different, for this is no conflated development/recapitulation structure, but rather a modification of the conventional scheme, since the recapitulation follows the third tonic statement of the idea at bar 246. The special form arises from the special nature of the main subject itself, a lyric paragraph whose essential sixteen bar structure is extended by internal variation to create a sectional impression – the sense of a model which demands repetition in a way quite unlike the main subjects of the other symphonies. Thus, the movement assumes a variation-aspect at two levels.Viewed most broadly, it falls into three sections, closely related by their presentation of the same passage. Although the third statement is made more elusive by the recall of its opening phrases in augmentation, linked by figuration in the strings, the overall effect is clear when the theme resumes at bar 246. As far as the sections themselves are concerned, they also appear stron gly variational through the immediate repetition of the first theme, that of the development offering an alternative to that of the exposition, bars 145-152 comparing with bars 1-7.Thus, Brahms draws on his earlier tendency to construct the transition by variation of the first subject (compare with the Second Symphony) into a much broader context. In the sections of passing variation, which have become so characteristic, although never with the clarity and deep thematicism of, for example, bars 80-6 or 95-8, the development draws so often on variation that it directly recalls the finale.Thus, after the varied repeat of the opening of the development, bars 169-84 present another section of clear variational identity, here through motive variation of the preceding bars treated in a stretto which quickly removes the sense of accentual identity, offering yet a further example of how Brahms learned from Beethoven the art of displacing the beat through the relentless repetition of a simpl e figure. This passage is complemented at bar 192 by a more direct variation of the opening subject, the section again alternating with the marcato figure of the transition, which serves to direct and articulate the music's progress.At bar 119, the finale is even more clearly foreshadowed, mediating between the variation and the work's first subject, which it clearly outlines, drawing particularly on the original flute parts to ensure connection. In turn, the following passage from bar 237 varies the following bars, focusing on a one-bar figure, whilst recalling the color-contrast of the variations, which lead to the reprise of the finale. It is inherent in such a structure that radical alterations of the recapitulation would have disturbed the variational relationship of the first three parts.Rather, as in the finale, it is the coda, which exhibits the development quality with the most rapid modulations and intense treatment of ideas. Yet variation remains the chief model. The powe rful statement of the first subject at bar 394 is remarkable in its transformation. The theme appears in canon between the outer parts, actually retaining its identity for far longer than the ear might suggest (14 bars in all) before a bridge to an intense treatment of the transition idea of bar 414.This remarkable intensity is achieved through a use of stretto, in which Brahms seems to press to extremes the possible relationship between the harmonies permissible in his style and the logic of the contrapuntal movement, a quality that he shared to a remarkable degree with Mozart. In a period, which includes some of Brahms's most powerful first-movement codas, this is surely the most impressive in its nature and its structural function. Of the impressive central movements with which Brahms completes his overall scheme, the second relates most clearly to the principles outlined.Indeed, its leisurely first section from bar 5 parallels that of the first in its relation to earlier works. An eight-bar theme of the simplest phrasing returns after a nine-bar digression to complete an exposition in simple A B A form. The following transition proceeds again by simple variation to establish, through ideas, which relate to the parallel part of the first movement. The dominant of B for the second subject, after which there is a further variation of the first theme with descending wind figures reflects the first subject of the work and strings employ pizzicato.Bar 74 initiates an imitative development very much in the spirit of that of the finale of op. 18, after which the second subject completes the conflated scheme: 1 – tr 2 – 1 – dev – 2 – coda. Yet its straightforwardness comes into a completely different perspective when set in its harmonic context. It can be seen as perhaps the boldest and most far-reaching of Brahms's experiments with modal effects. For, the opening partly suggests a tonic C despite the preceding cadence, one interp rets the unison opening as rooted in the lower mediant of E minor.Yet at the end of the phrase, Brahms turns the closing E into the tonic of a modified sonata movement, which makes a conventional contrast (though now unusual for Brahms) with the dominant, B, for its second subject. Such an opening must have a consequence in a Brahms’ movement and the key of C returns in the closing bars as an alternate harmonization of the opening theme in succession to the chromatic harmonization of the theme in E. Thus, Brahms juxtaposes the keys of E and C through a common theme.The ‘framing' effect of the C tonality and its final resolution is evident. Whilst this passage can be seen as simply one of effect, the suggestion of a Phrygian tonality, it may also be seen in more far-reaching terms. For, unlike the other authentic modes, the dominant of the Phrygian is not on B, but on C, since it cannot form a perfect fifth from B to F sharp. Thus, though Brahms may well begin with a mer e ‘effect', the harmonic implications are readily grasped and he, though very briefly, actually contrives to close with a Phrygian aspect.The Austrian theorist Heinrich Schenker once stated that the capacity to write in the modes lay even beyond a genius like Beethoven, that the Lydian movement of op. 132 simply used modern tonality to suggest a mode through the omission of any B flat and other means. Is it not possible that Brahms's deep interest in the issue led him to go a little further in the attempt to unite modern tonality and the principles of modality in one movement? After such tonal stress, the key of the third movement appears inevitable.Yet in its manner, the movement stands in strong contrast to the parallel movements of the later works. As is often pointed out, Brahms avoids the scherzo-substitutes of his maturity for a scherzo of an individual nature -not a 6/8, but a driving 2/4 movement. Yet its character is surely not without precedent. Just as Brahms had dr awn on the ‘Hammerklavier' Sonata as the starting point for a reinterpretation of a powerful idea, so the deep historical background to this work leads him to draw on the second movement of the late Piano Sonata in A flat op.110 whose thematic outline complements its metrical character in providing his basis. Yet in no other sense does the form relate to tradition, for Brahms constructs a continuous movement, sustained by variation in which the Trio contrast is limited to a very brief passage from bar 178 to bar 198, which simply transforms the character of the opening, to play a part in the broader scheme. And now we are going to make a profound emotional analysis of the symphony.Let us take take the opening. The violins play a melody that starts as a series of two-note sighs, each sigh consisting either of a descending third (for example, B to G) or of the same interval inverted into an ascending sixth (for example, E to C, but going up to the next-highest C rather than down ). Woodwinds echo these figures, but as chords, with the two notes played simultaneously.It is hard for us to think of a lovelier, more inviting opening to a symphony – of course, its familiarity help. Something preparatory, even if it were only two measures of unison B, would help listeners find their way in. This opening is immediately followed by a second statement of the melody, this time in broken octaves and in dialogue between first and second violins, with elaborate decorative material in violas and cellos. This was thought exceedingly difficult to unravel.

A Collection of Anthropology Definitions

A Collection of Anthropology Definitions The study of anthropology is the study of human beings: their culture, their behavior, their beliefs, their ways of surviving. Here is a collection of other definitions of anthropology from anthropologists and other dedicated to defining and describing what Alexander Pope (1688–1744) called the proper study of mankind- man. Anthropology Definitions Anthropology is less a subject matter than a bond between subject matters. It is part history, part literature; in part natural science, part social science; it strives to study men both from within and without; it represents both a manner of looking at man and a vision of man- the most scientific of the humanities, the most humanist of sciences.- Eric Wolf, Anthropology, 1964. Anthropology has traditionally attempted to stake out a compromise position on this central issue by regarding itself as both the most scientific of the humanities and the most humanistic of the sciences. That compromise has always looked peculiar to those outside anthropology  but today it looks increasingly precarious to those within the discipline.- James William Lett. 1997. Science Reason and Anthropology: The Principles of Rational Inquiry. Rowman and Littlefield, 1997. Anthropology is the study of humankind. Of all the disciplines that examine aspects of human existence and accomplishments, only Anthropology explores the entire panorama of the human experience from human origins to contemporary forms of culture and social life.- University of Florida Anthropology is Answering Questions Anthropologists attempt to answer the question: how can one explain the diversity of human cultures that are currently found on earth and how have they evolved? Given that we will have to change rather rapidly within the next generation or two this is a very pertinent question for anthropologists.- Michael Scullin Anthropology is the study of human diversity around the world. Anthropologists look at cross-cultural differences in social institutions, cultural beliefs, and communication styles. They often seek to promote understanding between groups by translating each culture to the other, for instance by spelling out common, taken-for-granted assumptions.- University of North Texas Anthropology seeks to uncover principles of behavior that apply to all human communities. To an anthropologist, diversity itself- seen in body shapes and sizes, customs, clothing, speech, religion, and worldview- provides a frame of reference for understanding any single aspect of life in any given community.- American Anthropological Association Anthropology is the study of people. In this discipline, people are considered in all their biological and cultural diversities, in the present as well as in the prehistoric past, and wherever people have existed. Students are introduced to the interaction between people and their environments to develop an appreciation of human adaptations past and present.-   Portland Community College Anthropology explores what it means to be human. Anthropology is the scientific study of humankind in all the cultures of the world, both past and present.- Western Washington University The Human Experience of Anthropology Anthropology is the study of humans in all areas and in all periods of time.- Triton College Anthropology is the only discipline that can access evidence about the entire human experience on this planet.- Michael Brian Schiffer Anthropology is the study of human culture and biology in the past and present. - Western Kentucky University Anthropology is, at once, both easy to define and difficult to describe; its subject matter is both exotic (marriage practices among Australian aborigines) and commonplace (the structure of the human hand); its focus both sweeping and microscopic. Anthropologists may study the language of a tribe of Brazilian Native Americans, the social life of apes in an African rain forest, or the remains of a long-vanished civilization in their own backyard- but there is always a common thread linking these vastly different projects, and always the common goal of advancing our understanding of who we are and how we came to be that way. In a sense, we all do anthropology because it is rooted in a universal human characteristic- curiosity about ourselves and other people, living and dead, here and across the globe.- University of Louisville Anthropology is devoted to the study of human beings and human societies as they exist across time and space. It is distinct from other social sciences in that it gives central attention to the full-time span of human history, and to the full range of human societies and cultures, including those located in historically marginalized parts of the world. It is therefore especially attuned to questions of social, cultural, and biological diversity, to issues of power, identity, and inequality, and to the understanding of dynamic processes of social, historical, ecological, and biological change over time.- Stanford University Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities. - Attributed to A.L. Kroeber The Jam in the Sandwich Culture is the jam in the sandwich of anthropology. It is all-pervasive. It is used to distinguish humans from apes (everything that man does that the monkeys do not (Lord Ragland)) and to characterize evolutionarily derived behaviors in both living apes and humans. It is often both the explanation of what it is that has made human evolution different and what it is that it is necessary to explain... It exists in the heads of humans and is manifested in the products of actions. ... [C]ulture is seen by some as the equivalent of the gene, and hence a particulate unit (the meme) that can be added together in endless permutations and combinations, while to others it is as a large and indivisible whole that it takes on its significance.   In other words, culture is everything to anthropology, and it could be argued that in the process it has also become nothing.- Robert Foley and Marta Mirazon Lahr. 2003. On Stony Ground: Lithic Technology, Human Evolution, and the Emergence of Culture. Evolutionary Archaeology 12:109-122.   Anthropologists and their informants are inextricably bound together in producing an ethnographic text that integrates the impact of their unique personalities, their social incongruities, and their dreams.- Moishe Shokeid, 1997. Negotiating Multiple Viewpoints: The cook, the native, the publisher, and the ethnographic text. Current Anthropology 38(4):638.

Forgetting and our emotional state Essays

Forgetting and our emotional state Essays Forgetting and our emotional state Essay Forgetting and our emotional state Essay They are peripheral details which are encoded which wouldn’t normally be encoded. These details may be where the person was at the time and what the were doing when the event took place or when being told it took place etc. an example may be when Felix Baumgartner sky dived from out of space. FBMs are usually formed if the event was emotionally arousing. They tend to be memories of the events which is episodic rather than memories of facts which are semantic. An evaluation point of FMB is research done by Brown and Kulik, it was found that white Ps had FBMs for assassinations of white people for e.g. President Kennedy whereas black Ps had FBMs of the assassinations of black people for e.g. Martin Luther King. This supports FBMs as it showed that emotional arousal,huge significance and persona relevance are important factors in the formation of FBMs. It was also suggested by Brown and Kulik that the ability to form FBMs would be useful for our ancestors for activities such as hunting and gathering to survive. This would be an evolutionary advantage as there would be trial and error and the errors would have caused trauma which in turn led to a FBM so the error would not be attempted again. However it could be said that in the 21st century it is not very useful as there is no need to hunt and gather. The suggestion of evolutionary advantages supports FBMs. : Support for Brown and Kulik is from the research where it is shown how sudden shocks or surprises increase adrenaline production. Stress hormones are known to lead to stronger memory information/ so high arousal of a sudden even triggers changes and increases the production of adrenaline. This is then likely to form into a   FBM. Its an advantage to have this medical knowledge as it is objective so there is no risk of demand characteristics, it I also high in reliability. Contradictory evidence for   FBMs are that high arousal and danger might be the cause of them. Write found that there was little evidence for witnesses of the Hills-borough football disaster having   FBMs. 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death and this was seen by hundreds. After 5 months fans tended to have only a vague memory and not the clear   FBMs one which was expected.  However it could be said that the witnesses may not have wanted to recall the events as it may have been traumatic to remember so they pretended they forgot. Another contradicting point for FBM is the MSM. Neisser has criticised the concept of   FBMs and says they can be explained in other ways. They could be explained by using the models of memory, for example the MSM say that we remember long lasting memories because of rehearsal, and a traumatic event may be rehearsed.  Repression:  Freud believed that forgetting is an unconscious motivated process. He came up with motivated forgetting which involved memories which were too emotionally painful to be forgotten using a defence mechanism such as repression and denial. It was said that in repression painful feelings are at first conscious and then are forgotten, but they are stored in the unconscious from where they can be retrieved. Repression can range from momentary lapses of forgetting the details of a horrific event such as a murder. Amnesia can occur in cases where the person has experienced something extremely painful. Freud says that the Oedipus and Elektra complex go through repression whereby the child represses incestuous desires towards the the opposite sex parent and feelings of rivalry towards the same sex parent. Freud didn’t believe all forgetting can be explained through repression but most of it could be due to getting rid of unwanted and unnecessary information. People may forget experiences because of unpleasant associations for e.g. you may forget your homework because you didn’t want to do it so you simply pushed it out of your mind. This is called suppression which is a conscious or semi conscious behaviour as distinct from repression that occurs unconsciously.  Repression is when the ego protects itself from emotional conflicts. Traumatic events cause anxiety and to reduce this the memory of the even is forgotten, this anxiety maybe expressed through dreams or disordered behaviour as in the the case of little Hams. The repressed memories continue to affect conscious thought,desire and action even though there is no conscious memory of the traumatic event. Once the traumatic event is repressed   from the conscious mind to the unconscious mind it make individual feel better,at least temporarily.  And evaluation point for repression is research by Levinger and Clark, they carried out a study where the Ps were given negatively charged words and neutral words. They had to do a word association task whilst having their skin response measured. The Ps were then given the cue words again and asked the associations hey had just reported. They found that Ps took longer to recall the negatively charged associations than the neutral ones. So it could be said that it took longer to access the unconscious mind for the word associations. It has been reported that between 20-60% of people undergoing therapy as a result of child sexual abuse report periods in their lives when they could not remember the abuse had taken place. This supports repression as it shows that the memories had been repressed in their unconscious. However it could be said that they did not want to recall the events so therefore pretended they couldn’t remember. Freud published case studies for his neurotic patients to support his ideas of repression. These have been questioned as inaccurate, however the case studied were unique and one off and cant be generalised as the study took place on white,middle class neurotic women only. The study could be therefore be said to be Oestocentric and culture bias. The study however did have rich qualitative data. Post traumatic stress disorder is where people re-live traumatic events that have taken place in theory lives. This contradicts repression theory as these people are always remembering it as its not being repressed like Freud says they should.  Robinson et al found that the memory of childbirth pain seems to be forgotten or repressed over time. This supports Freuds theory as child birth can be very traumatic however there are problems with using this evidence to support repression. It is difficult to generalise as the pain of childbirth is more painful and lasts longer than other types of pain.

Democracy and development-xz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Democracy and development-xz - Essay Example The analysis of law by the Supreme Court can be understood as destructive or proactive depending on an individual’s beliefs and opinion. However, individual beliefs and opinion are not the primary focus of the judicial system. In this perspective, political struggles emerge with opposing and proposing sentiments (Stone  78). Some citizens and scholars understand the importance of judicial activism while others argue against it. Judicial activism inclines to contradict the essence of democracy. Many judges oppose various clauses in the constitution and consider it wise to alter those clauses to make them conform to their personal or group beliefs. However, constitution demonstrates democracy, which all individuals should apprehend for the best interest of the public (Jordan  56). The constitution is a living representative of the opinion and beliefs of the majority in the United State. People elect senators and representatives who alter and add to the constitution to make it speak for people. To this end, if the constitution is not apprehend as a structure of justice, then the structure of justice will be left in the hands of individuals, therefore contradicting the fundamental nature of democracy-rule of citizens (Reitz  67). Individuals that advocate for judicial restraint argue that judicial activism may increase the likelihood of the United State been coerced into a state of anarchy. The concept invalidates the purpose of the rule of law, which is to eradicate the sense of injustice and reality of injustice. Judicial activism slows the process of trials and increases the uncertainty and victims may not understand it as objectively just. It reduces the chances of a peaceful process of settlement of disputes and temptation to violent on individuals in attempting to obtain justice emerges. Violent self-help brings about vigilantism and finally anarchy. Supreme Court judges not only interpret the constitution to suit their personal interest but also make

Stakeholder Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stakeholder Analysis - Essay Example This faction of the stakeholders feel that alternative measure of undertaking scientific experiments for medical development and other reasons are feasible. Winning in this debate has the gain of conscience satisfaction that animals should be taken care of like human beings. They seek to achieve the goal of human moral responsibility to be in charge of the other creatures. Winning this debate also presents a desirable outcome in terms of general perception of animals as being close relatives of man and the cruelty against them are uncalled for. There are various reasons as to why the proponents would want to win. They will assert the moral obligation of man to be a fair steward of nature. The animals are considered to experience pain but lack express vocal ability to show this. It is therefore disadvantageous to them and this raises ethical concern from the perspective of humanity. Another critical aspect of the gain concerns winning the conscience of people towards fair treatment of animals and minimizing chances of their elimination through waste control experiment. Financial support to shift to alternative experiment methods rather than sacrificing animals sounds more human and promotes ethics. Sanctity of life is likely to be upheld by the society and this will be a remarkable outcome in the entire campaign of the religious fraternity. Opponents still stand by the relevance and convenience attached to use of animals for scientific experiment. There is significant propensity of professional inadequacy should the pro-animal activists gain. Besides, alternative experiment procedures that may not use animals are seen as either expensive or inaccurate. There are several experiments that are in progress or already enlist the need for animals. In the event that use of animals is banned, the investment and commitment already put towards such experiments would go to vain and become discouraging. In essence, there has been