Friday, December 27, 2019

Solar System and Gravity - 1112 Words

The Effects of Gravity There are some people who worry that when they re outside, if they don t keep a good grip on the ground, they ll just go flinging off into space. They needn t really worry about this, because gravity generally keeps that sort of thing from happening. The thing is, no one is really sure what causes gravity, but the effects have been studied by many physicists and astronomers. Three of the more obvious effects of gravity are things falling down, weight, and the the moon and planets staying in their orbits. Things fall down. People have generally grown to accept that if one lets go of one s prized and valuable textbook when walking through a mud puddle, the book will invariably†¦show more content†¦So, too, the moon continuously falls around the Earth, and the planets fall around the Sun. Each of these objects balances the Sun s force of gravity with its own momentum, that is, with its innate tendency to keep moving in the same direction at the same speed. Take away the Sun s force of gravity, and the planets would sail into space, in whatever dircetion at whatever speed they happen to have. Take away a planet s momentum, perhaps with a giant hand that stops it in orbit, and it would head straight for the Sun, drawn by the Sun s gravitational force. But, because both gravity and momentum are at work, the planets fall, not down, but around, forever as they move in elliptical, but nearly circular, orbits. Working with insight that has never been exceeded since, Isaac Newton showed that by making one simple assumption, that all objects in the universe attract one another in accordance with a simple relationship, he could explain the fall of objects to the ground, the moon s orbit around the Earth, and the planets motions around the Sun. The relationship Newton conceived was this: Every object attracts every other object with an amount of force that varies in proportion to the product of the two objects masses, and in inverse proportion to the square of the distance between the centers of the objects. It is plain to see that gravity is quite important. TheShow MoreRelatedInterplanetary Dust and Orbital Debris1059 Words   |  4 Pagesdue to solar wind. The positive charge helps in reacting to the Lorentz force. The interplanetary dust grain population mainly originates in the main asteroid belt that is located between 2 to 4 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. Dust forms in collisions between bodies of diï ¬â‚¬erent sizes and energies or may be carried in by comets. 10 % of the dust formed by collisions in this area is transported towards the Sun via the Poynting-Robertson drag. The remaining 90 % leave the solar system hyperbolicRead MoreCompare and Contrast of the Sun and Moon1430 Words   |  6 PagesSIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF THE SUN AND THE MOON The Similarities and Differences of the Sun and the Moon Kelsey Linder Marion Technical College The Similarities and Differences of the Sun and the Moon The solar system is one of the very first things that a child will learn about in school. Children will learn why there is night and day, why there are seasons, the different shapes of the moon, and all of that important stuff that is too easily forgotten, as timeRead MoreThe Theory Of The Solar System1356 Words   |  6 Pagesthings the Solar system. From about the sun and how everything orbits around it from the planets and different moons. Even down to the fragments that float around in space. Each of these things is what forms our solar system. Now in earth’s solar system it contains the sun, eight planets which orbits the sun and 166 moons orbiting it the planets. Now you may think we already know this, but do you really know how the solar system was really made? Like why everything is circular in our solar system, or maybeRead MoreWhat is a satellite? How can they help us daily / what is the purpose with satellites. How do they orbit? Satellite Power Sources1471 Words   |  6 Pagesof satellites are doing starting with Global Positioning system (GPS), Reconnaissance Satellites, and finally Telecommunications Satellites. The Global Positioning System provides users with accurate information about their latitude, longitude, velocity and altitude, as well as the time, anywhere in the world. The GPS was launch in 1973 by Navstar in the United States and then followed by the Soviet Union with their own GPS. Both GPS systems are free to use by anyone around the world and offers greatRead MoreEssay on Human Factors in Long-Duration Spaceflight1162 Words   |  5 Pagesspaceflight is almost immediately apparent after lift-off, leaving the gravitational pull of Earth, and entering a micro gravity environment. Weightlessness can have several different impacts on the human body. Astronauts who orbit the Earth on the International Space Station (ISS) already experience these effects, and those missions are not nearly as long in duration. First, the micro gravity environment causes osteoporosis to set in. Osteoporosis is the loss and weakening of the bone structure. In factRead MoreRay Bradbury s The Marti an Records1741 Words   |  7 Pagesrock-based features looking like those on earth suggest that mars was once a wet and nice (to guests) planet. A day on mars is 24.5 hours long. Mars is a third the size of earth, but it has as much land area as the seven continents combined. Its gravity is 2.7 times less than that of Earth: enough to remain flat-footed on the surface, but a low enough escape speed to make launching from mars (compared to other things) simple. Remember, it was much easier for Apollo to lift off from the moon thanRead MoreThe Problem Of Instant Space Travel1437 Words   |  6 Pagesexpenditures† (Answer to the question How much does the mission cost?) These two different prices can be explained due to the fact that one is sending people to Mars while the other is setting up a colony. But, how do we expect to travel outside of the solar system, in a reasonable amount of time, for a reasonable amount of money, if we can’t even go to Mars, without spendi ng at least $30 billion dollars? But this is not the only problem that faces the future of space travel. Another important problem thatRead MoreThe Planet Of Planet Mercury1256 Words   |  6 Pagessmallest planet (it was believed to be the smallest until the discovery that Pluto is actually much smaller than originally thought), and also the fastest in its orbit since it is the innermost planet. Solar System Records Highest uncompressed density. Highest diurnal variation in temperature. Only Solar System object with a 3:2 spin-orbit resonance. it rotates on its axis exactly three times for every two revolutions it makes around the Sun Geological history ended the earliest among terrestrial planetsRead MoreThe sun is a star in which all of the planets of the solar system orbit around. The sun involves700 Words   |  3 PagesThe sun is a star in which all of the planets of the solar system orbit around. The sun involves three key parts consisting of the core which makes up 25 percent of the sun, the radiative zone which makes up 45 percent of the sun, and the convective zone which makes up 30 percent of the sun. The sun contains a large amount of hydrogen in its core which is where most of the nuclear reactions take place. At the sun’s core, gravity attracts all of the mass inward and generates a pressure large enoughRead MoreWeek 1 Sci 151 Essay1268 Words   |  6 Pages 1. Our place in the universe a. The modern view of the universe 1) What is our Sun and what is its role in the solar system? a. The Sun is a fairly ordinary but large star. b. The Sun is the focal point of our solar system, because all of the planets orbit the Sun. 2) What is our Milky Way galaxy and the sun’s position in it? a. The Milky Way galaxy is where our solar system is located in the universe. b. The Milky Way galaxy is home to over 100 billion stars and the Sun is one of those

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Current Correctional System and Rehabilitation - 934 Words

In 1929, the Federal Bureau of Prisons declared rehabilitation to be its fundamental goal. Do you think the current correctional system still holds rehabilitation as its number one goal? Why or why not? The goal of rehabilitation is an idealistic goal that is morally superior to the other possible goals of the correctional system. It was inspired by the belief that both inmates and society as a whole benefit more from the successful rehabilitation of convicted criminals than they benefit from punitive incarceration or by mere incapacitation (Schmalleger, 2009). After decades of social experimentation with criminal justice and corrections policies that incorporated and emphasized elements of rehabilitation over elements of punishment or mere incapacitation, the rehabilitation approach came to be widely perceived as having been a failure, largely by virtue of the very high recidivism rates of inmates during that time frame (Schmalleger, 2009). More recently, the American penal system s eems to have returned to the assumption that rehabilitating criminals is simply not a realistic goal on which to base national policies and practices. In the decades since the experiment with rehabilitation as the primary purpose of American penal systems, practices such as mandatory sentencing guidelines and three-strikes laws became more and more popular. In many respects, even judges have criticized the degree to which those types of laws limit their flexibility to apply judicialShow MoreRelatedThe United States Correctional System Essay830 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States Correctional System The United States correctional system is put in place for the time after a conviction to punish the convicted as well as get them ready to reenter society as a productive member. Unfortunately, Langan and Levin (2002), statisticians with the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 67.5% of prisoners released from prison are arrested again within three years time. Obviously, there is some sort of breakdown in the correction area of the criminal justice matrixRead MoreCorrections Trend Evaluation Essay1338 Words   |  6 PagesMay 7, 2012 Hector Garcia Ed. D Abstract Throughout the United States, there are many correctional facilities that house thousands of inmates. Individuals who work within these facilities have a tough job in maintaining the prison facility and the inmates. Correctional officers are called the front line workers and are responsible for looking after the inmates. The officers who work for the correctional facility deal with issues that may arise inside and outside of the facility. The subject toRead MoreRehabilitation Is Essential For Human Life1669 Words   |  7 Pages Rehabilitation is essential to human life. It is about a combination of skillful tactics that intend to restore normalcy in an individual after an occurrence. This process is dynamic depending on the reason why an individual is being rehabilitated. Rehabilitation can occur subsequent to a variety of events including injuries, disease, drug abuse and crime related cases. This paper concentrates on rehabilitation in corrections. Most of the people who are in c orrectional facilities might have beenRead MoreThe Difference Between Male And Female Penal Institutions754 Words   |  4 Pagesin the U.S. correctional system and community corrections. Every state utilizes different types of classification instruments or methods to classify their inmates. Penal institutions in the U.S. have evolved tremendously in terms of procedures, decisions and classification. Studies from Clear et al. (2013) indicate that offenders in the United States, which consisted of men, women, and children, were all confined together in the same prison in the early 1800’s (p. 296). In our current era, correctionalRead MoreCriminal Laws Should Be Organized1513 Words   |  7 Pageselected officials since crime was increasing and with constant media coverage, violent crime created fear and anger and the target grew into holding offenders accountable for their conduct and the current Retributive Era came into existence. This model emphasized public safety above all else. Correctional punishments were tough with very little inmate resources. This was the return to the Classical School of criminality which believed that crime is deterred and prevented by lengthening and tougheningRead MorePrison Corrections1450 Words   |  6 PagesWhen it comes to working in a correctional facility, Samuel Cowey states, â€Å"I firmly believe that you must have a good sense of humor to do this job. If you don’t it will lead to an early grave from stress† (Cowey, 2012). This statement is true from the highest position of authority to the lowest position. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) houses juveniles and adults that have been convicted to state prison and provides programs and services during their incarcerationRead MoreEssay about Correctional System1469 Words   |  6 PagesThe U.S. correctional system has come under critical public scrutiny which has corrections administrators scrambling to find ways to run effective correctional facilities. The reality of corrections administration today is that it is changing. Major issues of this changing environment include ongoing budget concerns, privatization, technology, overcrowding, program issues, personnel management, security issues, and legal issues. This paper examines these current issues facing correctional administratorsRead MoreCorrections: From Rehabilitation to a More Punitive Model Essay1594 Words   |  7 PagesCorrections Paper What changes led corrections away from rehabilitation and toward a more punitive model? Since World War II through the 1970s, many changes occurred in the United States correctional systems. Rehabilitation Model is a treatment program that was designed to reform the inmates. According to www.copower.org, â€Å"This model is similar to the medical model; it regards the person with a disability as in need of services from a rehabilitation professional who can provide training, therapy, counselingRead MoreRehabilitation Paper1578 Words   |  7 Pagesprocesses have been created to form the rehabilitation process of criminal justice. This process has reached out to many offenders and their families by allowing them to return to the community as changed individuals. Rehabilitation has many different process, but most, if not all have been proven successful in returning offenders to the community as changed individuals. Rehabilitation is defined as a return to a previous form. In criminal justice, rehabilitation is referred as a designed attempt toRead MoreAbstract. Modern Sentencing Practices, Along With A Decreased953 Words   |  4 PagesModern sentencing practices, along with a decreased funding in the prison rehabilitation programs, have caused new challenges for the correctional system. Almost 800,000 offenders are â€Å"doing time† on the streets. Many have been pre-released back into a society that provides little to no services for their wellbeing that places them in situations that result in failure. This article examines the state of federal rehabilitation and the medical theory in today s corrections environment. Specifically

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Natural Disaster Volcanoes free essay sample

As it is forced up to the surface, the gases and magma push the earth up with it forming the mountain shape. When the magma gets near the surface of the earth it sometimes erupts violently, but can also erupt without violence. | | A volcano is actually an opening or a fissure, in the Earths crust, through which lava or molten rocks, ash and toxic gases present below the surface of Earth are discharged by a sudden, violent eruption. Sometimes, it can be a mountain-like structure with a bowl-shaped depression at the top, through which these substances are expelled. The term volcano is derived from the name of the Roman God of fire, Vulcan. Volcanic structures are usually formed at places where the tectonic plates are either converging or diverging. A stretching or thinning of the Earths crust, can also lead to the formation of volcanoes. They are often classified into three types, on the basis of their frequency of eruptions, i. We will write a custom essay sample on Natural Disaster Volcanoes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page e. ctive, dormant and extinct. The active volcanoes are characterized by regular eruptions, while the dormant volcanoes are those that erupted in the past, but are silent now. On the other hand, an extinct volcano is the one that erupted in the remote past and is unlikely to erupt again. Volcanoes are not always erupting. Sometimes they lie quietly for thousands of years in between eruptions. Some volcanoes have areas around them that experience earthquakes and release gases, but do not erupt with magma. | Â  |

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Iousa Solutions Essay Example

Iousa Solutions Paper The united States public debt is money that is borrowed by the federal government Of the United States. In September of 2008, the national debt was 9. 6 trillion dollars. In March of 2010, the national debt increased by which is 126 trillion dollars. The total unfunded promises and liabilities of the United States is over 62 trillion dollars. In order to pay for our major liabilities and promises, the United States needs that money invested today but of all that money they have zero of it. The federal debt includes money that the government owes to social security, Medicare, and debt owed to the public, By the end of 2010, the federal government will owe almost 9 trillion dollars to the public. Also, our gross domestic product is expected to reach 14. 6 trillion dollars by the end of 2010, The public debt to gross domestic product ratio is used to determine how much we borrowed relative to our national income, By the end of 2010, our public debt to gross domestic product will be around 62 percent. The federal government was formed in 1789 and the government has been having problems with the national debt since. Many factors lead to our national debt like war and the great depression but eve always managed to bring the dent down. In the early sass, the national debt began to grow quickly. In the late sis and early 20005 the government was running budget surpluses. As a result, our federal budget has been low and the national debt has been increasing rapidly. Sixty-eight percent Of the money borrowed by the United States government came from foreign sources. We will write a custom essay sample on Iousa Solutions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Iousa Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Iousa Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The foreign countries are becoming impatient with our deficit. If foreign countries were to Stop loaning us money, then Will have to raise interest rates dramatically, cut spending or, raise taxes. Estimated spending levels will be twice as large as revenues. Government spending includes all government consumption, investment but excludes transfer payments made by a state. Defense and other spending is the largest spending. Military spending is projected to be a very large cost for the Limited States. Since September of 2001, law makers provided 1. Trillion dollars for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war related activities. If we cut those spending, we can lower the potential future debt levels. Our nations mandatory spending policies are growing at a fast rate. By 2019, we will be spending 92 percent to all the revenues on entitlements and payments on the national debt, That will leave little money for all other expenditures, We ill have to cut discretionary spending or w e will continue to run large in growing our budget deficit. Some solutions can be to reform social security by increasing the retirement age, increase pay roll tax revenues, reduce growth in benefits for the better-off, and reduce COLA for benefits. I believe the national debt is too large to try and pay it off. There are many solutions that have been proposed yet we still have a very high debt Even though our generation does not want to pass this problem to future generations, believe they Will face the national debt problem and they might be living in worse economy than we are.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Personal Story Essays - Sores, Aqua Teen Hunger Force,

Personal Story Yeah ok! All that crap they have in the Saturday Evening Post and all, showing guys on street corners looking sore as hell because their dates are late - that's bunk. If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody. Boy, when you're dead they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me a goddamn cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who want flowers when you're dead? Nobody. It said if you had any sores in your mouth that didn't heal pretty quickly, it was a sign that you probably had cancer. I'd had this sore on the inside of my lip for about two weeks. So I figured I was getting cancer. That magazine was some little cheerer upper. All that crap they have in the Saturday Evening Post and all, showing guys on street corners looking sore as hell because their dates are late - that's bunk. If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody. Boy, when you're dead they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me a goddamn cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who want flowers when you're dead? Nobody. It said if you had any sores in your mouth that didn't heal pretty quickly, it was a sign that you probably had cancer. I'd had this sore on the inside of my lip for about two weeks. So I figured I was getting cancer. That magazine was some little cheerer upper. Bibliography Physics

Sunday, November 24, 2019

How to Prepare for an Exam Two Months Away by Yourself

How to Prepare for an Exam Two Months Away by Yourself If youre taking a standardized test like the SAT or GRE (or others) and are planning to prep by yourself, you need months, not weeks or days to prepare for a test like this. Now some people will try to prepare for a test like this by cramming just a few minutes ahead of time, but a good test score is not in their future! In your case, youve given yourself two months, which is a decent amount of time to prepare for an exam like the one youre taking. Heres the study schedule. Month 1 Preparation for the SAT Week 1 Make sure youve registered for your exam!Buy a test prep book for your specific test.  Review the dos and donts of studying with test prep books. Review the test basics: contents, length, price, test dates, registration facts, testing strategies, etc.Get a baseline score. Take one of the full-length practice tests inside the book to see what score youd get if you took the test today. Make note of that score.  Map out your time with a time management chart to see where test prep can fit in. Rearrange your schedule if necessary to accommodate test prep. Week 2 Begin coursework with your weakest subject (#1) as demonstrated by the baseline score.Learn the components of #1 fully: types of questions asked, amount of time needed, skills required, methods of solving types of questions, knowledge tested.  Answer #1 practice questions, reviewing answers after each one. Determine where youre making mistakes and correct your methods. Keep learning content of this section.Take a practice test on #1 to determine level of improvement from baseline score.Fine tune #1 by going over questions missed to determine what level of knowledge youre missing. Reread information until you know it! Week 3 Move on to next weakest subject (#2). Learn the components of #2 fully: types of questions asked, amount of time needed, skills required, methods of solving types of questions, etc.Answer #2 practice questions, reviewing answers after each one. Determine where youre making mistakes and correct your methods.Take a practice test on #2 to determine level of improvement from baselineFine tune #2 by going over questions missed to determine what level of knowledge youre missing. Review that material. Week 4 Move on to strongest subject/s (#3). Learn the components of #3 fully (and 4 and 5 if you have more than three sections on the test) (types of questions asked, amount of time needed, skills required, methods of solving types of questions, etc.)Answer practice questions on #3 (4 and 5).Take a practice test on #3 (4 and 5) to determine level of improvement from baselineFine tune #3 (4 and 5) by going over questions missed to determine what level of knowledge youre missing. Review that material. Month 2  Preparation for the SAT Week 1 Take a full-length practice test, simulating the testing environment as much as possible with time constraints, desk, limited breaks, etc.Grade your practice test and cross-check every wrong answer with the explanation for your wrong answer. Determine what youve missed and what you need to do to improve. Go over the sections where you missed the most.   Week 2 Take another full-length practice test, simulating the testing environment again. Again, go through every missed problem, looking for weaknesses. Go back to the book and see if you can improve by yourself. Still need additional help? Find a tutor who can meet with you for a last-minute session.   Week 3 Go back through weakest section (#1) and work through the problems again, memorizing testing strategies, reviewing practice problems, and whittling down the time it takes you to work through the questions.Review with a tutor if youre still not mastering the content.   Week 4 Eat brain food.Get plenty of sleepReview test tips to make your test-taking more efficient.Plan some fun evenings to help you relaxTwo days before the test, read testing strategies for the exam, memorize the testing directions as printed in the book or online.  Pack your testing supplies the night before: an approved calculator if youre allowed to have one, sharpened #2 pencils with a soft eraser, registration ticket, photo ID, watch, snacks or drinks for breaks.Relax. You did it! You studied successfully for your test, and youre ready. So take a deep breath, okay?

Thursday, November 21, 2019

11 Movie Reviews Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

11 Reviews - Movie Review Example This movie is just as good as the first two, and I would say that it is one of the funniest movies that I have ever watched. What makes the script so good is the interplay between Chief Inspector Lee, played by Jackie Chan, and Detective James Carter, played by Chris Rock. Some of the lines that these two actors used had me laughing nonstop. The movie begins with the introduction of the Triads, a Chinese criminal organization, and Lee and Carter pursuing an assassin at the World Criminal Court. The next scene is perhaps the best scene of the whole movie. The clues lead Carter and Lee to a martial arts studio, where a giant martial arts expert confronts them. The conversation goes back and forward between Carter and the martial arts expert, with the words â€Å"you† and â€Å"me† used in a confusing manner. After this, the clues lead the two of them to Paris, France. The first place they go to is a triad hideout, where Lee manages to kill a Triad assassin called Jasmine, and Carter meets a beautiful lady, Genevieve. After Carter and Lee are told that Shy Shen, the leader of the Triads, is not a person but a number of leaders, they discover that Genevieve has the list of Triad leaders tattooed onto her forehead. The action then switches to the Eiffel Tower, where Lee and Carter go to get back Soo-Yung, an old friend of Lee. Lee manages to defeat Kenji while Carter saves Soo-Yung. The movie ends with Jackie Chan and Chris Rock walking off into the distance while dancing to the hit song â€Å"War.† Some of the scenes in this movie are similar to the prequels, but the movie still provides plenty of entertainment. Movie Review #2 – Avatar This movie was perhaps the coolest movie that I have ever watched. In fact, Avatar has now become the highest grossing film of all time. This is largely due to the fact that the movie was made in 3-D. The director of this movie was James Cameron, who is an Oscar award winning director for his work on the film Titanic, which was the previous highest grossing movie of all time. The movie starts off showing humans invading a foreign world, Pandora. The lead character, Jake Sully, played by Australian actor Sam Worthington, has been chosen to replace his brother on the mission to Pandora. Where it gets complicated is that Sully is a paraplegic, but this all changes when he gets to use his very own avatar, which is a creature similar to the local population but used by humans. On a mission into the woods, Sully gets separated from the rest of his crew. While he is lost, a local Na’vi, Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, finds him and brings him back to her people. Back at the human base, the head of the security force is convinced to let Sully build a cover with the local population in order to gain their trust. The humans have the goal of getting hold of a mineral that is more valuable than anything else. To achieve this, the local Na’vi population must move so that the humans can go in and use the resources. This does not happen because Sully chooses to stick with the Na’vi and fight the humans for control of the land. The last scene is a huge battle between the humans and the Na’vi, which the Na’vi triumph in of course. At the end, Sully is accepted into the local culture and becomes one of them. In my opinion, Avatar is the greatest movie spectacle of all time. Movie Review #3 – Shrek The movie Shrek is one that became very successful all around the world in large part due to the quality of actors in the movie. Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) all brought star power to a movie that was

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Doing the assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Doing the assignment - Essay Example This trend is exemplified by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. v. Soler 1 in which the United States Supreme Court held that antitrust disputes arising from international contracts are arbitrable. The court reached this conclusion against the background of a long line of U.S. cases that considered antitrust law fundamental to the ideological and economic integrity of the United States. 2 Underlying the Supreme Court’s decision in Mitsubishi was the presumption that the arbitrators in the case would respect the imperative provisions of the U.S. Sherman Act (which embodies U.S. antitrust principles), despite the fact that the applicable law in the case was Swiss Law. It thus seems that the increasing acceptance of international arbitration as a legitimate alternative to litigation implies an expectation on the part of States that arbitrators will, like judges, respect the basic notions of justice and in appropriate cases apply the mandatory provisions of relevant laws. It is one thing to grant parties the power to organize their dispute resolution process in a manner compatible with their objectives; it is a different matter to suggest that parties to an international arbitration are entirely free from the demands of public policy and fundamental provisions of relevant laws. 3 The integrity of international arbitration and its endurance as a viable alternative to litigation would seem to rest on arbitrators’ continual respect for public policy of States whose legitimate interests are implicated in arbitration disputes. Arbitrators therefore have to balance their respect for the autonomy of the parties’ will with the need to apply mandatory provisions of laws that are relevant to the dispute. In this chapter, we will examine the impact of mandatory rules in resolving the merits of a dispute before international arbitrators. The problem posed by mandatory rules in international arbitration will be put in perspective by

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Eastern and Western Medicine Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eastern and Western Medicine - Article Example Western medicine works with the concept of performing different diagnostic tests for detecting pathologies. On the other hand the eastern medicine practitioner would rather check the patient’s pulse, observe the patient’s tongue looking at its shape and color to reach to his conclusion. After finding out the cause and the pathology, the western medicine doctor would prescribe medicine or opt for surgery. The eastern medicine has an entirely different way. According to their view there is a substance known as ‘Qi’ which flows through special channels in the human body. Insertion of needles at these channels affects the flow. This method of inserting needles is used for altering the flow of Qi to organs of the body and different muscles and it is via this way that they treat ailments. This procedure is specifically known as acupuncture. The eastern medicine also uses naturally occurring herbs for its treatment purposes. If a patient is brought in an emergency after an accident eastern medicine is not much effective for him because the patient needs immediate treatment along with blood transfusion if he has had severe blood loss. Doing acupuncture on such a patient would not be a very good step. But for patients who suffer from depression, fatigue and frequent headaches, eastern medicine proves to be very helpful. The reason is that it works more effectively and quickly in such cases whereas western medicine in these cases would delay the process and they have side effects as well. Thus recurrent headaches and other such diseases which require continuous medications should be treated with acupuncture in order to avoid the side effects of the drugs. Athletes also take the benefit of eastern medicine because of its quick response in treating muscle aches by using acupuncture. Chemotherapy for cancer along with acupuncture also is effective to reduce the side effects of the processes. Certain diseases  which have been signified as idiopat hic that is without any underlying reason such as fatigue syndrome can also be treated with acupuncture. But for acute conditions such as acute appendicitis surgery hence western medicine is the only option.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Analyzing Sacrifices Within Literature

Analyzing Sacrifices Within Literature One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything, except a good reputation. Oscar Wilde said, during the time of great Plague where many people are dying instantly and he intended that now a days people die but the people will never forget what it is to be living with the infection. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, death of the characters is also similar to a plague that spreads all across and eventually they pass away. Many human beings lose their lives each day as a result of their own self-centered wrong doing; there are others whose deaths are an end result of manipulation from the royalty. The authentic tragedy of Hamlet is not that of Hamlet or his own family but of Polonius family deaths because they sacrificed their lives and were the innocent who were involved in order to make justice for king Hamlet. Sacrifice might end suffering but, causes more pain to the others who cared and loved you. Once a child dies he/she might forget they existed in this world but, the parents of the children will be devastated by the pain that caused them for the rest of their lives and will remember them forever. Gandhis death was one of the heartbreaking histories in mankind. His work has been never forgotten, people still remember the pain he suffered to achieve the goal that he aimed for. Hamlets death not only caused the pain to his best friend but also changed the Fortinbras point of view on the war. He realized that not only there are soldiers in war but, also they are in everyday life and that they try anything and everything to help others or to succeed in their own goal. In hamlet the character Ophelia, she kills herself by drowning underwater. Ophelilas suicide devastated her brothers heart filled with so much sorrow and anger. Her death not only influenced his brother but also Hamlets mothe r Gertude because she wanted Ophelia to be her daughter in law as Gertrude says I hopd thou shouldst have been my Hamlets wife (5.1.233). Malcom X use to say Just because the heartbeat stop that doesnt mean that all memories and feelings for the dead would go away. Gandhis significance on sacrifice is The sacrifice which causes sorrow to the doer of the sacrifice is no sacrifice. Real sacrifice lightens the mind of the doer and gives him a sense of peace and joy. The Buddha gave up the pleasures of life because they had become painful to him. He said a sacrifice cannot be ended in sadness but it can be changed if the person receives peace from it. Innocent people died in Hamlet to give peace to King Hamlets ghost and to hamlet, so that he can make peace with his revenge. At the end of the play Hamlet knew he is going to die, this is obvious on several occasions where Hamlet illustrates to others that he just wanted to end his life of the treacheries. Sure, Hamlets actions throughout the play make him seem mad, but in reality, this madness was just a tactic of his in his plan to get revenge for his fathers wrongful death and justice. Contrary to accepted belief, the tragedy connected with Hamlet is not just about Hamlet or his own family. It is, however, about the sacrifices that the Polonius family has gave, whose deaths are not the result of any sins they omit but by their mortal manipulated by Hamlet and Claudius for explanations they are unaware of. Although the death of Polonius family stands out as being for the most part tragic, many other characters in the play are killed as well. In fact, the death of a character in Hamlet almost becomes commonplace near the end of the play. Perhaps Hamlet had never been taught killing out of anger was wrong, maybe he thought it was the punishment his Uncle deserved. Maybe the most important thing though is to be at peace with yourself, be happy with yourself, and with your actions. This above all: to thine own self be true (1.3.84), that is all that you can hope for from Hamlet; that he was above all else, true to himself.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

American Impress credit card Essay

1. Betty is married to Abel, a successful engineer. They have a joint account which gives them both an American Impress credit card, which they have had for years. They have always made the payments on time and over the years the credit limit has gone up and up. Abel has a skiing accident and dies. A month later, Betty gets a notice that her American Impress card has been cancelled. To make matters worse, the fact that her card has been cancelled is reported to a credit reporting company, which hurts Betty’s credit score and makes it harder for her to get credit. Does the law provide any protections for Betty? What can she do? No, the law does not provide protection for Betty because when a credit card account is a joint account and one spouse dies, the responsibility of handling that account will fall on the surviving party. Betty can protect herself by contacting the credit card company, or pay off the balance on the credit card account and close it, or transfer the account to her name and pay off the remaining balance. If she decides to transfer the account to her name, the credit card company may alter the terms of the original agreement. 2. An elderly lady with poor health and poor eyesight is approached by a door to door salesman. He tells her that if she buys a sectional greenhouse from his company, she can make lots of money raising and selling flowers. She gives him a check for several thousand dollars, way more than she can afford, and signs a contract promising to make monthly payments. He delivers to her house a bunch of greenhouse sections, which have to be assembled. Can she get out of the contract and get her money back? Are there other facts which if known would help you answer this question? No, she cannot get out of the contract if she meets the three main elements that are needed for a contract to be enforceable, they are: Offer: Which must be clearly stated and presented to the offered, this can be in either an oral or written form. Acceptance: Acceptance must be acceptance for the exact offer which was stated, any deviation may count as a counter offer and lead to the contract being unenforceable Consideration: Something of value given by both parties to a contract that induces them to enter into the agreement to exchange mutual performances. There are also other elements to a legally binding contract such as expressed and implied terms of the contract. Implied terms can consist of terms implied by law e. g. The Statute of Frauds requires the sale of land to be in writing etc. , these laws change from jurisdiction to jurisdiction so you would have to contact an attorney in your area to find out more. For a contract to be concluded, performance must be followed down to the letter of what was contracted for, courts give very little leniency in this area. It’s also worth checking out the law surrounding Duress, Misrepresentation and Undue Influence to fully cover you in the event of a breach by either party.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Communication Effects on Daily Life

#4: Identify one or two direct ways in which mass media and culture impacted the 2012 national election results. Mass media had a profound impact on the 2012 presidential election. Mass media is one big community that includes a mainstream of media. Some of the biggest components of the mainstream are television, radios, and the Internet. Mass media is one of the most powerful tools used during national elections because it helps influence open-minded voters. Culture also heavily impacts the national election results because the United States is slowly becoming a multicultural society.Racial diversity is something that is so prominent in our lives and therefore it plays a key role in the political system. One direct way in which mass media impacted the election was through attitude influence. Romney and Obama were aware that attitudes could be influenced through the media and both candidates spent over 1 billion dollars during their campaigns, setting a new record. Throughout years a nd months leading up to the election, the campaigns used mass media to spread political support or disdain to thousands of potential voters. The television is one of the most important technologies that have impacted the election.It has remained ahead of other media for the past 8 years. Attitude influence can be shaped through political debates that are shown on TV. Millions of viewers watch television and tune in during the debates. The television helps reinforce previous attitudes and influence voters who are independent. The Internet is one other major key that impacted the election results. A decade ago, just one-in-fifty Americans got the news about a candidate from the Internet. Today, one-in-three Americans regularly get information about a candidate or the election online.These numbers show the candidates the importance of getting their message out to the public in order to gain more support. Culture heavily impacted the presidential election as well. The tremendous growth of minorities in the United States has lead to a greater impact of minorities during the presidential election. â€Å"A minority vote could make a difference in the presidential battleground†, (Zacarias, 2012). 2012 was a big year in elections because minorities could play a vital role in the outcome of the election. Obama and Romney both tried to get support from the minorities. Read also: â€Å"Advice About Communication†Obama constantly stated that he would reform immigration laws and this helped him gain more minority votes, which could have played a role in him beating Romney. Culture, and specifically minorities and immigration issues are going to become more and more popular in the upcoming elections. #3: Describe the effects of new technology on interpersonal communication, their accessibility, and their implications on global communication. New technologies are slowly taking over the world and a lot of face-to-face interactions happen through mediated technologies.Mediated communication is making it easier for people to communicate with each other, in a variety of contexts. Whether that is Skyping from school, conference calls at work or social networking with friends. One effect of the new technology is selectivity of the mass communication audience. New technology has made mass media become more selective. For example, newspaper-publishing c ompanies can now sort through hundreds of articles to publish or delete any column with a press of a button. This gives the gatekeeper a great responsibility because they have the ability to influence the flow of information to a receiver.The other big effect that technology has on interpersonal communication is enhancing communication. Technological innovations such as teleconferencing and telecommuting make it easier for people to communicate with others at separate locations. It is something that businesses of all kinds are adopting around the country. The effects of the new technology have given people the opportunity to extend relationships across local and national boundaries. â€Å"Currently, it’s estimated that there are 1. 1 billion people online throughout the world† (Internet Usage Statistics, 2007).This is an example of how much we rely on technology. New technology is in everything and everywhere we go. Through computers, cell phones, machines, satellites and e-mails; new technology have become more accessible to people in society. Just because technology has become more relied upon and accessible, does not mean it is necessarily good for society. One global implication is that it has made people more introverted. New technologies have become more convenient and therefore cause less human contact. People do not have to go outside of their home to get access to what’s currently going on around the world.The new technology also enables people to isolate themselves from the world and spend more time on media than perhaps other people. Not everyone has access to the new technologies and this creates a digital divide. On a more positive note, new technologies contribute to implement political or social change across. There will continue to be long-term global communication but it’s important that we don’t let technology overshadow human issues. #5: Think of a group you belong to. Describe your roles in relationship to the functioning of the group and any of the common difficulties that your group encounters in solving problems.The group I am going to pick for this decision is the executive committee. I am one of the 8 members in my fraternities executive committee. The executive committee consists of members that best represent the fraternity and meet when a decision or punishment needs to be made. The whole chapter votes the 8 members of the committee in and trust that decisions will be made to further the chapter’s excellence. Each person in the committee is equal in status. Some do not have power or authority over others. Last year I was the head of security for our house.With that being said, one on my primary roles is to give insight on issues that the guys might not know how to appropriately handle. I typically give suggestions and information to the committee that might not cross their mind right away. Opinion seeking, opinion giving and coordinating are things I keep in mind to he lp better the function of the group. I am going to talk about a situation that happened a few weeks ago. One of our brothers got drunk and decided to throw beer bottles in the street and curse our security. I happened to be on security tonight and talked to security so they did not have to come search our house.This brother put our house at risk and so there was an executive meeting called that next day. The overall consensus was to fine the brother 250. 00 for his actions. I gave insight and offered suggestions on how we could more effectively get through to the brother. The committee ended up listening to me and the brother is no longer allowed to drink in our house this semester. Since alcohol is essentially what caused him to act out in such a poor manner. The executive committee sometimes struggles when it comes to problem solving. Often the group is split and we have to call someone else in to count and therefore make the decision.One of the biggest problems that the group has when it comes to problem solving is railroading. Unfortunately there is always a guy or two, no matter what the issue is, that tries to force their will on the group. Another common problem that is often faced deals with constructive criticism. Some of the group members often attack each other if they feel offended instead of successfully challenging ideas. #6: What difficulties might arise with intercultural communication? Have you experienced any? Intercultural communication is something that has become so pervasive within the last few decades.This is due to advances in technologies and mass migration that has made long distance communication more reachable. One thing that is certain is that intercultural communication has become more available to the world. With that being said, there are several difficulties that might arise with the instant popularity of intercultural communication. The first difficulty that might arise is the use of language. Language differences go much deep er than simple translations. The Spair-Whorf hypothesis states that, â€Å"languages differ more than strict word-for-word translations often indicate because people who speak the languages have different needs. In high school my neighbor had an exchange student from Spain. I know the basics of the language as asked him for a vaso which I thought meant glass. It does mean glass but he made me aware that it could also mean substance. Even when we can manage to translate from one language to another with literal accuracy, the failure to understand idioms can create difficulties. Nonverbal messages are different throughout cultures and therefore can lead to difficulties and misunderstanding between people. The exchange student from Spain invited me over to his house one time.He asked me if I wanted something to drink and I nodded. He looked at me funny and did not move until I said yes please. I later found out that in Spain, nodding does not have the same meaning. Norms, roles, belie fs and values are also difficulties that might occur in intercultural communication. People in different cultures expect different behaviors from on another. â€Å"Each norm takes different forms in different countries (Christians and Traber, 1997). When it comes to greeting, in the United States people often shake hands or hug. In France it is common to kiss on the cheek.If a guy kissed a girl on the cheek here, he might leave with a black eye. Norms also can lead to misunderstandings. In our society, it is taught at an early age to speak up and make eye contact. However, in some countries, speaking up is considered disrespectful. Difficulties in intercultural communication might arise when it comes to beliefs and values. It happens often that someone from a country, who is speaking to people of a different country, might offend them. If people do not understand or accept the values of another country, difficulties and tensions will rise.Ethnocentrism and stereotypes are two probl ems that not accepting values of a country can lead to. Improving these perceptions will help reduce the amount of difficulties that are tied with intercultural communication. #7: Using your media/new technology journal, describe how mediated communication and communication technology affects your daily life. Apply concepts from the theories and textbook to explain your reliance (or lack thereof) on media. My laptop, cell phone and television are technologies that I use the most in life. I use these forms of technology everyday, in a variety of contexts.Whether that’s typing up a paper in my room, watching a football with friends, or Skyping with a friend in Paris. The types of technology and media listed in my journal have impacted communication in my life because I do not have as many face to face interactions and tend to be less extraverted. Whenever I use my laptop, I often get on the Internet. That’s because life has become so smooth with the Internet being easy t o access. Some of my main uses with it are connecting with friends, connect to social networks and browse different newsgroups to keep up on current information.According to USC’s Center for the Digital Future, 77. 6% of Americans are daily Interne users. That’s more than three quarters of the population and shows how important the Internet is in people’s daily lives. I will be the first to admit that I’d be lost without my cell phone. It is considered an essential in my daily life. Cell phones can be used in a variety of ways. Making phone calls, sending text messages, emailing, browsing the Internet and even shopping. With that being said, the main thing I use my cell phone for is convenience.Using my cell phone is not always a good thing though because it is sometimes a distraction and can be dangerous because sometimes I read texts while driving. The television is also a technology that I use to keep up with information. In my life, it serves as an ey e around the world. It helps educate myself through social, political and economic issues, which lead me to use selective attention. I often turn to the television for entertainment with friends because it helps bring us together and keep the dynamics of our group intact.Recent research finds that among college students the five most often used sources of news were, â€Å"hometown newspapers, comedy news, cable news, Internet news, and broadcast news† (Didi and LaRose, 2006). This shows how strong the relationship between personal and mediated communication can be in our daily lives. I use the media to choose communication that often confirms to my own beliefs. Selective exposure is something that I often do because seeking out something that is similar to my values or attitudes is something I would probably enjoy.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Altenative Development

‘Alternative’ development is concerned with civil society, not the state or market. Also known as ‘third system politics’, it is more concerned with the unseen victims, than the victors in other development drama. (Hettne) Unlike previous development theories, the unit of analysis is communities, people and their livelihoods, as opposed to the world economy. This new alternative theory comes with the realisation of global interdependence and acknowledges that the concerns of the global population are interlinked. The main idea is to redefine development along alternative, ethical and normative lines, to create a working development theory of mutual interest to all those in global system. The need for a new development theory was brought about by the serious concerns of the third world and the interest the first world has in seeing their situation improve. Modernisation theory was unchallenged for a time, but it wasn’t working. Old problems re-emerged with new ones. A shift in the debate revealed a new approach was needed. In the 1950s and 1960s, industrialisation and maximum economic growth were the development objectives. This had some success, for example in India, from 1950 to 1975, average wages increased by 50%. But the ‘trickle down’ theory, that economic growth would help the needy as well, wasn’t working. By the end of the 1960s, the proportion of the developing world’s population living in poverty has increased. New problems emerged to worsen the situation: an increase in population, deteriorating environments (linked to population increase) and the growing arms trade in the developing world. By the late 1960s and 1970s, there was a halt in economic growth in the US, an effect of the Vietnam War, bringing increases in instability and inflation. Suddenly the World Bank stopped loans to the third world. The crisis worsened again in the 1970s, when OPEC raised the price of oil, causing worldwide politica... Free Essays on Altenative Development Free Essays on Altenative Development ‘Alternative’ development is concerned with civil society, not the state or market. Also known as ‘third system politics’, it is more concerned with the unseen victims, than the victors in other development drama. (Hettne) Unlike previous development theories, the unit of analysis is communities, people and their livelihoods, as opposed to the world economy. This new alternative theory comes with the realisation of global interdependence and acknowledges that the concerns of the global population are interlinked. The main idea is to redefine development along alternative, ethical and normative lines, to create a working development theory of mutual interest to all those in global system. The need for a new development theory was brought about by the serious concerns of the third world and the interest the first world has in seeing their situation improve. Modernisation theory was unchallenged for a time, but it wasn’t working. Old problems re-emerged with new ones. A shift in the debate revealed a new approach was needed. In the 1950s and 1960s, industrialisation and maximum economic growth were the development objectives. This had some success, for example in India, from 1950 to 1975, average wages increased by 50%. But the ‘trickle down’ theory, that economic growth would help the needy as well, wasn’t working. By the end of the 1960s, the proportion of the developing world’s population living in poverty has increased. New problems emerged to worsen the situation: an increase in population, deteriorating environments (linked to population increase) and the growing arms trade in the developing world. By the late 1960s and 1970s, there was a halt in economic growth in the US, an effect of the Vietnam War, bringing increases in instability and inflation. Suddenly the World Bank stopped loans to the third world. The crisis worsened again in the 1970s, when OPEC raised the price of oil, causing worldwide politica...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

wasteland essays

wasteland essays On April 1986, Soviet's Union Chernobyl nuclear plant exploded letting out a massive amount of radiation that would debate of all Russian citizens for hundreds of years to come. At exactly 1:21 am. on April, 1986 inChernobyl, a city near the Pripiat River the No. 4 reactor exploded and released thirty to forty times the radiation of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombing. The exact causes of the explosion are not known , however scientists and researchers, under thorough investigation, have uncovered possible causes to the explosion.1 The main reason why the explosion occurred was that, the operators of the plant were attempting to conduct an experiment with the emergency cooling system turned off, they made six fatal errors which sealed everyone's fate. Soviet officials clamed that if the technicians, would have avoided at least one of those mistakes, then the plant The technicians began the test one day before the explosion. They started reducing the reactor's power level so they could run the turbine experiment. However in order for the plant to run at lower power they had to turn off the automatic control system, which powered all emergency limitations that the plant should make in case it goes out of control. Turning of the cooling system was an unnecessary action and though it did not cause the explosion, it made the consequences more fatal. Just then the operator's receive a call from the local grid controller in Kiev, who needed the power and asked the technicians to stop lowering it, at what they obeyed. Once that was done the reactor was running with out the cooling system , which was a very serious mistake. At 11:10 p.m. the grid controller said he no longer needed the power, and the operators returned to reducing the power. At twenty minutes past midnight the operators forgot to set the regulator properly, it was the second fatal error. B...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

As you sit down on the bus, you notice that John Locke, Edmund Burke Essay

As you sit down on the bus, you notice that John Locke, Edmund Burke and Karl Marx are having a discussion about the proper role - Essay Example Instead, John Locke in the discussion with the Edmund Burke and Karl Marx revolves around an insistence on accommodating divergent views. John Locke, believes in the perception of moral truths considered to result in a strong political implication. In a focus on toleration, John Locke highlights on the division of state and the church since it is not possible for the state to force moral behavior (Norman 68). The separation, would lead to free speech because of individuals exercising free thought. The separation according to Locke, needs to be absolute in terms of the state only focusing on civil concernments. The power by the state according to John Locke, should only focus on the outward force. However, religion provides an inward persuasion related to individual’s mind. On the other hand, the state’s actions in relation to imprisonment, confiscating estates or torments cannot manipulate the inward judgment of individual’s world views. Locke reiterates that, un derstanding the truth needs a volitional interaction between reality and a person’s mind. In essence, Locke in the discussion, asserts the need to separate the government or state force and the mind. In addition since the volitional relationship only exist between one’s mind and the reality, then, it means the political leaders have no authority to compel their opinions or thoughts on other people (Norman 72). As explained by John Locke, the state should exist to protect the rights of its citizens, but not to compel public morality. In regard to civil government, John Locke asserts that, the political power denotes the privilege of enacting laws that are supported through a threat of force. However, it is impossible to provide evidence of a person’s right to political power as a result of one’s lineage or ancestry. The formation of government through ancestry or following a lineage result in a draconian rule and in turn, exacerbate civil disorder(Norman 7 4). An alternative means is important in choosing political leaders and should focus on understanding men’s relationships with one another prior to the establishment of a government. The relationship, should focus the state of nature since, within a state of nature, every man that possess free will or reason has an independent mind and by implication, is also politically equal and independent. Locke suggests that, being endowed with similar faculties and co-existing in the same community of nature, then issues of subordination that result in the destruction of one another, should not exist. While contrasting individual’s state in relation to nature, John Locke also highlights on the war that may arise because of disobeying the law of nature. These state of war, is a threat to the lives of persons on whom it has been imposed and results in the need to exercise self-defense. Locke further suggests that, men often focus in establishing a civil society by voluntarily, reli nquishing their personal right to defend themselves against the established public authority. This often occurs as a result of searching for a mutual protection of individual’s liberties and property (Norman 78). As a result, the laws related to the state emanate from individuals consent to the establishment of a government authority. As maintained by Locke, the appropriate functions of the law involves establishing , but not limiting individual freedom since, the state does not exist to limit freedoms related to the rational

Friday, November 1, 2019

How the Structure and Culture of the Organization in which We Work Essay - 8

How the Structure and Culture of the Organization in which We Work Affects the Level of Stress Experienced - Essay Example As the paper highlighted above, stress has significant impacts on staff and the result is eventually noted on companies. Companies incur immense losses due to stress-related instances among staffs, which are reflected in absenteeism, accidents, healthcare expenses and a general decline in productivity (Handy 1999). It is worth noting that most occurrences of workplace stress are related to the events that take at different levels of the organization. It could be due to conflict among employees or between employees and their managers; or due to poor allocation of duties, which result in overburdening of some staff. Hence, stress at the workplace can be attributed to two broad attributes of the organization: the organization structure and organization culture. Generally, the distribution of work roles at the workplace affects the performance of employees since it determines whether they will be motivated or demoralized. This is the aspect of organizational structure. How work is distri buted in terms of working hours, amount of work, incentives for the work, adherence to deadlines and so on all affect the level of stress among individuals. The kind of environment created by employees, managers and all players at the workplace also affect the level of stress experienced by the aforementioned figures. This is the role played by organization culture in impacting on stress. It is undisputable that conflicting demand from different organizational stakeholders would affect greatly the performance staff, if not impose different levels of stress to them. Additionally, personal conflicts among employees are not a good picture in the purview of organizations. This paper will evaluate how the structure of organizations affects worker performance.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Huichol Indians Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Huichol Indians - Term Paper Example When the spaniards invaded this place, the Huichols took refuge in Sierra. While some scholars are of the view that Huichols have aboded this place ever since the beginning. The Huichols primarily had five tribes having diverse cultures CITATION Lat \l 1033 . B.Hearths and Diffusions After the invasion of spanish soliders which made Huichol indians to further move into the depths of the mountains, the â€Å"Franciscan missionaries† came with their agenda of converting the indians to christianity. For this sole purpose they raised â€Å"four churches†. The motive of these missionaries was lost in vain as the Huichol indians remained true to their ancestrol religion and the churches built are in ruins. Although it is believed that Huichol indians were divided into five tribes, yet the recent studies tell of only three tribes namely the huautuari, the tuapuritari and the tateikitari. CITATION Lat \l 1033 II. Evaluation of Habitats. A. Physical Geography Huichol indians are among the primitive cultures and religion. They are settled in and around the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango in western central Mexico. They live in isolation of mountains of Sierra Madre Occidental. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The Huichol Homeland CITATION Lat \l 1033 B. ... Chapalagana bridge 1995 CITATION Lat \l 1033 C. Climate/Natural Hazards Due to the high altitudes, the climate Huichol indians experience is very dry and severe. The high altitude climate is quite cold specially in winters while the lower mesas has moderate tropical weather. The Huichols mostly remain in their ranchos built on a suitable elevation from the ground which keeps them safe from the extreme temperatures. One of the main problems the Huichols face is the shortage of water on high altitudes. In summers they move to their ranches built at a little higher elevation as the climate around the river gets very hot and humid. D. Flora and Fauna The plants found in the Huichol region are quite diverse.The most important among the flora of this region is the divine cactus. Its common names are â€Å"Peyote†, â€Å"Buttons† and â€Å"Mescalito†. This small spine-less, crown-shaped cactus grows under bushes and is of a gray-green color. It has hallucinogenic powers and belongs to the family of â€Å"cactaceae†. CITATION Lat \l 1033 CITATION Lat \l 1033 Another common plant of this area is Lavendar Pebbles or Graptopetalum amethystinum. This plant grows slowly but steadily. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The area is abundant in pine-oak forests. This region has a variety of plants both of mountaineous regions as well as deserts. In the lower parts the subtropical genres include Acacia, Ficus, Agave and Bursera along with many such kinds. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The fauna of these regions include the various wildlife species including jaguar, pumas, white-taled deers, white boars, skunks, iguanas and rabbits. Yellow winged Cacique is also a native bird of this area along with Black-Throated Magpie jay. CITATION Lat \l 1033 III. Population Characteristics A.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Chinese Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Chinese Philosophy Essay Human being is by nature a dynamic being, whose tendency to evolve is manifest in history, archeology and other disciplines that have put human development and progress in focus in the course of evolution and so does the society / community in which he resides. Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, once stated; â€Å"As they step into the same rivers, different and still different waters flow upon them† (qtd. in Snooks 1). In line with this saying, we may say that change is something that is part of nature. Many of the activities of communities can address, embrace or resist change. In order to manage the various incidents and conditions that are experienced by man and his society, various instruments and frameworks are devised. In the case of the Chinese society, a number of philosophical standpoints were developed in a bid to confront the challenges facing China. This paper endeavors to examine Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism and Legalism as the instruments put in place by the Chinese in response to the wars that China was experiencing, especially in regard to leadership in a society. Confucianism Confucianism puts quality on the ability of the human being to achieve, through self introspective processes, a state of inner harmony and moral uprightness, which can elevate the individual from the stables of a common person to a noble person. Confucias (541 – 479 BCE) was China’s first moral philosopher who linked moral behavior to traditional roles and hierarchies. He linked the Zhou order that was deteriorating and believed that all should understand and accept their role in the society. This system of thought is good in so far as it has faith in the human being as being capable of managing his own destiny, and being able to change for the better. Confucianism gives an individual member of the society a chance to take responsibility for creating and maintaining harmony in the society, by having it entrenched in the individual countenance that recognizes nobility as a state that can be achieved by an individual, without anybody being able to gain it through ascription or inheritance and this is not closely attached to the exercise of political power per se (Barry et al. 24) In China where many communities were vying for political dominance, Confucianism offered a window for the restoration of order through self cultivation, oriented toward achieving a noble state, in spite of the person’s social extraction. This, as a philosophy that sought to bring harmony in the warring Chinese society, worked toward the establishment of personal moral uprightness, which in turn would affect the way people related to one another, especially in their relation to leadership. If the society regarded nobility highly, then the noble people, having cultivated themselves effectively; would have their influence in the society to steer clear of war, or to effectively lead the people in better battle campaigns against their adversaries. If on the other hand, the Chinese society was to transform itself into a nation of noble people according to Confucian principles, then everybody would maintain the peace, because people would look at each other with more humility and kindness. The Confucian noble is thus, one who is able to provide leadership without really reigning or ruling. Confucianism can also be seen as a direct response to insensitive leadership during the war period, and thus, a system to try and impress the virtue of good leadership amongst the rulers of the time (86). This was done in such a way that it did not threaten as much, the social structures prevalent then, hence the Confucian recognition of the social hierarchies, and insistence on the citizenry to uphold respect for the superiors. Of course, war is a period when it matters to positively receive instruction and commands from the superiors. Daoism While Confucianism promotes the practice of self improvement in line with the argument based on natural evolution of the human species, Daoism on the other hand places all human effort in the search for knowledge and purposeful transformation in the realm of vanity. Daoists wanted the governments not to override their lives and were interested in the spiritual aspect of human existence. The temptation to dismiss this school of thought prima facie is quite high. This is due to the natural orientation of man to take responsibility of his destiny and the natural tendency to seek a better life, to marvel at nature and to try to influence it so as to satisfy personal needs. In that respect, one would expect that a working formula has to emphasize man’s rationality and his wants and needs, as the central pillars of his push toward creating his own history and having dominion over his environment. On the other hand, Daoism offers a situation where, as a country at war, the Chinese had an opportunity to re-examine their value systems and act accordingly. The Daoist concept of being in harmony with nature and not struggling to bring about change could be looked at as a peace strategy. This is because wars are naturally fanned by human desire to achieve something that humans feel is of ultimate importance to them. Wars also spring out of humans’ questioning of things and hence inventions of valuable things (which they desire so much). Humans would also like to either wrest from people who wouldn’t like them to possess the valuable items, or fervently protect the items from the people who would covet them. The need for man to change, to improve on things and to have an influence over his environment is a tendency that puts man in contention with the Daoist principle. If people followed Daoism, then they wouldn’t engage in a lot of questioning, which would bring about the escalation or perpetuation of the war. Their social relationships would be smooth, for all of them would be in harmony with nature, which would naturally take its course and not support of war. Daoist leadership would therefore be a laid back kind of leadership, with nature ‘taking care of itself’. The kind of transformation to come out of the society would therefore be premised on the Daoist fact that nature is capable of transforming itself, and man doesn’t have to take steps to interfere with occurrence of events. This however, would be criticized on the premise that change is something to be managed by the human being, by use of his intellect. Daoism as a leadership style would be an aloof kind of leadership, and during the war period, something deliberate had to be done, the solutions to the problems then were not just left to ‘fall from heaven’. To best illustrate this, Barry calls Daoists â€Å"†¦those who wandered off†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (48) Legalism This school of thought argued that strong government depended upon effective institutional structures not just the moral quality of the leaders. This could be described as the application of law for the benefit of the majority. Legalism thus becomes a system of reinforcement, with an emphasis on both positive and negative reinforcement meted out to the members of the society in order to discourage certain socially undesirable behavior according to the majority of people paying allegiance to the society in question (Ebrey Buckley 23). According to legalism school of thought, society is shaped through its reward system, with socially unacceptable behavior being punished for, with blessings from the social framework that awards certain individuals the power to dish out these rewards, without necessarily being seen to deny one or infringe upon their rights. This may help galvanize a society or community, which will in turn have a more prominent sense of identity and solidarity. Such a stand in a war situation is good for the purpose of gaining victory over the enemy. Legalism is quite an ideal system for bringing the society together in the face of a common enemy. This also gives the ruler the chance to act with speed, since legalism is a system that is responsive to the times; changing with circumstances and accordingly responding to the dictates of the time. War times need an atmosphere where there is quick action and response, and with the foundation that gives legality to what the rulers are deciding on behalf of their subjects. Legalism was therefore, an ideal philosophical grounding for individual Chinese communities during the time of war, for it is a system that can well serve the expedients of war. This comes in the light of the fact that the Chinese had developed government structures bequeath to them by the Chin dynasty, and which lasted for more than two centuries (Barry et al. 145). The structures brought about by the Chin dynasty were important in the realization of the dictates of the legalistic system, which was organized around reward and punishment, and had to have a basis in the common will of the people. Thus, there had to be a person vested with the power to mete out punishment to errant members of the society, while at the same time hand down rewards to those who performed and behaved in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the society. This person also derived mandate from the same common will that requires the people to obey and take reward, both positive and negative, with understanding; since it is for the common good that this is done. It can be argued that legalism is something close to Confucianism, because it comes out of man’s free will. It is a product of social engineering, with a view to bringing about an ideal society; something totally distanced from Daoism, which emphasizes the need to let life just flow, without taking any action to influence one’s environment. Mohism This is a system of universal brotherhood, where everyone on the face of the earth is related to each other, with an obligation to look after one’s kin (Ebrey Buckley 35). Taken from this very standpoint, this is a perfect doctrine for humanity at any one time, and in this case, for China during the warring times. This is because, as we have noted above, human conflict springs out of differences. These differences, when not solved amicably, lead to war. The inclination to keep some things away from others and to take what is owned by others is a perfect recipe for war. If, in the light of Mohism, all of humanity was to lay a claim on brotherhood, and maintain that doctrine of being each other’s keeper, then the incidence of war would be remote. This is because brotherhood entails harmony and amity. It also presupposes the ability to communicate with each other without necessarily taking to arms. Mohists might not have been comprehensive in their brotherhood matrix. Even though all men are supposed to be brothers, the Mohists’ view of the world is quite hierarchical, with the junior members of the society bearing a social responsibility to be subservient to those who are perceived to be on an elevated social platform. This is a system that would have borne fruit if only the small people accepted it. If however, the common people are not agreeable to this arrangement, then Mohism would be just but another plank of wood in the fire, for they would revolt as a response to this flawed brotherhood arrangement. From a different perspective, Mohism could be taken to be the answer to the perceived social injustices prevalent in China then. Much as one could be the other’s brother, this system sought to cultivate an environment where an individual, after striving for, and accumulating enough superior residues; would acquire a higher status and would lead people. War needs strong willed people, since it carries a lot in terms of collateral damage, both in terms of human life and material possessions. War time also needs utmost sacrifice, so that as brothers, some members of the society do not just sit back and wait for the other people to work out way-through for them. If one is in a lower position, then he has to be obedient and provide for that one who is up. In this way, Mohism comes out as a system that influenced the social set up such that it recognized the need to love each other, and to be ready to stand by each other; while at the same time, not losing the individual. If they were to be juxtaposed, Mohism and Confucianism would relate up to a certain extent. One would easily say that in terms of hierarchy, both Confucianism and Mohism teach about the society in light of inequalities and the need for these to be maintained through proper social decorum. Confucius goes deeper to analyze, at a finer level, the social relations and how they should be handled for the sake of peace and tranquility. Mohists may differ on some of these because of the pedant stand they regard the social hierarchies and how they observe and maintain them. However, it provides a framework for the legitimization of rulership, for a ruler is someone who occupies a place in a hierarchical set up. Legitimacy of a ruler springs out of the acceptance the ruler enjoys from the society. War times need strong leaders who derive legitimacy from their people. In times of war too, a ruler could impose himself on the people, but for as long as he serves to protect them or unite them against the enemy, then his legitimacy may not be much of a problem, since it is in the people’s name that the ruler reigns. This solidarity is best achieved by communities that recognize hierarchy as a natural phenomenon in life, and which Mohists and Confucians upheld in their thought. Conclusion In conclusion, based on personal point of view, the various ideological developments in China which brought about the four schools of thought which have been examined in this paper are a response to certain conditions in the society at the time of their emergence, and that these are mechanism that were crafted so as to manage change. The difference only lies in the points that were stressed. Mohism, for instance, is a system that was conservative to a certain extent, reacting to the possibility of occurrence of a development that could challenge the existing hierarchical status quo. At the same time, it endeavored to foster change in the way people regarded one another, with the small people (the serfs and commoners) fully recognizing and venerating their lords. Confucianism on the other hand, much as it strove for change on the individual level which would later on seep into the entire social fabric of the Chinese, was also a fairly conservative system. Just like Mohism, it posed no threat to the existing powers. It was a system that would be used to bring the people together in times of war, for this was not a time for people to start questioning their authorities. By defending the hierarchical system existent then, the Confucians thought of an alternative leadership style where noble people would get to influence the rulers through their self cultivation. This system almost totally absolved the ruler from responsibility, since the leader had the social privilege of lording it over his subjects without being obliged to observe certain tenets of leadership. It was however incumbent upon the subject to go through the process of self improvement. What would happen if all the subjects had transformed themselves yet the leadership was not together with them? What avenues would they have to really exercise power? Daoism was one way of running away from the human responsibility to respond to change. By letting all systems go, the society would be at a greater risk of falling prey to the dictates of a bad ruler, a coward or one who would sell them to the enemy during this war period, since the Daoist doctrine was all about living and letting live. After considering everything, legalism seems to be the system that would have best defended the particular communities, and even a collection of the communities, for it is a system of action and reciprocation. The common person reacts, and then the system responds by awarding a deserving reward; whether positive or negative.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay -- Two Kinds, Amy Tan

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story 'Two Kinds'; by Amy Tan, we are shown the struggles of a young girl Jing-Mei. Her struggle is that of a young girl growing up and trying to find her own sense of identity. Her troubles are compounded by her mother, who convinces her that she can become someone important. Because of her mother's constant overbearing behavior, Jing-Mei does everything she can to annoy and displease her mother even to the point of being a failure. This fight to find her own identity against her mother's wishes shows how parents cannot control their child's life; they can only point them in the right direction and let them make their own choices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the onset of the story we find Jing-Mei's mother convincing her that she 'can be prodigy…'; (491) and that she 'can be best anything.'; (491) Deciding that Jing-Mei's destiny is to become a prodigy, her mother takes control and begins to push Jing-Mei towards this goal. At first Jing-Mei is, 'just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so.'; (491) By saying these things, Jing-Mei's mother tries to create an ideal identity for her. Jing-Mei's mother begins to test her with questions and she cooperates. But as time goes on and the tests her mother gives her gets harder, Jing-Mei begins to be resentful and unwilling to cooperate. She thinks to herself, 'I won't be what I'm not.'; (492) This shows a child resisting it's parents control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 10-11

10 AUGUSTUS BRINE Augustus Brine sat in one of his high-backed leather chairs massaging his temples, trying to formulate a plan of action. Rather than answers, the question, Why me? repeated in his mind like a perplexing mantra. Despite his size, strength, and a lifetime of learning, Augustus Brine felt small, weak, and stupid. Why me? A few minutes before, Gian Hen Gian had rushed into the house babbling in Arabic like a madman. When Brine finally calmed him down, the genie had told him he had found the demon. â€Å"You must find the dark one. He must have the Seal of Solomon. You must find him!† Now the genie was sitting in the chair across from Brine, munching potato chips and watching a videotape of a Marx Brothers movie. The genie insisted that Brine take some sort of action, but he had no suggestions on how to proceed. Brine examined the options and found them wanting. He could call the police, tell them that a genie had told him that an invisible man-eating demon had invaded Pine Cove, and spend the rest of his life under sedation: not good. Or, he could find the dark one, insist that he send the demon back to hell, and be eaten by the demon: not good. Or he could find the dark one, sneak around hoping that he wasn't noticed by an invisible demon that could be anywhere, steal the seal, and send the demon back to hell himself, but probably get eaten in the process: also, not good. Of course he could deny that he believed the story, deny that he had seen Gian Hen Gian drink enough saltwater to kill a battalion, deny the existence of the supernatural altogether, open an impudent little bottle of merlot, and sit by his fireplace drinking wine while a demon from hell ate his neighbors. But he did believ e it, and that option, too, was not good. For now he decided to rub his temples and think, Why me? The genie would be no help at all. Without a master he was as powerless as Brine himself. Without the seal and invocation, he could have no master. Brine had run through the more obvious courses of action with Gian Hen Gian to have each doomed in succession. No, he could not kill the demon: he was immortal. No, he could not kill the dark one: he was under the protection of the demon, and killing him, if it were possible, might release the demon to his own will. To attempt an exorcism would be silly, the genie reasoned; would some mingy prelate be able to override the power of Solomon? Perhaps they could separate the demon from his keeper – somehow force the dark one to send the demon back. Brine started to ask Gian Hen Gian if it was feasible but stopped himself. Tears were coursing down the genie's face. â€Å"What's the matter?† Brine asked. Gian Hen Gian kept his eyes trained on the television screen, where Harpo Marx was pulling a collection of objects from his coat, objects obviously too large to be stored there. â€Å"It has been so long since I have seen one of my own kind. This one who does not speak, I do not recognize him, but he is Djinn. What magic!† Brine considered for a moment the possibility that Harpo Marx might have been one of the Djinn, then berated himself for even thinking about it. Too much had happened today that was outside the frame of his experience and it had opened him up to thinking that anything was possible. If he weren't careful, he would lose his sense of judgment completely. â€Å"You've been here a thousand years and you've never seen a movie before?† Brine asked. â€Å"What is a movie?† Slowly and gently, Augustus Brine explained to the king of the Djinn about the illusion created by motion pictures. When he finished, he felt like he had just raped the tooth fairy in front of a class of kindergartners. â€Å"Then I am alone still?† the genie said. â€Å"Not completely.† â€Å"Yes,† the genie said, eager to leave the moment behind, â€Å"but what are you going to do about Catch, Augustus Brine?† 11 EFFROM Effrom Elliot awoke that morning eagerly anticipating his nap. He'd been dreaming about women, about a time when he had hair and choices. He hadn't slept well. Some barking dogs had awakened him during the night, and he wished he could sleep in, but as soon as the sun broke through his bedroom window, he was wide awake, without a hope of getting back to sleep and recapturing his dream until nap time. It had been that way since he had retired, twenty-five years ago. As soon as his life had eased so that he might sleep in, his body would not let him. He crept from bed and dressed in the half-light of the bedroom, putting on corduroys and a wool flannel shirt the wife had laid out for him. He put on his slippers and tiptoed out of the bedroom, palming the door shut so as not to wake the wife. Then he remembered that the wife was gone to Monterey, or was it Santa Barbara? Anyway, she wasn't home. Still, he continued his morning routine with the usual stealth. In the kitchen he put on the water for his morning cup of decaf. Outside the kitchen window the hummingbirds were already hovering up to the feeder, stopping for drinks of red sugar water on their route through the wife's fuchias and honeysuckle. He thought of the hummingbirds as the wife's pets. They moved too fast for his tastes. He had seen a nature show on television that said that their metabolism was so fast that they might not even be able to see humans. The whole world had gone the way of the hummingbirds as far as Effrom was concerned. Everything and everybody was too fast, and sometimes he felt invisible. He couldn't drive anymore. The last time he had tried, the police had stopped him for obstructing traffic. He had told the cop to stop and smell the flowers. He told the cop that he had been driving since before the cop was a glimmer in his daddy's eye. It had been the wrong approach. The policeman took his license. The wife did all the driving now. Imagine it – when he had taught her to drive, he had to keep grabbing the wheel to keep her from putting the Model T into the ditch. What would the snot-nosed cop say about that? The water was beginning to boil on the stove. Effrom rummaged through the old tin bread box and found the package of chocolate-covered graham crackers the wife had left for him. In the cupboard the jar of Sanka sat next to the real coffee. Why not? The wife was gone, why not live a little? He took the regular coffee from the shelf and set about finding the filters and filter holder. He hadn't the slightest idea where they were kept. The wife took care of that sort of thing. He finally found the filters, the holder, and the serving carafe on the shelf below. He poured some coffee into the filter, eyeballed it, and poured in some more. Then he poured the water over the grounds. The coffee came through strong and black as the kaiser's heart. He poured himself a cup and there was still a little left in the carafe. No sense wasting it. He opened the kitchen window, and after fumbling with the lid for a moment, poured the remaining coffee into the hummingbird feeder. â€Å"Live a little, boys.† He wondered if the coffee might not speed them up to the point where they just burnt up in the atmosphere. He toyed with the idea of watching for a while, then he remembered that his exercise show was about to start. He picked up his graham crackers and coffee and headed for the living room and his big easy chair in front of the RCA. He made sure the sound was turned down, then turned on the old console set. When the picture came on, a young blond woman in iridescent tights was leading three other young women through a series of stretches. Effrom guessed that there was music playing from the way they moved, but he always watched with the sound turned off so as not to wake the wife. Since he had discovered his exercise program, the women in his dreams all wore iridescent tights. The girls were all on their backs now, waving their legs in the air. Effrom munched his graham crackers and watched in fascination. Time was when a man had to spend the better part of a week's pay to see a show like that. Now you could get it on cable for only†¦. Well, the wife took care of the cable bill, but he guessed that it was pretty cheap. Life was grand. Effrom considered going out to his workshop and getting his cigarettes. A smoke would go good right now. After all, the wife was gone. Why should he sneak around in his own house? No, the wife would know. And when she confronted him, she wouldn't yell, she would just look at him. She would get that sad look in her blue eyes and she would say, â€Å"Oh, Effrom.† That's all, â€Å"Oh, Effrom.† And he would feel as if he had betrayed her. Nope, he could wait until his show was over and go smoke in his workshop, where the wife would never dare to set foot. Suddenly the house felt very empty. It was like a great vacant warehouse where the slightest noise rattles in the rafters. A presence was missing. He never saw the wife until she knocked on his workshop door at noon to call him to lunch, but somehow he felt her absence, as if the insulation had been ripped from around him, leaving him raw to the elements. For the first time in a long time Effrom felt afraid. The wife was coming back, but maybe someday she would be gone forever. Someday he would really be alone. He wished for a moment that he would die first, then thinking of the wife alone, knocking on the workshop door from which he would never emerge, made him feel selfish and ashamed. He tried to concentrate on the exercise show but found no solace in spandex tights. He rose and turned off the TV. He went to the kitchen and put his coffee in the sink. Outside the window the hummingbirds went about their business, shimmering in the morning sun. A sense of urgency came over him. It became suddenly very important to get to his workshop and finish his latest carving. Time seemed as fleeting and fragile as the little birds. In his younger days he might have met the feeling with a naive denial of his own mortality. Age had given him a different defense, and his thoughts returned to the image of he and the wife going to bed together and never waking, their lives and memories going out all at once. This too, he knew, was a naive fantasy. When the wife got home he was going to give her hell for going away, he knew that for sure. Before unlocking his workshop he set the alarm on his watch to go off at lunchtime. If he worked through lunch he might miss his nap. There was no sense in wasting the day just because the wife was out of town. When the knock came on his workshop door, Effrom thought at first that the wife had come home early to surprise him with lunch. He ground out his cigarette in an empty toolbox that he kept for that purpose. He blew the last lungful of smoke into the exhaust fan he had installed â€Å"to take out the sawdust.† â€Å"Coming. Just a minute,† he said. He revved up one of his high-speed polishing tools for effect. The knocking continued and Effrom realized that it was not coming from the inside door that the wife usually knocked on, but from the one leading out into the front yard. Probably Jehovah's Witnesses. He climbed down from his stool, checked the pockets of his corduroys for quarters, and found one. If you bought a Watchtower from them, they would go away, but if they caught you without spare change, they would be on you like soul-saving terriers. Effrom threw the door open and the young man outside jumped back. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt and jeans – rather casual, Effrom thought, for someone carrying the formal invitation to the end of the world. â€Å"Are you Effrom Elliot?† he asked. â€Å"I am.† Effrom said. He held out his quarter. â€Å"Thanks for stopping by, but I'm busy, so you can just give me my Watchtower and I'll read it later.† â€Å"Mr. Elliot, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness.† â€Å"Well, I have all the insurance I can afford, but if you leave me your card, I'll give it to the wife.† â€Å"Is your wife still alive, Mr. Elliot?† â€Å"Of course she's alive. What did you think? I was going to tape your business card to her tombstone? Son, you're not cut out to be a salesman. You should get an honest job.† â€Å"I'm not a salesman, Mr. Elliot. I'm an old friend of your wife's. I need to talk to her. It's very important.† â€Å"She ain't home.† â€Å"Your wife's name is Amanda, right?† â€Å"That's right. But don't you try any of your sneaky tricks. You ain't no friend of the wife or I'd know you. And we got a vacuum cleaner that'd suck the hide off a bear, so go away.† Effrom started to close the door. â€Å"No, please, Mr. Elliot. I really need to speak to your wife.† â€Å"She ain't home.† â€Å"When will she be home?† â€Å"She's coming home tomorrow. But I'm warning you, son, she's even tougher than I am on flimflam men. Mean as a snake. You'd be best to just pack up your carpetbag and go look for honest work.† â€Å"You were a World War One veteran, weren't you?† â€Å"I was. What of it?† â€Å"Thank you, Mr. Elliot. I'll be back tomorrow.† â€Å"Don't bother.† â€Å"Thank you, Mr. Elliot.† Effrom slammed the door. His angina wrenched his chest like a scaly talon. He tried to breathe deeply while he fingered a nitroglycerin pill from his shirt pocket. He popped it into his mouth, and it dissolved on his tongue immediately. In a few seconds the pain in his chest subsided. Maybe he would skip lunch today, go right to his nap. Why the wife kept sending in those cards about insurance was beyond him. Didn't she know that â€Å"no salesman will call† was one of the three great lies? He resolved again to give her hell when she got home. When Travis got back into the car, he tried to hide his excitement from the demon. He fought the urge to shout â€Å"Eureka!† to pound on the steering wheel, to sing hallelujah at the top of his lungs. It might finally be coming to an end. He wouldn't let himself think about it. It was only a long shot, but he felt closer than he ever had to being free of the demon. â€Å"So, how's your old friend?† Catch said sarcastically. They had played this scene literally thousands of times. Travis tried to assume the same attitude he always had when faced with those failures. â€Å"He's fine,† Travis said. â€Å"He asked about you.† He started the car and pulled away from the curb slowly. The old Chevy's engine sputtered and tried to die, then caught. â€Å"He did?† â€Å"Yeah, he couldn't understand why your mother didn't eat her young.† â€Å"I didn't have a mother.† â€Å"Do you think she'd claim you?† Catch grinned. â€Å"Your mother wet herself before I finished her.† The anger came sliding back over the years. Travis shut off the engine. â€Å"Get out and push,† he said. Then he waited. Sometimes the demon would do exactly what he said, and other times Catch laughed at him. Travis had never been able to figure out the inconsistency. â€Å"No,† Catch said. â€Å"Do it.† The demon opened the car door. â€Å"Lovely girl you're going out with tonight, Travis.† â€Å"Don't even think about it.† The demon licked his chops. â€Å"Think what?† â€Å"Get out.† Catch got out. Travis left the Chevy in drive. When the car started moving, Travis could hear the demon's clawed feet cutting furrows in the asphalt. Just one more day. Maybe. He tried to think of the girl, Jenny, and it occurred to him that he was the only man he had ever heard of who had waited until he was in his nineties before going on his first date. He didn't have the slightest idea why he had asked her out. Something about her eyes. There was something there that reminded him of happiness, his own happiness. Travis smiled.