A Critical Essay on Ideas About Asian Aesthetics

Asian aesthetics first surfaced in academic literature as a Figure 1 point of comparison for Western aesthetics, it was seen as the ‘other' and was used to define what is Western aesthetics by providing what is not. This attitude towards Asian aesthetics proved detrimental to understanding Asian art as they were taken out of context (e. G. Traditions, religion) and evaluated using Western standards.But that Inefficient way of examining an aspect of a deferent culture Is now considered Improper. In fact, recent studies and literature approaches Aslant aesthetics as a discussion all on its own ? that is, not alongside Western aesthetics and its standards. We now come down to the main purpose of this essay, which is to provide working definitions for Asian aesthetics and discuss them in depth.The central inquiry to be solved is â€Å"What is Asian aesthetics? â€Å"? with ‘Asian' encompassing the South, East, and Southeast Asian countries. Aesthetics, as Engineer (1961) pr esented, can be divided into aesthetic experience and aesthetic object. In simple terms, aesthetic experience is for ‘appreciation', as in the experience which comes from art appreciation, while aesthetic object is for the creation', as in the object perceived as having aesthetic value.These concepts are used subsequently as the basic structure of the discussion supporting the working Figure 2 definitions of Asian aesthetics to be presented. The first interpretation defines Asian aesthetics as ‘a philosophy of purpose and art†, purpose precedes art in the definition for it is purpose which drives Asian artists to produce works of art, and, in turn, these produced works of art serves another purpose for the prospective observer or user of the said art.An example is the Chinese tradition of landscape painting called Shank-Sushi Huh which literally translates to ‘Mountain Water Painting' (figure 1), where the artist sympathizes with the atmosphere nature emanate s ? he feels the spirit of the environment flowing from living nature and his inner nature responds to it in Figure 3 circularity' (Marching, 1992), and from there, the painting made will serve as a material for 4 deep thought or contemplation, completing the purpose-purpose cycle in Asian art. But what constitutes Asian art in the first place?When one refers to Asian art, he/ she often refers to the traditional art distinctly Asian, from Figure 4 which the components/essence of Asian art are/is derived from and used in Asian-inspired modern art (I. E. In print and media). It is important to note that objects in traditional Asian art are rarely appreciated as ‘art objects' in homeless as they are often appreciated for/with the purpose they serve. This claim is supported by Massed, Gonzalez, Swan, & Anisette's (2008) study which shows that Asian art is â€Å"predominantly context-inclusive† (p. 1260).This connotes that appreciating the art of Asian origin calls for an un derstanding of the context in which the object is made, and is to be used; it is not possible to understand an Asian art without context? for context is a characteristic attached to the artwork itself, removing it will result in an incomplete object, which when analyzed will yield either an incomplete interpretation at the very least, or an adverse en at worst. 5 Asian art is not fundamentally made for the sake of beauty; the purpose of the object appears to be the first consideration in most Asian artworks.Traditional Asian art, that is â€Å"artistic form and in a traditional medium† (Guillemot, 1998), object's purpose may range from spiritual/religious, to documenting life and habits of the people, to culture conservation (I. E. Preserving traditions, etc), up to functional Figure 6 tools for daily living. Of all the purposes, spiritual/religious purpose seems to be the most prevalent in Asian art. An example of art serving a spiritual/religious is the Indian sculptures of gods and goddesses (figure 2), which permeated even the realms of painting (figure 3), dance (figure 4), and even architecture (I. E. Temples, figure 5).The second purpose of means of reminding people of the great examples of virtue in the golden ages of the past† (Cambric, 1995). China, as an example, has records of tomb Figure 7 6 paintings which serves as documents of the ancient past (figure 6). On the other hand, art serving as culture conservation is seen on rituals and festivals, and with the tools used in them. These rituals and festivals may seem frivolous with the development of rational thinking, but nice it is part of the culture, the community still does Figure 8 them; often following all the necessary procedures Figure 9 handed down from the previous generations (e. G. He psychodrama or 16 honors ritual of Indian temples) and using classic ritual accessories (e. G. Purchasing dippier a wick of light kept/waved before the holy symbol of god, figure 7). Lastly, th e practical/functional purpose, which is the most underrated purpose of all since the artisans doing them does not necessarily know the aesthetic value of what they are doing (e. G. Malone, figure 8), and so is their proposed consumers (I. E. Their kin in the immunity); all they know is, they use those objects daily (especially in the olden times) that the 7 handiwork is often seen as a necessity and not as an artwork to be appreciated by itself.Second Asian aesthetic interpretation relates it to the sensitivity to the context of an art object†. Marching (1992) says, â€Å"†¦. For the Asiatic mind wonder is the beginning of a sensitivity to things, and sensitivity to things is the most comprehensive way to be in the world and to make the world be in oneself†. This idea of sensitivity to things is exhibited by both the artist and the observer, especially for the Chinese Shank-Sushi-Huh (figure 1) tradition. In the artist, it is rooted in their discipline of channeli ng nature into their work without representing it realistically or as is.An artist includes his/her own vision and interpretation of the subject into his/her Figure 9 work, while the observer's role is to use the produced art as a point of reflection which guides them in contemplating about the world, the cosmos, and the plane of the Divine. As Marching (1992) stated, â€Å"philosophy was, in other words, the doctrine which, thanks to reason†¦. Opens man's way to Heaven†, and since aesthetics is the ‘philosophy of art', it an be deduced that in one way or another, aesthetic experience opens a man's way to Figure 12 Heaven through the arts.This is especially true for the highly spiritual/religious way of life the Asians have. 8 The third, and last, definition is rooted in the Asian appreciation for the beauty of the unrefined ? â€Å"Asian aesthetics is concerned with nature†. It deals with respecting, being inspired by, mimicking, and embodying nature in art . One fitting example for unrefined beauty is the Japanese aesthetic of WBI-Saba (means ‘rustic beauty and ‘desolate beauty), which celebrates the imperfection of things (e. . Mended ceramics, figure 9).Another example is the constant nature theme presented in Japanese paintings (figure 10) and Chinese paintings (figure 11). Asian art also uses natural medium (e. G. Rice paper, animal-hair brushes used for Chinese painting and calligraphy, figure 12). This high regard for nature arises from the spiritual/religious purpose discussed earlier in the first definition; Asians believe in the interconnectivity of things, from the Divine, to the cosmos, to the plane of man. They Divine, either in presence of things or in the absence of it (I. E. Void/nothingness). This life is also embedded in the Chinese concept of yin and yang (figure 13).In conclusion, the combination of all the three Figure 10 definitions discussed throughout the essay substantially represents everything abo ut Asian aesthetics? â€Å"Asian aesthetics is a philosophy of purpose and art, mainly serving to aid the artist's and observer's sensitivity to the context of the object rather than the object itself. It is concerned with the interconnectedness of all beings to the cosmos and the Divine†. Notes: Aesthetics is originally a concept produced by Western philosophy. Cited from Raja Dishwasher's Sphinxes in Indian Art and Tradition (2009). References Cambric, E. (1995).

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 1

Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade,† Mary-Lynnette said as she and Mark passed the old Victorian farmhouse. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Rowan. And Kestrel. And Jade. The names of thegirls who're moving in.† Mary-Lynnette tilted herhead toward the farmhouse-her hands were full of lawn chair. â€Å"They're Mrs. Burdock's nieces. Don't you remember I told you they were coming to live with her?† â€Å"Vaguely,† Mark said, readjusting the weight of the telescope he was carrying as they trudged up the manzanita-covered hill. He spoke shortly, which Mary-Lynnette knew meant he was feeling shy. â€Å"They're pretty names,† she said. â€Å"And they must be sweet girls, because Mrs. Burdock said so.† â€Å"Mrs. Burdock is crazy.† â€Å"She's just eccentric. And yesterday she told meher nieces are all beautiful. I mean, I'm sure she's prejudiced and everything, but she was pretty definite. Each one of them gorgeous, each one a completely different type.† â€Å"So they should be going to California,† Mark saidin an almost-inaudible mutter. â€Å"They should be posing for Vogue.Where do you want this thing?† he added as they reached the top of the hill. â€Å"Right here.† Mary-Lynnette put the lawn chairdown. She scraped some dirt away with her foot so the telescope would sit evenly. Then she said casually, â€Å"You know, I thought maybe we could go over there tomorrow and introduce ourselves-sort of welcome them, you know†¦.† â€Å"Will you cut itout?†Mark said tersely. â€Å"I can organize my own life. If I want to meet a girl, I'll meet a girl. I don't need help.† â€Å"Okay, okay. You don't need help. Be careful withthat focuser tube-â€Å" â€Å"And besides, what are we going to say?† Mark said, on a roll now. â€Å"‘Welcome to Briar Creek, where nothing ever happens. Where there are more coyotes than people. Where if you really want some excitement you can ride into town and watch theSaturday night mouse racing at the Gold Creek Bar†¦.'† â€Å"Okay. Okay.† Mary-Lynnette sighed. She-looked at her younger brother, who just at the moment was illuminated by the last rays of sunset. To see him now, you'd think he'd never been sick a day in hislife. His hair was as dark and shiny as Mary Lynnette's, his eyes were as blue and clear and snapping. He had the same healthy tan as she did; thesame glow of color in his cheeks. But when he'd been a baby, he'd been thin andscrawny and every breath had been a challenge.His asthma had been so bad he'd spent most of his second year in an oxygen tent, fighting to stay alive. Mary-Lynnette, a year and a half older, had won dered every day if her baby brother would ever come home. It had changed him, being alone in that tent whereeven their mother couldn't touch him. When hecame out he was shy and clingy-holding on to theirmother's arm all the time. And for years he hadn'tbeen able to go out for sports like the other kids. That was all a long time ago-Mark was going to bea junior in high school this year-but he was still shy. And when he got defensive, he bit people's heads off. Mary-Lynnette wished one of the new girls would be right for him, draw him out a bit, give him confidence. Maybe she could arrange it somehow†¦. â€Å"What are you thinking about?† Mark asked suspiciously. Mary-Lynnette realized he was staring at her. â€Å"About how the seeing's going to be really good tonight,† she said blandly. â€Å"August's the best month for starwatching; the air's so warm and still. Hey,there's the first star-you can make a wish.† She pointed to a bright point of light above the southern horizon. It worked; Mark was distracted and looked, too. Mary-Lynnette stared at the back of his dark head.If it would do any good, I'd wish for romance for you, she thought. I'd wish it for myself, too-but what would be the point? There's nobody around here to be romantic with. None of the guys at school–except maybe JeremyLovett-understood why she was interested in as tronomy, or what she felt about the stars. Most ofthe time Mary-Lynnette didn't care-but occasionally she felt a vague ache in her chest. A longing to †¦ share. If she hadwished, it would have been for that, for someone to share the night with. Oh, well. It didn't help to dwell on it. And besides,although she didn't want to tell Mark, what they were wishing on was the planet Jupiter, and not a star at all. Mark shook his head as he tramped down the path that wound through buckbrush and poison hemlock. He should have apologized to Mary-Lynnette beforeleaving-he didn't like being nasty to her. In fact, she was the one person he usually tried to be decent to. But why was she always trying to fix him? To the point of wishing on stars. And Mark hadn't really made a wish, anyway. He'd thought, if I was making a wish, which I'm not because it's hokey and stupid, it would be for some excitement around here. Something wild, mark thought-and felt an innershiver as he hiked downhill in the gathering darkness. Jade stared at the steady, brilliant point of lightabove the southern horizon. It was a planet, she knew. For the last two nights she'd seen it moving across the sky, accompanied by tiny pinpricks of light that must be its moons. Where she came from, nobody was in the habit of wishing on stars, but this planet seemed like a friend-a traveler, just like her. As Jade watched it tonight, she felt a sort of concentration of hope rise inside her. Almost awish. Jade had to admit that they weren't off to a very promising start. The night air was too quiet; there wasn't the faintest sound of a car coming. She wastired and worried and beginning to be very, very hungry. Jade turned to look at her sisters. â€Å"Well, where is she?† â€Å"I don't know,† Rowan said in her most doggedly gentle voice. â€Å"Be patient.† â€Å"Well, maybe we should scan for her. â€Å"No,† Rowan said. â€Å"Absolutely not. Remember what we decided.† â€Å"She's probably forgotten we were coming,† Kestrel said. â€Å"I told you she was getting senile.† â€Å"Don't saythings like that. It's not polite,† Rowan said, still gentle, but through her teeth. Rowan was always gentle when she could manageit. She was nineteen, tall, slim, and stately. She had cinnamon-brown eyes and warm brown hair that cascaded down her back in waves. Kestrel was seventeen and had hair the color of old gold sweeping back from her face like a bird's wings. Her eyes were amber and hawklike, and she was never gentle. Jade was the youngest, just turned sixteen, and she didn't look like either of her sisters. She had white-blond hair that she used as a veil to hide behind, and green eyes. People said she looked serene, but she almost never felt serene. Usually she was either madly excited or madly anxious and confused. Right now it was anxious. She was worried about her battered, half-century-old Morocco leather suitcase. She couldn't hear a thing from inside it. 00 â€Å"Hey, why don't you two go down the road a little way and see if she's coming?† Her sisters looked back at her. There were few things that Rowan and Kestrel agreed on, but Jade was one of them. She could see that they were about to team up against her. â€Å"Now what?† Kestrel said, her teeth showing just briefly. And Rowan said, â€Å"You're up to something. What are you up to, Jade?† Jade smoothed her thoughts and her face out and just looked at them artlessly. She hoped. They stared back for a few minutes, then looked at each other, giving up. â€Å"We're going to have to walk, you know,† Kestrel said to Rowan. â€Å"There are worse things than walking,† Rowansaid. She pushed a stray wisp of chestnut-colored hair off her forehead and looked around the bus stationwhich consisted of a three-sided, glass-walled cubicle,and the splintering wooden bench. â€Å"I wish there was a telephone.† â€Å"Well, there isn't. And it's twenty miles to BriarCreek,† Kestrel said, golden eyes glinting with a kind of grim enjoyment. â€Å"We should probably leave our bags here.† Alarm tingled through Jade. â€Å"No, no. I've got allmy–all my clothes in there. Come on, twenty milesisn't so far.† With one hand she picked up her cat carrier-it was homemade, just boards and wiresand with the other she picked up the suitcase. She got quite a distance down the road before she heard the crunch of gravel behind her. They were following: Rowan sighing patiently, Kestrel chuckling softly, her hair shining like old gold in the starlight. The one-lane road was dark and deserted. But notentirely silent there were dozens of tiny night sounds, all adding up to one intricate, harmonizing night stillness. It would have been pleasant, except that Jade's suitcase seemed to get heavier with everystep, and she was hungrier than she had ever beenbefore. She knew better than to mention it to Rowan, but it made her feel confused and weak. Just when she was beginning tothink she would have to put the suitcase down and rest, she heard a new sound. It was a car, coming from behind them. The engine was so loud that it seemed to take a long time to get close to them, but when it passed, Jade saw that itwas actually going very fast. Then there was a rattling of gravel and the car stopped. It backed up and Jade saw a boy looking through the window at her. There was another boy in the passenger seat. Jade looked at them curiously. They seemed to be about Rowan's age, and theywere both deeply tanned. The one in the driver's seat had blond hair and looked as if he hadn't washed ina while. The other one had brown hair. He was wear ing a vest with no shirt underneath. He had a toothpick in his mouth. They both looked back at Jade, seeming just as curious as she was. Then the driver's window slid down. Jade was fascinated by how quickly it went. â€Å"Need a ride?† the driver said, with an oddly bright smile. His teeth shone in contrast to his dingy face. Jade looked at Rowan and Kestrel, who were just catching up. Kestrel said nothing, but looked at the car through narrow, heavy-lashed amber eyes. Rowan's brown eyes were very warm. â€Å"We sure would,† she said, smiling. Then, doubtfully, â€Å"But we're going to Burdock Farm. It may be out of your way†¦.† â€Å"Oh, hey, I know that place. It's not far,† the onein the vest said around his toothpick. â€Å"Anyway, anything for a lady,† he said, with what seemed to be an attempt at gallantry. He opened his door and got out of the car. â€Å"One of you can sit up front, and I can sit in back with the other two. Lucky me, huh?† he said to the driver. â€Å"Lucky you,† the driver said, smiling largely again. He opened his door, too. â€Å"You go on and put that cat carrier in front, and the suitcases can go in the trunk,† he said. Rowan smiled at Jade, and Jade knew what she was thinking. Iwonder if everybody out here is so friendly? They distributed their belongings and thenpiled in the car, Jade in the front with the driver, Rowan and Kestrel in the back on either side of the vested guy. A minute later they were flying downthe road at what Jade found a delightful speed, gravel crunching beneath the tires. â€Å"I'm Vic,† the driver said. â€Å"I'm Todd,† the vested guy said. Rowan said, â€Å"I'm Rowan, and this is Kestrel. That'sJade up there.† â€Å"You girls friends?† â€Å"We're sisters,† Jade said. â€Å"You don't look like sisters.† â€Å"Everybody says that.† Jade meant everybody theyhad met since they'd run away. Back home, everybodyknew they were sisters, so nobody said it. â€Å"What are you doing out here so late?† Vic asked. â€Å"It's not the place for nice girls.† â€Å"We're not nice girls,† Kestrel explained absently. â€Å"We're trying to be,† Rowan said reprovingly through her teeth. To Vic, she said, â€Å"We were waiting for our great-aunt Opal to pick us up at the bus stop, but she didn't come. We're going to live at Burdock Farm.† â€Å"Old lady Burdock is your aunt?† Todd said, removing his toothpick. â€Å"That crazy old bat?† Vic turned around to look at him, and they both laughed and shook their heads. Jade looked away from Vic. She stared down at the cat carrier, listening for the little squeaking noises that meant Tiggy was awake. She felt just slightly †¦ uneasy. She sensed something. Even though these guys seemed friendly, there was something beneath the surface. But she was toosleepy-and too light-headed from hunger-to figure out exactly what it was. Rowan was still looking polite and puzzled, but Kestrel looked at the car door on her side thoughtfully. Jade knew what she was looking for-a handle.There wasn't one. â€Å"Too bad,† Vic said. â€Å"This car's a real junkheap; you can't even open the back doors from inside.† He grabbed Jade's upper arm so hard she could feel pressure on the bone. â€Å"Now, you girls just be nice and nobody's going to get hurt.† They seemed to drive a long time beforeVic spoke again. â€Å"You girls ever been to Oregon before?† Jade blinked and murmured a negative. â€Å"It's got some pretty lonely places,† Vic said. â€Å"Outhere, for example. Briar Creek was a gold rush town, but when the gold ran out and the railroad passed it by, it just died. Now the wilderness is taking it back.† His tone was significant, but Jade didn't understand what he was trying to convey. â€Å"It does seem peaceful;† Rowan said politely from the backseat. Vic made a brief snorting sound. â€Å"Yeah, well, peaceful wasn't exactly what I meant. I meant, take this road. These farmhouses are miles apart, right? Ifyou screamed, there wouldn't be anyone to hearyou.† Jade blinked. What a strange thing to say. Rowan, still politely making conversation, said, â€Å"Well, you and Todd would.† â€Å"I mean, nobody else,† Vic said, and Jade could feel his impatience. He had been driving more and more slowly. Now he pulled the car off to the side of the road and stopped. Parked. â€Å"Nobody outthere is going to hear,† he clarified,turning around to look into the backseat. Jade looked, too, and saw Todd grinning, a wide bright grin with teeth clenched on his toothpick. â€Å"That's right,† Todd said. â€Å"You're out here alone with us, so maybe you'd better listen to us, huh?† Jade saw that he was gripping Rowan's arm with one hand and Kestrel's wrist with the other.

AMPACK Computer Company Computer Platform Upgrade Essay

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Riordian Manufactoring Paper - Essay Example The Material Resource Planning (MRP) would consider the kind of materials that would need to be needed and used in the manufacturing process. In the context of Riordian, it is seen that the following are the main kinds of materials/utilities used in production. The various components forming part of the finished products, viz. fans, are molded and assembled and fitted together by Chinese workforce. Any excess plastics are sheared off using shearing machines. The finished products, inspected and certified by R&D are next sent for packing .Next, they are individually packed in plastic films with placed into boxes with generous amount of packing straw in order to avoid transit damages. A bar code identifying the recipient of the product is sprayed onto the box using ink. The bar code would provide full profile details of the product specifications inside the box, in order to tackle any issues that arise later. The box is then placed through a system of conveyor belts that separates the box by its destination and conveys it to the appropriate section of the loading dock, so it is ready to be loaded onto a professional commercial carrier for onward transmission. It is believed that use of RFID technology in the materials handling department could, to a large extent, solve the present issues that perturb the production team. This could keep track of various materials that are being used and their movements in the production process. It is also seen that nowadays the production of electric fans follows discrete, and separate processes, because of which there is considerable time lay between placing of items required for production and receipt of such critical production items. Therefore, it is necessary that new process introduces Just in Time methods, which could reduce issues connected with Inventory and stock controls. Since fan manufacturing is a process industry where materials move through various

International trade theory and policy Term Paper

International trade theory and policy - Term Paper Example Before the end of World War II, countries had their own protectionist measures in place in terms of tariffs to safeguard their domestic manufacturers and businesses since a long time. The high tariffs were becoming a great hindrance to global trade. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in first six rounds from 1948 through 1967 provided the basic framework for tariff reductions. All first six rounds were mainly devoted on reducing tariffs and other barriers to trade and eliminate or lessen discriminatory treatment to promote global growth in trade (World Trade Organization). While there were only 23 participating countries in the first round of discussion, this numbers increased to 62 during the sixth Kennedy Round of negotiation. The 23 founding members of the GATT were also part of a group who were negotiating the ITO Charter as a specialized body of the United Nations. The ITO Charter was quite ambitious as it covered rules on employment, international investment, res trictive business practices, and commodity agreements. Early provisions of GATT did mention about accepting some of the trade rules of the ITO draft; however, the ITO Charter could not be ratified due to serious opposition within the US Congress. This resulted into the early death of the ITO charter and GATT remained only instrument that governed international trade (World Trade Organization). Through intensive talk and deliberations right from the first to the sixth round of negotiations, the participating countries could arrive at the consensus to reduce effective tariff rates from 38% in 1947 to just 9 percent by year 1972. Apart tariff reduction, the major turnaround came in the sixth round of negotiation when anti-dumping agreement came into effect. It should be noted that first five rounds were focused on item-by-item negotiation for the reduction of tariffs while the sixth round took some bold approach reducing tariff across the board; however, it is important to keep in mind that these rounds had little success in achieving non-tariff trade relations among the nation. The sixth round also called the Kennedy Round lasted over 3 years and provided tariff concessions to the tune of $40 billion. In view of the strong global protectionism prevailed at that time, achievements in the Kennedy Round were noteworthy. The Kennedy Round was the first of its kind that went beyond tariff reduction discussions and advanced the idea of non-tariff barriers besides highlighting the concerns of the developing world; however, trade in services, intellectual property rights were never discussed in the first six rounds of negotiation (World Trade Organization). Q: Discuss the global economic conditions in the mid-70s, and the anti-trade policies that became common despite the GATT. Motivate by worry about these policies, the 7th (Tokyo) Round was called to start in 1973. How can this Round be simultaneously considered a â€Å"success† (by the GATT Secretariat) and a â€Å"failure† by most international economists. Answer Those were the tumultuous years in mid-‘70s when Bretton Woods system based on fixed exchange rate collapsed. The system failed because the US dollar came under tremendous pressure to devalue. In the process of financing the Vietnam War and implementing public welfare programs during those years, the US government had increased its spending substantially that eventually resulted into increased money

Exploring the Potential Health Effects of Exposure to Electric and Research Paper

Exploring the Potential Health Effects of Exposure to Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs) - Research Paper Example Current appliances like radio and television rely on EMFs for their functioning. EMFs have a substantial technological value. Figure 1. Highest 60 Hz transmission voltage in North America *image taken from Nair (1989, 4) Voltage produces electric fields. Electric fields are greater when the voltage is higher. An electric field can be found in any domestic device that is connected to a source of electricity, although it is not functioning. Magnetic fields are produced by electricity running through a wire. The intensity of magnetic fields amplifies with electricity; hence, an intensified magnetic field can be found near a domestic device that operates on ‘high’ (Kheifets et al., 2006, 1532). An electrical device should be connected to a source of electricity and should be functioning to produce a magnetic field. EMFs are present in all devices that use electricity, like televisions, radios, computers, and other domestic devices. Magnetic fields linked to electrical device s are normally greater than those fields present in close proximity to power lines. Levels of EMF are greater near their source and decrease drastically with distance. This explains why there are greater EMF levels from particular domestic devices than from close by power lines (Al-Khamees, 2008, 730). All the same, most people at present are exposed to EMFs for they arise every time electricity is turned on. Throughout the recent decade, scientific research has expressed concerns about potential detrimental health impacts associated with EMFs. A number of scientists claim that it is not possible for EMFs to have any significant impacts, but others differ. Even so, since electricity is used heavily and broadly and EMF sources are in all places, every individual at present is inescapably exposed to them. Hence, identifying any health or biologic impacts that could be related to EMF exposures is profoundly crucial. It is clearly apparent why a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the likelihood that power-frequency EMFs are linked to negative impacts. Researchers who examine how people react to risk have found out that specific forms of risks draw out more forceful reactions than others. Cancer is one of the health risks that have been linked to exposure to EMFs. Children are found out to be highly vulnerable to leukemia and potential behavioral and reproductive risks (National Research Council, 1997, 17). Sources of the empirically identified EMF risks are mostly inflicted on individuals and are beyond their control. Moreover, the EMFs that are the root of the empirically identified risks are undetectable and strange to many (Office of Technology Assessment, 2002, 1). All such aspects force a lot of people to react with worry and concern to the possible hazards related to exposure to EMFs. When an essential resource like electricity is found out to be linked to detrimental health consequences, it is easy to comprehend why concerns and worries have taken pl ace. It is evident as well that the possible health impacts are simply one aspect of the concern. If tremendous efforts are exerted to lessen power-frequency EMF exposures, a substantial amount of money will have to be used up, such as to remodel domestic devices and residential electrical system, or to cover distribution and transmission lines (Mcmahan, Lutz,

The Ethics of Animal Testing Essay Example for Free

The Ethics of Animal Testing Essay Years ago, while laws were not in place to prevent testing on animals, some researchers experimented on animals. The results of these experiments are still with us today. Insulin for example, was discovered when an Ontario doctor severed the connection between the pancreas and the digestive system of a dog.1 Today there are still many animals in labs being tested to find treatment for anything from cancer to pain. If the results have a possibility to save so many lives, as in the case of insulin for those with diabetes, then testing on animals should be the right thing to do right? Many people agree on saying that the suffering of an animal is not worth the saving of lives, especially if the tests are unsuccessful. They compare the animals lives to those of humans, claiming that it is not right to test on human orphans. Therefore it should not be right to test on stray animals. In these statements lie the fundamental ethical dilemma about animal testing, it is right or wrong testing on animal for humans benefits? In this paper I will examine animal rights from a utilitarians point of view. I will define the major points that utilitarianism holds and animal testing. I will explore the cases for and against animal testing using utilitarian reasoning (including Bentham and Mills disagreement, act and rule utilitarianism, and cost-benefit analysis). Finally I will close with my own feelings on animal experimentation and my conclusions drawn from the analysis. First, utilitarian theory is consequentionalist and stress the ends of a particular action. It is also Hedonistic in nature, meaning that is focuses on happiness and pleasure, those being the only intrinsic good. A utilitarian considers five factors in the pleasure of the consequences of an act, whichever act brings about the most pleasure or happiness is the best thing to do in the end. John Mill argued that the quality of the pleasure is an important consideration as well. Consider also the difference between act utilitarianism (considering each act individually) and rule utilitarianism (applying the consequences of an act universally). In addition, a contemporary version of utilitarianism, cost-benefit analysis, states that whatever act produces the most money (or saves the most money), is that decision that should be made. Second, animal testing consists of any medical test performed on an animal. Including product testing, like perfume and cleaners, and research like the effects of isolation on a social animal. To examine animal testing from a utilitarian point of view we should consider whether or not an animal can feel pain, or suffer. We typically do not consider animals to be without feeling, that is why we have laws protecting animals against cruelty. Many people disagree about whether or not locking an animal in a cage is cruelty or not. The case for animal testing Using utilitarianism generally, if testing on animals produces the most happiness overall and reduces suffering then it is the right thing to do. When medical breakthrough are made at the expense of an animal, is the happiness of those who can be cured greater than the suffering of the animal who underwent the experiments? Mill would seem to argue that the happiness of someone who has been cured would be longer lasting and better then the self gratifying happiness of an animal. Act utilitarianism would look at each instance of animal testing and determine if the consequences are better if the animal is tested on than if it were not. Finally, cost-benefit analysis would seem to agree with animal testing because innovations in medicine means money made and saved on health care. This would produce the most money and would be the better thing to do if the question is to test or not. The case against animal testing Jeremy Bentham was purely concerned with the amount of pleasure produced. One could argue that the amount of suffering an animal would be subjected to in testing is not worth the amount of suffering that would be reduced if a cure were found. Those who are against animal testing would not experience pleasure and one can assume that those testing the animals would not gain happiness from watching the animal suffer. Therefore one can argue that not testing on the animals would indeed reduce suffering and maximize pleasure. Rule utilitarianism applies best here, because then one can consider the consequences of everyone testing on animals for any reason. With that much freedom to testing negative consequences would be more likely to occur and therefore banning animal testing would be the best action. Conclusion I own several mice, a guinea pig, a rabbit, two hamsters, fish, a turtle, three cats, a dog and a chameleon. I, personally, felt that testing on animals has no moral worth no matter what the consequences. I feel an emotional bond between myself and every one of my pets. I would never want them to go through what some animals do in the medical labs. Upon further consideration I am still without a clear decision as to whether I would want to save my dog or help my family with diabetes. It would be a difficult choice. That is why I think that utilitarianism is the best way to approach animal testing. By using act utilitarianism we can examine each instance of testing separately and examine the consequences for happiness production. As in the example of the dog in the introduction. The dog did experience suffering but overall its suffering reduced the suffering of countless people by providing medication for diabetics. My conclusion is that applying act utilitarianism to animal testing c an help to choose the better way each time.

Relationship between Psychological Properties and Physical Properties According to Physicalism Essay Example for Free

Relationship between Psychological Properties and Physical Properties According to Physicalism Essay Physicalism refers to a stand by some philosophers that everything in the world is physical. Physicalism in some cases is referred to as materialism, where everything is viewed to have physical properties. With respect to philosophy, Physicalism is the ontological point of view that there is nothing above and over the physical. Physicalists view the nature or the world as one and believe that everything including mind has physical properties and thus it is physical. In the attempt to prove their view of the world, Physicalists has come up with diverse explanation to bring out the relationship that exists between different aspects of nature including psychological states and properties. To understand the relationship between physical properties and mental properties, realization, reductive and supervenience ideas have been used by the physicalists. However, critics argue that physicalism is a false view of nature. This research paper will seek to determine the relationship that exists between psychological states or properties and physical properties according to Physicalism. In addition, the paper will bring into light reasons behind this relationship. Relationship between psychological properties and physical properties according to PhysicalismIn the attempt to bring out the relationship between the physical properties and psychological properties, philosophers such as Lewis used supervenience approach. This approach is simply based on meta-ethics and indicates that physical properties and mental properties are closely related due to the fact that psychological properties are part of the physical properties (Daniel, 2010). In other words, philosophers assert that psychological properties such as thinking are enclosed by physical properties. To make the argument certain, philosophers such as Lewis give an example where he refers dots on a picture as physical properties and claims that the picture is like the global features or the world. The same way he affirms that psychological properties and other properties including biological properties are like dots on the global features. Supervenience idea of the explaining physicalism ass erts that psychological properties are nothing but simply physical properties (Kim, 2008). Psychological or mental properties such as pain are viewed as physical according to physicalists as they believe that the physical aspect of pain is casually closed by the major physical properties. According to Kim, (2008), supervenience tries to bring out the identical aspect between the physical properties and psychological properties. The fact that psychological or mental properties are part of physical properties indicates similarity according to the physicalists (Daniel, 2010). This is particularly supported by the general view of physicalism that the world is a single stuff. According to the physicalists, mental or psychological properties are dependant to physical properties and thus there can not be physical difference without psychological difference. Simply, psychological properties supervene on material properties and thus they are just but the same thing. According to Physicalism, physical properties can be reduced to mental or psychological properties. The notion of reductive by the physicalism brings out the relationship between mental properties and physical properties (Kim, 2008). Essentially, physicalists use reductive idea to ascertain their idea that the world is made of a single stuff that is physical properties only. Physicalism philosophers affirms that there is a close relationship between physical properties and psychological or mental properties particularly basing their argument that mental properties are smaller components of physical properties and thus are physical properties. Realization theory is another approach used by the physicalism to bring out possible relations between psychological or mental properties and physical properties (Daniel, 2010). Based on this theory, all psychological properties can be realized through a particular physical basis (Kim, 2008). In a philosophical perspective, physicalists argue that all physical properties or predicates can be traced or are definable in physical language. This implies that there is a close relation between the two and according to physicalism they are inseparable (Daniel, 2010). Physicalists affirms that the fact that physical properties can be reduced to mental or psychological properties implies that the two are identical and simply has a close relationship. Physicalism believes that everything inside the world has physical properties and the world itself is a physical thing in its own nature. The developed understanding from this argument is that everything considered as physical thing has its own physical properties which in reality has its own psychological properties. This claim can be explained further by application of ontological perspective which involves both methodological and epistemological corollaries. According to the Physicalists, every object in the world is composed of different material which in reality encompasses different physical properties (Kim, 2011). Therefore, physical properties exhibit different properties such as mass, shape volume, energy, temperature and volume among others. In reference to the reductive physicalism, objects with high levels of properties are more reducible hence there is a high chance that they have physical properties. Jackson (2002) affirms that physicalism is more dependent on philosoph ical position which presents a myth that everything that exists in the earth has physical properties. From this explanation the understanding developed is that physicalism is closely associated with philosophy of mind which extensively believes that mind is a physical object which can be viewed at different perspectives (Kim, 2011). In reference to physical science point of view, physicalism includes bigger notations as opposed to just matter, space energy and time. The mind being in a form of a physical world, it is closely associated with non reductive physicalism. Fodor in his own research argues that physicalism is dependent will all genuine items which can be referred to either identical or are dependent upon other physical properties (Clarke, 2003). In order to accept these believe of physicalism, it vital to understand how it is related with mind dualism rejection. According to Fodor, â€Å"mentalism† is the best alternative of the dualism. Basically, physicalism believes that the concept of the consciousness is entirely dependent of the physical properties (Clarke, 2003). The state of the mind is a functional that exists in a given system. In relation to the theory of functionalism, brain is extensively believed to be a just biological implementation in a given system. The general understanding it , that the brain has capacity to recognize any change in mental status. Dualism theory is quite different from physicalism because it argues that consciousness is not related to the physical. According to Savellos and YalcÃŒ §in, (1995), panpsychism theory explains that all items which contain aspects of reality within themselves have psychological properties in additional to their physical properties. Critics argue that hardcore physicalists are more concerned to investigate the structure of the outer world in the bid of trying to understand the build relationship between the physical properties and psychological properties. Ultimately, the physical properties and mental are two distinctive area but they are contingently connected with each other. Philosophically, mind is believed to be dependent on the physical properties. Therefore, based with the explanation of the physicalism the empirical world is composed of all properties or entities which have effects of causes. Notably, both mental facts and physical have a close relationship with physicalism in relation to mental effects and causes. According to many physicalists the world in general is a physical hence everyth ing in it have its own physical properties. When reviewing the world at a supervenience base, it helps to reflect the general thinking of the physicalists. This implies that the relationship between of fundamental physical properties and psychological properties are closely dependent on each other as per the explanation of Physicalism (Clarke, 2003). The two features have the common bond of metaphysics because they are depending on certain established physical facts. Conclusion                     From the above discussion, it is evident that Physicalism extensively refers to a developed understanding by some philosophers who believe that everything in the world is physical hence have its own physical properties. In addition, Physicalism can also be referred to as materialism, where everything is viewed to have physical properties. Psychological or mental properties such as pain are viewed as physical according to physicalists as they believe that the physical aspect of pain is casually closed by the major physical properties. Therefore, this is an indication that the state of the mind is a functional that exists in a given system. References Clarke, R. (2003). Libertarian accounts of free will. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford University Press. Daniel .S. (2010). Physicalism, New Problems of Philosophy. RoutledgeJackson, F. (2002). Mind, Method and Conditionals: Selected Papers. Routledge, 2002 Kim, J. (2008). Physicalism, or Something Near Enough. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Kim, J. (2011). Philosophy of Mind. ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited, 2011 Savellos, E. E., YalcÃŒ §in, U. D. (1995). Supervenience: New essays. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press. Source document

Number Of Variations And The Impact Of Variations

Number Of Variations And The Impact Of Variations Controls for Variations and Variation Orders have been suggested by many researchers (Mokhtar et al., 2000; Ibbs et al., 2001). Below are 30 approach identified from a literature review to reduce number and the impact of Variations. These approach were categorized into three categories: Design stage, Construction stage and Design- Construction interface stage. Design Stage Approach to Control Variations Item Variation Reduction approach Descriptions Source 1 Review of contract documents Comprehensive and balanced Variation clauses would be helpful in improving coordination and communication quality .Conflicts between contract documents can result in misinterpretation of the actual requirement of a project. (CII, 1994a) 2 Freezing design Variations in design can affect a project adversely depending on the timing of the occurrence of the changes. Therefore, freezing the design is a strong control method. Many owners freeze the design and close the door for variations after the completion of the drawings. (CII, 1990a) 3 Value engineering at conceptual phase During the design phase, value engineering can be a cost saving exercise, as at this stage, Variation in any design element would not require rework or demolition at the construction site. Value engineering at the conceptual stage can assist in clarifying project objectives and reducing design discrepancies. (DellIsola, 1982). 4 Involvement of professionals at initial stages of project Involvement of professionals in design may assist in developing better designs by accommodating their creative and practical ideas. This practices would assist in developing a comprehensive design with minimum discrepancies .Practical ideas that are not accommodated during the design phase may affect the project adversely. Variation during the construction phase is a costly activity as it may initiate numerous changes to construction activities. (Arain et al., 2004) (OBrien, 1998). 5 Employers involvement at planning and design phase Involvement of the Employer at the design phase would assist in clarifying the project objectives and identifying noncompliance with their requirements at the early stage .Hence, this may help in eliminating Variations during the construction stage where the impact of the Variations can be severe (Fisk, 1997) 6 Involvement of contractor at planning and scheduling process Involvement of the Employer at the design phase would assist in clarifying the project objectives and identifying noncompliance with their requirements at the early stage .Hence, this may help in eliminating Variations during the construction stage where the impact of the variations can be severe. (Fisk, 1997). 7 Thorough detailing of design A clearer design tends to be comprehended more readily. This would also assist in identifying the errors and omissions in design at an early stage. Eventually, thorough detailing of design can eliminate Variations arising from ambiguities and errors in design. (OBrien, 1998) 8 Clear and thorough project brief A clear and thorough project brief is an important control for Variations in construction projects as it helps in clarifying the project objectives to all the participants. Eventually, this may reduce the design errors and noncompliance with the Employers requirements. (OBrien, 1998) 9 Reducing contingency sum The provision of a large contingency sum may affect the construction team working approaches. This is because the designer may not develop a comprehensive design and would consequently carry out the rectifications in design as Variations during the later stages of the construction project. Therefore, reducing the contingency sum would be helpful in ensuring that the professionals carry out their jobs with diligence. Construction Stage Approach to Control Variations Item Variation Reduction approach Descriptions Source 1 Clarity of Variation Order procedures Clarity of Variation Order procedures is an integral part of effective management of Variation Orders. Early in the project construction stage, the procedures should be identified and made clear to all parties. Clarity of Variation Order procedures would help in reducing the processing time and other mishandling issues. (Mokhtar et al., 2000) (Ibbs et al., 2001). 2 Written approvals Any Variation in the work that involves a change in the original price must be approved in writing by the Employer before a Variation can be executed. Any party signing of behalf of the Employer must have written authorization from the Employer. It is difficult to prove the right for compensation if there is no such authorization from the Employer. In the hectic environment of construction, many verbal agreements can be forgotten, leaving the Contractor without any legal proof to get compensation for the Variations works. (CII, 1990a; Hester et al., 1991; Cox, 1997). 3 Variation Order scope A well defined scope can assist the professional team in recognizing and planning appropriately to minimize the negative impact of the Variation. The original scope should be clear and well defined to distinguish between a Variation of scope and a Variation due to design development. It is common that there are disagreement between parties in a project was about defining the Variation scope. Thus, the effective definition of the scope of work helps us to identify and manage Variations. (Ibbs et al. 2001). (CII ,1994b) 4 Variation logic and justification Variation logic and justification for implementation was one of the principles of effective change management. This principle required a change to be classified as required or elective. Required changes were required to meet original objectives of the project while elective changes were additional features that enhanced the project. Knowing the logic and justification behind the proposed Variations assist the professionals in promoting beneficial Variations and eliminating non-beneficial Variations. Proposed by (Ibbs et al. 2001). 5 Appointment Project manager from an independent firm to manage the project Involvement of a project manager from an independent firm would assist in eliminating Variations that arise due to the lack of coordination among professionals. This practice may assist in reducing design discrepancies through early reviews of the contract documents and drawings. (Arain et al., 2004) 6 Restricted pre-qualification system for awarding projects A restricted pre-qualification system for awarding projects would act as a filter to select only the capable Contractors for project bids. (Chan and Yeong, 1995; Fisk, 1997) 7 Employers involvement during construction phase Involvement of the Employer during the construction phase would assist in identifying noncompliance with the requirements and in approving the Variations promptly .The involvement of the Employer during the construction phase allows to keep him aware of ongoing activities and assist in prompt decision making. (Ibbs et al., 2001). 8 Avoid use of open tendering Competitive open tendering usually encourages the Contractor to price very low to win the contract, especially in bad times when they are in need of jobs. This practice would give rise to the Contractor trying to claim more to compensate for the low price award. Avoiding the use of open tender would help in eliminating the risks of unfair bids. This may also help in reduces Variations that may arise due to the contractors bidding strategy. (Chan and Yeong, 1995) 9 Use of project scheduling/management techniques To manage a Variation means being able to anticipate its effects and to control, or at least monitor, the associated cost and time impact. The most known scheduling techniques in the construction industry are CPM, PERT and Gantt chart; Microsoft Project These techniques are helpful in identifying the critical path of any Variations on subsequent construction activities. Well planned and close monitoring on the schedule plan will helps to reduce the Variations effects on the project. (Hester et al., 1991) (Clough and Sears, 1994). (Mokhtar et al., 2000). 10 Comprehensive documentation of variation order Through timely notification and documentation of Variation Orders, participants will have kept their rights and thereby their option to pursue a subsequent claim or to defend against a claim. One of the most aggravating conditions is the length of time that elapses between the time when a proposed contract modification is first announced and when the matter is finally rejected or approved as a Variation Order. Documentation of Variation and claims had assisted in tracking the effects of the Variation and claim events on time and cost. A documented source of knowledge about previous Variation instructions would be helpful in making decisions concerning the appropriate handling of Variation instructions. (Cox, 1997; OBrien, 1998). (Fisk, 1997) Cox (1997) Design-Construction Interface Stage Approach to Control Variations Item Variation Reduction approach Descriptions Source 1 Prompt approval procedures One of the most aggravating conditions is the length of time that elapses between the time when a proposed contract modification is first announced and when the matter is finally rejected or approved as a Variation .However, the longer the period between recognition and implementation, the more costly the change will be. (Fisk, 1997). 2 Ability to negotiate Variation Ability to negotiate Variation is an important factor for the effective control of Variations. Effective negotiation can assist the professional team in minimizing the negative impacts of the Variation. There are certain skills required for effective negotiation of Variations, i.e., the knowledge of contract terms, project details, technology, labour rates, equipment, methods and communication skills. (Clough and Sears, 1994) (Cushman and Butler, 1994) 3 Valuation of indirect effects Consequential effects can occur later in the downstream phases of a project. Therefore, it is essential to acknowledge this possibility and establish the mechanism to evaluate its consequences. Professionals should thus evaluate the total overall effects a change may have on the later phases of a project, in order to manage the Variations effectively. (Ibbs et al., 2001). 4 Team effort by Employer, consultant and Contractor to control Variation Coordination is important in a multi-participant environment as in most construction projects Detrimental Variations, which affect the projects negatively, can usually be managed at an early stage with due diligence in coordination. (CII, 1994a; Assaf et al., 1995). 5 Utilize work breakdown structure A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a management tool for identifying and defining work. A Contractor should consider using the this as an evaluation tool, especially on large projects. If a Variation involves work not previously included in the WBS, it can be logically added to the WBS and its relationship with the other WBS element can be easily checked. Domino effects can also be traced by the use of WBS. (Hester et al., 1991; Mokhtar et al., 2000). (Hester et al., 1991) 6 Continuous coordination and direct communication coordination, and frequent communication are essential to reduce miscommunication among team members, hence reduce the chances of occurring Variations (Assaf et al., 1995). 7 Control the potential for Variations to arise through contractual clauses Selection of the appropriate standard contract form (JKR, PAM2006 etc) with the necessary and unambiguous Variation clauses would be helpful in the management of Variations. Clear procedures presented in the contract and fair allocation of risks can help in resolving disputes through negotiation rather than litigation. (Cox, 1997) 8 Comprehensive site investigation Comprehensive site investigations assist in proper planning for construction activities. Differing site conditions are an important cause of delays in large building projects. Therefore, a comprehensive site investigation would help in reducing potential Variations in a project. (Fisk, 1997). 9 Use of collected and organized project data compiled by Employer, consultant and Contractor The Variations works should always be documented for future references. Hence, better controls for Variations were achievable by sharing a database compiled by all the team members (Fisk, 1997). 10 Knowledge-base of previous similar projects From the outset, project strategies and philosophies should take advantage of lessons learned from past similar projects. If professionals have a knowledge-base established on past similar projects, it would assist the professional team to plan more effectively before starting a project, both during the design phase as well as during the construction phase, minimize and control Variations and their effects. (CII, 1994b). 11 Comprehensive analysis and prompt decision making through computerized knowledge-based decision support system A Decision Support System (DSS) approach for management decisions seems to be the ideal approach to follow. The system would be helpful in presenting an example scenario of the causes of Variations, their relevant effects and potential controls that would assist in decision making at the early stage of the Variations occurring. (Miresco and Pomerol, 1995).

Essay --

Most prople know what depresion is and how it can can turn into a destructive part of one’s life. There have been medications and theories made to help to prevent depression in adults. Many people are unaware that not only depression is not only diagnosed in adults but, studies show that depression is also diagnosed in children. Not only do adults become depressed. Children and teenagers may also become depressed as well. What people are unknowledgeable of is that, children may tend to be more depressed than adults. Depression is defined as an illness when it is persistent. Most adults and many children have a few bad days here and there, sometimes three or four in a row. When this happens, their mood is often loneliness or unhappiness, and having thoughts of suicide or unexplained anger. Some may sleep but they cannot rest. In some, depending on the severity of their disorder, even have lack of appetite. When it comes to depression we feel like there is no way out and even when our family tries to express concern we turn them away, because of not knowing the exact problems that we face. From my experience even when surrounded by loved ones I still felt alone. As if no one understands what is going on in my head or my heart. Sometimes I have even wished that they just go away, and the increased loneliness has resulted in making the situation worse. Depression varies from person to person and in some cases, it may get worse with age or it may cease. From my personal experience my depression was not of the more severe cases. But from what I have read and researched over the years of disorder, it can stem from anything to body image issues, self-esteem, lack of friends, or family crises. Some people may have depression from a trau... ...express their feelings.it is not good for anyone to keep their emotions bottled up inside. In conclusion,of course not everyone has all those symptoms every time. Until about ten years ago, children's mood swings and irritability were considered nothing but a phase that kids go through and would eventually outgrow. It has been proven that if depression in children goes unnoticed and, therefore, untreated, the children gradually will turn to doing drugs ("self-medication") and consuming alcohol, will drop out of school, will become uninhibited, and for a lot of them it even might lead to suicide. The adolescent depression is basically treated as the adult depression. Unfortunately, most of the antidepressant drugs are still not approved by the FDA for children under 18 years. More than likely, those people who are severely depressed often lead themselves to suicide.

Clifford Olson: Canadian Serial Killer Essay -- Biography Biographies

Clifford Olson: Canadian Serial Killer Clifford Olson is one of Canada's well known serial killers. He showed no sign of sympathy for the public all throughout his life and would eventually end up killing many innocent people and spending a good portion of his life in jail. Clifford Olson was born on January 1st 1940, in Vancouver, British Columbia. While he was growing up he was always in trouble. Even as a child in school her was referred to as a bully and not a nice kid. Then as he grew up things didn't change for the better the just got worse. As a teenager and young adult Olson found himself in trouble with the law quite frequently. From the year of 1951 to 1981 ( ages 17-21) he had 94 arrests. He was put in jail for some of them and served time for cries ranging from fraud to armed robbery. While in prison Olson was known for two things. One was for being a homosexual rapist and the second was for being a snitch, and helping out the police. Olson helped the police by getting his friend named Garry Marcoux (also in jail), to give a detailed description and confession to raping and mutilating a nine year old girl. Somehow Olson was able to get Marcoux to write down his confession. Olson them gave this to police and it was used to convict Marcoux of that crime. Once Olson had served his time and was released he went to live with the mother of is son. One would have thought that he had learned his lesson and would try to turn his life around. However very unfortunately that was not the case. In November of 1980 A young girl, 12 years old, named Christine Weller went missing. She would later prove to be one of Olson's first murder victims. Christine was abducted from her home in Surrey, BC. Her mutilated body ... ...ack of his van, police found an address book containing the name of Judy Kozma. Along with this and other evidence the police were able to charge Clifford Olson with the murder of Judy Kozma 6 days later. Olson knew that he was going to be put back in jail and was suspected on some of the other murders that he had committed.. So Olson made a deal with the prosecution. In his deal Olson' s family, (wife and son) were to be paid $10,000 for each of his victims. This was very controversial. In exchange Olson would provide the information on the known murders and gave the police direction to 6 outstanding bodies. Olson kept his part of the deal and so did the prosecution. The money was paid to Olson's family on schedule. On January 11th 1982, Clifford Olson pleaded guilty to 11 counts of murder. For this he was sentenced to 11 concurrent life terms in prison.

Literary Analysis on Revelation Essay

Flannery O’Connor short story entitled â€Å"Revelation† was swayed by her personal upbringing in the South. She lived in the time where people from the South were very intolerant and narrow-minded towards people who had a different lifestyle and who were of a different race. Because Southerners believed people who did not live up to their wealth or status were inferior, it offered O’Connor the exact descriptions she wanted for the characters in this story. The main character in this story, Mrs. Turpin, is extremely prejudice and uses many terms of racial terminology. All of the characters in this story are well-known by their physical looks, and some are well-known by the racial terms used in the story. Mrs. Turpin said that the higher class women were â€Å"well-dressed and pleasant. † Another time she refers to a poor woman as â€Å"white trashy† and a teenage female as â€Å"ugly. † We are able to understand the lifestyle of the South that Flannery O’Connor was a part of in her childhood by her choice of words in this story. An example, when Mrs. Turpin would talk to her black laborers. There seems to be a major and minor social divergence in the story. The minor conflict is between the â€Å"white trash† woman and Mrs. Turpin; the problem stems from Mrs. Turpin thinking that she is in a higher class than this particular â€Å"white-trash† woman and most people. Mrs. Turpin is disgusted because the â€Å"white-trash† woman interrupted Mrs. Turpin’s conversation with someone else. In the story we are given the image that not only is the woman â€Å"white-trash† but she is uneducated and unintelligent. This is another example made clear to the readers of the background of O’Connor because the character is not given a real name but a disparaging title. The major conflict of this story occurs with the teenage girl and Mrs. Turpin. The conflict is not given away at one point in the story but gradually develops between the two women with many different facial expressions given by the teenager. Mrs. Turpin says that the girl gave her, â€Å"The ugliest face she has ever seen anyone make. † The action that occurs because of the conflict is something the readers did not see coming, which makes the story an even better read. The teenage girl hits Mrs. Turpin in the face with a book while she is in conversation with someone else. With this action, O’Connor was able to use an unfortunate finale for this story. Mrs. Turpin was confident in who she was as a person; she believed that she was merely good and could not understand why she is not liked. The story ends with all of Mrs. Turpin’s questions being unanswered and that leaves her with a sadness that is insoluble. Through the use of the conflicts created in the story there is the element of astonishment, a sad ending, and an authentic plot. The characters of this story are bullied and seem to be descriptions of lower intellect. On the contrary, Mrs. Turpin is supposed to appear to be of common intellect. The conduct of Mrs. Turpin really emulates the image O’Connor was given in the South. Mrs. Turpin is a very nice individual and extremely sociable and she observed the people around her and started conversations with anyone who would listen. Another characteristic of Mrs. Turpin is her plausibility, she seems to be this way because her actions exemplify a believable person. O’ Connor makes Mrs. Turpin to be the exact model of a â€Å"Southern Citizen† with the same attitude of a Southerner. O’Connor did a great job of using many literary devices, mainly symbolism, which helped her emphasize the theme of this story. Mrs. Turpin is extremely disliked by teenager from the beginning of the story all the way to the end of the story. The teenagers dislike for Mrs. Turpin propagates as the story continues and then seems to explode at the end which resulted in the action of hitting Mrs. Turpin. The book being thrown at Mrs. Turpin possibly symbolizes the distinctive types of social classes; the well dressed woman Mrs. Turpin converses with is a educated and high standard individual; and the â€Å"white-trash† woman is a uneducated and a low class individual. Another literary device used in this story is foreshadowing. Foreshadowing was seen by the teenage girl making facial expressions towards Mrs. Turpin. These actions showed a struggle between the two women. As the story continues the increase of these disrespectful actions foreshadows a disagreement between Mrs. Turpin and the teenager. In conclusion, foreshadowing as well as symbolism are the most important literary devices used by Flannery O’Connor in â€Å"Revelation. †

The Mohawks of Akwesasne

Due to its distinctive geographical location along the St. Lawrence River, which â€Å"serves as one of the natural division lines between Canada and the United States,† the Mohawks of Akwesasne have familiarized themselves to the media and the civic society.Some have called the Mohawks â€Å"the most stubborn Native Community in North America, not only for (their) enduring commitment to (their) Ancient Mohawk Territories and Resources, but also for the strong positions (they) maintain over the Aboriginal Rights of (their) Community and (their) Kahniakehaka (Mohawk) Nation† (Akwesasne para. 1). Despite government intervention (or disturbance) on the affairs of the Mohawk community, they have remained unrelenting in upholding the honor of their indigenous tribe. The so-called â€Å"battle† for sustainability has been thriving for many decades now.Akwesasne and the MohawksAkwesasne is the home of the Mohawk community.   Akwesasne borders the countries of Canada a nd the United States of America, the Candian Province of Ontario and Quebec; and the American State of New York (Akwesasne para. 2). Because of its location, the jurisdiction of this land is not determined until now. This confusion has caused problems for the 13,000 Mohawks living in Akwesasne, however, they have survived the struggle of adjusting to their jurisdictional condition over the years.As a result, this minority has managed to build solid and independent socio-economic endeavors for their people who are bestowed with many gifts, talents, knowledge, experience, and expertise in various fields of work and art. Over the past ten years, dynamic changes have provided this Mohawk community the opportunity to responsibly manage their Infrastructure, Health and Social Services, Judicial and Law Enforcement System, Environment and Conservation, and Housing and Economic Initiatives (Akwesasne para. 3).Akwesasne Community ProfileThe Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne is located within the Ancient Homelands of (its) Ancestor, which (their) People have occupied and used since time immemorial (Akwesasne para.7). The people are embedded with unexplainable affection to this area composed of approximately 26,000 acres in land mass (about fifty square miles in total area).Comprised of breathtaking islands, the Mohawk community is located within the glorious St. Lawrence River and mainland contained by the St. Lawrence River Valley. It can be found near major Canadian cities such as Ottawa, Ontario and Monteal, Quebec. There are four inhabited districts in the region including Kanatakon/St. Regis Village and Tsi Snaihe/Chenail Districts (within Quebec), Kawennoke/Cornwall Island District (within Ontario), and Tekaswenkarorens/Hogansburg District (within New York).History of Akwesasne and the MohawksAkwesasne is Mohawk community that rightfully deserves the title, â€Å"First Nation† (Bonaparte para. 1). It used to be a â€Å"place of peace† which served as a s afe haven from war for the early Mohawks and other indigenous peoples. Formerly the smallest Mohawk village, but today, Akwesasne is already the largest in terms of population and territory. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy considers Akwesasne the â€Å"capital† of the seven communities that make up the Mohawk Nation (Bonaparte, para 1).The term Mohawk can be literally translated as â€Å"place of partridges† since thousands of a species of game bird are surrounding the shores of the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries.   The first Mohawks and natives of Akwesasne engaged in hunting, fishing, and trading. A certain group by the name â€Å"St. Lawrence Iroquoians† (their identity is still debatable) was believed to have built pillars of â€Å"longhouse villages found in the rich soil of the St. Lawrence River Valley.† According to artifacts, â€Å"St. Lawrence Iroquoians† were captured and hid in a village called Hochelaga which was considered as one with the Mohawk community.Wars followed and the Mohawks fought against the tribes, Hurons and Algonquins, who were under French control during that time. In time more than half of the Mohawk population (which had already been weakened by epidemics and war) migrated to the village on the south bank of the St. Lawrence near the Lachine Rapids (Bonaparte para. 5). They formed a new community which they called Kahnawake (at the rapids) where the Hurons, Algonquins, and other Iroquois converts (converted by the Jesuits) from Oneida and Onondaga united with them.Bonaparte’s study also focused and expounded on the â€Å"Seven Nations of Canada† as stated:In time the population of these villages grew so large that new ones were established. By the 1750's these villages eventually united in an alliance that Mohawks knew as Tsiata Nihononwentsiake, also known as the Seven Nations of Canada, the Seven Fires, and the Seven Villages.When this union was formalized, it consisted of the Mohawks of Kahnawake (Caughnawaga); the Mohawks, Algonquins, and Nippissings of Kanesatake (Oka); the Abenakis of Odanak (St. Francis) in what is now southern Quebec; the Hurons of Wendake (Lorette), just west of Quebec City; and the Iroquois (mostly Oneidas and Onondagas) of Sawehkatsi (Oswegatchie), site of present-day Ogdensburg, New York. Even though as many as twenty-two different nations were represented at these new settlements by the early 1700's, they were nevertheless able to maintain a distinct cultural identification as Huron, Algonquin, and Iroquois communities in their own right (para. 6).The cultural model of this new confederacy was the Rotinonsionni (â€Å"People of the Longhouse,†) also known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Five Nations, the Six Nations, and the League of the Iroquois (Bonaparte para. 7). Despite strong Jesuit influence over the Mohawks, they have remained a strong clan and have maintained their cultural practices and customs.Re lations between the Seven Nations of Canada and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy during the last decades of the 18th century were contentious thanks to the mad rush of land sales and treaty negotiations that stirred up old animosities and disputes over territory (Bonaparte para. 21). At this time, war broke out causing so much suffering for the people of Akwesasne. Many colonizers tried to change the traditional system of the Mohawks but they remained firm and have shunned away these invaders.The last decade of the 19th century saw drastic changes in the political landscape of Akwesasne and the other Mohawk communities, who were still governed by the old â€Å"life chiefs† (Bonaparte para. 22). Non-native governments tried to implement a new electoral system but these were rejected by the Mohawks to the extent of causing trouble. The life chiefs were punished; however, they did not give up hoping that the traditional election would be restored.In spite of these affronts to Mohaw k cultural and political sovereignty, the last half of the 19th century witnessed a cultural renaissance of sorts at Akwesasne and her fellow Mohawk communities (Bonaparte para. 23). This includes the emergence of native products such as Mohawk baskets, beadwork, snowshoes, cradleboards, and the rise of their high-steel construction industry, which gave occupation to the Mohawks. Throughout the early 20th century the identification of the Mohawk communities with the banner of the Seven Nations of Canada began to wane in favor of that of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, viewed by many as older and purer of the two since it originated long before European contact (Bonaparte para. 25).In the early part of the 20th century, the Mohawks engaged in exporting liquor from Canada to the United States, which was not as open as the past centuries because of controlled legislations on liquor transportation. Throughout the last decades of the 20th century, Akwesasne continued to feel the long-term effects of the St. Lawrence Seaway (Bonaparte para.33). The agricultural and fishing industry weakened so the Mohawks were forced to seek greener pastures by working in factories and establishments in big cities in New York. Cultural issues conflicted with this economic stabilization. Mohawks, who moved away from Akwesasne, felt estrangement and have adapted non-Mohawk practices.Present Situation of the MohawksCurrently, commercialization and expansion of the Mohawks have become prevalent and have changed the lives of these indigenous people in one way or another. Their rich history and cultural heritage may be taken for granted by some but historians and anthropologists who have studied this unique tribe continue to hope that the difference it has made in this world would be appreciated by present-day societies. The remaining Mohawk community is still active though in promoting and maintaining the culture they have always been accustomed to, which is making them a stronger nation. Works CitedBonaparte, D. n.d. The History of Akwesasane from Pre-Contact to Modern Times. 3 July 2007 .

Mystery of capitalism

In the book ‘the mystery of capitalism: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else† Hernando De Soto, the Peruvian economist presents a detailed study of several countries and their failure to benefit from capitalism. It is important to mention here that while most economists understand that land is as important a factor of production as liquid capital still many have failed to understand the significance of property and property rights when it comes to the success of a particular economic system. The core purpose of writing this book is to answer the question that the author has posed in the very first chapter: â€Å"But if people in countries making the transition to capitalism are not pitiful beggars, are not helplessly trapped in obsolete ways, and are not the uncritical prisoners of dysfunctional cultures, what is it that prevents capitalism from delivering to them the same wealth it has delivered to the West? Why does capitalism thrive only in the West, as if enclosed in a bell jar?† While we are aware of the fact that land itself is important, we rarely ever delve deeper into this subject to find out how property and its legal rights can play a vital role in the success or failure of an economic system. This is where Hernando De Soto stepped in and has offered a detailed study of property and its legal title in various poor countries with reference to capitalism in those areas. The main purpose of this book is to illustrate the reasons why capitalism has failed in poor countries and why only the developed countries in the West have been able to benefit from this system but the book carefully ignores the reasons which other economists have mentioned often and only focuses on property and its role in the economic system. The author maintains that failure of this system in poor countries is a cause of concern not only for the developing countries but also for the West. â€Å"In the business community of the West, there is a growing concern that the failure of most of the rest of the world to implement capitalism will eventually drive the rich economies into recession. As millions of investors have painfully learned from the evaporation of their emerging market funds, globalization is a two-way street: If the Third World and former communist nations cannot escape the influence of the West, neither can the West disentangle itself from them. Adverse reactions to capitalism have also been growing stronger within rich countries themselves.† It is clear from his book that the most important reason why capitalism has failed to influence the poor countries is because of the difficulties involved in getting legal title to property that poor sections of the society hold. The western countries fail to understand that capitalism is not exactly about growth of Internet or globalization, it is essentially concerned with movement of capital. It is important to mention here that DE SOTO believes that property is not important only because it provides security and a place to dwell in, but its significance lies in he fact that it is an asset, the problem with poor countries is that while a large section of the society possesses this asset, many of them do not have legal rights to those pieces of land. As a result of which they cannot use this land for any other purpose except accommodation. â€Å"Most of the poor already possess the assets they need to make a success of capitalism. But they hold these resources in defective forms. †¦ They lack the process to represent their property and create capital. They have houses, but not titles. It is the representation of assets in legal property documents that gives them the power to create surplus value.† We need to understand that property is a fixed asset and it can be used for several other purposes including collateral. But since the poor sections of the society do not have legal title to the piece of land they hold, they cannot use it as a source of capital, which is the reason why only western countries have, been able to benefit from capitalist system of economy. He is of the view that every person in small developing countries possess immense talent to mint money and engage in business activities successfully but the problem is that since they are not capable of becoming legal owners of the property that they otherwise own unofficially, their access to finances is also limited. The author has also carefully studied the views and theories of various economists from Adam Smith to Karl Marx in order to make the readers understand why capital plays an essential role in capitalist system of economy and why property is the backbone of this system. The author has also focused on the failure of communism and then builds a strong case in connection with failure of capitalism in developing countries. â€Å"Marx said that you needed to go beyond physics to touch â€Å"the hen that lays the golden eggs†; Adam Smith felt you had to create â€Å"a sort of waggon-way through the air† to reach that same hen. But no one has told us where the hen hides.† There is a new concept of ‘dead capital’ presented in this book. Hernando De Soto is of the view that the assets which cannot be used in place of capital becomes dead capital as it has no other value than the one purpose for which it was originally owned. He presents the example of some poor cities including Cairo, Lima, Manila, Mexico City and Porto Prince and shows how these cities are suffering from abundant dead capital. For example in Cairo, the city possesses dead capital worth $ 241.4 billion, which is six times more than the total value of all saving deposits in Egyptian banks. The country itself is thus suffering from its dead assets because they cannot be used as capital and therefore the economic system has failed to reap benefits of capitalism. This brings us to another important question. Why don’t people who unofficially own a piece of land try to gain legal rights to their property? It is a very important question because the answer to it also highlights the dismal performance of various economic and administrative units of developing countries. There are so many difficulties involved in legalizing a piece of property and usually the process takes so long that most poor people simply do not bother to get legal rights. For example in Egypt it takes some 31 agencies and 5-14 years to legally own a piece of land and close to 77 steps are involved in this process. De Soto has taken a serious look at the situation that has consistently suppressed Third World countries. He argues that people in these countries are constantly being oppressed because they lack knowledge about legal rights to property and their governments fail to offer adequate help. Karl Marx first discussed the function of property or its role in the development of nations in detail and De Soto recognizes his contribution. He argues that when property is legally recognized, it is only then that poor people can use it in the way that would be productive and lucrative. Without legal rights to a piece of property, its occupation comes to no production use. De Soto maintains that property rights do not only facilitate legal and productive use of land, they also offer host of other benefits such as creating a sense of responsibility, more commitment from citizens, more politically aware people etc. The most important lesson of the book is the topic of extra-legality. This refers to the sector of illegal property that has created extra-judicial ways to gain and use property. It was removed from West in the 19th century but still plagues third world countries. De Soto writes: â€Å"†¦ The reason capitalism has triumphed in the West and sputtered in the rest of the world is because most of the assets in Western nations have been integrated into one formal representational system.† (p. 52) explaining the way West got rid of extra-legality, De Soto further adds that, â€Å"This integration did not happen casually. Over decades in the nineteenth century, politicians, legislators, and judges pulled together the scattered facts and rules that govern property throughout cities, villages, buildings, and farms and integrated them into one system. This â€Å"pulling together† of property representations, a revolutionary moment in the history of developed nations, deposited all the information and rules governing the accumulated wealth of their citizens into one knowledge base. Before that moment, information about assets was far less accessible. †¦For knowledge to be functional, advanced nations have to integrate into one comprehensive system all their loose and isolated data about property. Developing and former communist nations have not done this†¦.It was this â€Å"revolutionary† development in the 19th century that sparked the Industrial Revolution the economic progress that is the hallmark of Western society.† (p. 52) De Soto informs his readers that in the West during the 19th century, the private property laws were introduced to tackle the problem of extra-legality. This led to a capitalist revolution in these parts of the world and led to enormous economic growth. We need to understand that De Soto has found a close connection between integration of systems and codified laws. He argues: It may surprise the Western reader that most of the world's nations have yet to integrate extralegal property agreements into one formal legal system. For Westerners, there supposedly is only one law — the official one. Yet the West's reliance on integrated property systems is a phenomenon of at most the last two hundred years. In most Western countries, integrated property systems appeared only about one hundred years ago; Japan's integration happened little more than fifty years ago. As we shall see in detail later, diverse informal property arrangements were once the norm in every nation. Legal pluralism was the standard in continental Europe until Roman law was rediscovered in the fourteenth century and governments assembled all currents of law into one coordinated system. (p. 53) But is it correct to say that in the absence of centrally controlled legal system, we cannot have an integrated property system? Well I guess that is wrong to assume because the two can exist independently of each other. This is because these two deal with completely different things. One deals with access of information and the other is concerned with protection of property. From where I am looking at the situation, I feel that these two could exist without each other. But the way De Soto connects them makes sense too. He believes that without protection of property, we cannot have accurate information about ownership of property and vice versa. De Soto is of the view that common law is a problem in the third world countries because it was the same kind of law that caused property problems in the West too. He claims that common law could not â€Å"provide guidance for how courts should handle cases involving people who had bought or inherited land of dubious title,† and that, â€Å"more importantly, the English common law of property was often ill suited to deal with the problems that confronted the colonists.† (p. 111) But this may not be entirely true. Customary law or common law has its own benefits. Its strength lies in its ability to raise solutions as problems arise. But De Soto sees it differently. The book definitely has its share of merits. Its one of the best books written so far on the subject of third world oppression because of property. I don’t think anyone really understood the significance of having legal property before the publication of this book. The author has chosen a different route for seeking a solution to the third world development problems. This solution may or may not work depending on its implementation but it sure offers a new way to study the problem. REFERENCE: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else (New York: Basic Books and London: Bantam Press/Random House, 2000)