The Role Ofreligion And Morality In Cats Cradle Essay Example For Students

The Role Ofreligion And Morality In Cats Cradle Essay As an author, Kurt Vonnegut has received just about every kind of praise an author can receive: his works held the same sway over American philosophy as did those of Jack Kerouac or J.R.R. Tolkein; his writing has received acclaim from academics and the masses alike; and three of his books have been made into feature films. Society has permanently and noticeably been altered by his writing. Through accessible language and easily-understood themes, Vonnegut has created works subtle, engrossing, and familiar. His main method for doing this is by exploiting a theme with which everyone is familiar and about which everyone has his own opinion: religion. We will write a custom essay on The Role Ofreligion And Morality In Cats Cradle specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Not many people are more qualified to explore this theme than Vonnegut. He was born in 1922 on Armistice Day (November 11), a holiday celebrating peace, in Indianapolis. His family was moderately wealthy until the onset of the Great Depression, when they lost everything. In 1944, Vonneguts mother committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Soon afterwards, he joined the army and fought in the Second World War. Vonnegut was captured as a POW and kept prisoner in Dresden. Soon after his capture, Dresden, an entirely civilian town, was bombed heavily. Vonnegut survived the bombing, came home, and became a writer. His first book, Player Piano, received very little notice at the time it was written, 1952. When he published Sirens of Titan in 1959, it also was largely ignored. In 1969, Vonnegut published Slaughterhouse Five, which was an immediate commercial and academic success. Slaughterhouse Fives success brought attention to his other works, and though Vonnegut was not as popula r after the 60s, he continued to publish successful books (http://www.duke.edu/crh4/vonnegut/). Vonneguts works have been classified as science fiction, but that hardly does them justice. His works are significantly influenced by that genre, but contain strikingly relevant commentaries about contemporary American society which set him apart from other science-fiction writers. His use of science fiction draws a humorous contrast between the all-important significance of the nature of the universe and of reality, and the insignificance of human life and society. All of his works emphasize the enormous forces acting on his characters, not the least of which is fate. As his writing progressed and matured, this stylistic nuance became more and more evident. In his book Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut describes his own style by means of Tralfamadorians, an alien race for whom time is nonexistent, and whose literature reflects this:Each clump of symbols is a brief, urgent message describing a situation,a scene. We Tralfamadorians read them all at once, not one after the oth-er. There isnt any particular relationship between all the messages ex-cept that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time (88). Indeed, Vonnegut has dismissed temporal continuity in his writing, and has thus eliminated suspense. Characters are often aware of their own inevitable destiny, as in The Sirens of Titan, and are helpless to stop it from coming to pass. Vonnegut makes it clear that modern society is much like this people can see where theyre headed, but are too powerless or apathetic to prevent it. In his book Cats Cradle, Vonnegut mocks peoples mindless, apathetic acceptance of their fates by portraying a situation in which unimaginably powerful forces toss around people desperate to escape them. He presents civilizations attempt to commit suicide (Hocus Pocus, 72), the atomic bomb dropped at Hiroshima, and ends the book with all of the water on earth freezing as the result of a substance called ice-nine, and thus civilization successfully committing suicide. Ironically, the man who created the atomic bomb also created ice-nine, a man not diabolically evil, but merely absent-minded. In this, Vonnegut portrays not only the amazing influence the forces of the universe have on us, but also the influence a select few of us have on the forces of the universe. .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .postImageUrl , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:hover , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:visited , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:active { border:0!important; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:active , .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u448aff7148bc4c2452c2b70ef171a0da:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Heart Of Darkness - Cruelty EssayIn Cats Cradle, Vonnegut describes an amazingly intricate means by which to accept the the whims of the universe. It is a parody of religion, and is what religion would be if it were stripped of all ritual and dogma. It is called Bokononism, and it reveals just how human it is to permit fate to have its way, and just how futile it is to fight against it. The basic tenet of Bokononism, according to Vonnegut, is that people should live by whatever foma (harmless untruths) make them happy. People, according to Bokononism, should do this so that fate seems much less prevalent in their lives, and so that they feel that their own free will is the main force in their lives. Vonnegut argues that such self-deception is one of the most integral aspects of humanity (Understanding Kurt Vonnegut, 53-65). Cats Cradle was published in 1963, at a time in American history when free will seemed to be the only force guiding anyone. People were tired of war, and tired of the threat of war. People were on the verge of losing faith in government. It is in this environment that Vonnegut put forth his attack on religion and on the human situation. The thought of ice-nine was just about as frightening as the very real threat of nuclear attack, so people could easily relate to Cats Cradles plot. Vonnegut describes government in Cats Cradle as effective only when an enemy exists, and he portrays Bokononism as governments enemy. When the tension between good and evil is high, says Vonnegut, the people can be kept happy and under control. When the line separating them becomes blurred, people quickly become disillusioned and rebellious. Though Vie tnam, in which the line between good and evil was almost nonexistent, did not bring about the end of civilization, domestic rebelliousness did alter American life, just as Vonnegut predicted. In this particular instance, Bokononism can be likened to Communism the perpetual enemy perceived, perhaps wrongly, to be the most dangerous force in the world. Cats Cradle is not the only one of Vonneguts works which has such an undertone of angst and urgency; indeed, it is one of the defining features of his work. The tension between the forces acting on the human race is higher than it has ever been, and if one force should give way, life as we know it will end. The only way to carry on is to convince ones self that life is not this treacherous, and that each individual can affect the outcome. This, according to Vonnegut, is the most necessary foma of all, and it might be able to save civilization. English Essays

PRICE Surname Meaning and Family History

PRICE Surname Meaning and Family History Price is a patronymic surname derived from the Welsh ap Rhys, meaning son of Rhys. The given name Rhys means enthusiasm in Welsh. Price is the 84th most popular surname in the United States. Price is also popular in England, coming in as the 47th most common surname. Surname Origin:  Welsh Alternate Surname Spellings:  PRYCE, PRIS, PRYS, PREECE, PREES, PRICE, PREIS, PREUSS   Famous People with the PRICESurname Leontyne Price  - African-American professional soprano opera singerVincent Price  -  American actorBruce Price  - architect of many of the Canadian Pacific Railways Chà ¢teau-type stations and hotelsCarey Price -  Canadian hockey goaltender for the NHL Montreal CanadiensRichard Price - Welsh philosopherWilliam Price - 19th-century Welsh physician and eccentricFlorence Beatrice Price (born Smith)  -  award-winning African-American  pianist and composer Where is the PRICE Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from  Forebears, Price is the 1,357th most common surname in the world- found most prevalently in the United States, but most common in Wales based on percentage of the population bearing the name. The Price surname ranks as the 19th most common last name in Wales, 71st most common in England and 82nd most common in the United States. In  1881 the Price surname was most common in southern Wales, especially in Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire, Radnorshire and Monmouthshire. Surname maps from  WorldNames PublicProfiler  also show the Price surname as especially common in Wales, as well as in the West Midlands region of England. Within the United States, Price is most common in the state of North Carolina, followed by South Carolina and West Virginia.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname PRICE 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Price, Priest, Pryce Surname DNA ProjectThis DNA project is connecting individuals with the Price surname and Welsh derivatives such as  Breece, Breeze, Brice, Bryce, Preece, Preecs, Prees, Priest, Pris, Prys, Reece, Rees, Reese, Rhys, Rice and the German variants Preis and Preuss, who are interested in using both Y-DNA and mtDNA testing to help discover common Price or Pryce ancestors. Price Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Price family crest or coat of arms for the Price surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Price Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Price ancestors around the world. Search or browse the archives for your Price ancestors, or join the group and post your own Price family query. FamilySearch - PRICE GenealogyExplore over 5.4  million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Price surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. DistantCousin.com - PRICE Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Price. GeneaNet - Price  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Price  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Price  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Price surname from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back toGlossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Mexican American War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mexican American War - Essay Example D. Eisenhower, Frederick Merk, and David M. Pletcher in three important works on the Mexican American war. These works are, respectively: So Far From God: The U.S. War With Mexico, Manifest Destiny and Mission in American History, and The Diplomacy of Annexation. The paper begins by discussing each author's thesis, arguments and evidence provided to support the thesis one at a time. It then discusses the works in a comparative fashion. While this author agrees most strongly with Merk's argument that U.S. expansionism-Manifest Destiny was not some unique strategy that was only pursued by Americans, there are merits to the arguments presented in the two other works. The paper ends with a conclusion summarizing the major points covered. John S. D. Eisenhower's book, So Far From God: The U.S. War With Mexico is a narrative history of the Mexican American war. Eisenhower has a distinctly "top down" militaristic, traditional historgraphy approach. It is one that emphasizes the VIPs of the war such as presidents and generals - essentially a "great men" view of history. The book is peppered with military details such as battle actions and tactics. One of Eisenhower's contentions is that the great military man, Santa Anna y Perez de Lebron (Santa Anna), who fought for Mexican independence from Spain was just an indiscreet popular figure. Eisenhower argues that these indiscretions in his pleasures and private life of Santa Anna's effectively barred him from belonging to the elite of Mexican society.2 However, Eisenhower doesn't discuss the possibility of a person being able to be both a populist and a member of this elite at the same time. Eisenhower used primarily books as his sources, though some of the books contain collections of primary resources such as letters and official government documents of the day.3 He also used newspapers and periodicals, though again, the majority of these are not primary or contemporary sources4. This is perhaps a reflection of his preference for traditional, "great men" history, in respecting the opinions of other already published historic works. First hand anecdotes are frequently used when Eisenhower discusses the details of events from the battlefields. There are maps included both assist the reader in following and understanding the text, as well as serve to emphasize the author's "headquarter's history" approach.5 The full title of the book So Far From God: The U.S. War With Mexico 1846-1848 suggests that the book is from the U.S. Side of the war. Substantial sections are written based on earlier writing by North American historians. The breath of research is limited to English sources and, with the exception of three sources, all of non-Mexican origin.6 One of the 'non-Mexican sources is of Fanny Caldern de la Barca's memoirs and de la Barca was born in Scotland7. Eisenhower attempts to be unbiased towards Mexico and Mexicans. This is especially evident in his references to Mexican soldiers who, he concludes, had to fight an unbalanced war just to maintain their national pride. Eisenhower frequently draws attention to their courage as well, especially in reference to the poor, rough leadership they were under. It is rare that a work is completely unbiased, however, and that is the case for So Far From God. Eisenhower's biasis is revealed through the language he uses to refer

Discussion 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Discussion 1 - Essay Example Indeed, the very dawn of religion is marked with the desire of a human being to understand phenomena that are though to be out of one’s comprehension. Another reason that may be quite compelling to pursuit the path of religious studies is to achieve a global perspective. Indeed, different areas of social life are affected by religion directly or indirectly. What is more important is that the above mentioned notion may also be used as an effective way to analyze the causes of conflicts. Finally, it must be noted that some of the reasons that were provided by Livingston may be reevaluated. It may be true that the former has been influencing the latter for many centuries; however, the process of secularization clearly divided these two institutions. In addition to that, one should also keep in mind that many nations that now belong to a particular religion were converted which resulted in the elimination of the previous state of social affairs. For example, Greece is often regarded as the stronghold of Orthodox Christianity. Nevertheless, for many centuries people of this country were genuine

Conflict styles profile paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conflict styles profile paper - Essay Example And I am not unfamiliar with it†¦ Still fresh in my memory is one conflict that I have been through prior to my coming to college. When everybody was busy and frantic about what they were going to do right after their secondary education, I was already certain that I would be pursuing college. In fact, I was really resolute in pursuing a degree. Fortunately for me, my parents and I were basically in agreement regarding this matter. However, that was where we only meet. As I look into my future and try to imagine what I would someday become I have realize that what I want is to be in the field of sciences and to be more particular in the field of Physics. Or if not Physics then I would love to do Philosophy. Although, to be honest, I really do not know what I would be doing right after finishing Physics or Philosophy but still I have set my heart on it. Unfortunately, my mother has a different plan. She wants me to enter in Hotel and Restaurant Management or Nursing because that is the trend and those two fields are in demand. Deep in my heart I know that she is correct. And that what she is trying to do is that she is opening to me other possibilities or channels that I may not be seeing or taking notice of. But you see I cannot just throw away the things that really catches my fancy, the stuffs that I love to do, the things that I would like to learn. Besides, being young, I am still being idealistic. I have this notion that in college the rudime nts of textbooks should no longer burden one. But one rather should already see the beauty of knowledge itself. So, I often tell myself in college, I will be pursuing my interests. But you see reality checks. I found myself in a situation wherein my self-interests conflict with that of my mother. Though I see it as a kind of conflict that will lead to a positive solution but still I know at the same time that I

Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Information

Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Information The purpose of financial statements is to give financial statements information about the change in financial position, financial performance and financial position of the organization. These can provide data use in decision making such as investment, credit and economic decision making which are useful for various users. There are seven main groups of users which are public, investors, lenders, employees, customers, supplies, government and other agencies and the needs of information is different for each group, for instance, employee will interest on the profitability, retirement benefits and employment opportunities and so on. Financial statement is supposed to relevant, reliable, understandable and comparable. In addition, financial statement may include other information, for example, the uncertainties and risks that influence the organization. Evaluation of the relevance, reliability, comparability and understandability Relevance is about the information that has the ability to influence the economic decisions of users. There are two main points relate to the relevance which are predictive value and confirmatory value. Predictive value can help users to measure the past, present or future performance. Confirmatory value can help users to confirm their past evaluations. The annual reports include ten-year statistics which have the recent ten-year figures. It includes profit and loss account, balance sheet and passenger services figures and so on. It can help the shareholders to confirm the past evaluations, measure the past performance and compare the relevance information at the same time. The annual reports embody a part of operating network with future extensions. In this part, the report has stated all properties that they are developing, constructing, planning and the properties that owned, developed and managed by them. It can help us to predict the present and future performance and verify the past evaluations. In the annual reports, we can find the CEOs review of operations and outlook. This part is the MTRs CEO taking about the MTR past performance which is good and which is bad, it also mentions the next year development of the MTR. It gives us a clear mind about the MTR what will do during the next year and briefly review the previous year performance. Reliability is about the information that is a complete and true representation. There are five major issues involve in reliability, free from material error, a faithful representation, neutral, prudent and complete. MTR use one of the big 4 accounting company that is KPMG. KPMG is a large international company and has a lot of auditing experience and professional staff. Therefore, shareholder can have a great confidence on the financial statements. On the other hand, the audit report state that the KPMG give a true and fair view that means the MTR reports are properly prepared with accounting standards which means the reports are free from material, faithful representation, prudence and complete. Also, the accounting firm is an independent audit firm which can fulfill the point of neutral. As a shareholder, we can have a great confidence on that reports, because it is accuracy and do not have any creative account. MTR is a public organization and it is managed by government. It has been required a high transparency that disclosure all information to public, such as, company policies, therefore, their information must be faithful, neutral, prudent and complete which are required by law. So, their information has a high reliability. From the view of shareholders, we can trust on it. The MTR have an internal audit team which is responsible for the internal control, project review, fraud investigation, due diligence and management review and so forth. It can help the MTR to give us a report that is reliable, free from material error, faithful, neutral, prudent. As a shareholder, we can have great confidence on the annual reports. Comparability is about the similarities and differences can be discerned and evaluated. There are two key matters include in the comparability which are consistency and disclosure. Inside the annual reports, we can find many figures that can give us to compare. Such as the Ten-Year Statistics, it includes ten years data for us to realize. We can see that the earnings per share are increased steadily each year from $0.81 per share in 2000 to $1.69 per share in 2009. Also, the profit is increased rapidly from $7,758 on 2006 to $15,182 on 2007. In addition, in the CEOs Review of Operations and Outlook part, it compare a lot of data, for example, the Average weekday patronage for the Domestic Service in 2009 was 3.5 million, which represents an increase of 0.9% over 2008 and the total revenue from property rental, property management and other businesses in 2009 was HK$2,928 million, an increase of 8.0% over 2008. Moreover, the financial statements have provided two years figures for us to compare which is 2008 and 2009. For instance, the Loans, other obligations and bank overdrafts is decrease significantly from $31,289 in 2008 to $23,868 in 2009 which decline 23.7%. The dividend per share is increase from 0.48 in 2008 to 0.52 in 2009 which increase 8.3%. From the figure that we have analysis above, we can see that the MTR profit is increase each year and the loan decrease each year, therefore, it is a signal for us continue to keep the share or investment more. Understandability is about the significance of the information can be perceived. There are two important points contain in the understandability, users abilities and aggregation and classification. Inside the annual reports, it contains a glossary part. In the glossary, it explains a particular domain of knowledge that uncommon, specialized or newly introduced. For example, operating margin means operating profit from railway and related businesses before depreciation and amortization as a percentage of the turnover and ordinary shares means ordinary shares of HK$1.00 each in the capital of the company and so forth. As a shareholder, it helps a lot during reading the annual reports, because not every shareholder also has that much professional knowledge. The annual report contains many picture, table and chart. An annual report is very thick, because it contains large information about the MTR performance. From the view of shareholder, if the reports are full text, it is hard for us to read it all, because it has a lot of words to read and understand. When reading the annual reports, it is not hard to find pictures, tables and charts, it can help us more easily to realize the information, especially the tables and charts, it convert the figures into a understandability form so that the readers can catch the main point easily. It also includes a content page and classifies similar data to similar group. When we look at content pages, it not only states the title but also state the number page which makes the shareholders more convenience to find the information what they need. This annual reports have different language version which can take care of different users, although this MTR is a Hong Kong organization, as a shareholders, I may be a foreigner and I can not read any Chinese words. Therefore, different language version is important as well. It is easy to find that the MTR annual reports have been prepared by two versions which are Chinese and English. Which one of the four qualitative characteristics of financial information is the most important? In my opinion, the reliability is the most important qualitative characteristic. If the financial statements are not reliable, the shareholders will not have any confidence on the MTR reports, because they feel that the financial statement information of the MTR is not faithfulness and truthfulness. Hence, they will not have any interest to realize the MTR reports, so that the objective of financial statement is invalid. Even though the annual reports has higher quality of relevance, comparability and understandability, but without reliability which will cause the shareholders and potential investors run away. In the opposite side, if the financial statements have a higher degree of reliability, the shareholders will have more confidence on the annual reports, because higher degree of reliability means the annual repot have meet the requirements of free from material error, a faithful representation, neutral, prudent and complete. When the reports meet those requirements, it attracts the shareholders stay and attracts more investors. When seeing the MTR annual reports, we can know that their reports have a good reliability. The MTR employ an external accounting firm which is KPMG to audit their accounting information, it fulfill the point of neutral. The audit firm also give a true and fair view to the MTR which means their information are faithful, complete, prudent and free form material error. From the above discussion, we can see that reliability is the most important qualitative characteristics in the financial statement. Conclusion During analysis the MTR annual reports, I know that the four qualitative characteristics have a great influence to shareholders. It has a significant impact on the decision making, because it can help them to understand, realize and build up the confidence on the MTR reports. The four qualitative characteristics also affect the shareholders invest or not. In my opinion, the reliability is the most important qualitative characteristic, it represents faithfulness and truthfulness. Shareholder will depend on it to decide whether those accounting information can trust or not, thereby to planning the investment decision. Word Count: 1553 words

Execution of the Mentally Retarded Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive E

Execution of the Mentally Retarded Stories regarding terrorism and war plaster every news broadcast, newspaper, and television show in the country; however, there has recently been a story that has become just as important, and is being focused upon by almost every state in our nation. The story regards the issue of execution and if it is wrong to execute those who are considered mentally retarded, due to the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment. The amendment states that â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted† (â€Å"Eighth Amendment†). Due to this amendment, I believe it is not only constitutionally wrong, but also morally wrong as well to execute those who are mentally retarded. According to an article written by Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times, entitled, â€Å"Top Court Hears Argument of Execution of Retarded†, Daryl Atkins was convicted for the 1996 shooting death of Eric Nesbitt, an airman at Langley Air Force Base who was kidnapped from a Virginia 7-11 store by Akins and another man, William Jones. This case has brought about one of the most perplexing and intriguing questions to the U.S. Supreme court regarding criminal punishment; should Daryl Atkins, who was convicted of murder and who has been sentenced to death, be executed even though he is mentally retarded? I believe that he should not be executed, due to the fact that it would be considered cruel and unusual punishment killing someone who is mentally retarded, which is against the Eighth Amendment to our Constitution. Atkins has an IQ of 59, which is equivalent to that of a 10-year-old child (Curriden). He made C’s and D’s in middle school and flunked out of high school. He has neve... ...2002. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment08/. Greenburg, Jan Crawford. â€Å"Justices Give Little Clue to Leaning on Death Penalty for Mentally Retarded.† Chicago Tribune 20 February 2002 pK0362. 2 March 2002. Greenhouse, Linda. Top Court Argument on Execution of Retarded. 21 February 2002. The New York Times. 26 February 2002 http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/national/21SCOT.html. Myers, Jennifer. â€Å"Death Penalty for Mentally Retarded May Slide off High Court’s Docket Again.† Daily Business Review v76 i160. 28 January 2002 pA12. 2 March 2002. Stout, David. Execution of Retarded to Be Reviewed by Supreme Court. 20 February 2002. The New York Times. 26 February 2002 http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/national/20CND-SCOTUS.html. â€Å"U.S. Supreme Court.† FindLaw.com. 10 March 2002. http://laws.findlaw.com/us/217/349.html.

Questions on Short-Term Finance

What can managers do to control the cash cycle? What are the tradeoffs In shortening the cash cycle? Know how to calculate: Elements of the cash cycle and the operating cycle Managing the Working Capital Cycle (Chi. L) For what aspects of working capital does financial management have responsibility? What are the two key areas of working capital policy set by financial management? What are the objectives In setting working capital asset policy? What Is the difference between temporary current assets and permanent current assets? In what ways can working capital assets be balanced? What is spontaneous financing of working capital assets?How is the amount to be used determined? What should be considered in choosing between short-term and permanent financing sources for funding working capital assets? What are the tradeoffs? How can the lifetime of assets be matched to the maturity of funding sources (I. E. , what Is a restrictive working capital financing strategy)? How can working cap ital assets be financed more flexibly than with a restrictive strategy? How can they be financed more aggressively? Cash Management (Chi. L & Chi. 2) What is the focus of short-term financial planning? What are the steps of the short-term financial planning process?How are cash collections forecast? How are cash disbursements forecast? What are the elements of a typical cash budget? Why is short-term debt appropriate for covering short-term cash deficits? What are the typical sources of short-term funds? What Is a line of credit? What are the tradeoffs in cash? What is â€Å"cash†? How are borrowing reserves and marketable securities like cash? What is float? What types of float exist? Why do we care about float? How do we deal with float? What tools can we use to manage float? What is a locker arrangement? How do we compare costs and benefits of a locker?How does using a locker help us to manage risk? Elements of a cash budget Float time, float balances; Costs and benefits o f lockers Credit and Inventory Management Managing Accounts Receivable/Setting Credit Policy (Chi. 3) What are the elements of a receivables management program? What are the components of a credit policy? What are the tradeoffs in setting credit policy terms? How does competition affect the optimization of credit policy terms? How can a vendor have a lending cost advantage over other banks and finance companies? Why might a vendor be able to charge a higher price for goods and services by offering reedit?When might a vendor find it necessary to offer credit in order to establish reputation? What are the advantages/disadvantages of open account billing over invoice billing? What factors affect the ideal credit period? What factors determine whether or not credit (early payment) discounts should be offered? What are the five Co's of credit? What tools are used to monitor receivables? How is the impersonal nature of collection agencies both good and bad? In what forms can credit be off ered to customers? How does a firm offering credit to customers finance its own receivables? What is acting of receivables?What are the advantages/disadvantages of factoring? What elements of a credit policy decision can be quantified? How may a change in credit policy affect the costs associated with inventories? How may a change in credit policy affect the costs associated with receivables? In what two ways can projected bad debt losses be affected by a change in credit policy? What are the costs/benefits of offering discounts? Annual percentage costs of credit discounts Costs, benefits, and net benefit of a change in credit policy Break-even probabilities and percentages for a change in credit policy

Surfactant Definition and Examples

Surfactant Definition and Examples Surfactant is the word that combines the terms surface active agent. Surfactants or tensides are chemical species that act as wetting agents to lower the surface tension of a liquid and allow for increased spreadability. This can be at a liquid-liquid interface or a liquid-gas interface. Surfactant Structure Surfactant molecules are usually organic compounds that contain hydrophobic groups or tails and hydrophilic groups or heads. This allows the molecule to interact with both water (a polar molecule) and oils (which are nonpolar). A group of surfactant molecules forms a micelle. A micelle is a spherical structure. In a micelle, the hydrophobic or lipophilic tails face inward, while the hydrophilic heads face outward. Oils and fats can be contained within the micelle sphere. Surfactant Examples Sodium stearate is a good example of a surfactant. It is the most common surfactant in soap. Another common surfactant is 4-(5-dodecyl)benzenesulfonate. Other examples include docusate (dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate), alkyl ether phosphates, benzalkaonium chloride (BAC), and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS). Pulmonary surfactant provides a coating on the surface of the alveoli in the lungs. It acts to prevent fluid accumulation, keep airways dry, and maintain surface tension within the lungs to prevent collapse.

Dealing With Woodpecker and Sapsucker Tree Issues

Dealing With Woodpecker and Sapsucker Tree Issues Many woodpeckers and sapsuckers are tree bark-feeding birds with unique clinging feet, long tongues, and specialized beaks. These beaks are designed to help with communicating the possession of territory to rivals and locating and accessing sap and  insects. This is done mostly by rapid drumming  and pecking noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There is a big difference between the two birds. Sapsuckers Versus Woodpeckers The insect-eating woodpecker (family Picidae) has a long tongue - in many cases as long as the woodpecker itself - that can be quickly extended forward to capture insects from the inner and outer bark. Woodpeckers explore decaying cavities on trees and spots that have active insect activity. Woodpeckers tend to feed only on dead or dying wood and are generally considered harmless to a tree.  They do not feed on  tree sap  like their sap-sucking cousins, which can seriously damage trees.   You can tell the difference between the birds that have been visiting your trees by the holes they leave behind.  Sapsuckers have a tendency to  form lots of small holes in horizontal lines. This allows for sap to flow out when they are feeding. Meanwhile, the holes left behind by woodpeckers are larger and can be found in different spots up and down a tree.   The sapsucker is a serious tree pest. The most common sapsucker in North America, also the most destructive, is the American yellow-bellied sapsucker. The bird is one of four true sapsuckers in the family Sphyrapicus.   The American yellow-bellied sapsucker can attack, kill trees, and seriously degrade wood quality. Sapsuckers are migratory and can affect different tree and shrub species on a seasonal basis throughout eastern North America.  It spends summers in Canada and the northeastern United States and migrates to the southern states in the winter. Trees in Danger Certain tree species, like birch and maple, are particularly susceptible to death after being damaged by yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Wood decay, stain fungi, and bacteria may enter through the feeding holes. A USFS study concludes that when a red maple has been fed on by a sapsucker, its mortality rate goes up to 40 percent. Gray birch is even higher, at a 67 percent mortality rate. Hemlock and spruce trees are other food  favorites but seem more impervious to sapsucker damage. The death rate for these trees is at one to three percent. How a Woodpecker Feeds A woodpecker searches the surfaces of tree trunks and branches for wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants, and other insects. The pecking style they use for feeding is very different than their territorial drumming, which is done mainly in the spring of the year. When looking for insects, only a few pecks at a time are made. Then, the bird explores the resulting hole with its specialized bill and tongue. This behavior continues until an insect is found or the bird is satisfied that one is not there. The woodpecker may hop a few inches away and peck at another place. The bark holes created by this feeding activity often occur randomly  as the bird explores with pecking up, down, and around a tree trunk. This pecking style, for the most part, does not harm the tree. However, it can be a problem when a bird decides to visit wood siding, wooden eaves, and window frames. Woodpeckers can become destructive to property, especially wood cabins that are near mixed urban and woodland zones. How a Sapsucker Feeds Sapsuckers attack living wood to get at the sap inside. They often return to the tree to increase the size of the holes for more, fresh sap. Insects, especially those attracted to the sweet sap exuding from sap holes, are often captured and fed to the young during the breeding season. Repeated attacks of feeding  sapsuckers  can kill a tree by  girdling,  which occurs when a ring of bark around the trunk is severely injured.   In the United States, yellow-bellied sapsuckers are listed and protected under the  Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Taking, killing, or possessing this species is illegal without a permit. How to Repel Sapsuckers To discourage sapsuckers from feeding on your yard  tree, wrap hardware cloth or burlap around the area of attack. To protect buildings and other outside personal property,  place lightweight plastic bird-type netting over the area. Visual control using  toy plastic twirlers  fastened to the eaves, aluminum foil, or brightly-colored plastic strips are somewhat successful in  repelling birds by movement and reflection. Loud noises can also help but may be inconvenient to maintain over an extended period of time.   You can also smear on a sticky repellent.  Deer repellent  is also said to discourage feeding when sprayed on the tapped area. Remember that birds may choose another nearby tree for future tapping. It may be better to sacrifice the tapped and already damaged tree in favor of the loss of another tree due to future tapping damage. Source Rushmore, Francis M. Sapsucker. U.S.D.A. Forest Service Research Paper NE-136, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1969.

Zoot Suit Riots Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Zoot Suit Riots - Research Paper Example The Latino living in other cities of United States like San Diego, New York and Chicago were also badly affected from these riots because gradually the riots were swept in these cities as well (Eduardo: 223: 2000). The essay aims to discuss the historical background of the Zoot suit riots and intends to analyse its causes and effects upon the socio-political situation of the time. The essay presents concise chronology of the events and incidents occurred during the riots to illustrate their importance and impact upon the political history of the United States. Zoot Suit Riots – Historical Background The Zoot Suit Riots were basically outcome of the racial discrimination and tension prevailing between the Mexicans and the White Americans. Mexicans migrated and settled in different cities of United States during the twentieth century. The white Americans widely disfavoured the presence of Mexicans in different walks of life because they believe that Mexican Americans were badly affecting their social and economic conditions by occupying the resources and job positions (Eduardo: 43: 2003). During the Great Depression the demand of the Whites Americans to remove the Mexicans from the American land became very strong because they were not willing to see the Mexicans availing the employment opportunities and other resources in their country. This thinking resulted in intense racial hatred between the Mexican and White Americans (Castillo and Griswold: 367: 2000). As a result of the demands and racial threats of the White, thousands of the Mexican descents were deported from America in the early 1930s. Despite this major extraction there were still 3 million Mexicans left in United States and the highest concentration of the Mexicans was found in Los Angeles (Mazon: 132: 2002). The Mexicans in Los Angeles were limited to the oldest and most run down housing area of the city and they were also forced to work only at low level and low wages jobs. Consequently, th e lifestyles and living standard of the Mexican Americans dropped to the lowest level and most of them started living below the poverty line (Rule: 102: 1989). The print media also started spreading racial hatred against the Mexicans through inflammatory propaganda and worked for instigating social and economic discrimination against the Mexicans on racial grounds. The media also used to derogate the Mexican Americans by calling them with the name Chicanos. All of these incidents created a highly tensed social and political environment and the Mexican Americans realized the need of conducting organized efforts for the recognition of their rights in the American society. They decided to stand against the racial discrimination and created youth culture for their own and came up with the ideas of maintaining their identity through their culture and selected particular dress code as a symbol of their community (Kevin: 93: 2005). Latino Culture and Zoot Suit The Mexican Americans adopted their own music, language and dress that became famous with the name of Zoot suit. They designed a flamboyant long coat with a baggy pegged pant for the male Mexicans. In addition, they also started taking a pork pie hat along with a key chain and shoes with thick soles. They attempted to create distinct identity for their community to let people know about their unity and strength. The Latino widely started dressing up in the Zoot Suit and they selected the name Pachucos for their selves. Through this particular dressing style they attempted to make their distinguished identity in front of the masses and bring unity

History of Transportation in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of Transportation in America - Essay Example During this time period, transportation in America was initially slow, tedious, and difficult. There were limited choices of transportation and they were all exhausting. Variations on the horse and buggy were the most popular means of transportation, which was adequate for journeys across town, but not for longer trips. Longer trips were very costly as well as dangerous. Covered wagon crossings were notorious for their hazards yet did not deter the pioneer spirit. The Civil war had both a positive and negative effect on transportation in America. Parts of the country - most notably the South were in ruins, and many citizens were bankrupted by the war and thus unable to travel. The B&O railroad suffered severely during Confederate raids. In one summer alone, Stonewall Jackson made off with fourteen locomotives. (Stover 1970) However many advancements were made in the name of warfare including a larger transportation system that was previously used to help move troops. With the development of the transcontinental railroad, and the final meeting of the two lines in 1869 transportation became more significantly easier. The project was originally established in the Pacific Railway Act of 1862. It quickly surpassed the former means of travel such as stagecoach lines and wagon trains. The achievement of a uniform gauge for the railroad tracks greatly assisted in the development of the transcontinental railroad. (Stover 1970) Also of note was the development of a uniform time zone system, allowing the trains to arrive and depart on a agreed upon schedule. (Stover 1970) The outcome of these advances led to drastic changes in the landscape of the country. The far reaches of the country were now reachable with a little bit of time and money. What would have previously taken months, and a significant risk and investment was now accessible for $65 and a 7 day train ride. (Stover 1970) Unit 2 1877-1920 Transportation in the time period between 1877-1920 was a fast paced race to development. Advancements in railroads continued, while the automobile, electric cable systems, and underground railway (subway) systems began their rapid growth. Socially speaking, Americans were now on the move with easier access to both personal and mass transit. Mass transit systems of electric cars became commonplace in the 1880's and 1890's, replacing the roads previously clogged with horses and buggies. (Carson 1999) The first underground subway system was built in Boston and opened in 1897. This allowed city dwellers to travel within their city with relative ease and comfort. Inter-city travel was still primarily by either train, or traveling along the mail route roads on some sort of horse-driven apparatus. People who resided further out in the country were still rather isolated as the only transportation accessible was the railways which usually ran only between larger cities with few stops in between. (Carson 1999) The railroads also catered to the wealthier clientele, leaving the common passenger looking for an alternative means of transportation. Then, the automobile arrived. The automobile is a four-wheeled vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. It was the result of a series of inventions which began in 1769 with Cugnot's steam-powered road vehicle. A breakthrough in