Natural Gas A Sustainable And Environmentally Friendly...

Natural gas is known as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly gases. The gas is extremely useful and efficient in daily activities to more important activities like heating, cooling, electricity, fuel, and other materials. The natural gas industry has created thousands of jobs and has gained millions in profit. According to Ecana, a natural gas company, natural gas creates up to seventy percent fewer emissions than coal and twenty percent fewer emissions than oil . Natural gas would also be much cheaper than oil per gallon and is environmentally sustainable; however, fracking, the process of extracting the natural gas, may not be as environmentally stable as many would think. Fracking is the process of drilling and injecting fluid at high pressure in order to crack shale rocks to extract natural gas. The water is mixed with sand and other toxic chemicals to help the process . From FracFocus, a chemical disclosure registry, a few of the chemicals are hydrochloric ac id which is used to â€Å"dissolve minerals and create cracks in the rock,† Ethylene Glycol, commonly known as antifreeze, is used as a product stabilizer and Quaternary Ammonium Chloride is used to eliminate bacteria in the water that produces corrosive by-products . When the water and the chemicals are sent in through the drills, many chemicals leak and contaminate the groundwater, which is consumed by locals around the area. Waste fluid is left in the open to evaporate in the atmosphere along withShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Hybrid Cars On The Environment910 Words   |  4 Pagesenvironment. If eco-friendly energy solutions are adopted along with sustainable means of transportation then it would greatly reduce CO2 emissions and even has the potential to reduce CO2 build up in the atmosphere. 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What I Learned in Philosophy Class - 1540 Words

Allow me to begin this paper with a quick story. Going into this semester, I knew absolutely nothing about philosophy, and I thought that with this class being a Gen Ed, that it was going to be a cakewalk on my way to just getting it out of the way. I quickly learned how wrong that my mind frame going into the class, as it was quickly finding itself digging me a deep hole to crawl into, grade wise. I never realized how deep the roots of philosophy ran, from government to art. This class has opened my eyes to the world around with more depth than I thought was possible. From Plato’s dualism to Nietzsche’ tragic optimism; there are just so many different facets to the realm of philosophy that I have just started to learn about. All in all, Its been successful semester and taking this course has helped open my eyes to the larger world around me, as well as help me decide where I stand on my own philosophy. 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Development Promotion Guidelines Of Organic -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Development Promotion Guidelines Of Organic? Answer: Introducation Tourism has experienced a phenomenal growth in todays world (Benavides-Velasco, Quintana-Garca and Marchante-Lara 2014). With over 600 million of travelers travelling annually, tourism industry is the largest industry in the world, with total revenue of near about half of one trillion dollars per year and five percent of annual growth on an average. There are several popular tourist destinations around the world and Bangkok is one among them. Bangkok is one of the most famous tourist destinations located in South East Asia and it is considered as one of the top ten most attractive cities in the world. This essay is going to elaborate on how tourism has developed in this city and the various factors that is making this place attractive to the visitors. It will also focus on the role of a specific hospitality industry of Bangkok and its operations concerning its conferences, events, tour operations, accommodation and restaurants. Furthermore, the principles of sustainable tourism that are evident within the Bangkok are also discussed briefly. Bangkok is very popular for its hospitality industries, both for leisure travel as well as for business (McDowall and Lin 2015). One will never feel bored if he gets an opportunity to explore this friendly and exotic city. In 1960s, the country Thailand became a major tourist hotpot due to the Vietnam War. The stable political atmosphere of the country has attracted many veterans and US soldiers for recuperation and rest. The other factors include the favorable geographic position of the country, global mass tourism, which has increased rapidly and the successful struggle with the natural as well as manmade disasters (Avraham and Ketter 2016). Beside the support from the United States, Thailand has a very stable political atmosphere and the Bangkok operated and functioned as a global air hub at the time of Vietnamese war. Good geographic condition and position of the city itself brings many demands. At the same time, the global economy has developed steadily with the passage of years . People at that time used to have more money than ever before. With the same, the technology and every other relevant condition are now improved to a great extent and this has increased the price of every single thing. During those times, people not only had time and money but also they were able to travel often in cheaper and faster method. At present time, the increase in demands has rapidly boosted the growth of Thailands hospitality industry, which in turn has boosted the hospitality industry of Bangkok, one of the modern cities of Thailand as well as the famous tourist hub. However, the countrys tourism industry is not a five-days wonder. Tourism has grew stably in Thailand. From the year 1980 to 1987, the tourist numbers has grown to 10% and by 2007, it was observed that the same had increased to 360%. Today, not only the international tourists love to visit the place but the domestic tourists, belonging from the other cities of Thailand too visits Bangkok and thus, the domes tic tourism too blooms well in the city. Meanwhile, the tourism industry in the country has not grown so well smoothly without any obstacle. The people who love to travel in this place are mainly attracted for its unique Asian culture. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos too have opened their markets of tourism with the passing of years and they are considered as the major competitors of the Thailand hospitality industry. In order to attract more and more visitors to visit the country, Thailand is continuously competing with these countries and hence in this process it is enhancing and expanding its tourism industry as well. It has targeted the several types of niche markets like the golf holidays and the medical trips. In the year 2000, as Leonardo Dicaprio made his film shooting in the Maya Bay, it has become one of the major tourist attractions in the country and that was probably one of the best as well as effective advertising for the tourism industry of Thailand during that period. The tourism industry of Thailand is one of the main economic sectors that is accounting for about 6 to 7 percent of its total GDP. The revenue had reached 71 billion dollars in the year 2016, with 65 billion dollars coming from the international markets and rest from its domestic market. With the same, it has also been observed that the daily tourist spending has reached up to 5% per in 2017 and is expected to increase largely in the coming years. Bangkok is one among the top ten of the most attractive cities in the universe. It is a mix city of new and old, traditional yet modern and classic yet trendy. Visitors all over the world come to visit this city to experience the beauty of the Buddhas smile. The tourism industry of Thailand makes up around 6.5 % of the total GDP of the country. While seeing the total number of visitors or tourists and the large range of tourist destinations as well as hotels, one can easily expect a more substantial portion of GDP. However, specifically the Bangkok tourism industry brings in very less sum of money when compared with the other service industries present here. Nevertheless, as of 2008, the global visitors spent above 16 billion dollars and the average length of stay as per of 2007 was about 9 days. However, it will be wrong to say that the tourism sector of Bangkok is completely dependent on the foreign visitors, as the population of domestic tourists in fact dwarfs the total number of international visitors but the domestic tourists spend less and their trips are also very short than that of the foreign tourists. According to the report of 2007, the number of trips of local tourists was above 83 million. It is expected that by the year 2020, the number of tourists in Bangkok will increase to 40 million (Ramos, Untong and Kaosa-ard 2017). Most of the visitors come from the Asian Pacific region and Europe. In addition that, the number of tourists from the North America is also expected to increase up to 1.3 million. Bangkok is one of the most contrasting, cosmopolitan and compelling Asian cities. Over 10 million of people reside in this city and therefore it is a pulsating and steamy metropolitan city with zero dull moments. Whether you are a spectator who is searching for entertainments or are physically active, this city will offer a wide range of choices to your surprise. The modern and multi storied shopping malls of Bangkok are shopaholics paradise. One can find the finest fashion stores of the city, international brands, specialty stores, books shops, accessories stores and every kind of luxurious and designer lifestyle goods here. The two most popular malls of Bangkok that attracts the tourists more than the rest others are Terminal 21 and Siam Discovery. As described by one of the leading tourism sites, the famous The Emporium is one of the most popular shopping malls situated in Bangkok (Kuznetsova et al. 2017). The first three floors of this mall is completely dedicated to fashion and trends. With the same, the street food of Bangkok is really awesome. One could spend a whole year eating every now and then and still never finish trying all of the great food that this city has to offer. The vacation possibilities in Bangkok are endless. Right from the tourist destination to popular malls, the city boasts with amazingly attractive visitors site with a great architectural style. The top tourist spots of Bangkok are the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Wat Phra Kaew, Safari World, MBK Centre, Golden Buddha, Lumphini Park, Siam Park city, CentralWorld, temples such as Wat Pho, Wat Saket, Jim Thomas House, Thonburi and many more (Bangkok.com, 2018). The awe-inspiring temples of Bangkok, the bustling local markets, the vibrant nightlife with vast attractive shopping malls are the major factors that are making the Bangkok more attractive to the visitors (Leiper 2004). In addition to that, the city also has two airports namely, the Don Mueang Airport and the Suvarnabhumi Airport; Sky train ; Metro rail and the river boat services that is adding to the attraction spots in Bangkok. Whether you want a funky boutique or top shelf luxury, the hotel industry in Bangkok offers something for every kind of travelers. Bangkok has well-developed hotel industry. A powerful growth rate in its tourism industry has resulted in main investments in its hotel industry, specifically in the end of the Bangkok market. In current days, most of the investment opportunities present in the hotel industry could be found in the areas outside the primary and main tourist hubs. Moreover, additional chances cn could be found in the upcoming destinations like Koh Lak, Koh Samui and Krabi. The primary players in Bangkoks hotel industry consists of Accor, Starwood, Marriott and InterContinental (Kukreja and Batra 2015). The famous is the hotel of Accor, Novotel. It is most famous among the tourists for its marvelous ambiance and management. It is of the economic hotels of Accor. It is true example of worldly elegance, style and hospitality. It is an essential stoppage for the travelers for b usiness, events and social galas. Whether it is a board meeting, or a car launch, a team building game at the beach or a striking gala dinner at a historic temple ruin, each element of a meeting and event is carefully considered at Novotel. The city has also developed domestic hotel groups and that too with a high degree of several brand recognition like the Minor International, Centara Hotels and Resorts and the Dusit International (Ongkasuwan 2015). With the same, a large range of regional as well as domestic trade fairs is organized in Thailand all round the year. During many of these exhibitions, Netherlands Embassy conducts several events, like the Holland pavilion and the networking event. Sustainable tourism refers to the form of tourism, which provides social, economic as well as environmental benefits by the knowledgeable management of the tourism resources (Jamal and Camargo 2014). The long-term sustainability is gained without losing the natural values and local cultural identity (Weaver and Lawton 2015). The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) and the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) has identified four model communities that are under the project of Follow the Kings Wisdom for Sustainable Tourism in the memory of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Chemnasiri 2013). These four model communities are Ban Nong San, Bang Pong Huai Lan, Chanthaboon Riverside Community and the communities around the Nong Yai Royal Development Project. There are several evident of sustainable tourism in Bangkok. It maintains and promotes the social, natural and cultural diversity and integrates the tourism operations with the strategic activities and plans at both the local and natural l evels. The tourist operators of the city avoid overusing and reducing the waste while consuming the tourism resources. They also ensure that the local people gets the opportunities for developing the tourism operations. In addition to that, it is also observed that the they promote the local business by making use of locally made products. Near about every hotels in Bangkok, they provide proper staff trainings in order to improve the quality of personnel as well as to enhance the standards and quality of city tourism. Bangkok is a city, which is rich in culture, tradition and religion as well as with a slight touch of western as well. It is fantastic place with an unlimited array of things to see and to do here. The city of Bangkok is thronged by the tourists from all round the nations, who come for variety of reasons. From the above discussion on development of tourism industry, it is observed that Thailand has faced numerous adversities throughout its history and so is Bangkok. The city is recognized as one of the major tourist destinations of the world for its low cost and high quality treatment with an increasing number of hotels gaining global accreditation. The future of the city is very bright than even before. References: Avraham, E. and Ketter, E., 2016. Tourism Marketing for Destinations with Negative Images. InTourism Marketing for Developing Countries(pp. 67-82). Palgrave Macmillan, London. bangkok.com. (2018).10 Best Tours in Bangkok - Bangkok Most Popular Tours. [online] Available at: https://www.bangkok.com/tours-top10/ [Accessed 28 Jan. 2018]. Benavides-Velasco, C. A., Quintana-Garca, C., and Marchante-Lara, M. 2014. Total quality management, corporate social responsibility and performance in the hotel industry.International Journal of Hospitality Management,41, 77-87 Chemnasiri, N., 2013. The development and promotion guidelines of organic farming for sustainable tourism: cases in Thailand.Revista de turism-studii si cercetari in turism, (10), pp.54-60. Jamal, T. and Camargo, B.A., 2014. Sustainable tourism, just Kukreja, S. and Batra, A., 2015. Business and leisure tourists' perception on selected attributes of Luxury Hotels in Bangkok: a comparative study. Kuznetsova, I.O., Rosliakova, L.V., Zakharchuk, V.L. and Samosudova, N., 2017, October. Special aspects for forming the interiors of thai shopping malls through the use of the biological approach. InIOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science(Vol. 90, No. 1, p. 012215). IOP Publishing. Leiper, N 2004, Tourism Management 3rd edn., Pearson -Education, Frenchs Forest. McDowall, S. and Lin, L.C., 2015. A Revisit of Domestic Tourist Satisfaction and Destination Loyalty: A Case Study of Bangkok, Thailand.Consortium Journal of Hospitality Tourism,20(1). Ongkasuwan, N., 2015. Thai expatriate managers: the issues facing Thai hotels operating abroad. Ramos, V., Untong, A. and Kaosa-ard, M., 2017. ASEANs intra-regional tourism demand to Thailand.Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research,22(9), pp.909-921. Weaver and Lawton 2015. Sustainable tourism reading topics 67

Literary Analysis of My Son the Fanatic Essay Example

Literary Analysis of My Son the Fanatic Paper Literary Analysis of My Son the Fanatic Written by Hanif Kureishi, the short story My Son the Fanatic develops through the conflict between a father and his son. In the story, the father Parvez who works as a taxi driver immigrated from Pakistan to England with his family twenty years ago. His son Ali is a college student in England. When Ali was behaving abnormally, Parvez’s suspicion led him to discover that Ali had turned into a religious Muslim. Parvez, although born as a Muslim, does not strictly abide by Islam rules. The father and son are holding different beliefs; hence they could hardly accept each other’s moral values anymore. Because the author told the story in Parvez’s point of view, it might be controversial that between Parvez and Ali, which character is on the right side. However, as the title of the story suggested, Kureishi, the author, clearly wanted to convince the readers that the son Ali is the fanatic, urging the readers to take Parvez’s side. The author Kureishi, by no means, has depicted Parvez a perfect man. Parvez as a character has a lot of shortcomings: as a Muslim, he gambles; he drinks; he eats pork; he makes fun of religion representativethe local mullahs and as a husband, he tries to avoid his wife by driving the night taxi (Kureishi 61, 63). Some may argue that he has not been depicted as a good man or as a good father because those shortcomings, on the contrary, those shortcomings draw him closer to the readers. Parvez as a character had become so similar to somebody whom the readers might have known from their real lifea good man but with imperfections. We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of My Son the Fanatic specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of My Son the Fanatic specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of My Son the Fanatic specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Therefore, it is imaginable how easily could the readers relate to the character or even his problems in the story. Under Kureishi’s depiction, Parvez might not be a good Muslim, yet his morals were not totally compromised. For example, he saved Bettina, a prostitute from a violent client, he obviously has a clear standard on what’s right or wrong besides what is being told in the Koran (62). The author summed up Parvez well in the story, â€Å"He knew he wasnt a bad man. He had a conscience. There were a few things of which he was ashamed, but on the whole, he had lived a decent life †(64). In addition, Parvez not being a good husband does not stop Kureishi from depicting him as a good father. Parvez, in fact, is a good father indeed and he is proud of himself for being one. â€Å"For years, Parvez had boasted to the other men about how Ali excelled in cricket, swimming, and football, and what an attentive scholar he was, getting A’s in most subjects †(62). He cared for his son and worked hard to provide for him that â€Å" he had always been aware of the pitfalls that other men’s son’s had stumbled into in England. It was for Ali that Parvez worked long hours; he spent a lot of money paying for Ali’s education as an accountant. He had bought Ali good suits, all the books he required, and a computer†(Kureishi 61). He believes a father should be responsible for his son that he â€Å"had blamed other fathers whose sons began running around with bad girls, skipping school, and joining gangs† (Kureishi 61). So when things go abnormal with his own son, he ‘s afraid that he would be blamed for not being a good father (Kureishi 61), and tried to make things right again by closely inspecting his son and repeatedly reaching out to him. Kureishi provides the readers with little information about the son Ali’s personal life, and some of which are negative, so it is more difficult for the readers to relate to the character. For example, at the beginning of the story, the author informed the readers through Parvez’s point of view that Ali had broken up with his English girlfriend, and all his old friends stopped ringing (61). This hardly counts as a positive sign for Ali as a character at the beginning of the story when the author suggests that he is being alienated or starts to alienate others. Apart from that, according to Kureishi, it is Ali who should always be blamed for the tension between the father and son. For example, Ali makes Parvez feel afraid with his silence and sharp tone (61). In the scene when Parvez gazed at Ali, to test if he has been using drugs, Ali replied his gaze with â€Å"more than a hint of criticism, o much so that Parvez began to feel that it was he who was in the wrong, and not the boy† (63). Also, for multiple times in the story, Pavez tried to reach out to Ali in order to talk about their problems, it is always Ali who shows reluctance in communicating with his own father. In the part where Parvez suggested a night out with the son to understand more about his problems, â€Å"Ali refused to accompany him. He claimed that he had an appointment† (Kureishi 63). As the story develops, Parves â€Å"attempted to make conversation about Ali’s beliefs, but if Parvez ventured any criticism, Ali always had a brusque reply †, or replies him with a look of contempt (Kureishi 66). When Parvez attempted to reach out to Ali by taking actions like keeping a beard, Ali, on the other hand, â€Å"did not appear to notice it†(Kureishi 66). Some may argue Ali behaves that way is because Parvez, his father has no respect for Ali’s religion that he constantly challenges Ali’s belief. Somehow Kureishi showed that it is not the case. In fact, Parvez was just trying to convince Ali that there are other beliefs† as Bettina, Parvez’s closest friend suggested (67). However, Ali, in the story, responded to his own father â€Å"with such aggressive confidence that Parvez would say no more†(67). Kureishi depicts Ali as an ungrateful child who has no respect to his own father. From Parvez, the readers heard that Ali told Parvez, his own father that he ‘s going to Hell (66), and Ali looks at Parvez as if he is a criminal (66). Apart from the above, there is more to show about Ali’s disrespectfulness in the story. First, Ali does not appreciate Parvez’s provision; he repays his father’s hard work by â€Å"throwing his possessions out ! † (Kureishi 61). Second, Ali disapproves of his father’s life style. He accused his own father being â€Å"too implicated in Western civilization†(Kureishi 65). He criticize his father harshly based on religion rules, such as suggesting drinking and gambling are forbidden  (Kureishi 64), even after his father patiently explained to him that those were the only hobbies he had after working long hours to provide for him. Ali still gave Parvez â€Å"a horrible look, full of disgust and censure†(Kureishi 64). Third, Ali has no patience for his father’s beliefs. He treats him as â€Å"a rowdy crowd which had to be quelled or convinced† (Kureishi 65). Most importantly, he lost the ability to care for his father’s feelings, in the scene when Parvez fell, Ali â€Å"didn’t even offer him his hand†(Kureishi 66). Moreover, Ali humiliated Parvez’s closest friend Berttina in front of him, bluntly suggesting she is a prostitute by saying â€Å"you know what kind† (Kureishi 68). In conclusion, Kureishi is trying to convince the readers to take Parvez’s side in judging who is right or wrong, he has told the story in Parvez, the father ‘s point of view to build the connection between the character and the readers. By describing the son Ali as the responsible side of the conflict, he has manipulated the readers to sympathize the father Parvez. Moreover, by depicting a slightly flawed character Parvez as a good father who cares and worries about his own son, along with an ungrateful and judgmental son Ali as the fanatic who has no respect to his own father, the author has given the readers a clear choice between the two.

Remembering an Artist essays

Remembering an Artist essays Ron Jeremy, Vincent Van Gogh, Emily Carr, Madonna and Miles Davis are all considered artists in their own right. The lives and achievements of these men and women are common public knowledge because theyre taught at school. If theyre not taught from a teacher as part of the curriculum then theyre learned by socializing with friends at school. This creates the misconception amongst young people that; artists who dont fall under this category just arent good. I would like to present one of these artists who arent good. Georgia OKeeffes story isnt one that involves a messed up childhood. She never had to fight off a drug addiction, she was never insane, and her artwork was never made through the inspiration of insanity. She was, however, a gifted child. Relatively speaking, Georgia OKeeffe had a normal childhood. Early in her life, the theories and teachings of her mentors heavily influenced her paintings. Her art therefore, was a unique blend of abstract and representational. She was k nown for the purity, boldness, and clarity of her still-life compositions. After the death of her husband, she moved to New Mexico, there her paintings began to reflect the daily life of the culture there. The very land she lived on became her inspiration. Although Georgia OKeeffe is not very popular with the new generation, she is very much worth remembering. Unlike most other women in the early 20th century, Georgia OKeeffe did not let discrimination ruin her life. She used her art to capture the worlds attention and also used it as a way to shield herself from societys problems. Born in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin in 1887, Georgia O'Keeffe was the second of seven children. When she a little girl, she took art lessons. Her teachers thought she was very gifted and encouraged her to paint more. After she graduated from high school, she wanted to become a...

Saul Alinsky

Saul Alinsky Saul Alinsky was a political activist and organizer whose work on behalf of poor residents of American cities brought him recognition in the 1960s. He published a book, Rules For Radicals, which appeared in the heated political environment of 1971  and went on to become familiar over the years mostly to those who study political science. Alinsky, who died in 1972, was perhaps destined to fade into obscurity. Yet his name unexpectedly surfaced  with some degree of prominence during high-profile political campaigns in recent years. Alinskys  reputed influence as an organizer has been wielded as a weapon against current political figures, most notably Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Alinsky was known to many  in the 1960s. In 1966 the New York Times Magazine published a profile of him titled Making Trouble Is Alinskys Business, a lofty credential for any social activist at the time. And his involvement in various actions, including strikes and protests, received media coverage. Hillary Clinton, as a student at Wellesley College, wrote a senior thesis about Alinskys activism and writings. When she ran for president in 2016 she was attacked for supposedly being a disciple of Alinsky, despite having disagreed with some of the tactics he advocated. Despite the negative attention Alinsky has received in recent years, he was generally respected in his own time. He worked with clergymen and business owners and in his writings and speeches, he stressed self-reliance. Though a self-proclaimed radical, Alinsky  considered himself a patriot and urged Americans to take greater responsibility in society. Those who worked with him recall a man with a sharp mind and a sense of humor who was genuinely concerned with helping those who, he believed, were not being treated fairly in society. Early Life Saul David Alinsky was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 30, 1909. His parents, who were Russian Jewish immigrants, divorced when he was 13, and Alinsky moved to Los Angeles with his father. He returned to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago, and received a degree in archaeology in 1930. After winning a fellowship to continue his education, Alinsky studied criminology. In 1931, he began to work for the Illinois state government as a sociologist studying topics including juvenile delinquency and organized crime. That work provided a practical education in the problems of urban neighborhoods in the depths of the Great Depression. Activism After several years, Alinsky left his government post to become involved in citizen activism. He co-founded an organization, the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, which was focused on bringing about political reform that would improve life in the ethnically diverse neighborhoods adjacent to the famous Chicago stockyards. The organization worked with clergy members, union officials, local business owners, and neighborhood groups to combat problems such as unemployment, insufficient housing, and juvenile delinquency. The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, which still exists today, was largely successful in bringing attention to local problems and seeking solutions from the Chicago city government. Following that progress, Alinsky, with funding from the Marshall  Field Foundation, a prominent Chicago charity, launched a more ambitious organization, the Industrial Areas Foundation. The new organization was intended to bring organized action to a variety of neighborhoods in Chicago. Alinsky, as executive director, urged citizens to organize to address grievances. And he advocated protest actions. In 1946, Alinsky published his first book Reveille For Radicals. He argued that democracy would function best if people organized in groups, generally in their own neighborhoods. With organization and leadership, they could then exert political power in positive ways. Though Alinsky proudly used the term radical, he was advocating legal protest within the existing system. In the late 1940s, Chicago experienced racial tensions, as African Americans who had migrated from the South began to settle in the city. In December 1946 Alinskys status as an expert on Chicagos social issues was reflected in an article in the New York Times in which he expressed his fears that Chicago might erupt in major race riots. In 1949 Alinsky published a second book, a biography of John L. Lewis, a prominent labor leader. In a New York Times review of the book, the newspapers labor correspondent called it entertaining and lively, but criticized it for overstating Lewiss desire to challenge Congress and various presidents.   Spreading His Ideas Throughout the 1950s, Alinsky continued his work in trying to improve neighborhoods which he believed mainstream society was ignoring. He began to travel beyond Chicago, spreading his style of advocacy, which centered on protest actions which would pressure, or embarrass, governments to tend to critical issues. As the social changes of the 1960s began to shake America, Alinsky was often critical of young activists. He constantly urged them to organize, telling them that although it was often boring daily work, it would provide benefits in the long run. He told young people not to wait around for a leader with charisma to emerge, but to get involved themselves. As the United States grappled with the problems of poverty and slum neighborhoods, Alinskys ideas seemed to hold promise. He was invited to organize in the barrios of California as well as in poor neighborhoods in cities in upstate New York. Alinsky was often critical of government anti-poverty programs and often found himself at odds with Great Society programs of Lyndon Johnsons administration. He also experienced conflicts with organizations who had invited him to participate in their own anti-poverty programs. In 1965, Alinskys abrasive nature was one of the reasons Syracuse University chose to cut ties with him. In a newspaper interview at the time, Alinsky said: Ive never treated anyone with reverence. That goes for religious leaders, mayors, and millionaires. I think irreverence is basic to a free society. The New York Times Magazine article about him, published on October 10, 1966, quoted what Alinsky would often say to those he sought to organize: The only way to upset the power structure is to goad them, confuse them, irritate them, and most of all, make them live by their own rules. If you make them live by their own rules, youll destroy them. The October 1966 article also described his tactics: In a quarter-century as a professional slum organizer, Alinsky, who is 57, has goaded, confused, and infuriated the power structures of two score communities. In the process he has perfected what social scientists now call Alinsky-type protest, an explosive mixture of rigid discipline, brilliant showmanship, and a street fighters instinct for ruthlessly exploiting his enemys weakness.Alinsky has proved that the fastest way for slum tenants to get results is to picket their landlords suburban homes with signs reading: Your Neighbor Is A Slumlord. As the 1960s went on, Alinskys tactics delivered mixed results, and some localities which had invited were disappointed. In 1971 he published Rules For Radicals, his third and final book. In it, he provides advice for political action and organizing. The book is written in his distinctively irreverent voice, and is filled with entertaining stories that illustrate the lessons he learned over decades of organizing in various communities. On June 12, 1972, Alinsky  died of a heart attack at his home in Carmel, California. Obituaries noted his long career as an organizer. Emergence as a Political Weapon After Alinskys death, some organizations he worked with continued. And Rules For Radicals  became something of a textbook for those interested in community organizing. Alinsky himself, however, generally faded from memory, especially when compared to other figures Americans recalled from the socially turbulent 1960s. The relative obscurity of Alinsky abruptly  ended when Hillary Clinton entered electoral politics. When her opponents discovered that she had written her thesis on Alinsky, they became eager to link her to the long-dead self-professed radical. It was true that Clinton, as a college student, had corresponded with Alinsky, and had written a thesis about his work (which purportedly disagreed with his tactics). At one point, a young Hillary Clinton was even invited to work for Alinsky. But she tended to believe that his tactics were too outside the system, and she chose to attend law school rather than join one of his organizations. The weaponizing of Alinskys reputation accelerated when Barack Obama ran for president in 2008. His few years as a community organizer in Chicago seemed to mirror Alinskys career. Obama and Alinsky never had any contact, of course, as Alinsky died when Obama was not yet in his teens. And the organizations Obama worked for were not those founded by Alinsky. In the 2012 campaign, the name of Alinsky surfaced again as an attack against President Obama as he ran for reelection. And in 2016, at the Republican National Convention, Dr. Ben Carson invoked Alinsky in a peculiar accusation against Hillary Clinton. Carson claimed that Rules For Radicals had been dedicated to Lucifer, which was not accurate. (The book was dedicated to Alinskys wife, Irene; Lucifer was mentioned in passing in a series of epigraphs pointing out historic traditions of protest.) The emergence of Alinskys reputation as essentially a smear tactic to use against political opponents has only given him great prominence, of course. HIs two instructional books, Reveille for Radicals and Rules For Radicals remain in print in paperback editions. Given his irreverent sense of humor, he would probably consider the attacks upon his name from the radical right to be a great compliment. And his legacy as someone who sought to shake up the system seems secure.

Companies must develop effective Crisis Communication techniques to Essay

Companies must develop effective Crisis Communication techniques to respond to problems or dangers - Essay Example Crises Communication is considered as the sub speciality of the profession related to public relation designed for defending or protecting an organization from facing any kind of public challenge associated with its reputation (Greenberg and Elliott, 2009). The challenges may arise in the form of any criminal allegation, investigation or inquiry from the government agency, any sort of media inquiry, violation of rules and regulations associated with the environmental conditions etc. In today’s world of social media, it is certain that every company will face crisis. The question is when the crisis is going to take place. The combined effort of millions of common people playing the role of ‘citizen journalists’ along with infinite number of different online platforms guarantees the organizations that they would be victimized by someone, by means of spreading damaging message, which are often rumours. If somehow those rumours are found to be true then the companies can be put to defensive corner before they can gather relevant evidences in their own favour. When there is an emergency, then it becomes very important for the organizations to communicate. ... Thus, the most important component in this situation is to prepare for the crisis communication plan, which would enable the organization to clearly communicate to the internal as well as external stakeholders. The organizations should be able to respond accurately, promptly and confidently in such a case of an emergency. The audiences must be reached by these organizations suffering due to crisis for satisfying them with the information that they require. The image and reputation of the organizations can have a positive or negative impact based on the public perception related to this crisis. Thus, in order to face this crisis situation and maintain its reputation it becomes very important for the organizations to plan for an effective crisis communication strategy which would enable them to satisfy the customers, employees and other stakeholders with sufficient justification for the incident. Understanding the audiences properly is very important for the organizations suffering fro m crisis situation. It helps in reaching to these audiences with the most effective communication plan which would satisfy them. There exist many potential audiences who want information at the crisis situation and also after its occurrence. The main challenge that remains for the organization is identifying these potential audiences, determining their needs for the information and then identifying that whether the organization is able to communicate and explain to these audiences. The potential audiences for the organizations include customers; employees; news media; community; the management, investors and directors of the company, government officials etc. The organizations find that public importance is highly significant with advancement of technology and public

Is International Relations Simply International History If Not Why Essay

Is International Relations Simply International History If Not Why - Essay Example International relations involve the relationship that exists between sovereign states and nations. International relations usually encompasses the responsibilities that member states, countries, foreign international companies, government institutions and non-governmental institutions partake in ensuring that a cordial relationship exists among them (Ole1989). Some critiques have viewed this relationship as outdated and one that has no positive impact on member states. On the other hand, supporters of International relations believe that this relationship has proved beneficial to nations that have adopted it and is still embraced by many nations that believe in the importance of international relationship. International relations has enabled the solving of issues such as those related with globalisation, international security especially concerning terrorism, preservation and conservation of the environment particularly global warming, political issues, economical issues and human ri ghts violation especially in nations where genocides have occurred. International relations are an important concept in the modern society internationally particularly because this is the era that is dominated by digital technology and advanced technology in form of communication and transport. This has therefore necessitated the need for good cordial relationship among nations especially because of the need for peaceful collaboration between countries (Guzzini 2001). I therefore argue that contrary to views that International relations is simply international history, the relationship is still being embraced by many countries and is here to stay because of the benefits the relationship accords members. The global world has experienced numerous changes in the recent past especially after the end of the Second World War. Many nations have acknowledged the need for good international relations for not only security reasons but also other reasons such as economic prosperity, promotion of human rights and for environmental conservation. The international relations have especially been embraced by international non-governmental organisations and other private bodies such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations and International Labour Organisations. These international interactions are becomingly progressively more distinguished by non-government actors such as the World Bank, and International Monetary Fund, a lesser need for military power and in the decline in the power of the state. Historically the concept of international relations was first embraced globally after the establishment of the United Nations body especially to address issues related to human rights violation. This was particularly in relationship with Second World War where human rights were greatly violated by nations that took part in the war. Since then the world has experienced the establishment of various global organisations to address political, social, humanitarian and economic issues. In accordance with human rights violation, even though there has been incidences in which human rights violation have been experienced the world in general has made major steps in ensuring human rights are protected by member nations. This is particularly demonstrated by the strides that the international court of law has made in ensuring that those involved in the violation of human rights are punished for their crimes. For instance, former Liberian President Charles Taylor was accused of committing crimes against humanity. Another example is

Amazon Long Tail Essay Example for Free

Amazon Long Tail Essay The long tail is a phenomenon whereby firms can make money by offering a near-limitless selection the term was coined by Chris Anderson, an editor at Wired magazine, and I feel both Amazon and Netflix have a long tail model since they can offer things that many stores don’t carry so there is always something for someone. (Gallaugher) I feel like Amazon has done a great job of using the long tail method and have a limitless selection of anything someone could ever want or need. I find that I can see things I have never even dreamed about. I only buy books there but it is good to browse. Amazon â€Å"Offer{s} a nearly limitless selection and something interesting happens: there’s actually more money to be made selling the obscure stuff than the hits. At Amazon.com, roughly 60 percent of books sold are titles that aren’t available in even the biggest Borders or Barnes Noble Superstores†.(Anderson 2004) â€Å"Amazon.com is a Fortune 500 e-commerce company based in Seattle, WA. Amazon was one of the first big companies to sell goods over the Internet. The company was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, and launched in 1995. They started out as an online bookstore and then quickly diversified by adding other items, such as VHS tapes and DVDs, music CDs, software, video games, electronics, MP3s, clothing, furniture, toys and even food items.† (Schneider) â€Å"Amazon took its long tail strategy in a totally new direction, offering its Prime customers (those who pay a $79 annual fee for free 2-day shipping) a wide selection of streaming movies and television shows, for free. The move is a direct slap at Netflix, a company that started with a focus on renting hard-to-find, long tail DVDs but which has moved increasingly toward popular blockbusters as its video streaming operations ramp up. Amazon will not have nearly as many recent and popular releases in its free offer as Netflix, but for people who are open to Amazons viewing suggestions its hard to beat free† (Wunker, 2011). This can show how the differences of how companies charge money for similar services can affect the long tail view. I feel that it is hard to have a long tail kind of company because of the competition â€Å"The long tail gives the firm a selection advantage (or one based on scale) that traditional stores simply cannot match.† This is both true of Amazon and of Netflix while Netflix can stream its videos Amazon has to send out its products by post. (Gallaugher) â€Å"The IT Department at Amazon.com also has a massive responsibility, as they oversee an enormous system that is extremely reliable. Amazon.com describes their IT group as â€Å"system, database, and networking experts (that) build and operate highly reliable, scalable distributed systems with terabyte-sized databases and infrastructure that can handle a massive number customers (Schneider) Knowing all of this It is used makes it easier for Amazon to fine tune its company and find the best fits for its customers. It is true that Netflix and Amazon have an endless stock and don’t need to keep them in house but in time Amazon will fully own the business as it expands and offers more products for less. Amazon is global but it is unheard of to use Netflix here in Korea. I actually can use different free sites to stream free videos since the copy right laws in Korea are a bit flexible. In conclusion both companies seem to be doing well in the long tail area but Netflix may fail in the near future unless it ventures out to new and different things. Amazon will crush it if they don’t adapt soon.

Historical Types of Rationality :: Culture History Essays

ABSTRACT: In this paper we suggest that the contemporary global intellectual crisis of our (Western) civilization consists in the fundamental transformation of the classical (both Ancient and Modern) types of rationality towards the nonclassical one. We give a brief account of those classical types of rationality and focus on the more detailed description of the contemporary process of the formation of the new HTR which we label as nonclassical. We consider it to be one of the historical possibilities that might radically transform the fundamentals of our human world; in fact, this process has already begun. The paper mentions some of the main features of this process, such as formation of a new type of scientific object; new conceptual schemes; new logical and methodological equipment of scientific research; and new understanding of human nature, human mind, human action, and social order. Introduction Approaching the end of our millennium it becomes more and more evident that the modern type of rationality-which has dominated Western culture since the 17th century-is in crisis; that it has reached the limits of its potentialities and something new is being created. We seem to be experiencing the global crisis of consciousness which perhaps concerns fundamental questions of our cultural identity and signals total social crisis of our civilization. This raises a question about the nature of our current cultural this identity: Is it still modern or already "postmodern"? Or are we only experiencing the continuation from classical to modern (Krà ¡l 1994)? Is the crisis of "modernity" a permanent state from which there is no way out and where we can do nothing other than to endure bravely the fate of our time (Weber 1983)? Should we comply with its anamnesis as deconstruction and thus to acquiesce to the extremes of its dichotomies (Lyotard 1993, Derrida 1993)? Or is this crisis someth ing temporary? Should we believe in the future and hope that renovation of the past will take place in our pluralist society (Ricoeur 1992)? Do we face a decisive turnabout consisting in a return to the past, a reevaluation of the Orient and a valorization of ecology (F. Capra 1983)? Should we seek an alternative in glorification of nature and desacralization of culture (Griffin 1988)? Does the way to rescue civilization lead through deliverance of the individual "self" from the oppression of blunt rationality? Or does it lead through enforcement of the principles of fundamentalism whether with a capital "F" (radical, aggressive, insisting on the upholding of the essential articles of faith, e.

Direct Democracy

In the United States, direct democracy takes its most evident form in ballot initiatives. According to the president of the Initiative and Referendum Institute, M. Dane Waters, a version of this practice was said to have existed as early as the 1600s in New England. The practice then was for proposed ordinances to be placed on the agenda to be discussed by the whole town and later approved by voting on them during their town meetings.However, Dane Waters continued, ballot initiative as it is known today started during the 1900s – specifically in 1978 when Proposition 13 reduced the property taxes in California from 2. 5 percent to 1 percent. That California initiative resulted to limitations in the property taxes of 43 states and a reduced rate in the income taxes in 15 states (Cato Policy Report). A Washington Post columnist, David S.Broder described ballot initiatives as a tool designed to enable the people to directly write laws and in the process, check the influence being wielded by interest groups in the legislative process. Unfortunately, Broder explained, the initiative process is flawed since the opinion of those who are in disagreement is not being heard. Because of this defect, he maintained, statutes approved through ballot initiatives are not being subjected to checks and balances, effectively robbing the minority of their right to be heard.Broder argued that this contradicts the intent of the founding fathers (Cato Policy Report). The chairman of the Cato Institute, William A. Niskanen, disagreed. He stressed that the initiative process is actually a system of checks and balances since it regulates the power of legislatures. In other words, it does not weaken the American system of government. Dane Waters supported the view of Niskanen. He maintained that ballot initiatives were not meant to introduce adverse changes in the American system of government but to enrich it.In fact, he said, even the founding fathers had recognized its wisdom. To prove his point, he quoted James Madison, one of the founding fathers, who said that As the people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the Constitutional Charter under which the several branches of government hold their power is derived, it seems strictly consonant to the republican theory to recur to the same original authority whenever it may be necessary to enlarge, diminish, or new-model the powers of government (Cato Policy Report).Ellen Ann Andersen, in â€Å"OUT OF THE CLOSESTS & into the Courts, demonstrated how a ballot initiative works. In her search for a suitable illustration, she decided to look at the effects of the initiative process on the civil rights of lesbians, gays and bisexuals (lgb’s). Her decision was baaed on the fact that until 1993, the focus of approximately 60 percent of all ballot initiatives in the country was the civil rights of lgb’s.She therefore concentrated on the most famous of these initiatives à ¢â‚¬â€œ Amendment 2 which was approved by the voters in Colorado in 1992 (Andersen). Amendment 2 was sparked by a proposed ordinance on human rights which was heard by the Human Rights Commission of Colorado Springs in 1991. The proposal sought to prohibit discrimination of any kind based on â€Å"race and color, their religion and creed, their national origin and ethnicity, their age, marital status, their sexual orientation, or their disabled condition.† It immediately encountered stiff opposition mostly from big fundamentalist Christian groups which included the biggest Christian radio ministry in the country – the Focus on the Family. Due to the relentless assault that they made against the proposed ordinance, it was finally defeated in the city council by a vote of 8-1 (Andersen). Things did not end there, however. The defeat of the proposed human rights ordinance started a statewide campaign against gay rights which culminated to the framing of Amendment 2.A grou p named Colorado for Family Values (CFV) was organized at the behest of three individuals, namely: Tony Marco, an anti-gay activist; David Noebel, head of anticommunist Summit Ministries, and Kevin Tebedo, who was the son of Maryanne Tebedo, a senator of the state of Colorado. CFV was able to establish links with national conservative organizations. It obtained the assistance of the â€Å"National Legal Foundation† in drafting Amendment 2 and used the handbook which was written by a lawyer who represented the â€Å"Concerned Women for America† as a guide for its efforts to promote the amendment.The proponents of Amendment 2 appealed to the moral values of the people and capitalized on their lack of adequate knowledge about homosexuality as they painted gays and lesbians as a hazard to society. It distributed a bulletin which alleged that Lately, America has been hearing a lot about the subject of childhood sexual abuse. This terrible epidemic has scarred countless youn g lives and destroyed thousands of families. But what militant homosexuals don’t want you to know is the large role they play in this epidemic.In fact, pedophilia (the sexual molestation of children) is actually an accepted part of the homosexual community (Andersen)! CFV also declared to the people of Colorado that homosexuals represented a great danger to the overall health of the community because they are the most relentless carriers of â€Å"sexually transmitted diseases; they are the most fertile breeders of diseases; and that by the middle of the 1990s, hospital bed would be difficult to come by due to the large number of homosexuals who are infected with AIDS (Andersen).Black propaganda such as these, coupled with the findings of a poll which was commissioned by the Denver Post which showed that 46 percent of respondents considered homosexuality to be morally wrong, 40 percent tolerated homosexuals, and 14 percent declared their neutrality, enabled the anti-gay secto rs of Colorado to deal a crushing blow to the gay militants. The CFV campaign also argued that lgb’s should not be granted protected status or â€Å"special rights† because they were not â€Å"legitimate† minorities having failed to satisfy the criteria set forth by Supreme Court decisions, namely:1. A group wanting true minority rights must show that it’s discriminated against to the point that its members cannot earn average income, get an adequate education, or enjoy a fulfilling cultural life. 2. The group must be clearly identifiable by unchangeable physical characteristics like skin color, gender, handicap, etc. (not behavior). 3. The group must clearly show that it is politically powerless (Andersen). In spite of the sting that black propaganda caused, it was the â€Å"no special rights† campaign slogan that dealt the greatest damage to the gay militants.Lawyer Jean Dubofsky said that The â€Å"no special rights† slogan was very cleve r, particularly given a time when at least white males don’t like affirmative action. The Amendment 2 people spent a lot of time talking about (how) you don’t want gays and lesbians getting in front of you in line for jobs or scholarships or college. Of course, that wasn’t what Amendment 2 was all about overall, but that’s the way it was sold†¦. People I talked with voted for it because they felt gay and lesbians should not get affirmative action (Andersen).In other words, Amendment 2 was ultimately approved by the voters of Colorado, thanks mainly to the underhanded campaign tactics employed by its proponents. Thus ended the political struggle waged by the gay activists. They were decidedly beaten in the political battle. However, it turned out that they were far from accepting defeat. Defeated in the political arena, they then turned to the legal battle. Amendment 2 proponents had only nine days to savor the taste of victory before the lgb’s petitioned the federal district court.A complaint was filed in the name of the following: Richard Evans (he was a former employee at the Mayor’s office of Denver who was open with his being gay); five other lgb’s; and a heterosexual male who was infected with AIDS. The cities of Boulder, Denver, and Aspen were also included as complainants because they had ordinances which protected the rights of lgb’s which Amendment 2 would effectively nullify (Andersen). The second aspect of the initiative process (the legal battle) turned out to be a different matter altogether.Prepared even before the election day as a â€Å"fallback† strategy, the complaint included several allegations. First, it argued that Amendment 2 violated the equal protection clause of the constitution. Then it claimed that the amendment denied lgb’s of their freedom of expression as well as association. Finally, it alleged that Amendment 2 was in violation of due process and the â₠¬Å"right to petition government for a redress of grievances† (Andersen). The difference between the political and the legal aspects of the initiative became immediately evident.Whereas the voters were the center of decision-making in the political exercise, the legal battle transferred the power to decide to the judges. A total of thirteen judges heard the arguments whether Amendment 2 should be considered constitutional. One was a district court judge; three were justices of the Supreme Court of Colorado; and nine justices came from the United States Supreme Court (Andersen). The two sides presented the same arguments that they used during the campaign.The proponents of the amendment argued that they were simply against granting homosexuals special rights and that they were interested in safeguarding the well-being of children and the family, and allow the state to allocate its resources to assisting the legitimate minorities. The gay advocates, on the other hand, argued that in fact â€Å"special rights† as employed by the proponents of the Amendment was merely a red herring to mislead people and that the Amendment would effectively deprive them of their rights and constitutionally-guaranteed protection.They further claimed that Amendment 2 was only motivated by the hostility of its proponents towards lgb’s and that homosexuality was in fact not only a â€Å"life-style choice† but is comparable to race and sexual orientation (Andersen). What happened, however, was while their arguments won for the proponents the battle for the ballot, the same arguments caused them to lose their case in court. Ironically, a dissenting judge claimed that the act of the majority justices from the Supreme Court in striking down the Amendment had been an act â€Å"not of judicial judgment, but of political will† (Andersen). Direct Democracy The assumption underlying the discussion on the initiative process is that the employment of paid petitioners is a harmful development reducing the quality of our democracy and privileging money over true commitment to causes that are put on ballot. However, this assumption is a questionable one, and counterevidence is abundant.Therefore, this essay will have the following structure: first of all, it will show little harms in employing paid signature-gatherers that are offset by possible benefits of such design of the initiative process, and, secondly, the essay will criticize the workability of the solutions offered in the concluding section of the chapter. The perceived danger in allowing paid petitioners is that only causes that enjoy considerable financial support can make their way to the ballot. Another threat, as opponents of this policy argue, is associated with the fact that it is devastating to the spirit of volunteerism and civic involvement.There is a view that ‘[p] aying petitioners degraded the signature gatherer because it came to be seen as a sales job rather than as the precious province of the public-spirited citizen’ (Ellis, 2002, p. 48). Thus, the need for mobilizing and engaging citizens becomes virtually irrelevant to policy-making process. However, there is little persuasive evidence that paid petitioners signify the death of grassroots and the advent of the ‘greenback democracy. ’ Issues that arouse strong public sentiment can recruit a sufficient number of volunteers to push their case through.There are several reasons why volunteer signatures drive will survive in the future. First of all, using volunteers in the qualification phase can help save money for the electoral contest. Secondly, volunteer petitioners often gather signatures with higher validity rates, thus the number of signatures needed decreases whenever volunteers are used. Thirdly, volunteer-based signature gathering campaigns constitute a way to mobilize and inform citizens. Fourthly, volunteer signatures drive is a powerful public relations tool, since such initiatives usually enjoy positive publicity (Ellis, 2002).Volunteer campaigns have potential to succeed only if a campaign issue can easily generate strong feelings among the public. Yet issues arousing strong public sentiment are few and far between; more often, it is an interest of a smaller group of people that is at stake, but it is undemocratic to disregard the plea of such groups of citizens only because their case does not excite hearts and minds of their fellow citizens. In the modern democracy, there are few deeply appalling wrongs that need immediate remedy and can attract crowds of concerned citizen, like the case of African Americans in the 1960s.In the modern democracy, incremental changes need to be made to accommodate different interests and to make their coexistence more efficient and pleasurable for all. Numerous notable initiatives, serving community interests best, made their way to the ballot thanks to paid petitioners. Furthermore, the ban on paid petitioners will affect different states in different ways. It will create a dangerous disparity in the quality of the initiative process in states with smaller and bigger populations.For example, it will create considerable complications for signature gathering in such states as California, where the number of signatures that are necessary for an initiative to be put on ballot can be several times higher than in other states. It is especially relevant given the everyday life constraints on citizenship and civic participation. Consumerist ideology makes long working hours an imperative and leaves people with less time to participate in politics and community affairs. People volunteer in their leisure time, and leisure is a competitive sector.It is hard to expect a large number of citizens to sacrifice their spare time for gathering signatures in favor of their cause, however strongl y they feel about it. Indeed, ‘[t]he main hurdle that most initiative proponents face is finding enough people willing and able to dedicate a large number of hours to gathering signatures’ (Ellis, 2002, p. 53). Moreover, there are legitimate concerns that the ban on paid petitioners will privilege people with abundant amount of spare time over those possessing more financial resources. In fact, paid petitioners democratize the initiative process by making it more inclusive.Many citizens do not hold strong opinions on some issues, but it by no means indicates that these issues should be excluded from the democratic debate. There are issues that are hard to frame in the way that solicits a passionate positive or negative attitude. In addition, privileging people with spare time over those with money borders on classism. For example, unemployed citizens with a lot of spare time can recruit a large number of volunteer to campaign for a welfare reform, while middle-class bus inessmen do not have such time to petition for a tax reduction.In a democracy, all groups ought to have equal access to the mechanisms of democratic participation and should be allowed to make the best use of resources available to them to ensure such participation. Therefore, as Ellis (2002, p. 54) notes, ‘the rise of paid petitioners and professional signature-gathering firms promotes democracy by increasing the involvement of a wider diversity of groups. ’ The ban on paid petitioners will not significantly decrease the role of big interests and money in the initiative process.A fact that is often overlooked by the opponents of paid petitioners concerns the evidence that recruitment, training, and coordination of volunteers mean considerable costs to an initiative sponsor, although volunteers work for free (Ellis, 2002). Moreover, the ban on paid petitioners will give an unfair advantage to organizations with better access to human resources. It ‘would advantage firms that employed large numbers of people and would make it impossible for all but the most popular causes to exercise the right of direct democracy’ (Ellis, 2002, p. 48).The opponents of paid petitioners also overlook the fact that signature gathering firms have a more professional approach to the initiative process. One of the possible advantages, as Ellis (2002) acknowledges, is that such firms have more experience in planning signature gathering campaigns and can offer a clear timeline for the process. However, there is another important advantage in employing signature gathering firms. Professionals working there can inform citizens more efficiently by presenting information about the issue at stake in a more accessible and understandable way.Thus, the indirect benefit of using paid petitioners is greater awareness of the citizenry on a wider array of issues. The proposal to ban paid petitioners also underestimates people’s ability to choose whether to sign a p etition. It is argued that signatories to petitions do not express their real opinion but agree to sign them ‘for a variety of reasons, among which are desire to be rid of the solicitor or to help him earn a day’s wages’ (Register, 1913; in Ellis, 2002). However, citizens are often more aware and concerned than this notion assumes.Many of them refuse to sign petitions that contradict their convictions. If ignorance was the case, volunteer signature drives would be as futile as professional signature gathering firms. Having proven that the harms involved in the process of employing paid petitioners in the initiative process are often exaggerated, there is a need to critique the proposed solutions to the perceived crisis. Providing more information about signature gathering will have little effect, as citizens are already overwhelmed with information on public issues.Few would dedicate their time to studying booklets on how certain initiatives made their way to the ballot. There are cognitive constraints on the amount of information citizens can consume. Furthermore, few would have enough spare time to devote it to reading booklets with information on how many volunteers and how many paid petitioners were employed to gather support for a certain initiative. The proposal to leave petitions with county registration officers can be dismissed on similar grounds: citizens do not have enough spare time to dedicate to public affairs.Valuing signatures collected by volunteers over those collected by paid petitioners is simply non-enforceable. Abandoning signature gathering altogether is also not a viable alternative, since the process of petitioning presents at least some checks on the power of large interests. Paid petitioners ensure that issues of at least some interest to at least some groups of citizens make their way to the ballot. In fact, it does not quite matter how issues are placed on ballot; what matters most is the citizens’ abilit y to express their opinion about different initiatives in a popular vote.

Drugs Accident Essay

1.An undercover drug informant learned from a mutual friend that Philip Friedman â€Å"knew where to get marijuana.† The informant asked Friedman three times to get him some marijuana, and Friedman agreed after the third request. Shortly thereafter, Friedman sold the informant a small amount of the drug. The informant later offered to sell Friedman three pounds of marijuana. They negotiated the price and then made the sale. Friedman was tried for trafficking in drugs. He argued entrapment. Was Friedman entrapped? Argument for Friedman: The undercover agent had to ask three times before Friedman sold him a small amount of drugs. A real drug dealer, predisposed to commit the crime, leaps at an opportunity to sell. If the government spends time and money luring innocent people into the commission of crimes, all of us are the losers. Argument for the Government: Government officials suspected Friedman of being a sophisticated drug dealer, and they were right. When he had a chance to buy three pounds, a quantity only a dealer would purchase, he not only did so, but he bargained with skill, showing a working knowledge of the business. Friedman was not entrapped—he was caught. I agree with Friedman not only did the informant ask for drugs, but he asked him constantly after he said no which could have easily influenced Friedman to sell the informant the drugs. 2. Conley owned video poker machines. Although they are outlawed in Pennsylvania, he placed them in bars and clubs. He used profits from the machines to buy more machines. Is he guilty of money laundering? Yes he is guilty of money laundering because he took the proceeds of a criminal act and used the money to promote the crime of his poker machines. 3.Karin made illegal firearm purchases at a gun show. At her trial, she alleged that she had committed this crime because her boyfriend had threatened to harm her and her two daughters if she did not. Her lawyer  asked the judge to instruct the jury that the prosecution had an obligation to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Karin had acted freely. Instead, the judge told the jury that Karin had the burden of proving duress by a preponderance of the evidence. Who is correct? The judge is correct. In this situation Karin is trying to plead not guilty because she was under duress, so she will have to have evidence to prove that she acted under duress 4. An informant bought drugs from Dorian. The police obtained a search warrant to search Dorian’s house. But before they acted on the warrant, they sent the informant back to try again. This time, Dorian said he did not have any drugs. The police then acted on the warrant and searched his house. Did the police have probable cause? Yes because the informant had claimed to bought drugs from Dorian before. 5.Shawn was caught stealing letters from mailboxes. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to two months in prison and three years supervised release. One of the supervised release conditions required him to stand outside a post office for eight hours wearing a signboard stating, â€Å"I stole mail. This is my punishment.† He appealed this requirement on the grounds that it constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Do you agree? Yes. The punishment will be breaking the eight amendment because of standing outside a post office holding a sign stating I stole mail will not only be degrading, but also an unusual and cruel punishment. 1.At approximately 7:50 p.m, bells at the train station rang and red lights flashed, signaling an express train’s approach. David Harris walked onto the tracks, ignoring a yellow line painted on the platform instructing people to stand back. Two men shouted to Harris, warning him to get off the tracks. The train’s engineer saw him too late to stop the train, which was traveling at approximately 55 mph. The train struck and killed Harris as it  passed through the station. Harris’s widow sued the railroad, arguing that the railroad’s negligence caused her husband’s death. Evaluate her argument. Harris wife really does not have an argument because the railroad did everything in their power to prevent his death. Harris will be at fault for his own death 2. Ryder leased a truck to Florida food service powers, an employee, drove it to make deliveries . He noticed that the strap used to close the rear door was frayed, and he asked Ryder to fix it. Ryder failed to do so in spite of numerous requests. The strap broke, and Powers replaced it with a nylon rope. Later, when Powers was attempting to close the rear door, the nylon rope broke and he fell, sustaining severe injuries to his neck and back. He sued Ryder. The trial court found that Power’s attachment of the replacement rope was a superseding cause, relieving Ryder of any liability, and granted summary judgment for Ryder. Powers appealed. How should the appellate court rule. The decision should be based on the state laws of contributory or comparative negligence because although Powers told Ryder to fix the rope you can make the same argument that by Powers switching ropes also help contributed to his injury. 3. A new truck, manufactured by General Motors Corp. (GMC), stalled in rush hour traffic on a busy interstate highway because of a defective alternator, which caused a complete failure of the truck’s electrical system. The driver stood nearby and waved traffic around his stalled truck. A panel truck approached the GMC truck, and immediately behind the panel truck, Davis was driving a Volkswagen fastback. Because of the panel truck, Davis was unable to see the stalled GMC truck. The panel truck swerved out of the way of the GMC truck, and Davis drove straight into it. The accident killed him. Davis’s widow sued GMC. GMC moved for summary judgment, alleging Gmc could be violators of Negligence Per Se because the brand new automobile should have nothing wrong with it that could threaten the lives of drivers automobiles should be created to protect drivers as much as possible. Gmc is responsible for factual causation and foreseeable harm. By giving the man a defective vehic le I believe any accident which happened on the road or streets can be foreseeable. 4. You be the Judge Writing Problem When Thomas and Susan Tamplin were shopping at Star Lumber with their six-year-old daughter Ann Marie, a 150-pound roll of vinyl  flooring fell on the girl, seriously injuring her head and pituitary gland. Ann was clearly entitled to recover for the physical harm, such as her fractured skull. The plaintiffs also sought recovery for potential future harm. Their medical expert was prepared to testify that although Ann would probably develop normally, he could not rule out the slight possibility that her pituitary injury might prevent her from sexually maturing. Is Ann entitled to damages for future harm? Argument for Ann: This was a major trauma, and it is impossible to know the full extent of the future harm. Sexual maturation is a fundamental part of life; if there is a possibility that Ann will not develop normally, she is entitled to present her case to a jury and receive damages. Argument for Star Lumber: A plaintiff may not recover for specul ative harm. The â€Å"slight possibility† that Ann could fail to develop is not enough for her to take her case to the jury. If I was the judge I would not rule out the possibility that Ann could suffer harm in the future. I would request that Ann obtain documents from doctors that will help prove that the accident that happened could cause future damages. 5. Irving was a lawyer who prepared income tax returns for Maroevich. Irving agreed to draft a will for Maroevich, leaving all of the property to Maroevich’s sister, Biakanja. When Maroevich died, the probate court refused to accept the will because Irving had failed to have the signatures properly witnessed. As a result, Biakanja inherited only one-eighth of the estate. She sued Irving, who defended by saying that he had no duty of due care to Biakanja because all his dealings were with Maroevich and none were with her. Do you agree?

The Case of the Bambus Essay Example

The Case of the Bambus Essay Example The Case of the Bambus Paper The Case of the Bambus Paper The Case of the Bambus The Story of the Gambus and its Evolution Yap Yuan Li Ben U0921231H AAI481 Studies in Malay Music Nanyang Technological University The Story of the Gambus and its Evolution Introduction The gambus is an omnipresent and most commonly found lute instrument in the various styles of Malay folk music. It is usually made from wood and is formed almost like a guitar but with 9 to 12 wire strings compared to the guitar’s 6 to 12 strings. There are two types of gambus, namely Gambus Melayu which is the Malay gambus and Gambus Hadhramaut which is the Arabian gambus. Both of them originate from similar backgrounds with the Gambus Melayu a modification of the Gambus Hadhramaut. Today, the gambus is recognised as a national musical instrument of Malaysia and a symbol of Malay traditional music identity (Hilarian, 2006). We will explore further in this essay the origins and evolution of gambus and its role in the Malay musical genre of zapin, hamdolok and ghazal. Gambus Melayu The slimmer and smaller pear-shaped gambus Melayu is comparable to the Yemeni qanbus. Its uniqueness is in its ornamented sickle-shaped carved pegbox that has emblems engraved into it (Hilarian, 2003). Its body is made from jackfruit tree wood and it has a goat skin belly. The strings in gambus Melayu is attached and tuned precisely similar to gambus Hadramaut (Nik Mustapha, 1998). The gambus Melayu is frequently used in Zapin and Hamdolok performances in Johor (Matusky, 1985 as cited by Ang, 2005). The sounds of the gambus Melayu can also be heard in Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, Indonesia and Brunei (Hilarian 2006). Gambus Hadhramaut The arched-back, pear-shaped Gambus Hadhramaut is quite similar to the classical Arabian ‘ud (Hilarian, 2003). It is made from a combination of ight wood like red meranti, a type of construction timber and durian belanda. The gambus Hadramaut does not have frets and the strings are plucked and attached in double course except the 11th string. The strings are tuned in perfect 4ths beginning from the highest string from the middle C (Ang, 2005). The Transition of the Gambus from Arab to Malay Culture Studies done by Hilarian (2003, 2007) theorized t hat in the 9th century, Muslim Persian conquerors and traders brought the barbat, an early form of lute instrument, into the Malay Archipelago during their migration to Southeast Asia for entertainment purposes (Sachs, 1940). This is supported by Alatas (1985) who claimed that many Persians and Indians traded in the rich port of Klang, Selangor. The barbat was then modified by Arabs in Mecca to ‘ud and qanbus in Yemen which explains why the gambus bears a striking similarity to barbat, ‘ud and qanbus (During, 1984) down to the tuning in perfect 4ths (Lambert, 1997). In the 16th century, Portugese traders introduced folk music, plucked and bowed stringed instruments to the people of Malacca. However they did not directly influence the introduction of the gambus to the Malay world. The African, Indian and Moorish slaves present at that time integrated their influences of music together with the portugese instruments and created a fusion of music styles that included dondang saying and joget ronggang (Kartomi, 1997). Between the 17th and 18th century, the close ties amongst Johor, Riau and Aceh states via trade, commerce and inter-marriages provided a permeable barrier for gambus to enter the Malay world. Between the 19th and 20th century, the opening of Suez Canal expedited sea journeys from the Middle-East to the Malay world. Many Arabs settled in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia from Hadhramaut (Yemen) bringing along the ‘ud (Alatas, 1997). Consequently, the eminence of gambus Hadhramaut succeeded the gambus Melayu in the late 19th or early 20th century in Peninsular Malaysia. The patronage of gambus by Malay rulers, spread of Islam and the cultural convergence of people facilitated dissemination and modification of the gambus throughout the Malay world (Hilarian, 2006). Uses and Evolution of Gambus Both types of gambus are interchangeable and only one is played during a Malay ensemble performance like zapin, hamdolok and ghazal. They are usually the lead melodic instrument for these ensembles and are essential because the sound of gambus is linked to Islam and carries the essence of the Malay vibe. For example, gambus is played in Islamic singing and in taksim (solo performances) during Islamic events like Hari Raya Puasa and Haji. Moreover, the use of gambus associates the ensembles with particular genres of Malay traditional music (Hilarian, 2003, 2007). Zapin Zapin is a form of traditional dance complemented with music by rhythmic characteristics and singing. It uses the voice, the gambus, violin, harmonium, accordion, marwas and dok (Ang, 2005). Anis (1993) asserted that zapin originated from Hadhramaut and is maintained in Malaysia in its original form, named zapin Arab and as a modified form, named zapin Melayu. The zapin Melayu in Johor today is a product of intermarriage of the Arab and Malay cultures literally with modifications by the Malay community over time (Hilarian, 2003). Zapin songs reflect a blending of Malay and Islamic influences. Zapin Melayu has evolved from a group dance of solely males in zapin Arab to that of two separate rows of male and females. Adhering to the Islamic influence, the sexes do not touch during the dance. The entire zapin Melayu repertoire also reflects the love of the Malays for nature. The dance moves are inspired by chickens and fish and interpreted in stylistic refined movements including small graceful jumps. For instance, like a chicken with a broken leg (ragam anak ayam patah) or fish wriggling on mudflats. The men and women dance without shoes and adorn themselves in traditional Malay apparels. The sarong is not tied but held throughout the performance reflecting the past Malay women culture in attempts to protect their modesty. Md. Anis (1993) however is concerned with the recent situation of zapin. He argues that any changes to zapin or any other Malay genres for that matter must be sensitive to its past and values. Historically, zapin Melayu was meant for play and family entertainment. Now, with it being showcased in performances, the dance moves are exaggerated and the production glamorized with special effects. He frowns upon modern choreographs where females raise their arms too high thereby revealing parts of their arms. In addition, the attention of Malay performances today seem to focus more on fanciful costumes, superseding the beauty of the simple dance. The sarong is also hitched exposing the calves and knees, hence clashing with the original modest values of zapin. Hamdolok Hamdolok is a traditional dance theatre performance found in Johor, originating from the Middle East. It is performed during weddings and includes zapin and inang dance forms too. Instruments used include the tambourine, maracas, conga drums and gambus Melayu (Asmad 1990). Today, the use of gambus Melayu sadly remains only in hamdolok. Ghazal Ghazal, a popular music genre in Johor, is formed from the fusion of elements from two or cultures and a modification of the shared features as aforementioned of the mix between various ethnic music influences. The word ghazal in Arabic means poetry of love and it aims to serenade. The ghazal originated from India and arrived in Johor from Riau-Lingga before 1870s. Songs were formally sung in Hindi are supplemented by the sharinggi, sitar, tabla and harmonium (Ang, 2005). In Johor, ghazal has evolved. Johor players substituted the original sitar with the violin and sharinggi with gambus Melayu initially, and then with ghazal Hadramaut subsequently. Songs are now sung in Malay but still mirror its Hindustani and Persian influences prominently. The song titles are also uniquely Malay because they are written about nature and love. For instance, songs were written about the full moon and â€Å"Pak Ngah balik† meaning Pak Ngah has returned. Today, modern ghazal groups also include instruments like mandolin, guitar, flute, Japanese drum and ukulele (Mohd Ishak, 1978, as cited by Ang, 2005). Is The Gambus Gaining Popularity? 18-year-old Fauziah Suhaili from Sabah, Malaysia who recently won the Gambus Fest Female Solo performance competition faced a mountain of challenges from the start. She had to gain approval from her elders as well as earn that trust to play the gambus. Fortunately, she has received much support from the gambus community in Sabah which enabled her to achieve so much (Fauziah, n. . ). However, especially in the states of Kelantan and Trengganu, these success stories are not as prevalent with the number of gambus female players dwindling. In 1950s, numerous female players in Johor contributed significantly to the music. However, in present times, women are limited to singing in traditional musical ensembles. Similarly, in Brunei, women are discouraged to play the gambus over the last 25 years. The school of Islamic practice in Brunei also generally dissuades women from playing music or performing with men. Other than Fauziah Suhaili, it appears that our generation of youths are not interested in traditional Malay music like ghazal because of widespread dissemination of popular Western culture into the traditional music space (Hilarian, 2007). Conclusion Gambus in zapin, hamdolok and ghazal has evolved innovatively through the decades and is now an expression of Malay culture. The residual distinctive characters from its original forms are clearly evident but the profound changes allow it to be proudly called a symbol of the Malay traditional and contemporary music distinctiveness. However, traditional Malay music has not received much support from the media, especially in Singapore unlike other styles like Chinese and Indian music which has deep roots locally and are always portrayed in media for awareness. The dominance of Western music, ideals and pop culture has intruded into the Singapore’s Malay community, infringing the space of traditional Malay Music. It will be a disaster if this dying art gets killed off in our generation and that beautiful traditional Malay music we take for granted so easily would be only a myth for our future generations. Much support and efforts by the younger and older generation are needed in tandem with the media and government funding to revive this dying treasure back to its glory days. References i) Alatas, S. F. (1985). Notes on Various Theories Regarding the Islamization of the Malay Archipelago. Muslim World, 75, No. 3-4, 162-175. ii) Ang, M. K. (2005). Musical Malaysia. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from musicmall-asia. com/minni/index. html iii) During, J. (1984). In S. S. (Ed. ). The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. London: Macmillan Publishers Limited. v) Fauziah Suhailah/ Gambus (n. d. ). Fauziah Gambus. Retrieved October 28, 2009 from http://fauziahgambus. synthasite. com/ v) Hilarian, L. F. (2003). Gambus (lutes) of the Malay World- Its Origins and Significance in Zapin Music. Presentation of paper at A Symposium in Memory of John Blacking, 12-14 July 2003, University of Western Australia. vi) Hilarian, L. F. (2006). The Folk Lute (Gambus), and its Symbolic Expression in Ma lay Muslim Culture. Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore Studies XXXII. vii) Hilarian, L. F. (2007). The Migration of Lute-Type Instruments to The Malay-Muslim World. Presentation of paper at the Conference of Music in The World of Islam, 8-13 August 2007, Assilah. viii) Kartomi, Margaret J. (1984) . Gambus.. The New Groves Dictionary of Musical Instruments, (ed. ) Stanley Sadie, London: Macmillan, No. 2, 9-10. ix) Lambert, J. (1997. La medecine de l. ame, Hommes et Musiques. Paris: Societe d. ethnologie, France x) Matusky, P. (1982). Music from Malaysia. Resound. I/4: 1-2. xi) Matusky, P. (1982). Musical Instruments and Musicians of the Malay Shadow Puppet Theater. Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society. VIII(1982): 38-68. ii) Mohd. Anis Md. Nor. (1993). Zapin-Folk Dance of the Malay World. London: Oxford University Press. xiii) Mohd Ishak Abdul Aziz. (1978). Ghazal. Kuala Lumpur: Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan. xiv) Nik Mustapha Nik Mohd. Salleh (1998). Alat Muzik Tradisional Dalam Masyarakat Melayu Di Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Kementerian kebudayaan, Kesenian dan Pelancongan Malaysia. xv) Pickens, L. (1975) Folk Musical Ins truments of Turkey. London: Oxford University Press. xvi) Sachs, C. (1940). The History of Musical Instruments. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. Publishers.