Why Framers Chose Federalism Essay Example for Free

Why Framers Chose Federalism Essay Introduction: Federalism is a system of government that divides governing power and authority between the national governments and the state governments (Bowman). In 1787, the framers of the constitution chose this specific type of government to rule over the United States. I will show you that the framers chose this system of government for several different types of reasons. Reasons are because the national government was not strong enough, to maintain the states sovereignty, and it will protect individual liberty. I will also show you how the 10th Amendment, Concurrent Powers, and Block Grants each apply to the federalist system of government. You will see why the framers chose Federalism and understand how Block Grants, Concurrent Powers, and the 10th amendment is important and ties into federalism. Weak National Government A reason why framers chose Federalism is because the national government was not strong enough. The type of government that was already in action which was confederalism which made the states too democratic. There was no leadership. The separate individual states were actually considered stronger than the central government. Which made it so that the national government was unable to enforce laws and collect taxes as well as recommendations, having no national court system effective. There was a big lack of unity and common laws because the states were too independent and full of themselves. Federalism, on the other hand, gave the national government the power that they needed to be more in control, let them enforce laws and collect taxes and balanced out the powers between the national and state governments. Maintaining The Sovereignty of The States Federalism also helped to maintain the sovereignty of every state. State sovereignty is the power of a state to do everything it can to self govern itself. This was very important because the states each valued their own uniqueness and this helped them to keep that. Each state was still able to have their own laws, build what they want, just as long as it didn’t conflict with the national government. For example, Texas could not make a law forbidding women to vote, because the national government has said that it is a right for all citizens of this country. There are many laws that the states may have, there’s traffic laws, criminal laws, property laws and many others. For example, Colorado is allowed to give the death penalty to someone who has committed a murder. Federalism made it so that the states were still able to do what they wanted to do, but with a little more control and organization. Protecting Individual Liberty Liberty is the condition of being free from restriction. It is the right to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner. The Framers of the constitution believed that any governmental power was a threat to our individual liberty, and that the exercise of governmental power should be restrained. They felt that to divide governmental power prevented the abusement of liberty. Since the powers is shared between the federal and state governments, it prevents either one of the governments from going corrupt and denying personal liberty. Federalism also protects the liberty of all persons within a State by ensuring that laws that are enacted in excess of delegated governmental power cannot direct or control their actions. Federalism: The 10th Amendment The 10th amendment is basically almost the meaning of federalism. This brief statement says â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.† Which means, the powers that are not granted to the National government are given to the states or the people. It states the idea that local and national governments should share the power of governing which is exactly what federalism is. The 10th amendment was written to emphasize the limited nature of the powers that were delegated to the national government. In delegating just specific powers to the federal government, the states and the people, with some small exceptions, were free to continue exercising their sovereign powers. It served as a wonderful compromise for both states and the national government as a whole. Federalism: Concurrent Powers Concurrent Powers is a big part of federalism. This is where the national government and the state government powers are shared. Concurrent Powers were mentioned by Alexander Hamilton in the federalist papers. He wrote that it was important for states to maintain their sovereignty and he felt that concurrent powers would help do so. For example, they each have the power to tax. The federal government has the power to tax its citizens, and the state government has the power to tax its residents. This refers to federal income tax which everybody pays and state income tax which is paid and imposed in the state which you live. Other concurrent powers includes building roads, protecting the environment, borrowing money, creating and enforcing laws, borrow money, create lower courts, and charter banks and corporations. Federalism: Block Grants Block grants are grants from the central government to the state government with general provisions as to the way it is spent. They tie into federalism because it shows the unity between the central and state governments, they both cooperate to help communities and the people. States usually use block grants for welfare, social services, education and urban development. For example, when the Republicans retook Congress in 1994, they changed many federal grants into block grants. Instead of giving money to states to buy textbooks or repair schools, for example, Congress gave states blocks of money to spend on education in any way the states saw fit. Another example includes medicaid. It gives states the option to consolidate Medicaid and SCHIP funding into state acute care and long term care allotments. Block grants are very beneficial, they give more opportunity to state and local governments to help people in their communities. They also can reduce the amount of money spent on burea ucracy so that more can be dedicated to the area of need. Conclusion: The framers chose federalism for distinct reasons. It was very important for us to have a stronger national government, the states were to independent and it was destroying the unity. We needed to maintain state sovereignty, the uniqueness of each state was very significant. Protecting our individual liberty was a must. It was necessary for us to continue to have our individual rights and freedom. The 10th Amendment, Concurrent Powers, and Block Grants all play very important roles when it comes federalism. Without the 10th amendment, federalism wouldn’t even exist. If it weren’t for concurrent powers, the two governments would be very separated and not very unified. Federalism and the factors that influence it is extremely important to know about because it allows people living in different states with different needs and different interests to set policies suited to the people in their state, yet still come together with other states as one nation. It allows our nation to be more diverse and more unified, the way the nation should be.

Effects of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy | Literature Review

Effects of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy | Literature Review What are some of the factors associated with mothers inflicting consistent harm on their children? Munchausen by proxy. A review of the literature. Introduction The literature on Mynchausens syndrome by proxy is considerable and growing at a rapid rate. Many professionals are sure that the condition exists and there appears to be an equally certain number in the non-professional sector who argue vociferously that such professionals are misguided. The purpose of this review is to determine the evidence base for the condition (Sackett, 1996). and to try to present a rational assessment of the very emotive arguments in this area. Literature review The first article that we shall consider is the book by Feldman (et al 1994) which appeared a decade ago, but is useful as it was considered by many to be the â€Å"gold standard† on the topic in its time. The book itself is written as a series of case narratives followed by a discussion on each. This is clearly instructive, but the most important seminal feature of the book is the fact that it was the first to draw a clear distinction between factitious illness and malingering. It describes the authors’ perception that factitious disorders lie along a spectrum from the benign use of illness on one extreme to the syndrome of Mynchausens syndrome by proxy at the other. It is fair to comment that, inevitably, thinking has progressed since this book was published and the basic amalgamation of factitious illness with malingering no longer finds a resonance with mainstream practice today. Malingering is defined here as â€Å"conscious manipulation for external gain such as compensation† while factitious disorder is defined as â€Å"an unconscious motivation to gain attention or control†. More modern opinion believes that many people who seek compensation after trauma are genuine, as can be their symptoms, whether they are purely physical or psychological. The more modern appreciation of the problem would consider that malingering is a conscious manipulation – and therefore not an illness, whereas the factitious disorders generally are essentially unconsciously motivated and therefore more akin to a hysterical conversion disorder and therefore a true illness. The next book to consider is a more recent publication which takes the same presentation – discussion format, as the last. This book (Gregory 2004) is remarkable as it is written by a survivor of the abuse from Mynchausens syndrome by proxy and, in our opinion, should be read by every worker in the field. It presents a remarkably perceptive insight into the mechanisms of the disorder together with a remarkable analysis of the actual resultant coping mechanisms employed by the proxy child who progressively gains both insight and resilience as she gets older and approaches adulthood. It is equally important for the consideration that the author develops for her younger siblings as she becomes aware of them being damaged in the same way. From the healthcare professional’s point of view, there are a number of truly insightful comments including: But the memories that hang heaviest are the easiest to recall. They hold in their creases the ability to change ones life, organically, forever. Even when you shake them out, theyve left permanent wrinkles in the fabric of your soul. Such books as these two are clearly inspirational and edifying, but they do not contribute to the evidence base directly. For that we must turn to the peer reviewed literature. Professors Craft and Hall (2004) have published an excellent review of the pertinent issues which looks, with a degree of concern, at the media presentation of the issues. They suggest that the presentation of Mynchausens syndrome by proxy in the media tends to both glamorise and demonise the condition in a way that is very unhelpful to the healthcare professionals working in the area. They cite tabloid phrases such as â€Å"Meadows discredited theory of Munchausen syndrome by proxy† as being truly hostile to the overriding needs of the victims. The paper itself sets out the evolution of the condition from Caffey’s 1942 paper, where the condition was described but not named, through the papers by Money and Werlwas (1976) to the present day assessment of the condition. The authors specifically consider the issues of Mynchausens syndrome by proxy in relation to severe child abuse and apparent cot death, and provide what should perhaps be considered a most authoritative resume on the issue. In terms of specific psychopathology we can turn to papers such as the one by Eminson D (et al 2000) who suggest that the perpetrators have an increased incidence of personality disorder or, more rarely a psychotic illness. Firstman R (et al 1998) point to the fact that women who suffer from the condition tend to have reported a number of â€Å"fantasies, obsessions and anxieties† regarding their babies which typically focus on their perceived inability to care adequately for them. Golden M (et al. 2003) adds the observation that many of these fantasies include the worry that the mother may actually harm the child together with the observation that there is an associated increase in the incidence of Post natal depression in these cases. References Caffey 1942,  quoted in Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.  Fabricated or induced illness by carers.  London: RCPCH, 2002. Craft AW and D M B Hall 2004 Munchausen syndrome by proxy and sudden infant death BMJ, May 2004; 328: 1309 1312 ; Eminson DM, Postlethwaite RJ. 2000  Munchausen syndrome by proxy abuse: a practical approach.  Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 2000. Feldman MD, Ford C, Reinhold T 1994  Patient or Pretender: Inside the Strange World of Factitious Disorders  London: Wiley, ISBN 0-471-58080-5 Firstman R, Talan J. 1998  The death of innocents.  New York: Bantam, 1998. Golden MH, Samuels MP, Southall DP. 2003  How to distinguish between neglect and deprivational abuse.  Arch Dis Child 2003;88: 105-7. Gregory J 2004  Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood  London: Century books ISBN 1 844 13442 3 Money and Werlwas (1976)  Quoted in Fisher G, Mitchell I.  Is Munchausen syndrome by proxy really a syndrome?  Arch Dis Child 1995;72: 530-4. Sackett, (1996).  Doing the Right Thing Right: Is Evidence-Based Medicine the Answer?  Ann Intern Med, Jul 1996; 127: 91 94. 7.12.05 PDG Word count 1,083  

How Strong Is Your Faith Religion Essay

How Strong Is Your Faith Religion Essay Biblical character Job placed much faith in his lord. He kept his faith despite some of the harshest of circumstances. Job had immense resources that provided for him and his family until Satan challenged God to a test of Jobs faith. It was then that great tragedy befell Job and his family. Further testing his faith, God disfigured Jobs face by giving him welts. Through this entire calamity, Jobs faith grew even stronger, proving Satan wrong. God then replaced Jobs health, job, land, and even provided with him a better wife. Confused, Job wondered why he experienced such a dramatic rollercoaster of life. Job asked God why did this all happen?, and God replied: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Because Im God. Thats was all the answer he needed. God can easily take back everything that he created at any time, which causes man to fear God. People of the purest faith realize this and repay God with a lifetime of homage and servitude. This is usually the key behind all religions were theres a God. For example, in the Hindu faith they have a God in which goes by the name of Shiva, believed to be the restorer and destroyer of worlds, which gives Shiva the persona of being one of the most temperamental gods of any faith. Shiva has the power to destroy the world on a simple whim. To prove his power, Shiva once cut his own sons head and replaced it with an Elephants head. Once there was a story of a man whom desired power more than anything in the world. He had to obtain sacred weapons from Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page3 which were created by Shiva. Through deep meditation that went on till he clouded the heavens that eventually angered Shiva. Shiva then challenged the man to a battle, in which he was easily conquered. Shiva was still impressed by the will and determination of this man, so Shiva ended providing him with the weapons that he desired so much. Shiva requires the type of faith that is strong enough that man would even challenge God himself, which would make him the ideal Hindu. Religion is a part of everyones life; throughout history, in art, in music, and especially in literature. Its something that could even be traced back to mans earliest presence in this world. Some peoples faith extends further than others, but does this really matter? When comparing the stories of Job and Jonah, faith seems to no make a difference to God. Job being someone who had strong, pure, and unfaltering faith, and on the other hand, Jonah had such faltering faith. Yet Job was punished when God tested his faith, and at the same time Jonah just fled from God, and yet he was forgiven. Faith seems not to really matter to God in the long run. Between these stories it seems that the good man ends up getting screwed in the end, while the bad guy seems to be rewarded. With that being said, does one man who truly worships God and pure end up weighing more in the eyes of God than an apathetic Hindu? Man having the need to believe that there is something out there that might superior to him with some type of explanation for our presence on this world. God having such an unimaginable popularity to mankind makes him necessary to mankind, definitely having lasted this long. We want to believe and find something that proves there is something more than just a void when its all over. Subconsciously, we even realize there actually was no God, and no afterlife, there would be no consequences, and the basic goodness within man would come to a fault which would take away from us maintaining the little order we have, and would promote chaos all around. Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page4 The amazing part of our world is that everyone has unique gifts, skills, and abilities. One man may end up as smart as Albert Einstein with a body like the Hulk, and his brother would have the mind of the Rain-Man and the body of Moby Dick. God seems to rewards us in a variety of ways. Some of us are blessed spiritually, some physically, some mentally, when some are all rounded. Rewards could be proportional to faith. A man with wealth may be a strong believer, while a man with nothing may be a blasphemer. But there might be no connection between the amount of faith you have and how youre rewarded. This would make it much easier to believe, when some of the wealthiest people out there are usually sinful or have their hands something that is. People who believe might not be any better off than people who dont believe. But theres a question that still remains; is religion actually good or bad? In Moby Dick, questions of faith, reward, and reason, floats about subliminally in the lives and fates of all the players. The Pulpit: At my first glimpse of the pulpit, it had not escaped me that however convenient for a ship, these joints in the present instance seemed unnecessary. For I was not prepared to see Father Mapple after gaining the height, slowly turn around, and stooping over the pulpit, deliberately drag up the ladder step by step, till the whole was deposited within, leaving him impregnable in his little Quebec. Things like isolation, and alienation could end up being the result of strong faith. This causes you to be set apart from the crowd, making you an outcast. Father Mapple being one of the truest believers in this novel Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page5 sets himself up at a distant, higher, and more protected place. Mapple believes he is a direct messenger from God. In this chapter The Pulpit is built unlike any other. According to Mapples specifications, it was extremely tall with a long rope ladder leading to his platform; this setup was very similar to boarding a vessel. Once Mapple withdrawals the ladder, he goes to an isolated world of his own, taking him away from the city where hes an extremely popular whale man. He feels to have such a necessity of going away to an isolated island away from the real world so then he can communicate with God. Being on a nearly empty, isolated ship seems to be all thats left of his religion. This can be taken to mean that while Mapple is alone on his vessel and silence is surrounding him, he must climb up the simple ladder toward heaven in order to escape the land of the sinners so he can communicate Gods word. He then pulls up the ladder to prevent any distractions, visitors, or invaders. Usu ally a real vessel would be set off to sea, which spiritually Mapple has to do. He then stands up high, looking down on the congregation, he feels he is superior. He has a painting at the foot of the Pulpit of this ship fighting off a colossal storm, and through the clouds is an Angel that is creating light to guide the lonely vessel home. The vessel in the painting is also the same as the vessel represented by the Pulpit and Mapple is at the Helm. Now at the top of the Pulpit is a podium where Mapple reads his bible. His bible in which guides his ship through the storms of evil. Now the resemblance of all this is that religion represents this lonely vessel, which must break through these storms of evil before the world can be holy, and Mapple is the only crewmember on this vessel, who represents mankind. Religion is being a lonely vessel, and man stays alone on this vessel. The tale from Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner further expresses this solitude. The mariner, who was a man that was cursed to walk the earth, telling his tale to those that he felt were fit. Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page6 Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner: I pass, like night, from land to land; I have strange power of speech the moment that his face I see I know the man that must hear me; to him my tale I teach It was tale of a seaman whose crew had encountered some grilling times during their voyage. They discovered salvation in a special Albatross that helped guide their path with swift wind to clear their passage. Once they were out in the clear, they witnessed that there blessed creature was killed by the mariner. In an instant the situation deteriorated and all two-hundred crew members suddenly dropped dead, with the mariner left all alone in the freezing, stormy weather. Once repented, the vessel was guided by all the ghosts of his crew members to an old hermit who sent him on a solitary quest. The quest he was sent on was for him to spend the rest of his life traveling the world, while telling his tale to all he felt fit. This could very well be Elijahs predicament in (Moby-Dick), someone who appears to be an old insane bum that wont stop trailing Ishmael and Queequeg. It all started when the Pequods papers were signed and that moment Ishmael and Queequeg have in effect signed their souls away. He moved on talking of a prophecy concerning Ahabs fate. Ishmael saw him as a senile fool, but Elijah has a purpose, he is a prophet. He brought about a sense of pessimism before the journey ever started. He was much like the Ancient Mariner in that he was damned to eternity of prophecy and warning. This is a warning that concerns a mistake which will lie ahead on their hunt. To the mariner, the Albatross is hunted despite the fact that it was their salvation sent by god. Elijah might be warning the deaf Ishmael that Moby Dick is actually the Albatross that was sent from god. In any case, Elijahs fate was sealed Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page7 forcing him into a life of solitude. He definitely is a true believer, a prophet, and perhaps even some incarnation of God. Once again someones faith leads them to solitude. Elijahs life may just be the ending to Jonahs story. After Jonah repented he was forgiven and reborn as a prophet. As a prophet or even a direct servant of god, his journey will end up being a solitary one; he will have to fend for himself much like Elijah was. Everyone seems to look upon Elijah with suspicion and ridicule, but this comes with the territory. Although Jonahs story never really ended, his fate was still written in stone, and Elijahs life is that fate. Faith destines him to live a life of solitude. Just like Elijah and Jonah, Ishmael is also left to a fate of spreading his tales to those he felt fit. He is the mariner, in which his voyage killed the albatross and he ended up paying the full price left alone in an empty ocean with nothing but a coffin as a life buoy. In all likeliness, God did not allow Ishmael to just shake it off and move on. This tragedy will end up consuming him for the rest of his life, and this cycle will never end because there will always be another Ishmael and his Pequods. Starbuck on the other hand, is one of the most faithful Christians on the Pequod. He is actually the voice of reason out of the whole crew and always maintains his faith while the majority of the crew ends up disregarding it. Like so many others, his religious faith ends up leading him to solitude. Now in The Quarter-deck, Ahab actually describes his experiences with Moby Dick and then announces the goal of his mission, and the entire crew becomes truly excited in which they all end up going along on his insane quest. Through all of this, Starbuck ended up being the only crew member to realize that Ahab had actually changed and became obsessive after this incident. Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page8 The Quarter-deck: Vengeance on a dumb brute! cried Starbuck, that simply smote thee from blindest instinct! Madness! To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous. Even from the beginning, Starbucks faith isolated him from the rest, he could have easily decided to follow the crew, but that would falter his faith. He realizes he is completely different from the rest of the crew. He refused to drink sinfully with the rest, due to the crazed and absurd quest of Ahab. Ishmael described the whole crew as being detestable, but Starbuck is actually the ideal man; maybe even Gods blueprint. Now this is quite a difference. Yet the only factor that separates Starbuck from the whole crew is his faith, but his beliefs end up isolating him from the crew. His faith is truly pure but eventually in ends up faltering. He soon realizes that Ahabs obsession has been growing with each passing day and eventually it will kill them all. At point Ahab actually threatens Starbucks life with a musket over a difference of opinions. Starbuck ends up obtaining the musket and is forced to make a decision between his faith and justice. Starbuck being a man of faith knew that no matter the outcome, it will always end up being Gods will. A difference of faiths caused Queequeg to be alienated from the crew. Queequeg was a prince who came from the island of Kokovoko. Over time he developed an interest with Christianity and later ended up finding himself onboard an English whaling vessel. Although he did attempt to be assimilated into Christian society, but he eventually lost interest and ended up returning back to his own faith. The only thing truly learned were just the skills of whaling. Felling like Christianity had actually made him less than pure he decided not return to his Island to claim his throne. Even though he was greatly respected by the crew, they isolated him for his unique Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page9 faith and culture. During Queequegs Ramadan, he was in a deep meditation didnt move for a full day while worshipping his God. Ishmael had never seen anyone do anything like this before, so to get Queequegs attention he tried his hardest to knock down the door. Ishmael- The Ramadan: I then went on, beginning with the rise and progress of the primitive religions and coming down to the various religions of the present time, during which time I labored to show Queequeg that all these Lents, Ramadans, and prolonged ham-squattings in cold, cheerless rooms were stark nonsense; bad for the health; useless for the soul; opposed, in short, to the obvious laws of Hygiene and common sense. I told him, too, that he being in other things such as an extremely sensible and sagacious savage, it pained me, very badly pained me, to see him now so deplorably foolish about this ridiculous Ramadan of his. Ishmael being the fool tries his hardest to cover it by mocking Queequegs god. He questions what kind of savage religion would require your loyalty and discipline. In comparison to other faiths Ishmaels negative reaction indicates the lack of respect Christianity has for their God. Now Queequeg is definitely not the inferior one in this case. It seems that Ishmaels faith may be so weak and insecure that he feels he must convert and condemn every savage he sees. Even though he says that Christianity has progressed, it seems he may very Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page10 well may be using a different dictionary than the rest of the world. Unless progressed actually means to be declined to such an extent that a faithful Christian and a prophet are considered freaks and are shunned and isolated from the world. Ishmaels prayers to Yojo showed that he himself believes that Quequegs faith is inferior to his. Ishmael and Queequeg underwent a pagan ritual, smoking to the doll, in order to confirm their marriage. Ishmael -A Bosom Friend: I was a good Christian; born and bred in the bosom of the infallible Presbyterian Church. How then could I unite with this wild idolater in worshipping his piece of wood? But what is worship? , thought I. Do you suppose now, Ishmael, that the magnanimous God of heaven and earth- pagans and all included-can be possibly be jealous of an insignificant bit of black wood? Impossible! Ishmael is in denial and doesnt realize it. He has troubles excepting that the Christians God and Queequegs God are the same being but in different forms. His faith is not strong enough to see the idol as nothing more than just a piece of wood. This is exactly where the relationship starts to have problems. Ishmael feels church is infallible and lacks any solid proof. He feels this was due to it being forced and installed into him his whole life. On the other hand, Queequeg has spent ample amount of time worshipping his God to where he truly believes. Ishmael being so close-minded, he refuses to accept that Queequegs faith as anything Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page11 more than inferior, therefore making him more isolated from Ishmael than a normal from what Christian standards of friendship are. In other words, Queequegs faith makes Ishmael see him more as a pet than a friend. Queequeg is much like the character that goes by the name of John the savage from Huxleys Brave New World. John was raised away from new civilization, therefore he the opportunity to have his own opinions, ideas, and ideals. Now on the other hand, everybody that lives in this new society were brain washed from when they were children in order to fit into their assigned classes. Just like Ishmael and the Christians, they were raised believed that everything that they thought they knew was infallible. They believed in their somas, a drug, as a means to escape from their reality, while John knows that the somas were only just a diversion. They believed that the Feelies, a form of entertainment, was the only form of art, while john knew that was wrong for a fact. He was well aware of literature, poetry, and Shakespeare. John was very open-minded because he wasnt like everyone else, a brainwashed conformist. So do you think if Ishmael would have become more open if he wasnt raised by the church? Queequeg was discriminated against by everyone, because of his faith when he first boarded the ship. There is one criterion for working aboard the Pequod, it was that you were a Christian. It didnt matter if you were a Killer, thieve, or even an overall scum. All types were welcome with open arms as long as you were Christian. On the other hand, Queequeg must prove himself to everyone before he can work with them. It took a very dramatic experience for Queequeg in order to prove his worth to the crew. This all occurred when a foolish man who ridiculed Queequeg was knocked overboard due to a loose post that knocked him into the ocean. Queequeg immediately dove into the icy water without any hesitation at all in order to save this man, and he succeeded. Since his beliefs differed from the others, he was required prove himself to his shipmates even though it wasnt necessary for others, Christians, to do so. Unfortunately Queequegs faith separated him from Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page12 his shipmates. In a way it seems Christianity really screwed Queequeg over. He was completely rejected by the others, even though his interests in Christianity lead him to leave his people. He was driven away from Christianity from all the corruption that came with it. Since his purity was tainted by Christianity, it made him unworthy to be able to return home and claim his throne. So far the strong faith that was in the lives of these mentioned believers has not yet been a positive factor in their lives. We have Job who endured a humiliating test by the God he loved. Then theres Mapple who felt that in order to communicate with God he had to be isolated upon a pulpit. Then we have Elijah, the mariner, who preach the word of God to everyone he saw even though they deemed him a humbug. Now we cant forget about Queequeg who was discriminated against by everyone, even his own tribe, just because he was involved in two faiths. These stories make it seem like there is no advantage to having any faith at all. In fact, in the long run no matter whom they were and how strong their faith was, the entire crew ended up having the same fate: a watery death. All except for Ishmael, who was supposedly left to live his life as prophet spreading the word of God? The only affect religion seemed to actually have on these lives, was nothing more than pain and isolation. No one wa s rewarded nor did they receive any advantages just for loving God. In which seemed to have the opposite effect for the non-believers, they had a clear advantage to not having any religion at all. A life spent without religion is a life spent with leisure. The second mate of the Pequod was Stubb, and he was the complete opposite of Starbuck. Starbuck started this voyage to earn a living, in which Stubb just joined for the thrill of the hunt. Through this entire voyage, Stubb really enjoyed himself. His days are now worried free. His supper is one example of his impertinence and carefree attitude. He and the black cook, Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page13 Fleece, have a conversation that leads to questions about death. Stubb asks Fleece where he plans on going after his death, and Fleece just subtly points up. Which was quite funny since Stubb didnt understand this so he told Fleece that we definitely dont need a corpse just hanging from their masthead. Stubb -Stubbs Supper: You said up there, didnt you? And now look at yourself, and see where your tongs are pointing. But, perhaps you expect to get into heaven crawling through the lubbers hole, cook; but, no, no , cook, you dont get there, except you go the regular way, round by the rigging. Its a ticklish business, but must be done, or else its no go. None of us are in heaven yet. He might have some belief in heaven, but its definitely in a very distant corner of his mind. He lives his life without worry of heaven at least until the last possible moment. He thinks faith is nothing but useless, hes a non-believer. He asks Fleece how he intends to get into heaven since it seems the effort is more trouble than it is actually worth. On the other hand, the regular way in Stubbs mind involves a Starbuck-type loyalty, which he doesnt want to give. When he says none of us are in heaven yet he is basically saying: why bother? There is no proof and no live person can be sure that heaven even exists until they die. Therefore, his life is full of enjoyment having no religion, and yet he shares the same fate of Gods blueprint. Starbuck doesnt consider or Craig Peitz How strong is your faith? Page14 fear death at all, and this is how he lives without any worries, superstitions. One example Ishmael give for Stubbs lack of religion and faith, is his pipe. It was described as a part of his face, he thought of it to be some kind of disinfectant that would protect him from Gods wrath. Ishmael doesnt want to believe that there will be no consequences for your decisions in life. Yet some having no religious conviction at all easily lives his life freely, unlike most other Christians. I feel we all have the opportunity to make our own Blue Prints of life regardless of our beliefs and or faith. The only things that all humans have in common is suffering, which brings us together, but yet we all are destined to the fate of death some just sooner than others. These two monolithic figures from literary history lived two very similar lives despite their differences in faith and styles of coping. Both were beset by great tragedy, and endured in their own was. Perhaps there is something to be said of the captains demise when compared to Jobs perseverance, but a faith in something greater is what bound them together.

The Dual Nature of Characters in Shakespeares Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Dual Nature of Characters in Othello  Ã‚   Many of the characters in Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello are duplicitous to the extent that how they are perceived in public is not how they behave in private. The perception of the public plays   a very important role in the play Othello. The character of Iago uses his public perception as an honest man to deceive Othello and other characters in the play. The perception of the public   of Othello and Cassio played an important role in the play. Iago’s public perception played a very key role in the play. Everyone thought of Iago as an honest man. â€Å" O, that’s an honest fellow â€Å" , â€Å"You advise me well ........ goodnight honest Iago â€Å" - â€Å"........that’s an honest fellow â€Å" â€Å" I know thou’rt full of love and honesty †. Iago has everyone fooled into believing that he is a noble honest man. Without this public perception of being honest he could never get Othello to believe that Desdemona was cheating on him. Othello would have probably killed him if he didn’t have the public perception of being an honest man. Iago knew that an important man like Othello couldn’t ignore the possibility that his wife was cheating on him. Nobody suspects that Iago is a deceitful man and would plot and plan to destroy Othello, Cassio and Desdemona in such a cunning way. Iago used his public perception, and the insecurities of Othello being a Moor, to allow him to manipulate Othello. Othello had a public perception of being a military man, and a courageous leader. â€Å"Valiant Othello, We must straight employ you...† â€Å"Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.† Othello has been a soldier since he was seven years of age, and has experience on the battle field. Othello was chosen when they went to fight the Turkish fleet. Because of his public perception, it wasn’t hard for other people to accept the relationship between him and Desdemona. As Iago started putting ideas in Othello’s head about Cassio and Desdemona being together, another side of Othello’s personality started to surface. Because Iago had the public perception of being an honest man, Othello couldn’t ignore his insinuations about Desdemona. Othello wondered if Desdemona really loved him, or if she was just using him to rebel against her father. With Iago constantly putting these ideas in his head, Othello was convinced to kill his wife. Cassio was known to be a good soldier, and is proud of that public perception.

Berlin Wall Piece :: Sam Shepard

A Piece of History A seventh grader asks his dad about the eighties. Unfortunately his dad can't remember anything about the eighties;and the older sister helps him remember the past. â€Å"Berlin Wall Piece,† by Sam Shepard is a story where a small piece of concrete helps a crazy father remember his modern history. A theme for the story would be: how a small piece of history can bring back so many old memories and controversies. When the story first opens up, a seventh grader is interviewing his father for his social studies class. The father is being questioned by his own son or daughter. The story does not reveal the sex of the youngest child. The father is unaware of the past; he can't remember absolutely nothing. The youngest child is confused, and cannot understand why his father can't help him. The father explains to the child that there was nothing important going in the eighties. The most important and significant thing for his father was the birth of his two children and his wife. The rest of it was lies, trash, and insignificant things the world had offered him. The truth was that nothing more matter to him than his children and wife. He had everything in the world he could ever wish for. The young child could not understand his fathers intentions to his answers. It was all a big mystery. During the story his father tries to remember the moments he lived in the eighties; but nothing came to mind. It was like if he was never born. He knew nothing, everything was erased from his mind. Thankfully the oldest child knew much more than the father did. She could remember everything, she had an incredible memory. She helped out her younger sibling by telling her stories of the eighties. She knew a lot. She was a very smart girl who was just a year or so older than the younger child. She also knew political stuff that happened during the eighties. Like when she got a piece of the Berlin Wall that was destroyed back in the eighties. The younger child did not believe this was true. On the other hand the father was unaware of this. He was confused, he couldn't remember when his own child had visited the Berlin Wall. The older sister was amazed by his father's poor memory. She brought down a piece of the Berlin Wall from her bedroom.

Managing Financial Resources and Decision

Every business needs four major types of resources classified in two ways: men, money, machine and material or land, labor, capital and enterprise. As it can be seen the financial resources are compulsory, every business having allocated a department that manages this resource (the Finance Department) and a person that is in charge of its activities (the Finance Manager). Financial resources can be provided by a range of sources. This range depends on the type of the business, which can be classified as sole traders, partnerships and companies (private or public).Financial resources are in turn classified considering the period of time when they are available (short, medium and long term), and the origin environment (internal or external). The sources available for a sole trader are personal capital, retained profits, sale of assets, actions of hire purchase, of sale and lease back, loans and credit lanes from banks of informal loans (borrowings) from friends, acquaintances. Addition ally, for the other types, finance can come from admission of new partners in the business, bank overdrafts, venture capital and share capital.For London Woods ltd the financial resources of the private sector company are represented by the sale of the furniture produced (the selling price for a chair in 2013 is 45 pounds, while monthly sales vary between 100 and 120). A long-term loan already borrowed according to the income statement for 2011 and 2012 is another financial source of cash. But in contract with ordinary shares generated for investors, which are the permanent capital of the company, the loan will be integral returned after several years, during which is cost is estimated at a 12% interest rate.A recent available source are the 3000 pounds made available for a brand manager in the Latin America, while the production and the revenues from that sales are a potential source of liquidity. 1. 2 Before they are chosen, sources of finance must be evaluated after considering t he following aspects relates to the business itself or the source: what amount of money is necessary and in what time, what is the cost of the source (interest rates, dividends etc.), the risk involved, the duration of the contract (between company and supplier of finance), the control of the business over the source or aver the ability to pay back finance received and the gearing ratio of the company (the relationship between what is owns and what is owes).For example, long-term loans and ordinary shares can generate a greater amount of capital than personal savings or the sale of assets. But while the company must return in time the amount borrowed from a bank it can have as permanent capital the money invested by shareholders.Also, while the interest rate is fixed and included in every payment, dividends are paid only when the company generates profit. Thus, the company has more control over finance if is source are investments rather than bank loans. 1. 3 The mentioned sources b ring simultaneous benefits and disadvantages for the business organization. Personal savings are interest free, do not need to be returned necessarily at a certain time, no collateral part is involved and no paperwork is required, but it cannot provide large amounts and can interfere unexpectedly with cash flow if money is demanded before due time.Retained profit is the company’s own revenue which does not need to be returned or to pay interest, debt does not increase and its future allocation can remain confidential. On the other hand, retained profits are available for developed, growing business and not for starting or bad-performing businesses. Finance resulted from selling assets is similar: the business finances itself with possible large amounts, only that those assets will not generate profit from the selling point, and it can be expensive later on, if it needs to be purchased.Ordinary shares are advantageous because they can raise large amounts of permanent capital f or which dividends are paid only the company is profitable, but they incur issuing costs and the amount of capital cannot be minimized later. Preference shares do not give the right of decision through vote and they require a fixed profit in return, even if the company makes a smaller profit or even a loss. Similarly debentures do not allow the right to vote, are redeemed when surplus profit is obtained, if not payment of interest rate must be done at a fixed date.These features apply to loans, bank overdrafts. The hire purchase method has the advantage that the company can make use of the asset before it pays for it but probably will be pay more for it than its value. Venture capital is beneficial because investors are highly interested in the business’s success over a period; investors share profits and may wish to influence strategic decisions. Discounts assure a quick receive of money but debt is collected by the client company itself and thus resources are wasted in debt collection.2. 1 Being vital for the business’s operations, financial resources (the life blood of business) have attached a certain cost: sometimes a price paid for their availability and most certainly an opportunity cost in the form if the second best way in which they could have been allocated. Personal savings, bank loans, overdrafts, debentures, venture capital, factoring, invoice discounting require the payment of an interest rate, in addition to the amount lend to the business.Retained profits have attached the opportunity cost: depending on the size of it, profits can be allocated to many departments: they can be invested in research and development, in the extension of fixed assets for the increase of production, in more advertising, can be used in the employed of experts, skilled people. The cost of selling assets is that of the revenue from the goods that would have been produced, but also the difference in the selling price and the purchase price.Apart from the d ividends paid in return, issuing ordinary shares determines administrative costs with the stock exchange listing fee, printing, distribution and advertising fee. The cost in hire purchase actions and leases is the price that the company pays for the item and the cost of ownership over it, since even if the organization paid 90% for the item, it is still owned by the leasing company. Grants are financial resource that does not require any fee.Planning is usually regarded as one of the first major steps (among generating ideas, assessing feasibility, collecting external information) that needs to be developed in concern with doing a business, a project, presentation etc. As money is a core resource for the business so is financial planning. This stage within a business it used in order to determine over a period of time how will a variety of resources be allocated in order to have both effective and efficient results. Or, it can be used to assess how well the available resources were used in a previous period of time (a quarter, half year, a year).Financial planning has in addition a few key benefits. It is efficient because it takes in consideration future needs: a business must always be aware of next activities from the â€Å"to do† list. Considering next tasks is helpful in being on time: organizations have to prepare now, in advance, what is required later so it do not miss opportunities. This gives assurance to stakeholders that the company is well-managed and creates a pleasant working environment, where lower levels employees know very well what to do.It helps businesses to compare the different alternatives between resource allocation in order to perform activities in which they have a smaller opportunity cost. Planning constantly also provides the opportunity to monitor, control activities and be financially sustainable for the organization and its stakeholders. 2. 3 The decision making process is represented by information needs required by dec ision makers. The decision makers or the organization are the stakeholders that have an interest in respect with the activity of the organization. They are divided between internal and external parties.The internal parties are the shareholders and their information need is to know the risk implied by their investment or the return that can generate in order to sell shares or to buy and if the company is able to pay dividends. Employees, another important category wants to know is the business is well-performing in order to deduce the stability, the prospective, and any remuneration and benefits that their current vacancy within the company offers. Suppliers are interested to know if in short term the business as able to pay for the goods supplied.Lenders, an important category of external stakeholders, need the same information, but for the long term. Continuation of operations is also a concern of customers, especially if they have a dependence on the company’s activities. G overnments and regulators are interest in how the business is caring operations in order to compare it with regulation and law, so that the organization is operating legally. The public, a general external category of stakeholders is interested in the performance of the business for the need of economic stability and available jobs.2. 4 In the study case of London Woods there are several sources of finance with impact in the financial statements (the profit and loss account, the balance sheet, and the cash flow statement). A major source of the finance is the firm’s production of furniture which if it is sold is incurred in the profit and loss account, while the remaining stock is stated as a current asset on the balance sheet. Another source of finance proposed for the business, as Mathew claims, is two machines that will generate more revenue but are going to cost 4 million pounds.The prices paid will be incurred in the expenses section in the income statement and the value of the two machines will be included under the asset’s column in the balance sheet. The machines would have to be bought by first taking a loan with an interest rate of 12%, which will have to be stated under expenses in the income statement, while the loan must be declared in the long-term liabilities section in the balance sheet. According to the profit and loss account a current source of finance is the shareholders capital, a current loan which costs the business 550 (interest rate) and the debtors, which are customers of the organization.The company does not have to buy the machine B, as the results are negative and the company does not have enough money. 4. 1. Finance is used to create before or at the end of time periods financial statements that help in planning activities, in recording performance and in assessing the current state of the business. Finance is used to create three types of financial statements. The profit and loss account assesses if past activity us ed effectively the allocated resources. The balance sheet is a summary about the assets, liabilities and liquidities of a business at the end of a business term.Finance also generates information about sales, purchases and labor costs. All this information can be further used in setting budgets for next business terms. Budgets can be used to determine future quantity and price of sales, production, materials, labor, manufacturing overhead, selling and administrative costs and in the end the final cash budget. Based on previous information, when they are creating budgets managers can take measures that reduce costs, increase profits, improve work efficiency or increase productivity and can find information like when to make new purchases of machinery, materials etc. 4. 2.Financial statements do not differ substantially of those of a sole trader as they rely on the same accounting principles. Both balance sheets of both companies will be calculated using the simple formula according w hich equity equals assets minus liabilities. The financial statements of the fictional sole trader Olivia Boulton1 and those of The Coca-Cola Company2, registered in the USA are relevant in this way. Although they use the same principles, the statements of the two operators are slightly different in content. Olivia Boulton, as a sole trader runs a small business (she sells cookware goods designed in Italy).Profits are usually small and re-invested in the business, but the possibilities for expansion are limited. Sole traders are the owners of the business who can run it independently and do not involve other in decision making. A sole trader takes the risk of compensating liabilities with his own goods. In comparison, The Coca-Cola Company a public limited company owned by anonymous shareholders, which generated large profits and pays dividends and caries operations globally. The financial statements of Olivia Boulton contain the traditional elements of a profit and loss account and of a balance sheet.The profit and loss account which states the net profit incurred in the period, calculated by eliminating expenses from income or gross profit, starts with the estimation of sales, purchases and stock in order to determine the gross profit. The expenses include liabilities regarding the interest rate of a loan, wages plus other administrative expenses (rent, travelling). The balance sheet has a simple format too. The fixed assets are only represented by the premises and the shop fittings, current assets include stock, debtors, bank and cash, while on the liability column the only type of tax incurred is the VAT (value added tax).In the case of Coca-Cola the statements look different. The cost of goods sold is directly stated as well are the selling, general and administrative expenses. The major difference is the emphasis of the tax incurred and the dividends paid (basic net income per share, diluted net income per share, and dividend per share). The balance shee t contains other elements too. A great amount of the company’s assets are represented by investments, trademark with indefinite lives, goodwill, intangible assets, bottler’s franchise rights with indefinite lives. Under the liability column the amount owned for loans long-term debts are much higher.After taking liabilities, the company’s equity is much more elaborated and allocated to multiple purposes: a part is reinvested, a part is allocated to shareowners, another one to non controlling interests, while other incurred as capital surplus. 4. 3 a) Net profit margin: Op * 100 : sales revenue: 370*100/4990 =7. 4 b) Current ratio current assets/current liabilities: 1540/790 = 1. 9 c) Quick ratio current assets – current stock/current liabilities: 1540-680/790 =860/790=1. 08 d) ROCE for year 2012: 370*100/1850=20% ROCE for year 2011: 510*100/1900=26. 8% e) Assets turnover ratio: 4990/1850=2. 69; f) Debt/Equity ratio: 550/1850=0. 29

Plans After Graduating Essay

My primary purpose of applying for the distance learning program is to further my studies by undertaking a Master’s degree course which is in line with my Bachelor’s degree. As a graduate of sociology I am aware that my expertise is in line with studying society in general and also studying specific aspects of our society. However since this is only a Bachelor’s degree it is imperative for me to pursue further studies and I feel that a more focused degree like MPM can benefit me the more as it has more theories in a specific strata of society. My secondary goal is to assure me of a long-term career in education as I am currently a college instructor in STI College Santa Rosa. It is a prequisite for any budding educator to always pile up on one’s credentials to attain not just the knowledge but also an assurance of better opportunities both in the academic world but also in government agencies as well. Upon completion of said degree I see myself continuing in the academe and also go into research on government policies and possible ways of improving the country’s state in terms of governance. My background in sociological studies is a tool that can help me be effective in research and MPM will enhance my skills and my knowledge in terms of public management. I also plan to take up my PHD inside the next 5 years depending on how long it would take to finish up my master’s degree. I am also looking forward for a possible opportunity to work for my alma mater if not Open University perhaps UPLB either a researcher or a professor. It is also my goal that through the program that I am applying for I could impact the lives of my students by sharing with them what I have learned both from the program and also from whatever research materials are already available. If I would be able to do this, the impact will be tremendous both intellectually and also in the lives of my students. From their ranks are future leaders of this country or perhaps citizens that would help improve the lives of their countrymen their different contributions.