Why Americans Are So Obsessed With Celebrities Essay

Why Americans Are So Obsessed With Celebrities - Essay Example The report continues that one in ten was obsessed to the point of being almost psychotic. In other articles Austin (2007) declares that approximately seven million celebrity gossip magazines are sold each week. Why is that Why the lives of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie or David Beckham are so fascinating for Americans to drop everything and tune in There are possibly two reasons for this - media, boredom with life and new modern technologies. Media now has the power to unveil the most intimate moments of celebrities. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are not the first two celebrities to go to Namibia. However, they suddenly made headlines when decided to give birth to their child there. Very often the media is not reporting what the celebrities say, but they report on what they think has happened. This somehow disports the whole halo around popular people. The media steals their personal lives and transforms them into gossip food for the public. News reporters prefer to broadcast a celebrity baby than to explain to the audience a nuclear bomb experiment in the Pacific Ocean. Media shapes the image of the Americans - a nation that favours gossips to news of substance. Why do the media choose such a stand They say it is about ratings. TV stations just give the audience what they demand most - more stardom. Media simply responds to the public demands.

Military history Essay Example for Free

Military history Essay You [Military professionals] must know something about strategy and tactics and logistics, but also economics and politics and diplomacy and history. You must know everything you can know about military power, and you must also understand the limits of military power. You must understand that few of the important problems of our time have in the final analysis, been solved by military power aloneJohn F. Kennedy (Quoted from â€Å"Winning the Peace the Requirement for Full-spectrum Operations† by Chiarelli and Michaelis (2005). Military history-just like any other form of history- can make or break you depending on how you use it. In US, for example, military battles and wars can be traced back to the 1700s when America was in the verge of attaining independence. From then onwards, there have been a series of wars-mainly in their conquest and colonization efforts. In other parts of the world, military history also faced variable evolutions that led to the utilization of different forms and strategies. All these wars can however be collectively summarized with the first and second world wars which saw direct or indirect participation of almost all countries from all over the world (Gabel, 1985, p. 1-85). It is from studying such rich history that current military professionals are able to have a relatively easy time when going about their vital schedules. These lessons can be in form of making improvements on already discovered fundamental concepts or alternatively, learning from past mistakes by avoiding them. Failure to positively learn comes with a bag-full of consequences; more aptly put in the words of John Santayana â€Å"Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. † In giving his contribution to this vastly debated subject, RAF (2010, p. 152) rhetorically asks that â€Å"If the study of history is so fraught with problems, and either so easy to get wrong or difficult to get right, depending on one’s view of the contents of the glass, why bother at all? † Well, so many answers-backed with evidences-have been advanced to support both ends of the debate. However, the focus of this paper is going to be on circumspectly highlighting the importance of studying military history-which most researchers amass as being vital-while partly highlighting its demerits. Before delving deep into why we should or should not study military history, it is inherent that we start by mentioning the importance of history as an entity in itself. It is from getting this background knowledge that we will be able to ardently address the issue of military history. Most scholars tend to heavily draw their knowledge from historical data; so they strongly commend the study of history in general. Others, on the other hand, either oppose it or support sparing use of historical sources. To the latter, history-more so the written type-is subject to people’s interpretations, understandings and opinions thus may be misleading in studies since it is not very accurate or reliable (RAF, 2010, p. 153). For example, Presher (1901) describes his views on America’s abuse of noncombatants in a Filipino village. To some historians, the abuse described here was not really abuse but just an exercise of power. Both views might therefore be very confusing to people trying to get the real picture of what happened during that time. According to RAF (2010, p. 153), the literature studied in history â€Å"Is inevitably extensive and, almost equally inevitably, much of it is impenetrable on first inspection. † This may also deviate from what is really meant. RAF goes ahead and advises that if we are to get the most accurate and precise representation of what happened, we need to study â€Å"In breadth, depth and arguably most importantly in a proper context. † We should also ensure that we focus on many sources from authoritative individuals so as to get facts rather than myths or fables which might be misleading (p. 152-156). For instance, The long shadow of little rock is a personal memoir of Daisy Bates which makes the writing authentic and credible as opposed to other military history records which are narrated from the perspective of hearsays. Just like any major area of human concern, the study of military history has its predefined language and concepts. Consequently, when studying military history, it is inherent that you familiarize yourself with jargons used here. For example, words like Strategic, operational, Tactical and Individual are used in military history to represent the realms of traditional history (Kagan (2006). It is also important to note that the studies should be conducted in an order. Haphazard studies tend to confuse rather than perform the fundamental functions of studying military history. Having said that, what really are the advantages of studying military history? Elementarily, RAF (2010, p. 157) documents that military history studies by military professionals offers entertainment, inspiration, information and pride to its students. Just by studying about the escapades of our historical heroes and villains in their military obligations, we are able to get entertainment since most of the stories are appalling. On top of that, we get informed from the in-depth descriptions of the war times. In With the Old Breed, Sledge (2001) grippingly describes the horrendous experiences at Peleliu and Okinawa while informing the readers of how difficult it was to survive during that time. In effect, someone studying the story gets informed and entertained at the same time. Murray Sinnreich (2006, p. 32) assert that â€Å"Military history helps provide the theoretical foundation for the science of war, and continues to do so even in an era of huge technological and social change. † Gabel (1985, p. 3) exemplifies this by talking of â€Å"clumsy, unreliable, difficult to operate† fight tanks that provided a basis for the formation of better tanks to be used in other wars. In another example to show how one piece of history laid theoretical foundation for another, Lupfer (1981, p. 8) says that: The Germans did not win the First World War and their strategic conduct of the war was often flawed. Yet, much value can be derived from their development of tactical doctrine, for the Germans developed and applied new tactical doctrine impressively in 1917 and 1918. Their tactical changes were systematic and thorough, for these changes in doctrine directly affected subsequent battlefield success. In addition, studying military history provides a platform for referencing by military professionals. Lupfer (1981, p. 8) articulates of changes made by the army of Germany courtesy of army’s high command—OHL. First, a defensive doctrine is adopted based on previous studies then later, an offensive strategy is adopted. In the long run, the German army succeeds in curbing their oppositions in the western fronts. According to Hanson (2007), military history also plays the irreplaceable role of reminding us happenings of the past and how the people back then contributed to our current state. The numerous documentations of the battles in the 1700s helps us not only to know the sacrifices endure for the achievement of independence but also reminds to be grateful and appreciative of all the villains who paved the way for the current freedoms in the U. S Moreover, military trainings only cover a small portion of the fundamental aspects involved in military education. Most scholars opinionate that military history helps in filling the knowledge void left by other forms of military education. Specifically, military history enhances practicability of military education which is crucial for the growth of military professionals. Hanson (2007) adds that â€Å"Democratic citizenship requires knowledge of war—and now, in the age of weapons of mass annihilation, more than ever. † It is for this reason that institutions that focus on military history are slowly-but steadily- rising in many nations. This is also evident with the various movies, shows and songs that currently tend to incorporate aspects of military history. Examples include award-wining movies like Troy and 300 among many others. In spite of being hugely debated by many researchers, Hanson-and a handful of other scholars-further opinionate that military history teaches us that war is not necessarily as bad as most people perceive it to be. So even though millions of people may get killed or innumerable properties may get destroyed, through war, we may get peace, freedom or even progress economically which is positive. In other words, war involves doing something bad with the hope that something good may come out of it. This can be exemplified with the outcomes of the vastly covered World wars (WWI and WWII); despite the numerous deaths and huge economic losses that resulted from them, the wars also pioneered dialogue which led to freedom and peace amongst the involved states. On the flipside, the study of war does not necessarily equate to advantages. Chiarelli and Michaelis (2005) support this statement by saying that â€Å"A gun on every street corner, although visually appealing, provides only a short-term solution and does not equate to long-term security grounded in a democratic process. † So in spite of peace being the ultimate target for wars, many wars end up with worse rivalry thus worsening the already bad situation. In instances where peace or freedom was not realized from the war, students who study the war may end up sucking in bad influence and negative lessons rather than the positive lessons that is targeted for them. It is also important to note that some people who study military history may get private information on some confidential issues which may pose a threat to those living around them. An example is chemical combinations of making a bomb landing in the hands of a terrorist. This poses a danger not only to people living around the terrorist but also on the country as a whole. Yet still, the study of military history can prove quite costly and risky. So many people currently focus on technological advancements, discovery of new drugs to solve the current diseases, making work easier through software among other things. I effect, very little time and attention is given to studying of past histories. The fact that history cannot be changed yet we can determine what becomes of our future makes even more people gutter the study of history while concentrating on current affairs as well as prospective forecasts. As a result, those who concentrate on studying military history mostly have to personally dig into their pockets so as to the studies as opposed to the millions of dollars donated daily towards new researches. In addition, those who study military history have to sometimes come to terms with poor hospitality and hostility from their subjects. In Dougherty’s (2005, p. 1) interview of historian and free-lance writer Robert Kaplan on his military research book Imperial Grunts: The American Military on the Ground, Kaplan reveals that he had to trail soldiers through inhospitable and volatile areas just to get an interview from them. In his studies, he visited Yemen, Iraq, Ethiopia and Philippines- who at the time of the interviews were quite unwelcoming thus making it difficult for him to get substantial information. Dougherty (2005, p. 1) further exemplifies these acrid conditions by saying that in order for Kaplan to get valuable information from the soldiers, â€Å"He immerses himself in their world, spending weeks and months living with soldiers in their quarters, joining their missions, eating, drinking, sweating, freezing, and sometimes starving, side-by-side with them. † Adding on to the demerits, Kagan (2006) says that the complex nature of military language which involves â€Å"Unit sizes and nomenclature, acronyms and abbreviations, typologies of military activity† may sometimes prove too multifarious and confusing to normal students (those without professional military knowledge). Dougherty (2005, p. 3-6) gets Kaplan to talk about the complex language that existed between the military sergeants, generals and commanders in their communication. In some cases, it was even a must for the military officials to know and communicate in other foreign languages. At such points, some meanings maybe distorted to those recording as well as those studying the history based on the various communication syntaxes and rules that govern different regions. Lastly, the proliferation in ways of solving disputes has lessened the use of military personnel by most countries. As of today, most disputes are solved through dialogues, courts and round-table negotiations by world superpowers. In effect, the study of military is only done by a few people who rarely dig deep into these annals of history. The many fundamental functions that military history provides are therefore slowly being corroded away by the ever increasing modern forms of conflict resolution. In conclusion, it is noteworthy to say that military history plays an important role in preparing soldiers for wars. It may not necessarily empower them but it offers them insights on how their opponents fight, their strengths, weaknesses, previously successful combat methods, what they should avoid among other vital details which are invaluable before going to war. On the other hand, military history should be used sparingly so as to avoid complacency by soldiers based on overconfidence. Aptly put in the words of Henry Kissinger (1978); â€Å"History is not, of course, a cookbook offering pretested recipes. It teaches by analogy, not maxims. It can illuminate the consequences of actions in comparable situations, yet each generation must discover for itself what situations are in fact comparable. † References Bates, D. (1987). T The long shadow of little rock. Fayetteville. P. 1 – 5, 43 – 76, 82 – 106. [64 pages] Chiarelli, P. W. , Michaelis, P. R. (July-August, 2005). Winning the peace: The requirement for full-spectrum operations. Military Review, p. 1 – 17. Dougherty, E. (2005). Warriors for Good: Interview with Robert Kaplan. Atlantic Unbound. Gabel, C. R. (1985). Seek, strike, and destroy: U. S. army tank destroyer doctrine in World War II. Hanson, V. D. (2007). Why study war? CITY journal. Retrieved May 18, 2010, from http://www. city-journal.org/html/17_3_military_history. html Kagan, F. W. (2006). Why military history matters. AEI Online. Retrieved May 18, 2010, from http://www. aei. org/outlook/24600 Kaplan, R. (October, 2005). Imperial Grunts: With the army special forces in the Philippines and Afghanistan—laboratories of counterinsurgency. The Atlantic Monthly, p. 84 93. Lupfer, T. T. (1981). The dynamics of doctrine: the change in German tactical doctrine during the First World War. Murray, W. , Sinnreich R. H. (2006). The past as prologue: the importance of history to the military profession. Google Books. p. 32. Presher, F. (1999). Private Frederick Presher describes the U. S. Army’s abuse of noncombatants in a Filipino village, 1901. Major Problems in American Military History. p. 230 – 231. RAF, P. W. G. (2005). XII. Why Study Military History? Defence Studies, 5(1), p. 151-164. Retrieved May 18, 2010, from http://dx. doi. org/10. 1080/14702430500097408 Sledge, E. B. (1981) With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa. P. 55 – 10.

Coexistence of Contrary States in Blake’s The Tyger Essay -- Blake Tyg

Coexistence of Contrary States in Blake’s The Tyger Since the two hundred years that William Blake has composed his seminal poem "The Tyger", critics and readers alike have attempted to interpret its burning question - "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" Perhaps best embodying the spirit of Blake’s Songs of Experience, the tiger is the poetic counterpart to the Lamb of Innocence from Blake’s previous work, Songs of Innocence. Manifest in "The Tyger" is the key to understanding its identity and man’s conception of God, while ultimately serving to confront the reader with a powerful source of sublimity which reveals insight on Blake’s ideal union and coexistence of the two contrary states. The most significant underlying ideology of William Blake’s poetry is his essential psychomachia - the "contrary states", as Blake himself calls them. The work in which "The Tyger" and "The Lamb" appear distinctly states Blake’s purpose in a preface: "Shewing the two contrary states of the human soul." In "The Lamb", a basic question and an answer are given. The poem is a catechism (Miner 62). The simplistic and comfortable resolution purposely has no doubt or ambiguity surrounding its initial message of love, tranquility, Jesus Christ, and above all, innocence. The speaker sees God in terms he can understand - gentle and kind and very much like us (Reinhart 25). A tremendous void is clearly apparent. The poem’s straightforwardness leaves the reader with a discomforting feeling of the need for a more sophisticated perspective on the relationship between maker and humanity. This instinctual need for a contrary state gives birth to the tiger. The tiger’s imagery is astonishingly vivid. The beast "burning bright" with "fire" indicates ... ...d the Age of Revolution. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1965. Erdman, David V. "Blake: The Historical Approach." William Blake. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Miner, Paul. "’The Tyger’: Genesis & Evolution in the Poetry of William Blake." Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Jane Kelly Kosek. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1995. 59-64. Natoli, Joseph. "William Blake." Notable Poets. Ed. G.E. Bentley. New York: Gale Research Inc., 1995. 79-95. Paley, Morton. "Tyger of Wrath." Twentieth Century Interpretations of Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Ed. Morton D. Paley. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1969. 68-92 Raine, Kathleen. William Blake. London: Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd., 1969. Reinhart, Charles. "William Blake." DLB. Ed. John R. Greenfield. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1990. Vol. 93. 23-25.

Software Piracy :: Free Essay Writer

Software Piracy Software Piracy: A Big Crime With Big Consequences Imaging for a moment that you come across an advertisement saying you can meet up with an individual who will break into a store, disarm all of the alarms and will hold the door open for you as you walk inside and take anything you wish. This criminal offence occurs every day on computer systems around the world including the internet. This is a very serious problem and is very difficult to circumvent. Every computer user is both tempted and immersed in software piracy in its many forms. One of the most disturbing facts behind this crime is that many people who participate in the distribution of commercial software don't even know they are committing a crime. Software piracy is a very serious and widespread crime that must be acknowledged and dealt with. Software piracy is the unauthorized duplication and or distribution of copyrighted programs. There are two ways to be involved in software piracy. The first is facilitation. Facilitation is the deliberate copying of copyrighted software and distributing it. An example would be an MIT student named David LaMacchia. This individual served and maintained a computer that was connected to the internet that offered it's users more than one million dollars worth of software 'free of charge.' Mr. LaMacchia was caught by the authorities and was acquitted of this piracy due to the lack of legal standards for this crime. Another example is off local bulletin board systems. Many are run out of the offenders homes with just a phone line, a computer and a modem. Here members of this service can send and receive pirated software (otherwise known as 'warez') as their own pace and leisure. There are not just one or two of these bulletin boards around there are in fact many. Most reside in l arge cities and the offenders are in most cases minors. As the computer gains a more stable hold on our society these bulletin boards are replaced by the ones that are linked to the internet. By this individuals can anonymously put out copyrighted software for the use of any anonymous user of the internet such as the type of system that Mr. LaMacchia ran. The second way to be involved in software piracy is to be on the receiving end.

Major Abnormal Behavior Theories of Psychology

Major Abnormal Behavior Theories of Psychology Luciano Lara PSY 303 William Ross, Ph. D. July 13, 2009 Major Abnormal Behavior Theories of Psychology Abnormal behavior has been witnessed by humans throughout the age of modern man.From the pre-industrialized societies of the past that correlated abnormal behavior to evil spirits and supernatural and magical forces to be cast out by spiritual healers or magician with magical spells and holy ritualistic incantations, to the purveyors of modern day scientific medical and psychological treatments that include psychotherapy and genetically engineered medicines, human abnormal behavior has been scrutinized and reconstructed under countless theories of causation through the annals of history.Witches from the middle ages on were thought to cast evil spells or hexes on people that would cause them to act in unusual ways. Well into the age of The Renaissance, demonic possession was believed to be one of the chief causes of abnormal behavior tha t could only be cured through religious rituals known as exorcisms. Even with the prevalence of such ideas throughout much of the past, progress was made towards identifying where the causes of such abnormal behavior might originate.Examples of attempt to move away from the beliefs that abnormal behavior was a form of punishment delved out by the gods towards those who angered or offended them can be seen from some of the great thinkers of the ancient Greeks such as Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle who rationalized that such behaviors could possibly occur from diseased brains. â€Å"Another general approach to the cause of abnormal behavior reflects what might be called the psychological perspective.According to this point of view, behavioral disturbances are caused by inadequacies in the way an individual thinks, feels, or perceives the world. According to the psychological perspective, people are at least potentially capable of examining their own thinking and modifying their behavior in light of that examination. † (Sarason & Sarason, 2005, p. 11).References Sarason, I. G. , & Sarason, B. R. (2005). Abnormal psychology: the problem of maladaptivebehavior (11th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

The Quest for the Best Word Ever

The Quest for the Best Word Ever The Quest for the Best Word Ever The Quest for the Best Word Ever By Mark Nichol Last year, an advertising executive named Ted McCagg embarked on a whimsical endeavor: Using a bracketing schematic like that employed to record the outcome of athletic tournaments in which, in each iteration, the number of selections displayed is reduced by half according to some criterion, until only one choice remains McCagg subjectively selected the best word ever. McCagg’s Final Four?: diphthong (two vowel sounds in one syllable), gherkin (a type of cucumber, or the vine from which it grows) hornswoggle (a hoax, or to hoax), and kerfuffle (a disturbance). Is there any practical use for this exercise? I see it as an entertaining vocabulary-building activity: Brainstorm any number of interesting words, whether you know their meaning or not. Subject them to match-ups, two words at a time, and select the one you favor on whatever merits definition, euphony, or some ineffable quality (I like euphony and ineffable). Repeat until you have a winner, then resolve to learn the word’s meaning if you don’t know it already, and use it in your writing. There are no losers in this game: The runner-up simply takes its place in line, followed by the favored term in the duel between the no. 3 and no. 4 seeds and then by the runner-up in that contest. Try to use each new front-runner as it is identified. Organize a tournament with a circle of friends (in real life or online), a writing group, or a class. Make submissions anonymous, match them up randomly, and have the participants vote on their favorite word in each pair, which then advances to a run-off with another favored word. Perhaps this activity seems silly. After all, maybe the writing you’re paid for is about finance or technology, or you produce marketing content. However, I doubt you work in a kerfuffle-free milieu, and hornswoggling may occur betimes (I like milieu and betimes), but you can apply your best-word-ever efforts to specific jargon and vocabulary. Oh, and McCagg’s best word ever? Diphthong. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsProved vs. ProvenWord Count and Book Length

Russia and the CIS essays

Russia and the CIS essays When the Soviet Union fell in 1991, due to many pressures both internal and external, the ex-soviet satellites were given their independence, much to Russia's dismay. A new trend towards sovereignty made it difficult for the largest country in the world to deny it's former members the right to separate. However, even with the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russia is still heavily involved with the matters of its former soviet members. This then leaves the question, are those former states truly sovereign? In the following pages we will examine the many reasons as to why this question is currently being posed. Firstly, we will look at Russia's history on the international scene and how they have not really changed their agenda throughout the last century, up into the present. Along with the brief history, we shall elaborate on the reasons why the CIS was founded. Furthermore, modern day Russia seems to feel the need to impose itself upon these new sovereign states for various reasons that we will elaborate upon. Lastly, the members of the CIS see Russia as both a friend and foe to the organisation, which will be shown by looking at their interests and why they have divided views. However, to fully understand the complexities that are the Russian Empire, let us take a step back in time to when Peter the Great was building a country of grandeur. In the early 18th century, Peter the Great continued the expansion set forth by his predecessors, and fought a long war against the seasoned Swedish army. With the final defeat of their army, Peter gained control of several small countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Ingria and Estonia. Upon his return from the war the Russian senate voted that he bear the title of the Great and Emperor, his acceptance of the last title marked the official inauguration of the Russian Empire. Peter the Great continued to fight wars in hopes of expanding Russia's borders and its economy...

Star Maps essays

Star Maps essays Throughout the movie, Star Maps, many ideas about family values, machismo among the males, and patriarchy passed on through generations are easily observed. They begin with simple, common, stereotypical ideologies such as having the family eat dinner together, or by having the father stress the fact that he brings home the bacon. These ideas later progress into more complicated, as well as disturbing matters. The movie expresses these ideas by having the father hurt women physically or by displaying violence and disrespect to those that you are supposed to love. The first idea about family that I recognized was when the family sits down and eats dinner together. This scene is towards the beginning which made me believe that they were similar to other families and that there wasnt that much tension between them. Another issue that kept constant throughout the movie was the strong bond between Maria and Carlos. They always supported each others dreams, had good communication and would try to give each other advice. A good example of this was when Carlos got back from Mexico and Maria told him not to go to work with his dad. Instead, she told him that he should pursue his acting career alone. The last family value that was present was how Maria, the daughter took over her mothers role. Because the mother was sick Maria became completely responsible for everyone else. She had to put her life aside in order to cook dinner, clean the house, take care of her mom, and try to keep the family together. It seemed as if Maria didnt do it no one else would. Especially not her father, he was too busy being with his girlfriend and making This leads me to the ideas of machismo that are also present in the movie. The fathers character is the best example that displays these two ideas the best. He always has to be in charge and he also sees women a...

Exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Exam questions - Essay Example In addition, exchange rates can make it quite difficult or easier for foreign competition to penetrate the local markets. Exchange rates can also have a direct impact on the losses and profits in a business. Fluctuations in exchange rates can negatively or positively affect both exports and imports. Thus the cost of raw materials that are imported could be more or less on the basis of the exchange rate between two trading nations which may lead to either hard or easy export. When more money is used in producing goods which are exported to a different nation with a less currency rate, it leads to those goods being less priced leading to the business having losses. Because of these changes in exchange rates when importing or exporting, the government gets interested in the exchange rates between currencies of other countries. Thus whenever goods are produced in a different nation, the government concentrates on selling of those goods so as to get more money from other nations from its exports. Production of such goods is usually done at low prices making use of the currency with the country having low currency rate and then profits are gotten by selling the produce in a country having a high currency rate. Such conversion of currencies in the production as well as selling of a similar product is aimed at earning profit. In addition, the government is dependent on some controls that control the exchange rate and these controls are long-term, medium-term and short-term. For instance, in short-term, the major banks like Central Bank operate with foreign markets by either beginning to buy or sell its currency. The interest rate on currency on the medium term can be regulated to make profit only. On the other hand, on the long-term, management of the economy is in such a manner that it results in a direct increase in the demand and value of the products manufactured in the nation (imports) with the demand for foreign currency also increasing. For a country

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Company Law - Essay Example The most appropriate remedy that Quincy should avail is the second remedy of applying for an order from the court on the ground that the company's affairs are being conducted in a manner which is 'unfairly prejudicial' under Part 30 CA 206, ss 994-998 because this remedy allows Roar to continue its business. CA 2006 (s 994) gives Quincy very flexible solutions to disagreements within Roar without having to necessarily wind up the company under the first remedy. Specifically, s 994(1) CA 2006 provides as follows: "A member of a company may apply to the court by petition for an order under this Part on the ground - (a) that the company's affairs are being or have been conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of members generally or of some part of its members (including at least himself), or (b) that an actual or proposed act or omission of the company (including an act or omission on its behalf) is or would be so prejudicial. The 'Act or omission' under this Section can include either an isolated act or omission or a continuing situation, depending on the circumstances. In fact, in Re Norvabron Pty Ltd (No 2) (1986) 11 ACLR 33, this can even include an act which took place before the petitioner became a shareholder. Furthermore, the legal import of the term 'C onduct of the company's affairs' has been considered in Re Legal Costs Negotiators Ltd (1999) 2 BCLC 171 CA wherein there were originally four individuals who set up a company, each was a director and employee and each had an equal amount of shares. When the relationship with one person broke down, he was dismissed subsequently as an employee although he resigned as a director just before he was removed. Nonetheless, he remained a shareholder although he refused to sell his shares to the other three. When the majority petitioned under s 459 CA 2006 for an order that he should transfer his shares to them, the petition was rejected because of the distinction between this remedy and personal actions, i.e. in this statutory remedy, what is relevant to consider is the 'company's affairs'. In the given situation, the following facts clearly indicate that the company's affairs are being or have been conducted by Patrick and Sally in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of Quincy, a minority; and an actual act of the company (including an act or omission on its behalf) is so prejudicial to Quincy: Patrick and Sally have remove Quincy as a director; Patrick and Sally take out any profit from the business as director's salaries; and they also decide to change the nature of the business which by the Articles of Association requires a 75% majority. In fact, the 75% requirement in amending the Articles of Incorporation was not met because Patrick and Sally only owned at least 70% of the shares. Moreover, Patrick and Sally appropriated several valuable contracts to Sally's company, Tiddles Limited (Tiddles) which would normally have gone to Roar in order to make sure that no benefit will come to Quincy from these contracts. Clearly, these events and the facts taken together not only constitute a basis to grant an application for an order based on the ground that the company'

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a performance driven Essay

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a performance driven strategy - Essay Example Also, there are some firms which will be performing poorly, in a conglomerate these firms are stressed upon and the management makes them do better. There are three approaches to this strategy: the BTR approach, the Hanson approach and the Minorco approach. We will continue on with the Hanson approach. The Hanson growth strategy has eight categories on the basis of which it operates. It has been initiated by James Hanson, who has proved that by following these eight principles an organization can be successful. These eight principles are: The Hanson approach concentrates on the growth of the whole organization, not just one company within the organization. The idea is to generate more profitability than other competitive businesses, have excess cash which can be invested back to acquire more new firms and to pay corporate dividends. In today’s world with so much competition every organization is trying to find performance driven advantages which will help it achieve a competitive edge in the market. A linkage between the business practices and IT will enable firms in achieving this edge. A business should understand three major points: who are the most satisfied customers? Which corporate investments will and are yielding the highest returns? And which business units have an above average performance? Once the answers to these questions have been determined, the strategy can be applied effectively and will yield even better results. The private sector has readily adopted this principle while the public sector has been hesitant, but is slowly adopting the approach. For the HR, improving performance through pay and motivation techniques is advantageous. According to the Hanson approach, employ managers who are motivated and productive, this way the organization can restructure itself and employ less people who can do the same job, thus reducing costs. A downside to this is that the employees may react negatively to this, make sure that the employees are

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Reflection Paper - Essay Example Consequently, their action may be misguided. I concur with the conclusion that love is not for amateurs. Love certainly needs persons who can differentiate it and react accordingly. It is easy for young people to confuse infatuation and romantic love. They may end up acting in an irresponsible manner in order to attract whoever they think they are in love with. The information on love is well stipulated, highlighting the different types so that people can distinguish the love they feel based on their circumstances. From this differentiation, there is no doubt that communication, being bi-lingual and avoiding the temptation to â€Å"mind-read† promotes healthy relationships. I find it particularly important for people with related feelings to communicate about it so as to avoid desperate or inappropriate ways to show it. I affirm that sex is mainly the activity taken up by many people who hope to show they love someone romantically. The adolescents stage present major difficulties to parents and educators as there are so many changes that occur in the adolescents. There is prevalent emotional instability among the adolescents. Embarking to educate them about their sexuality, the changes that they are likely to undergo and appropriate actions to take are of sheer importance. It is important that they learn about their bodies and learn to appreciate themselves the way they are. I firmly hold that a high self-esteem among the teenagers is one way to avoid participating in irresponsible sexual activities or poor social development. Certainly, the education can help them to know that sex is never a way to show love. Adolescent girls need to know this so as to avoid early pregnancies or contacting diseases that may jeopardize their futures. I agree with the deduction that parents are the chief sex educators for their children. They need to provide their children with information about their sexuality. Additionally, the fact that early experiences, attitudes,

Perception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perception - Essay Example Step 4: Save a copy for yourself in an easily accessible place, and post a copy of your summary to the Drop box. And Step 5: Read other students’ posts. Sensation and Perception Functions and Role Sensation is the basic process of detecting that a stimulus is in the world. Perception is the process involved in identifying and interpreting the stimulus that is detected in sensation. (Krantz, 1.6). Three of the main organs for sensation are eyes, ears, and skin. Eye is the organ of sight. The eyes enable us to explore the world with precision, balance, and sense of wonder. Its role in human behavior is very important as it plays a vital role in survival, reproduction, and building/maintaining social and role relationships. The ear is the hearing organ. Our ears provide a rich and complex experience of the world, complementing the visual functions. Ears influence human behavior by means of communication/language. Our ears’ perception affects mental health and our relations hip to others. The skin is the organ of touch and it is the body’s outer covering. Its function includes insulation, temperature regulation, sensation, and protection. It also gives appearance and shape. Our skin helps us withdraw from danger and reacts to environmental stimulation. Its role in behavior involves human interactions and reproduction.

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Reflection Paper - Essay Example Consequently, their action may be misguided. I concur with the conclusion that love is not for amateurs. Love certainly needs persons who can differentiate it and react accordingly. It is easy for young people to confuse infatuation and romantic love. They may end up acting in an irresponsible manner in order to attract whoever they think they are in love with. The information on love is well stipulated, highlighting the different types so that people can distinguish the love they feel based on their circumstances. From this differentiation, there is no doubt that communication, being bi-lingual and avoiding the temptation to â€Å"mind-read† promotes healthy relationships. I find it particularly important for people with related feelings to communicate about it so as to avoid desperate or inappropriate ways to show it. I affirm that sex is mainly the activity taken up by many people who hope to show they love someone romantically. The adolescents stage present major difficulties to parents and educators as there are so many changes that occur in the adolescents. There is prevalent emotional instability among the adolescents. Embarking to educate them about their sexuality, the changes that they are likely to undergo and appropriate actions to take are of sheer importance. It is important that they learn about their bodies and learn to appreciate themselves the way they are. I firmly hold that a high self-esteem among the teenagers is one way to avoid participating in irresponsible sexual activities or poor social development. Certainly, the education can help them to know that sex is never a way to show love. Adolescent girls need to know this so as to avoid early pregnancies or contacting diseases that may jeopardize their futures. I agree with the deduction that parents are the chief sex educators for their children. They need to provide their children with information about their sexuality. Additionally, the fact that early experiences, attitudes,

What is Mifeprex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is Mifeprex - Essay Example Mifeprex is a synthetic steroid with antiglucocortid and antiprogestorne outcomes (Jacob 186). Progesterone is a female hormone responsible for preparing the uterus to receive and sustain a fertilized egg. It is also crucial in sustaining the pregnancy. Mifeprex works by blocking progesterone’s activities at the progesterone receptors. It stimulates the uterus to contract, thus preventing the formation of pregnancy (Ogbru and Marks). Besides that, the drug can also be used as a medication for type 2 diabetes adjunct in Cushing’s syndrome. People with Cushing syndrome produce a lot of cortisol that is responsible for high sugar levels in the blood. Mifeprex minimizes the levels of blood glucose in thse people by blocking the activity of cortisol (Jacob 186). The drug is among the list of essential drugs of the World Health Organization. According to Crosse 4(7), mifeprex is only prescribed for the termination of intrauterine pregnancy through the 49th day of pregnancy. People should avoid taking Mifeprex if: it has been more that 7 weeks since the most recent menstrual period started; you have an intrauterine device (IUD) in place; you have problems of bleeding; you have taken steroid medications; you are allergic to prostaglandins, mifeprex, or any other medicine that contains misoprotosol; you have chronic adrenal failure; the healthcare provider has informed you that you the pregnancy has formed outside the uterus; for the following two visits you cannot return (Danco Laboratories 2) Mifeprex has various side effects. Even though Jacob argues, â€Å"There is no medical evidence that Mifepristone presents a special risk of infection,† (182), possible side effects of using the drug has been reported. It can cause birth defects in the unborn baby if the treatment procedure does not result in the full termination of the pregnancy. Other side effects consist of the following:

The Book “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” Essay Example for Free

The Book â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† Essay The Book â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† has stirred up much controversy over the years after it was published and issued to the public. This work of literature has been argued about for many years. The Book has been attacked for reasons such as racism, bad grammar, obscenity, atheism and low moral tone. But then again others say otherwise such as Lionel Trifling who stated it to be a masterpiece. There are many mixed opinions about this book. These controversies will be explained and explored in deeper detail as we move on. For example, in 1988 a parent of a student attending high school in Tempe Arizona was attempting to sue the school stating that the environment was already racially tense and that the book â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† intensified by it being the required reading list. Many others were requesting for this book to be banned from the required reading list but did not succeed for reasons of that the school district should take steps to reduce racial tension. However, after the board rejecting the ban on the novel for so many times in other areas the book was finally removed from the curriculum in New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois it was removed from the reading lists and school libraries. Arguably the most outspoken opposition to the book is John Wallace a former administrator at the Mark Twain Intermediate School despite this protest the principal refused to ban it but was later overruled by the superintendent who stated it was â€Å"racist trash. † Mark Twain is most shunned for his violent use of the word â€Å"nigger† or the n-word. Large amounts of controversy fall on the fact that schools were segregated when this book was originally printed but now they had been unsegregated the African American students and parents were offended by this text being read to and read by their children. Some students even saying while reading it in class that they felt â€Å"embarrassed† by it. â€Å"I can still recall the anger I felt as my white classmates read aloud the word nigger. In fact, as I write this letter I am getting angry all over again. I wanted to sink into my seat. Some of the whites snickered, others giggled. I can recall nothing of the literary merits of this work that you term the greatest of all American novels. I only recall the sense of relief I felt when I would flip ahead a few pages and see that the word nigger would not be read that hour. † This quote was written in a letter to his school about the Book. As you can see the African American students did not take much pleasure to the disrespect and embarrassment this book came with. The Novel â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† caused an immense amount of controversy over the years. Some still argue the point of its racist and demoralizing factors to this day. Some Parents and teachers still believe it is degrading and embarrassing to the African American students and believe it should no longer be printed. But many others think it is a great example of American heritage and lifestyle of that time period. Should it be banned completely or should anyone with desire to read it be able to do it at will. That’s up to you?

Contribution Of Rene Descartes To Mathematics Philosophy Essay

Contribution Of Rene Descartes To Mathematics Philosophy Essay Rene Descartes was born on March 31, 1596, in the magnificent city of the south of France (Touraine, France). Joachim Descartes his father was a councilor of Congress and intelligence, and ensured that Descartes was provided an excellent environment for learning. In 1606, when Descartes reached an age of 8 years, was admitted to Jesuit College of Henry IV, where he studied literature, grammar, science and mathematics for eight years. He was usually and critically unhealthy and was allowed to stay in bed late each morning. However, he studied the classics, logic and philosophy. In all Descartes just found mathematics is satisfactory to the truth of natural science. In 1614, he left the university to study civil and canon law at Poitiers. In 1616, he received his baccalaureate and licentiate titles. The degrees outside it, Descartes also spent time studying philosophy, theology and health. Descartes spent several years studying mathematics in Paris with friends, as Messene. Over time, a man for this type of education or enlist in the army or the church. Descartes decides to enlist in the army of a nobleman in 1617. During the service, with some geometric issues Descartes, a problem that had become a challenge for everyone to solve. Descartes solved it in only a few hours. Later, he met a man named Isaac Holland Beckman a scientist that became a friend of Descartes. Shortly after he took power in mathematics, the tasks is in the army would be unacceptable to him. However, he was still in the army under the influence of family and tradition. In 1621, Descartes give up the army and traveled extensively for doing researches in pure mathematics. Then he settled in Paris in 1626, he found the construction of the optical (eye) Instruments. Finally, in 1628, became the researcher for truth about the natural sciences. During this period, he moved to the Netherlands. He continued to live in there for over twenty years. During this period, Descartes published his first meditations philosophy. None other than his own work, he discovered his famous phrase I think then I exist. It could be used to cause the complex ideas of the universe in the simple idea thats true. So Descartes continued his work in mathematics. In 1638, the geometric aspect of Descartes became famous in the history of mathematics, as he did the invention of analytic geometry. Although this work has been done before by other mathematicians and the history of mathematics, introduces the theory Descartes Identify a point in a plane of pairs of real numbers (ordered pairs). This is called Cartesian delta. In 1649, Queen Descartes invited to Sweden to work in mathematics. It is said that the Queen wants to work in mathematics in the early morning hours. So Descartes must wake up early to go to the palace. Due to the cold climate, they developed pneumonia after only a few months and died on February 11, 1650. Contribution to Mathematics: Descartes has made many notable and famous contributions to mathematics. In 1618, when Descartes travelled to Holland to finally settle there, he met a thirty year-old student of medicine, Isaac Beeckman, after next few weeks. This new friend of Descartes was astonished at capability of Descartes at maths. Over the next few weeks Descartes showed Beeckman the following facts: How to apply algebra and mathematics to many problems. Mathematics could be applied to a more precise spacing and tuning of lute stings, Proposed algebraic formula to determine the raise in water level when a heavy object was placed in water. Drew a geometric graph that showed how to predict the accelerating speed of a pencil falling in a vacuum at any time during a two hour period. How a spinning top stays upright and how this could be used to help man become airborne. By the end of 1618, Descartes was already applying algebraic equations to solve geometric problems. It was then, not later as many sources say, that he invented analytical geometry. Descartes attempted to provide a philosophical foundation for the new mechanistic physics that was developing from the work of Copernicus and Galileo. He divided all things into two categories-mind and matter-and developed a dualistic philosophical system in which, although mind is subject to the will and does not follow physical laws, all matter must obey the same mechanistic laws The philosophical system that Descartes developed, known as Cartesian philosophy, was based on skepticism and asserted that all reliable knowledge must be built up by the use of reason through logical analysis. Cartesian philosophy was influential in the ultimate success of the Scientific Revolution and provides the foundation upon which most subsequent philosophical thought is grounded. Descartes published various treatises about philosophy and mathematics. In 1637 Descartes published his masterwork, Discourse on the Method of reasoning well and Seeking Truth in the Sciences. In Discourse, Descartes sought to explain everything in terms of matter and motion. Discourse contained three appendices, one on optics, one on meteorology, and one titled La Gà ©ometrie (The Geometry). In La Gà ©ometrie, Descartes described what is now known as the system of Cartesian Coordinates, or coordinate geometry. In Descartess system of coordinates, geometry and algebra were united for the first time to create what is known as analytic geometry. Many of his contributions to mathematics are: Cartesian coordinate system Fibred category Cartesian product Defect (geometry) Descartes rule of signs Descartes theorem Analytic geometry Pullback Theorm Cartesian Coordinate System: History: The idea of this system was developed in 1637 with two works by Descartes and independently by Pierre de Fermat, although Fermat used three-dimensional and unpublished findings. In the second part of his lecture method, Descartes introduces the new idea of determining the location of a point or object on the surface, using two intersecting axes as measuring guides. La Geometrie, he continued to explore the concept mentioned above. It might be interesting to note that some people have pointed out that the masters of the Renaissance used a grid, in the form of a mesh, as a tool to break the constituent parts of their subjects, they add color. Descartes may affect only speculate. (See opinion, radiation geometry.) Development of the Cartesian coordinate system enabled the development of the calculation of Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Nicole Oresme, a 14th century French philosopher, construction similar to using Cartesian coordinates before the time of Descartes. Many other coordinate system is developed for Descartes, as the plane polar coordinates and the spherical and cylindrical coordinates three-dimensional space. Listen Read phonetically Dictionary View detailed dictionary Introduction: A Cartesian coordinate system specifies each point uniquely in a plane by a pair of numerical coordinates, which are the signed distances from the point to two fixed perpendicular directed lines, measured in the same unit of length. Each reference line is called a coordinate axis or just axis of the system, and the point where they meet is its origin. The coordinates can also be defined as the positions of the perpendicular projections of the point onto the two axes, expressed as a signed distances from the origin. Illustration of a Cartesian coordinate plane. Four points are marked and labeled with their coordinates: (2,3) in green, (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢3,1) in red, (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1.5,à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2.5) in blue, and the origin (0,0) in purple. One can use the same principle to specify the position of any point in three-dimensional space by three Cartesian coordinates, its signed distances to three mutually perpendicular planes (or, equivalently, by its perpendicular projection onto three mutually perpendicular lines). In general, one can specify a point in a space of any dimension n by use of n Cartesian coordinates, the signed distances from n mutually perpendicular hyper planes. Cartesian coordinate system with a circle of radius 2 centered at the origin marked in red. The equation of a circle is x2 + y2 = r2. The invention of Cartesian coordinates in the 17th century by Renà © Descartes revolutionized mathematics by providing the first systematic link between Euclidean geometry and algebra. Using the Cartesian coordinate system, geometric shapes (such as curves) can be described by Cartesian equations: algebraic equations involving the coordinates of the points lying on the shape. For example, a circle of radius 2 may be described as the set of all points whose coordinates x and y satisfy the equation x2 + y2 = 22. Cartesian coordinates are the foundation of analytic geometry, and provide enlightening geometric interpretations for many other branches of mathematics, such as linear algebra, complex analysis, differential geometry, multivariate calculus, group theory, and more. A familiar example is the concept of the graph of a function. Cartesian coordinates are also essential tools for most applied disciplines that deal with geometry, including astronomy, physics, engineering, and many more. They are the most common coordinate system used in computer graphics, computer-aided geometric design, and other geometry-related data processing. Cartesian formulas for the plane: Distance between two points The Euclidean distance between two points of the plane with Cartesian coordinates (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) is This is the Cartesian version of Pythagoras theorem. In three-dimensional space, the distance between points (x1,y1,z1) and (x2,y2,z2) is Which can be obtained by two consecutive applications of Pythagoras theorem? Fibred category: Introduction: Fibred categories are complex entities in mathematics is used to provide a general framework for the first theory. They are formalized in different situations and algebraic geometry, where the reverse image (or pull-backs) the objects as vector bundles can be determined. For example, for every topological space can be eliminated in the vector space, and for all continuous maps from a topological space X into a topological space Y is a combination of functional bundle bundle the pullback of Y type of system X . physique goals include normalization and contrast image functors. Same settings appear in various guises in mathematics, especially algebra, geometry, that is the context in which the body of the type originally appeared. Fibrations also plays an important role in the theory of category classification and theoretical computer science, especially in the theoretical model depends Cartesian product: Introduction: In mathematics, a Cartesian product (or product set) is the direct product of two sets. The Cartesian product is named after Renà © Descartes, whose formulation of analytic geometry gave rise to this concept. Specifically, the Cartesian product of two sets X (for example the points on an x-axis) and Y (for example the points on a y-axis), denoted X ÃÆ'- Y, is the set of all possible ordered pairs whose first component is a member of X and whose second component is a member of Y (e.g., the whole of the x-y plane): [2] For example, the Cartesian product of the 13-element set of standard playing card ranks {Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2} and the four-element set of card suits {à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  , à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¥, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ £} is the 52-element set of all possible playing cards: ranks ÃÆ'- suits = {(Ace, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  ), (King, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  ), , (2, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  ), (Ace, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¥), , (3, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ £), (2, à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ £)}. The corresponding Cartesian product has 52 = 13 ÃÆ'- 4 elements. The Cartesian product of the suits ÃÆ'- ranks would still be the 52 pairings, but in the opposite order {(à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  , Ace), (à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚  , King), }. Ordered pairs (a kind of tuple) have order, but sets are unordered. The order in which the elements of a set are listed is irrelevant; you can shuffle the deck and its still the same set of cards. A Cartesian product of two finite sets can be represented by a table, with one set as the rows and the other as the columns, and forming the ordered pairs, the cells of the table, by choosing the element of the set from the row and the column. Basic properties Let A,B,C, and D be sets. In cases where the two input sets are not the same, the Cartesian product is not commutative because the ordered pairs are reversed. Although the elements of each of the ordered pairs in the sets will be the same, the pairing will differ. For example: {1,2} x {3,4} = {(1,3), (1,4), (2,3), (2,4)} {3,4} x {1,2} = {(3,1), (3,2), (4,1), (4,2)} One exception is with the empty set, which acts as a zero, and for equal sets. and, supposing G,T are sets and G=T: Strictly speaking, the Cartesian product is not associative. The Cartesian Product acts nicely with respect to intersections. Notice that in most cases the above statement is not true if we replace intersection with union. However, for intersection and union it holds for: and, n-ary product The Cartesian product can be generalized to the n-ary Cartesian product over n sets X1, , Xn: It is a set of n-tuples. If tuples are defined as nested ordered pairs, it can be identified to (X1 ÃÆ'- ÃÆ'- Xn-1) ÃÆ'- Xn. Defect (geometry): Introduction: In geometry, the defect (or deficit) means the failure of some angles to add up to the expected amount of 360 ° or 180 °, when such angles in the plane would. The opposite notion is the excess. Classically the defect arises in two ways: the defect of a vertex of a polyhedron; the defect of a hyperbolic triangle; and the excess arises in one way: the excess of a spherical triangle. In the plane, angles about a point add up to 360 °, while interior angles in a triangle add up to 180 ° (equivalently, exterior angles add up to 360 °). However, on a convex polyhedron the angles at a vertex on average add up to less that 360 °, on a spherical triangle the interior angles always add up to more than 180 ° (the exterior angles add up to less that 360 °), and the angles in a hyperbolic triangle always add up to less than 180 ° (the exterior angles add up to more than 360 °). In modern terms, the defect at a vertex or over a triangle (with a minus) is precisely the curvature at that point or the total (integrated) over the triangle, as established by the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. Descartes rule of signs: Introduction: In mathematics, Descartes rule of signs, first described by Renà © Descartes in his work La Gà ©omà ©trie, is a technique for determining the number of positive or negative real roots of a polynomial. The rule gives us an upper bound number of positive or negative roots of a polynomial. It is not a deterministic rule, i.e. it does not tell the exact number of positive or negative roots. Positive Roots The rule states that if the terms of a single-variable polynomial with real coefficients are ordered by descending variable exponent, then the number of positive roots of the polynomial is either equal to the number of sign differences between consecutive nonzero coefficients, or less than it by a multiple of 2. Multiple roots of the same value are counted separately. Negative Roots As a corollary of the rule, the number of negative roots is the number of sign changes after negating the coefficients of odd-power terms (otherwise seen as substituting the negation of the variable for the variable itself), or fewer than it by a multiple of 2. Descartes theorem: Introduction: In geometry, Descartes theorem, named after Renà © Descartes, establishes a relationship between four kissing, or mutually tangent, circles. The theorem can be used to construct a fourth circle tangent to three given, mutually tangent circles. Descartes theorem If four mutually tangent circles have curvatures ki (for i  =  1,  ,  4), Descartes theorem says: (1) When trying to find the radius of a fourth circle tangent to three given kissing circles, the equation is best rewritten as: (2) The  ± sign reflects the fact that there are in general two solutions. Ignoring the degenerate case of a straight line, one solution is positive and the other is either positive or negative; if negative, it represents a circle that circumscribes the first three (as shown in the diagram above). Other criteria may favor one solution over the other in any given problem. Analytic Geometry: Introduction Analytic geometry has two different meanings in mathematics. Except for the section Modern analytic geometry, this article treats the classical and elementary meaning, which is a synonym of coordinate geometry. The modern and advanced meaning refers to the geometry of analytic varieties, whose object is sketched in Section Modern analytic geometry, below. Cartesian coordinates. Analytic geometry, also known as coordinate geometry, analytical geometry, or Cartesian geometry, is the study of geometry using a coordinate system and the principles of algebra and analysis. This contrasts with the general approach of Euclidean geometry, which holds a number of geometric concepts as primitives, and use deductive reasoning based on axioms and theorems get the facts. Analytical geometry is the foundation of most modern areas of geometry, including algebraic geometry, differential geometry and discrete geometry and calculations, and are widely used in physics and engineering. Usually the Cartesian coordinate system is applied to manipulate the equations for planes, lines, and square, often two and sometimes three-dimensional measurement. Geometry, a study of the Euclidean plane (14:00) and Euclidean space (15:00). As taught in textbooks, geometry analysis can be explained more simply: it is concerned with defining a geometric shape and get some information from a representative of that. The digital outputs, however, might also be a vector or a shape. That the algebra of the real numbers can be employed to yield results about the linear continuum of geometry relies on the Cantor-Dedekind axiom. Pullback (category theorem): Introduction In category theory, a branch of mathematics, a pullback (also called a fiber product, fibre product, fibered product or Cartesian square) is the limit of a diagram consisting of two morphisms f  : X  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚  Z and g  :  Y  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚  Z with a common codomain; it is the limit of the cospan . The pullback is often written

Foreign Policy :: essays research papers

Progressive era foreign policy was motivated by a variety of factors including racial and national superiority, business and economic interests, strategic concerns, and idealism. Excerpts from For the Record provide various examples supporting the concerns that led to America’s foreign policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of national superiority was evident in the belief of manifest destiny. This doctrine basically stated that America was a superior nation that was designed to expand. The nationalist argument is best depicted in Albert Beveridge’s â€Å"The March of the Flag† which states, â€Å"The rule of liberty that all just government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, applies only to those who are capable of self-government.†(For the Record p.117) This supports America’s superior views that it could govern a country better than the country’s native citizens. Frederick Jackson Turner further enhanced the feeling of national superiority in, â€Å"The Frontier in American History.† His writing explained that the frontier had been essential in establishing American independence and individualism. He also claimed, â€Å"The frontier is the line of most rapid and effective Americanization.†(For the Recor d p.49-50) The implication that expansionism leads to positive Americanization further displays the superior mindset. Racial superiority was obvious in the â€Å"White Man’s Burden.† This suggested that it was the responsibility of the American people to spread democracy and Christianity to civilize the â€Å"savages† and â€Å"inferior races†; those people included anyone of color.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Business and economic interests were also a driving force in foreign policy. â€Å"The March of the Flag† epitomizes the American viewpoint. It explains the problems of overproduction in the country: â€Å"Today, we are making more than we can use†¦there are more workers than there is work; there is more capital than there is investment†¦we need more circulation.†(For the Record p.117) All of these factors contributed to America’s need to expand to foreign markets. By establishing trade with other countries, America could import natural resources in order to produce manufactured goods at cheaper costs. This expansion of the economy would provide a market for the overproduction of goods and also increase jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Additionally, strategic concerns were contributing factors in expansionism. Since the U.S. wanted to expand and trade with foreign countries, it ensured that other countries were stable and open to trade. This was demonstrated in China and the Open-Door market. There was also the belief that Europeans would dominate the market if America did not become involved. Finally, Americans used their involvement in wars with foreign countries to build the U.

NAFTA and the Labor Debate Essay -- Economy Trade Essays

NAFTA and the Labor Debate The Debate Since the end of the eighties and the beginning of the nineties, there has been a surge in the creation of trade agreements all over the world. The one encompassing the largest area and affecting the greatest number of people is the North American Free Trade Agreement (Text of the NAFTA, Organization of American States). The three major countries of North America signed this regional trade agreement in 1993: Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The North American Free Trade Agreement or the NAFTA, as it became popularly called, was an effort that was initiated by the United States. At first, there existed the CFTA agreement between the United States and Canada. Later the U.S. Administration saw it as beneficial if the country of Mexico entered the free trade agreement. In August of 1990, then Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari formally applied to enter a free trade arrangement with the United States. Six months later, Canada announced that it too would join the negotiation s for a tri-national trade agreement (Coote, p. 7). The agreement was signed and approved by the governments of the three countries and the NAFTA came into effect on January 1, 1994. Interdependence and Free Trade, These are the two most fashionable words spoken by economists and world leaders today. The majority of the nations of the world are involved one type of trade agreement or another and nearly all of the countries in the world are members of the World Trade Organization. With this surge in interdependence and trade agreements however, there have surged many problems and issues that cause much controversy and discordance. One of the main issues that has caused controversy, especially in th... ...TA" in Alan Rugman, 1994. Foreign Investment in NAFTA. Columbia SC. University of South Carolina Press Smith, Adam. 1976. An Inquiery into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press Department Of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. www.stats.bls.gov Table A-4, Selective Employment Indicators Secretaria de Trabajo y Prevision Social. Estadisticas Laborales. Trabajadores Asegurados Permanentes Por Gran Division de Actividad Economica Registrados en el IMSS. www.stps.gob.mx United States – Mexico Chamber of Commerce. "The North American Free Trade Agreement at Five Years : What It Means for the U.S. and Mexico" www.usmcoc.org /naftafor.html United States – Mexico Chamber of Commerce. "The North American Free Trade Agreement: Five Years Linking U.S. and Mexican Markets" http://www.usmcoc.org/nafta5_eng.html

It’s up in the Air, or Is It Essay

The article elaborates on how individual sociological imagination can connect social structure to life history. In this case, sociological imagination refers to understanding of individual behavior as the product of historical processes that affects a person’s social environment. The rules of social structure are considered to restrict the conduct of individuals and also mould outcomes for them. However, students are not able to see the connection between individual action and structural outcomes. In sociological imagination, social structural explanation can be used to answer the several questions of social stratification. It is evident that other forces than individual characteristics shape the outcome and distributions of societal rewards (Renzulli, Aldrich, Reynolds, 51). Organizations help to reduce inequality in the society by allowing prospective entrepreneurs from different social origins to access to wealth-generating assets. In order to show how social structure of society shapes the results for individuals, the students can be engaged in a multiple rounds of coin tossing game. The game will also include some rules and regulations to be followed. The results of the game will be highly predictive on how the social structures mould the outcomes of individuals. From the distribution of the coins, the students will realize that inequality and personal prosperity are not the result of personal characteristics (Renzulli, Aldrich, & Reynolds, 56). The alteration of the rules of the game will help the students to see how real world processes generate inequality in the community. It is clearly acknowledged that, structures and rules affect a person’s ability to access an opportunity regardless of his or her talent. However, some improvements have to be done on the game in order to give the best results to the students. Therefore, coin tossing game can be used to effectively demonstrate how sociological imagination increase student understanding of the social world.

Little Falls Hospital

For the past six months, Lydia, who is paralyzed from a car accident and can only communicate through nodding her head, has been receiving life sustaining support from the staff at Little Falls Hospital. It is uncertain if Lydia is able to understand any information about her current situation and is able to make any decisions for herself. Lydia prepared an advance directive before the accident, but the advance directive cannot be located. There are two laws that can be taken into account for this situation, the New York Health Care Proxy Law and the New York’s Family Health Care Decision Making Act (FHCDA).Under the New York Health Care Proxy Law, Lydia’s husband, Mr. Bevins, who is her legal guardian, which also makes him the surrogate decision maker under the New York Health Care Proxy Law, has the legal right to make the decisions on her health care in her behalf. Being respectful of his wife’s wishes, Mr. Bevins is asking that the life sustaining support be withdrawn. However, Lydia’s mom, Eileen Redfield, believes that her daughter has a chance to recover and does not support Mr.Bevins’ decision. New York’s Family Health Care Decision Making Act (FHCDA) â€Å"establishes the authority of a patient’s family member or close friend to make health care decisions for the patient in cases where the patient lacks decisional capacity and did not leave prior instructions or appoint a health care agent. This â€Å"surrogate† decision maker would also be empowered to direct the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining treatment when standards set forth in the statute are satisfied.†With Mr. Bevins being the appointed guardian, it gives him the right to make the decisions on his wife’s behalf. Since there is uncertainty as to whether Lydia can make her own decisions, the doctors would have to confirm that Lydia is no longer capable of making decisions for herself before this right can be enacte d.It is critical that the physician determines whether Lydia is incapacitated and that her treatment is ineffectual before any life support decisions can be made. If it is found that Lydia is capable of making her own decision, she would need to give informed consent for any procedures or withdrawals of treatment. When the physician determines that Lydia is incapacitated and that treatment is ineffectual, there are three options to consider. The first option would be to continue with the current active treatment

The Global Car Industry Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Global Car Industry Case Study - Essay Example In developing countries, governments are seen to strongly favor the development of the car industry as it generates revenue through taxes and employment. China and India's political sectors are seen to expand their infrastructure in order to support industrialization and the higher demand for durables such as cars. However, in industrialized economies with population having larger purchasing powers, governments are more concerned with the pressing issues of sustainable development and environmental preservation. Economic: The difference in the economic situation of various nations will be having different effects on the markets of the global car industry. The United States is forecasted to outpace the Euro Zone in terms of economic growth while the whole Asia Pacific will be experiencing robust growth except for Japan. In general, it should be noted that "growth and wage levels are expected to be slower in the real terms in the immediate future." This, in turn, can lead to low consumer confidence which is expected to suppress demand for new cars while encouraging the retention of old ones or turning to the second hand market. This bleak outlook is even coupled with the fact that most countries are employing tighter policy measures which squeezes the consumers' disposable income through higher taxation schemes. Social: One of the social factors which have a high impact in c...However, this level of nationalism is expected to be eroded by the subsequent increase in education, travel, and integration. Technological: Technological developments have greatly contributed to the improvements in process, design, and efficiency of car manufacturers. It is expected that technological innovations in the global auto industry will focus on reducing the environmental hazards and pollution caused by emissions. Fuel cell technology will also become the most important issue for car manufacturers. The widespread use and popularity of using robots in production will also affect the labor preference of auto makers.Environmental: Environmental issues are increasingly becoming important in the decisions and operations of car manufacturers worldwide. It is expected that environmental concerns will force automakers to concentrate their efforts in producing cars with less emissions. Legal: Currently, there are no legal issues and concerns faced by the global car industry. However, it can also be expected that automakers will be faced with the issues of sovereignty in light of the increasing globalization. 5-Forces Model of Competition Barriers to Entry/Exit: Moderate The barriers to entry in the global car industry are high due to high costs of initial investment, required aggressive marketing strategy to combat incumbents, and required high costs of research and development. However, this is balanced by the encouragement of the foreign direct investments in major markets like China and India through fiscal incentives. In Russia, the barrier to entry is quite high because of the policies put in place by the state.        

Development of Teaching Strategies Research Paper

Development of Teaching Strategies - Research Paper Example While developing a teaching strategy, some of the points that must be considered include but are not limited to the objectives of teaching and its learning outcomes, the needs of students, the desires of students, the previous experience of the students as learners and the strategies of teaching that they are used to, the expertise of the teacher, the resources available to the teacher, and the possible impact of the adjustments made in the teaching method on the teacher. This paper discusses the development of teaching strategies. Fundamentals of Effective Teaching Significance of subject in the teaching strategy Developing an effective teaching strategy is integrally linked with the subject that needs to be taught. Learning needs differ from one subject to another. On one hand, there are subjects that are entirely theoretical e.g. history, politics, and philosophy whereas on the other hand, there are subjects that are mathematical e.g. math and physics etcetera. There is also a thi rd category of subjects that are both theoretical and mathematical simultaneously depending upon the course selected for that subject e.g. risk management. To be able to impart maximum knowledge to the students, it is imperative that a teacher assesses the individualistic needs of the subject being taught. For instance, developing a teaching strategy for the subject of â€Å"History† might not require a teacher to take the students on a field visit because most of the knowledge is essentially gained merely by reading the books whereas for the subject of â€Å"Geology†, a teacher might never consider the job done unless the students have been taken to a field visit and have been provided with an opportunity to see, touch, and feel the rocks, minerals, and metals that constitute a particular strata of Earth. Equal attention While teaching, it is the moral and ethical responsibility of a teacher to provide all students with equal attention. Disparity in the division of at tention of a teacher among the students is one of the causes of poor academic performance of certain students; the ones that are neglected or not sufficiently attended to. â€Å"In this task, teachers are crucial because of the central role they play in promoting participation and reducing underachievement, particularly with children who might be perceived as having difficulties in learning† (Rouse 1). (McGhie-Richmond, Underwood, and Jordan) carried out a study to investigate the skills required for effective teaching in the elementary teachers in the inclusive classrooms. The researchers’ objective was to find out if the appearance of the constructivist skills follows from or is independent of the mastery of more transmissive behaviors of teaching. The researchers found that the patterns of behaviors of teaching were consistent across the students, though the academically ‘at risk’ students were found to be receiving differentiated instruction and less a ttention of the teacher as compared to other students. Differentiated teaching The term â€Å"differentiated teaching† means planning of ways by the teachers to address differences in such factors as age, culture, profile of multiple intelligences, ethnicity, temperament, personality style, development and possible delays in development, and styles of learning of

Use of Music in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Use of Music in Marketing - Essay Example This essay "Use of music in marketing" outlines the role of music in the advertising. The music creates the association between sound and product's image in the consumers' minds. People buying certain brand in the XXI century do not need just a brand, they also want emotional connection with it and they want to make sure that this brand will speak of them to other people. And emotional feedback from the act of purchase is possible only when the advertisement has created buzz and excitement in advance. So commercials with the right music can guarantee three important things to consumers: identity with the product, engagement, and currency of the marketing situation. Music can be that last step helping the brand to draw attention of the customers and stick in their memory. Moreover, with the help of music it is possible to provide consumers with the content to examine and share (Olenski, 2014). Whenever there are emotions involved people start speaking about artistic approach. That is how choosing the right music has become a special kind of art in marketing. Music as a universal language can speak to all layers of the audience and be understood without words. Music instantly gives a full of scope of information about the main characteristics of the product: for example, if a company is launching a completely new product they may introduce a fresh band in their commercial to be associated with coolness and innovations. Music appeals to a more profound level of information processing-emotions.

Week 7 Assginment--Business Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Week 7 Assginment--Business Report - Assignment Example First of all Outsourcing decision depends on the company as a whole, when a company wants to lower the costs by associating with the third party to make the better usage of company’s land, labor, capital, technology and its resources, time and energy. The term Outsourcing is becoming more common in the business world, nowadays. Even, there are some companies in which the entire information management is outsourced. The Companies are outsourcing to fully focus on the core process of their business, by consuming time to provide their best services to external agencies. Outsourcing also allows a company to free their most of the internal resources, which can be easily used for other purposes. The research has shown that sometimes the internal resources of a company get short, where outsourcing helps them to avail the required resources within the company. although in several cases the company finds it much difficult to manage particular functions related to the production, theref ore companies outsource by delegating the powers to the third party to manage and control the functions performed. The functions performed by the third party could be beneficial for the business. We have come to know that the Companies are also outsourcing to cut down the risk factors involved with their production or services. Outsourcing even helps a company to realize the benefits of re-engineering. Outsourcing also enables the companies to expand more in new market areas, where they can easily fasten their delivery to the end users. The research has proved that however, outsourcing provides much profit to the organizations, they need to endure. (The Top 10 Reasons To Outsource) When outsourcing you should know what advantages it can provide to your business. The research has analyzed several advantages. Some of them we will discuss. The research has shown that when a rapid growth period hits a company, the back-office operations of a

NY Courts Gov Attorneys Grievance Complaint Assignment

NY Courts Gov Attorneys Grievance Complaint - Assignment Example The website is quite informative in the role of Disciplinary and Grievances Committee and the areas where one can lodge complain in case of a dispute. It gives the location of the office and the jurisdiction of those offices. This would help clients from visiting the wrong office which cannot handle their dispute case. Nevertheless, the client should be advised on the procedures detailing the time-frame which complains should be heard and the kind of cases that the committee can handle. Website 1 is best structured compared to the rest. Navigation over the website is quite easy. The information is also detailed and organized in a coherent manner whereby when one goes through the webpage, it is easier to learn what it is all about. The language used also is devoid of technical words that might lead to the clients not understanding or understanding the wrong thing. Simply put, it is easy to understand. The user-interface is also both appealing and simple thus making it

Comparison of The Speckled Band and Lamb to the Slaughter Essay Example for Free

Comparison of The Speckled Band and Lamb to the Slaughter Essay In this essay I will be comparing the two stories The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl. The Speckled Band was written in 1892.This was in The Victorian Period when people had very little faith in the Police and Conan Doyle needed to create a Detective who always got everything right so that the public started to believe the Police could actually get it right. It was first published in a magazine called The Strand in weekly episodes so to a certain extent he needed to keep his readers interested as well which is why the plot is so complicated. The plot is about a woman called Helen Stoner who is going to get married, but someone or something murders her sister who also was supposed to get married. Helen Stoner goes to see Sherlock Holmes to see if he can help solve the crime. The plot is full of twists and red herrings that is up to the reader to try and solve as they go along but as always Sherlock Holmes works out the significance of everything and solves the crime. Lamb to the Slaughter was written in 1954by Roald Dahl. This story was also published in a magazine called Harpers but was written to be read in one go so it does not have the complicated layout of Conan Doyles story. Instead the reader knows exactly what is going on form the start of the story and the ending is shocking and designed to entertain and horrify. It was written by Dahl to show how women at the time were a lot more powerful than the men gave them credit for and should be respected more than being at home , pregnant. The plot is about a modern couple that seem to be falling out. Mary Maloney is the perfect 1950s housewife who makes dinner and cleans, but one day when her husband (Patrick Maloney) comes home from work they have an argument. Mary loses her temper with Patrick and hits him over the head with a leg of lamb and accidentally kills him. In a panic she phones the police and puts the leg of lamb in the oven to cook for dinner. When the police arrive she persuades them to eat the lamb because it would be a waste of food. In the end the police eat the evidence and Mary didnt get caught. Dahl uses comic irony at the end to engage the reader as Mary sits there laughing about what she has done; you dont imagine her to do this as a middle class housewife. The times that these stories are set in are both very different. Like travel, in The Speckled Band. They travel by horse and cart but in Lamb to the Slaughter trey use car or foot just like in the modern day. For communication the people in 1892 would have to write or go and see the person they wanted to talk to but in 1954 they would have used the telephone. Also in 1892 they did not have much electricity so they used candles instead of light, whereas in 1954 they had lots of electricity. In 1892 the women would have worn veils and long skirts but in 1954 they would have they would have worn jeans, t-shirt etc. in 1892 rich families would lived in large houses with servants but in the modern day most families are middle classed and do not have the money for servants etc. When there was an enquiry in 1892 the detectives would have had to use their own knowledge to solve crimes but in 1954 they would use fingerprints, evidence etc to solve the crimes. The language used in The Speckled Band was old fashioned and very formal like when Sherlock Holmes says Very sorry to knock you up Watson, said he, but its the common lot this morning. He also says things like Mrs Hudson has been knocked up, she reported upon me, and I on you. This isnt the kind of language we would use in the modern day and proves that it is set in 1892. However in Lamb to the Slaughter there was a lot of slang and it was not as formal. Like when Mary says Hullo darling. And Hullo Sam to the grocer. However the way she speaks to Sam the grocer proves it was set in the 1950s and not in any other time because we would not know the person in the corner shops first name today but it was common in the 1950s to be friendly with them. In The Speckled Band Sherlock Holmes is the main character. He is a famous detective and solves difficult cases. Conan Doyle invented him because people in the Victorian times were fed with the fact that the police could not solve any crimes and he wanted a character that always got everything right. However in Lamb to the Slaughter there were police who are good at solving cases but wouldnt be able to solve them without any evidence and they are very arrogant and treat Mary as a silly woman when in fact she is the person who has tricked them and been the murderer. Dahl does this to shock his readers and make it even more dramatic which Conan Doyle would not want to do because they needed to trust their detective! In The Speckled Band the killer was a snake that had been hypnotised by Helen Stoners stepfather, but all the way through the story he is a suspect and he acts suspiciously like when Helen goes to visit Sherlock Holmes to tell him what has been going on, shortly after she leaves her stepfather came in asking if she has been here. It seemed like he had something to hide, but in the end it had nothing to do with him. In Lamb to the Slaughter Mary seems like a nice, gentle woman who feels that she has to help out. Like when she says, Darling, shall I get your slippers? but after the police eat the evidence she laughs so I think he whole issue hade made her go a bit insane. At the beginning of the story you didnt expect it from her because she just seems like a normal, average wife like when it said about She took his coat and hung it in the closet. and when it said She was sat back again in her chair with the sewing. The scene seems too realistic for something bad to happen. In The Speckled Band the victim was Helen Stoners sister because there was nothing anyone could do to save her; this made the readers feel very sorry for her. The next victim was Helen Stoner and because nobody knew what killed her sister it seemed that she needed protection. I would expect someone like her to be the next victim because she is a woman who has done nothing wrong and is innocent. I dont think her or her sister deserved to be the victims because they are both just happy and normal people. In Lamb to the Slaughter you dont feel sorry for Patrick because he is being horrible to Mary and you feel automatically on her side from the beginning. I think he deserved to be upset but not killed because they are just having a falling out. The Speckled Band is set in Stoke Moran, which is Helens stepfather house. Sherlock Holmes is investigating the house. I think it is a good setting for a murder to take place and because its a very big house which makes it creepier for the reader because you dont know what is doing the killings. Lamb to the Slaughter is set in Mary Maloneys house. I think the way the author has described it makes it sound very realistic, like when he says, The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight. This makes the room sound cosy and like it really exists. You can really picture the scenery. I also think its a good setting for a murder because you can imagine it happening there. I think I would expect it because so many crimes in real life have been taken place in houses. Out of the two stories I preferred Lamb to the Slaughter because it is easier to understand and keeps you interested all the way though with the description it uses. I disliked the other story because the speaking parts dragged on to long and I did really just want to get on and find out what happens.

Risk for depression and suicide in servicemen

Risk for depression and suicide in servicemen Depressive Disorder:Â  The Struggle of Our Nation’s Sons Abstract This paper discusses the causes and risk of depressive disorder developing amongst Full-Time National Servicemen and the possible risk of suicide ideation. The predicted outcome was that the cause of depressive disorder developing amongst Full-Time National Servicemen is associated with the influence their upbringing have in relation to how they cope with hardship. Survey result have proved that minor symptoms of depression is developing amongst most of the Full-Time National Servicemen but do not show signs of suicide ideation. In the discussion segment, several psychological theories will explain and validate the reasons to why Full-Time National Servicemen who are facing hardship have developed minor to even severe symptoms of depressive disorder. In conclusion, the causes are associated with the upbringing of an individual and the lack of fulfilment in various needs. Depressive Disorder: The struggle of our nation’s sons Singapore, minuscular yet strong and striving country that has gained recognition amongst the colossal shadow of nations with history dating far beyond what our young nation has. How did a nation so young acquire such stability in less than a century? The answer, ‘Military Force’ and no, it does not just refer to military prowess but also the transition of boys to men. Singaporeans are familiar with the term ‘National Service’, to serve as a Full Time National Servicemen (NSFs) in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) or the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for two year service period at the age of eighteen. It is a fearful yet enlightening process for the young sons of the nation, being given the responsibility to serve and protect the nation is no easy feat. As such, they are provided vigorous training that puts their mind and body to the test, pushing them to their limits to promote growth in both physical and mental capabilit y. For most, the process of going through National Service are filled with obstacles surpassing anything they have experienced, having to cope with their physical training, their mental aptitude being tested while juggling responsibilities of their individual roles amongst their friends, family and loved ones. Depressive Disorder has been a serious health problem all around the world; this does not exclude Singapore, as one in 17 people in Singapore having suffered with Major Depressive Disorder at least once in their lifetime. In the recent years, there has been several suicide cases involving Full-Time National Servicemen and with depressive disorder and suicide rates on the rise, extra attention should also be given to our nation’s sons who are going through hardships in order to keep the nation safe. Depressive Disorder In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (APA, 2013), Depressive Disorder is as described: Depression comes in various forms but one common feature is that they share similar features such as presence of sadness, emptiness, irritable mood while having significant cognitive changes that affects a person’s ability to function. The only difference is the duration, timing, and the cause of it. (pp. 155). During the fifty fourth World Health Assembly held by the World Health Organization and the ministers of health, it is stated in the report that depression is in the fourth position amongst the ten leading causes of global burden of disease and is expected to rise to the second place by the year 2020, World Health Organisation (WHO, 2001). This report reflects how common depression is and the seriousness of this mental disorder is not something to be taken lightly, considering that most of the people who commit suicide are also clinically depressed, (WHO, 2001). A study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) shows that Major Depressive Disorder emerged as one of the top three mental illnesses along with Alcohol abuse and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, with one in 17 people in Singapore have suffered from Major Depressive Disorder at some point in their lifetime and majority of it occurred by the age of 29 while most of those who were affected weren’t seeking help, (IMH, 2013). Suicide In a recent statistical report retrieved from the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) for National suicide rate reflected that in the year 2012, the total suicide rate was at the all-time high rate since 1992, hitting the total of 467 and 298 of them were males, (SOS, 2013). Having more than half of the fatality being males also reflects how vulnerable Full-Time National Servicemen are to suicide ideation and the steadily increasing suicidal rate in Singapore as well as on the global scale. During a Parliament Question and Answer segment in the year 2013, it is reported that a based on a local research study from the year 2000 to 2004 showed that a third of the total suicide population because of relationship problems and another third was associated with financial or employment concerns, (Ministry of Health (MOH) Singapore, 2013) Gender According to research study, based on gender, females are more likely to develop depression as compared to males, in the ratio of two females to one male; the male population has a higher percentile of completing suicide as compared to females. (Kua EH, Mahendran R, Fung D, 2002), Risk Factors Several of the risk factors for depression could be triggered by challenging life events such as relationship issues, financial difficulties, physical illnesses, unemployment, lack of support and loss of loved one, all which can be associated with Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s theory revolves around human motivation and the Hierarchy of Needs is made up of a pyramid that is divided into several segments such as Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization needs, (Maslow, 1943). With the lack of fulfilment or rather, a lack of motivation, one could result in a state of depression. Due to the limited case study, literature review and research study of depressive disorder amongst Full-Time National Servicemen in Singapore, the purpose of the research study is to create awareness to the general public about depressive disorder amongst Full-Time National Servicemen as well as identifying the causes amongst the servicemen population. This would then hope to result in a reduced number of suicidal cases amongst our Nation’s sons. I predicted that this research study will be able to validate my assumption that the causes of depression amongst Full-Time National Servicemen is due to the environment they grew up in and their inability to cope with various roles and issues while going through the tough changes in environment during National Service. Full-Time National Servicemen are also not receiving enough attention in regards to mental health care even though they are significantly more vulnerable to developing depressive disorder whilst going through National Service which also relates to the increased risk of possible suicidal cases in the future. Methods Participants There are a total of 16 participants, all whom are male and were either still in their Full-Time National Service period or have recently completed their national service. Design An online survey was conducted using SurveyFace, an online survey tool. The survey is structured in a way that majority of the questions being closed ended, whereas the open ended questions are meant for participants to provide qualitative information in relevance to the question. The link was then shared through online social networking , Facebook. The topic of the survey was omitted to prevent participants from being hesitant towards a potentially sensitive subject such as depression. Procedure Participants consist of netizens, who had met the criteria stated on the survey link volunteered to participate in the survey by clicking the link posted on social networking site, Facebook. There are a total of 14 questions and responses are available as either individual forms or overall summary of responses. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes depending on individuals. Not all answers were required to answer and open ended answers vary in length depending on the participant. Results According to the results, slightly more than half of the participants had their expectation met about how National Service is going to be and majority of the total respondents found that their experience as a Full-Time National Servicemen is positive and beneficial. Results also indicates that more than half of the respondents associate the toughness of National Service with how they were brought while almost half of the respondents found it easier to cope with issues during National Service as compared to life as a civilian. More than two handfuls of respondents had negative past experiences that would manifest itself during times of hardship yet only a handful of the respondent’s issue were recurrent. Based on the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, respondents attributed that the lack Self-Actualization is the leading cause of issues during National Service whereas Love and belonging needs and Esteem needs are tied at second. Based on the results, Majority of the respondents had also indicated to have at least one of the mild symptoms of depression and of the ten, eight also showed moderate symptoms of depression while five of them also have severe symptoms of depression. Results also reflected that majority of the respondents felt that the Singapore Armed Forces should provide more attention to Full-Time National Servicemen’s mental health. Half of the total respondents were provided by the SAF with means to cope with emotional distress while the other half did not. Less than a third of the respondents received mental health state evaluation from their superiors while almost all of the respondents felt that it is recommended that superiors conduct a mental assessment of Full-Time National Servicemen on a daily basis. Discussion According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory in regards to the causes behind ‘melancholia’ or presently known as clinical depression, is the result of a surplus of pleasure in the society and the state of civilization itself (Freud, 1929). When a state of pleasure is prolonged, it would only produce a feeling of mild contentment, in other words with Singapore being one of the safest country, providing quality living for most, individuals have the tendency to be complacent about how privileged they are. They who grew up having what they want most of their life and not having gone through hardships during their early childhood developmental stage will have a hard time in the future, especially during National Service when one has to leave their comfort zone, experiencing hardships surpassing what most have gone through. For most part of the hypothesis was supported that majority of the Full-Time National Servicemen found that their upbringing contributed to how they perceive National Service and the intensity of the toughness that they experience as well as finding it harder to cope with issues while doing their National Service as compared to as when they were civilians. This could be explained through Bowlby’s Attachment theory which states that one’s early childhood experience has a significant amount of influence on the behaviour and development in the future (Bowlby, 1988) Most of the male population in Singapore have heard of stories about National Service, comparing how tough National Service used to be for the older generation and how blessed the younger generations are because of the vast improvement to the system and facilities. The younger generation are indeed having it easy now, even having the opportunity to bring along smart phones into their respective camps. Superiors are also more humane as compared to the olden days where punishment seemed to have no limits, from kissing the tree to having an endless march into the late night, pushing individuals to their physical and mental limit. Through all the hardships, there will be moments when individuals are put into a depressive state, feeling empty, sad, having irritable mood, accompanied by changes in the thinking process that could influence one’s ability to function. These are all common experience which everyone goes through at some point of their life but most do not know that these are also few of the various symptoms of depressive disorder which are stated in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (APA, 2013). Because of this reason, people often overlook the severity of early identification of individuals who may be well on the way at developing a full fledge clinical depression. Freud’s concept of overexposure, based on the pleasure principle, can offer one explanation for the prevalence of depression in developed countries. According to this theory, pleasure is, on one hand, omnipresent, and on the other, unattainable, as we have become almost deadened to the experience Problems of daily life does not simply vanish during times of hardship, instead, to those going through National Service, it may seem to blow out of proportion. Not having time to rectify the issues of their life outside of National Service due to the intense trainings, and the freedom of going home daily is something only a few are privileged with. Many NSF are burdened with the responsibility of their various role as an individual, be it as a son, brother, friend, boyfriend or even spouse to others while going through their National Service. With depression on the rise, the increased suicide rate would increase as well. Though there aren’t many recorded cases of suicide amongst National Servicemen, it does not mean that the intentions aren’t there. When an individual has suicidal thought, it only requires a moment of impulse to attempt suicide and in the worst case scenario, it may lead to death. Providing necessary care to individuals who are showing early symptoms o f depression is important as to prevent it from escalating into a more serious condition. Full-Time National Servicemen has also acknowledged that they are not receiving enough mental health concern as compared to physical health due to the lack of systems that look into individuals who may be emotional distress. This could be because as a member of the military force, they would expect soldiers to be able to have the physical capacity that allows them to perform task needed for survival during times of war but due to the intensity of the training, many may have failed to cope with the stress that comes along with it hence resulting in a state of emotional vulnerability. Only a few have stated that buddy systems are introduced during Basic Military Training (BMT) which offers individuals at least a partner to confide in when facing emotional distress but as soon as they get posted into their units, there seem to be a complete lack of system that could offer Full-Time National Servicemen the means to cope with emotional distress such as counselling service, suicide hotline and even the buddy system isn’t implemented. With the lack of such system, Full-Time National Servicemen have a higher risk of having their depressive symptoms overlook and may develop depressive disorder and in the worst case scenario, result in suicidal attempts. Conclusion In conclusion, the overall results has supported my prediction that an individual’s upbringing has significant impact on how they would perceive experiences in the future and their ability to cope with issues were negatively affected during their national service as compared their life as civilians. However, contrary to what I have predicted, results have shown the lack of support in regards to Full-Time National Servicemen having any form of suicide intention or ideation. This may have been because regardless of how tough National Service is to most, they would still regard it as a positive experience and a necessary phase in their life. Depression may still be on the rise and results have also reflected on how common depression is amongst the Full-Time National Servicemen, they do not show sign of suicide ideation which shows that it is still not too late to provide preventive measures in assuring that Full-Time National Servicemen are receiving sufficient attention to their mental health. By implementing a system that seeks to assure that Full-Time National Servicemen are receiving ample attention in regards to their mental health, it could greatly reduce the risk of depressive disorder from developing and would result in the vast improvement in the overall performance by the servicemen protecting our nation. Limitations The research has several limitations. Due to having past experience as a Full-Time National Servicemen, several questions may have contained biasedness and prediction was made with the aid of my past experience. The research study did not include participant’s ethnic group and religion hence losing out precious viewpoints in that aspect as Singapore is a multiracial country. Future Research A personal interview would have provided greater depth in information and may have contributed crucial information which the survey question could not gather. Personal interview would also allow participants to voice out areas of improvement in relevance to the topic that may have been omitted during the progress of study. Implications If there was a system that allowed superiors to conduct a daily check on Full-Time National Servicemen mental condition, it could greatly reduce the risk of depression from developing further and could save many lives just by identifying the individuals with early symptoms and providing them with therapy. Reference American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-child development and healthy human development. Kua, E.H., Fung, D., Mahendran, R. (n.d.). Mind Matters. Freud, S. (1929). Civilization and its Discontents. Institute of Mental Health. (10 October, 2013). Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved 28 January, 2014, from Institute of Mental Health Web Site: http://www.imh.com.sg/uploadedFiles/Newsroom/News_Releases/SMHS news release.pdf Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review. Mental Health: A Call for Action by World Health Ministers: Ministerial Round Tables 2001, 54th World Health Assembly. (2001). World Health Organisation. Ministry of Health (MOH) Singapore. (16 September, 2013). Retrieved 29 January, 2014, from Ministry of Health Web site: http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/pressRoom/Parliamentary_QA/2013/suicides-in-singapore-.html Samaritans of Singapore. (July, 2013). Retrieved 28 January, 2014, from Samaritans of Singapore Web site: http://www.samaritans.org.sg/National-Statistics.pdf