The Way I Perceive the Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Way I Perceive the Evil - Essay Example (Chan, 1996)Â  Ancient civilizations of Greek and Rome have also developed the concepts about good and evil, where bravery, generosity, wisdom and physical strength etc were the signs of goodness, while deceit, voracity, pride and treachery etc were regarded as evil deeds. (Thomas & Thomas, 2002) Hence, the feelings and actions causing harm to others were evil, while the activities observed with positive intention and welfare of others were thought to be good. Theories were articulated and laws were introduced to save human societies from harm (and evil). I, personally, have developed some concept of evil and its activities in my social and natural surroundings, in the light of my knowledge about the same in the light of religious belief and philosophical theories on the one hand, and in the light of my interaction with my social environment on the other. The evil is, in my view, presents in every human society from the very beginning of the life on the earth, which assures its exis tence through its condemnable actions and disgraceful intentions. I have also developed belief in the Nature theory of good and evil that the evil and criminals (or evils) enter the world with innate characteristics of committing offences and getting indulged into perversions and deviancies of various kinds; the same can be witnessed in Lombroso’s theory, which observes similarity in the shape of the skull, eyes, jaws and bones of the offenders. (Vedder et al., 1976) The offenders, in my opinion, commit crimes and hurt others because of pecuniary gains and social, financial and political benefits on the one hand, and for their amusement and recreational purposes on the other, due to the very reality that they feel happy on finding others in trouble and desolation. Somehow, the theorists present different motifs behind harming the fellow-beings. I strongly maintain unflinching faith in the very notion that evil is practiced because of the devil’s committer’s fals e belief that he is justified in hurting the weak and innocent individuals either under some command or instinct or just for the sake of pleasure; Kekes, Acorn, St. Augustine, Kant and Milton also assert the same to one level or the other (Adolf, 2006: 13-15). Kekes declares the offender as sadist, which seeks mental or sexual gratification by hurting the helpless. On the other hand, Acorn argues that people practice cruelty and torture on others due to the very fact that they are amused and entertained out of the cries and moaning of others. Similarly, St. Augustine writes that people do bad things in the pursuit of an apparent good. Thus, these distinguished intellectuals are in consensus on the notion that harm is inflicted on others in pursuit of one’s personal gratification. However, eminent English poet of all times John Milton submits to state the satanic forces inflict sufferings out of envy and jealousy against the powers of good and virtue. Additionally, Kant takes evil as the way in which morality is corrupted by desire. In simple words, human desires corrupt and destroy moral values prevailing within the social establishment. (Alford, 2006:16) I also agree with the precious scholarly views of these intellectuals,

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement Research Paper

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement - Research Paper Example Physical education and academic performance The direct implications of physical education on academic performance of students have been established by several researchers. One of the first studies analyzing the impact of physical activity on the academic performance of students was done by (Fourestier, 1962). This study included a small group of students from France. The sample population which underwent physical education in the afternoon after the forenoon’s sessions within the classroom was reported to have improved academic performance in comparison with the control group which didn’t undergo physical education (Fourestier, 1962). Though this study included only a small sample size and the methodology has not been detailed in the literature available, this has been indicated as one of the first studies in this research area. Another larger study which was conducted in 1970s has been recorded by Sallis et al (1999). This included 546 primary school children and confi rmed that those students who continuously engaged in five hours of physical education in a week performed better academically. This study has also analyzed the changing impacts of extent of physical education as the control population was constituted of children who had a limited exposure of 40 minutes of physical education per week Sallis et al (1999). ... Shephard (1997) reported that there was significant improvement in the mathematics score of students who underwent physical education for 5 hours a week. However, there were negative consequences in terms of scores in English. It is worth noting here that 33 minutes were reduced in the mathematics instruction while no hours were taken off from English teaching Shephard (1997). Raviv & Hectch (1999) recorded that physical movement education considerably improved the reading skills and the arithmetic test scores of students in an intervention made in an Israel school involving 92 preschool and 266 first grade children. More recent studies also suggest promising correlation between academic performance and physical education. Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006) conducted an interventional study amongst 6th grade students which included fifty five minutes of physical education per day as an intervention. This intervention in terms of time was equivalent to that of the time slot for arts and computer sciences. The observations of this study indicated that these students performed as good as the control population in mathematics, science and English Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006). The results of the Canadian Achievement Test revealed that even with decrease in academic time the academic performance of the sample population remained the same (Ahamed, Macdonald, Reed, Naylor, Liu-Ambrose & McKay, 2007). There are few studies which have suggested negative implications of Physical Education on academic achievements. Tremblay, Inman & Willms (2000) observed inverse association with academic performance in students of 11 years. This study is worth mentioning because of its large sample size. The research covered close to 7000 students as the

Musical Instruments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Musical Instruments - Essay Example It will concentrate on their distinction and similarities in terms of structure, performance techniques, occasion when they are played, and their historical context. The origin of the Arabic oud is often associated with Biblical history. A myth tells the story of Lamech, the sixth grandson of Adam who is extremely grieved by the death of his son. Thus, being unable to contain his grief, he hung his son's remains in a tree. The first oud is said to have been inspired from the shape of Lamech's desiccated skeleton (Parfitt 2). The Arabic oud is described as a pear-shaped, stringed instrument similar to lute which is commonly used in Middle Eastern music (Oud 1). It should be noted that both the oud and the lute are derived from the Arabic term al-ud which is literally translated as "wood." Gianfranco Lotti also suggests that "the 'wood' appellation originally carried derogatory connotations, because of proscriptions of all instrumental music in early Islam (Oud 2)." The exact date when the oud is created can never be accurately determined. However, evidence showing the earliest usage of this musical instrument dates back to the Uruk period in Southern Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) which is 5000 years ago. Dr. Dominique Collon acquired a cylinder seal which shows the picture of a "female crouching with her instruments upon a boat, playing right handed" (Parfitt 3). It should be noted that aside from this pictorial record, the oud appears all throughout the Mesopatamian history highlighting its importance in the civilization and culture. Throughout time, the original structure of the oud has been rather modified due to the social changes. The oud is consists of a "large soundbox connected to a short neck, features that give it its letters patent of nobility and distinguished it from the long-necked lute family" (Parfitt 4). The body of the oud which is originally pear-shaped has been transformed into a more swelling and rounded one. Since the oud is used by many countries, its structure also varies with according to its regional origin. There are three varieties of Arabic ouds: Syrian which are slightly larger, longer-necked, and lower in pitch; Iraqi which are generally similar to Syrian oud but with floating bridges which focuses the mid-range frequencies and gives the instruments a guitar-like sound; and Egyptian which has a more-pear shaped body, slightly different tone, very ornate, and highly decorated (Oud 4). However, amidst the differences and variations which appeared, the Arabic oud still has distinct and defining features that separate it from other musical instruments. Compared to other stringed instruments, the Arabic oud is distinctive because of the number of its sound-holes. The oud generally has one to three sound-holes. Furthermore, the ouds body contains a staved, bow-like back which resembles the back of half watermelon allowing it to resonate and produce a more complex tone. The Arabic oud also has a pegbox which is bent at 45-90 angle from its neck. This musical instrument is also distinctive because of its eleven strings. It should be noted that the first ten are arranged in pairs while the eleventh remains single. The Arabic oud, is also differentiated from other plucked instruments because

Credit-Default Swaps and the Fate of AIG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Credit-Default Swaps and the Fate of AIG - Essay Example The buyers of the credit mechanisms in most a cases are investors and the process of purchasing bond from the seller are comparable to the purchasing an indemnity contract (Rottleb, 2009). The payment done by the investor is characterized of it plagiaristic form that is always used as tradable security to the organization in question. The â€Å"Naked† credit default swaps are when an individual with no experience in dealing with CDS purchase the CDS protecting if from declining because of the upheavals in the economic conditions of the country. Naked credits purchasers are individuals taking a bet of non-payment to be sold to be sold to an individual who is a need of protection against a mechanism default (Pe?rez, 2011). The importance of CDS can not be underrated. It gives investors a break though to predict the changes within a default mechanisms or market catalogues to take suitable decisions regarding purchasing or selling CDS. An example is that an investor may profit to accrue proceeds from the excess of credit default swap from ‘basis trade’, since it combines various default mechanism with the cash bonds of an organization. The mechanism also opens up other avenues for speculations. A saver is at liberty in laying promises to take charge of a bond by promising the seller that he or she is fully liable incase of eventuality of a drop of CDS. An example is when a company A has certainty that company B is going to decline. It purchases bonds of unknown worth from the company to shield it against company C that was waiting to take over the assets of C on its fall. The CDS has the terms of its contract stipulated in the, in the ‘The International Swap and Derivates operation‘. The terms entail the deadline for protection of an organization from declining. Secondly, the terms also spell out the computation mechanisms to apply in determining the effectiveness off administrative function used on the transactions. Lastly, the term s also spell out the structure of the credit event that will lead to the payments of the cash used to insure an organization (Boberski, 2009). There are 2 forms of settlement for CDS associated with the settlement of the mechanisms are Physical or cash settlement. Physical Settlement and Cash Settlement Physical payment is the payment made by an investor to buys bonds to protect them from declining. The buyer investor pays the seller par value of the sold CDS. Cash settlement is the settlement the retailer pays the purchaser the variation par value of the CDS bought by a buyer or an investor. Synthetic Credit Default This is a debt that is taken with provision of security to acts as collateral for the debt taken. The debt taken is invested in other channels like CDS. Synthetic swap are based on the risk individuals take. The cons of synthetic CDS far outweigh its pros; thus it is not efficient. Disadvantages of Synthetic Credit Default Swap The use of synthetic CDS is not effective, since it is not given similar of financial support like the other available money souks because a risk taken by an individual will not be paid completely, rather the payments will be made in portions. Secondly, it requires different views from the stakeholders to

Short Literature Review and Project Specification Essay

Short Literature Review and Project Specification - Essay Example However, as yet no study has been conducted to verify the above claims of kiosk vendors. Using a kiosk system, the customers are relieved from standing in the queue for getting a product or service (Whitech Solutions, n.d.); rather they can use the self service feature that is provided by the kiosk system at POS sites to reduce the response time that is otherwise on a higher side in traditional systems. A company needs to adopt an organized approach for implementing a kiosk system at its POS sites. This strategic IT decision should be taken after careful analysis of costs and the perceived expected benefits of the implementation. The site, technology, type of kiosk to implement, the hardware and software requirements, the vendors and strategic partners for the implementation are needed to be identified well before the actual implementation gets underway. As with any strategic IT implementation, the Return On Investment (ROI) must be calculated for this decision as well. However, since a number of qualitative factors are involved in this scenario, it is relatively a bit difficult to do a quantitative analysis to determine the degree of effectiveness and efficiency that a kiosk will provide to the business. This inherent limitation requires the organization to apply a focused effort to carefully examine and evaluate different criteria that it believes will have an impact on the overa ll implementation. 1.3 Managing the Change Although it is believes that kiosks add value to the business, yet the implementation needs to be monitored and supervised. A great technology with great potential in a great market will be useless if there is lack of support for it by employees and customers (Mitra, 2007). The project should be appropriately managed taking the employees into confidence that there jobs will not be at stake once the new system gets implemented. In addition, they need to be assured that the new system will actually assist them in improving their performance; for instance, installing a self service kiosk at a retail store will reduce the queue at the till, thus allowing the customer service personnel to give more time to each customer, and improve the quality of customer service; which will ultimately be reflected in his/her appraisal. 1.4 Benefits of Kiosk Implementations Kiosks have been implemented in organizations of all sizes, forms and belonging to various industries (Harris, 2006, p.1). The goal of any kiosk implementation can range from more sales, improved services to customers, controlling human resource related cost overheads, and create customer loyalty by offering an attractive, fast and responsive self service technique. 1.5 Issues with Kiosk Implementat

Downgrade Warning Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Downgrade Warning - Term Paper Example According to the report ‘J.P. Morgan Tells Analysts To Warn of a Downgrade’ analysts independence is negatively affected when it needs to clearly communicate to the company and the client banker the reason behind specific stock recommendations. Analysts are warned from conducting negative research and some firms penalize investors for recommending sale options. †¢ What exactly does Peter Houghtons memo say? Does the memo say that analysts should compromise their independence? How does the memo raise questions about analysts independence? Does it make any difference whether "analysts arent pressured to change recommendations, but only to make factual changes"? Ans) The memo of Peter Houghton does not directly point to analysts’ independence. The memo states that analysts should consult the company and the client banker before making recommendations to an investor. Also the analyst should either accept the request of the research note recommended by the firm or should clearly communicate to the firm as to why it cannot follow those recommendations. Yes, there is difference between asking analyst to change recommendations and making factual changes. †¢ What are the "buy side" and "sell side"? Why might the "sell side" be unwilling to make "sell" recommendations on stocks? If the "buy side" has its own analysts, would the "buy side" ever look at "sell side" analysts reports? Ans) The ‘buy side’ and the ‘sell side’ are the two types of analysts. ‘Sell’ recommendation is considered as a part of negative research which affects the firm negatively so the sell recommendation on stocks is viewed in a negative manner. â€Å"Sell-side analysts typically work for full-service broker-dealers and make recommendations on the securities they cover. Buy-side analysts typically work for institutional money managers— that purchase securities for their own accounts† (Analyzing Analyst Recommendations para. 6). †¢ Why might "sell

Identifying the Intertwining Aspects of Free

Identifying the Intertwining Aspects of Freedom Essay To truly comprehend the depth of ones’ determination, a literary character-psychologist must take a step back and realign their perspective with various individualistic and public opinions. In my analysis of Richard Rodriguez’s: Hunger of Memory The Education of Richard Rodriguez and Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran I shall ponder the intricacies of several major themes associated within these controversial texts. In uncovering the underlying principles, we must first accept that there are intermingling concepts and themes. These themes and concepts are vital to the overall arguments found in each literary work. My analysis shall play a key role in evaluating how each piece plays its own role within the respective work. My diligent analysis shall ultimately focus on: the interweaving significance of self-identity, the essence behind a characters acceptance of public identity, the overwhelming drive to be successful in an ethnocentric society, the challenges associated with overcoming adversity, the complex vitality of ones’ definition of freedom(s), and finally the all-encompassing importance associated with education. My scrutiny of these works shall bring several sources into play in order to support the conclusions being drawn within this paper. Along with two literary works which emphasize the central themes expressed above, I shall be incorporating the movie, iRobot, one magazine article, one newspaper article, a reliable internet source, a singular case study, and lastly a peer interview into the scope of my paper. From the get-go, I shall seek to instill within the reader the acceptance that these themes are both an internalized as well as externalized challenge. We shall be uncovering how these changes affect different individuals on differing emotional, psychological, sociological, and physical levels. Let us proceed with comprehending the significance of how self-identity is formed on the part of our characters and how it affects our perspective of self-freedoms. Self-identity is essentially a private perspective being formed of how one reflects how they see themselves. Per Wikipedia, this self-concept is all about the â€Å"mental and conceptual understanding and persistent regard that sentient beings hold for their own existence† and is key to comprehending who you feel that you truly are on the inside. On the part of Richard Rodriguez, his self-perspective was one of true confusion where his â€Å"words could not stretch far enough to form complete thoughts† and his embarrassment â€Å"to hear (his) parents speak in public (where) their high-whining vowels and guttural consonants† was so unlike â€Å"the way gringos spoke† (14-15). Lost within his own misconceptions of American versus his Mexican immigrate status, he succumbed to being quiet, and timid. In his novel, he reflects that today he hears â€Å"bilingual educators say that children lose a degree of ‘individuality’ by becoming assimilated into public society† but they fail to see that assimilation has its benefits and is a necessity (26). This is because it eventually leads to a public individuality versus the private one; hence, isolation is less prevalent. Feeling secure within the world of books, he delved into reading and acquiring acknowledge as a means to understanding his essence. This tactic was one method of uncovering ones’ self-identity. The old saying that knowledge is power always plays an intricate role within a developing young mind and personality. For Rodriguez, this attainment of knowledge led to a greater comfort level in his sense of freedom. The case study from Economic Mobility of Immigrants in the United States from Economic Mobility Project states that â€Å"†¦second generation immigrants exceed the educational attainment of the first generation†¦(where) education is (considered) one vehicle that immigrants use to help their children get ahead. † This case study indicates that education is a determinant of wages and income in the United States, which Rodriguez had the early foresight to see. The bar graphs presented in this case study show that there is a definite correlation between those without an education from immigrants families and the amount of money they brought in weekly and annually. Because Rodriguez was socially disadvantaged, came from a family without an education, and characterized as lacking linguistic skills, he found himself literally tongue-tied in social environments. Instead he wisely shut himself off from the social world, and uncovered the monumental significance of learning material that children his age perhaps ignored. This level of sophistication created a self-identity tied to sophisticated thoughts and impressions. He indicates that he â€Å"felt that (he) had somehow committed a sin of betrayal by learning English† and though he acknowledges that he â€Å"turned to English with angry reluctance† he felt that his parents â€Å"encouraged (him) to learn English† (30). His social growth was stagnate at first by his overwhelming concern that people did not comprehend his immigrant status, but upon coming to terms with his ethnocentric background and westernization his self-awareness grew by leaps and bounds. As a â€Å"scholarship boy† (62) , he found himself literally memorizing words and phrases presented to students by their teachers. His self-identity became inter-wound with the idea of success, and this was â€Å"his primary reason for success in the classroom†¦(and) that schooling was changing and separating him from the life he enjoyed before becoming a student† (45). His drive for education enabled him to seek out new information and achieve successes that he might otherwise not have sought out. He has had the chance to incorporate his self-identity into an acceptance of his public one. His public identity was fashioned after society saw a well-educated Mexican immigrant who was driven by education and knowledge to pursue his dreams for higher education. Prior, the public had seen immigrants as mainly blue collar works with limited English linguistic skills and considered immigrants to be worthy of only remedial jobs. He reflects that â€Å"dark skin for my mother was the most important symbol of a life of oppressive labor and poverty†¦and the work (his) father found in San Francisco was work for the unskilled. A factory job†¦(where there was)†¦noise and heat.. and the dark stench of old urine† (119-120). These stories from his parents and awareness of blue collar jobs aided Rodriguez in his endeavors to educate himself; thus building a higher level of self-esteem that he otherwise would have lacked considering his preoccupation and concern that he was of immigrant status. His early and youthful withdraw from his family might be considered somewhat of a con, but in fact it showed him that his family in its way supported his desire to be successful and not become part of the blue collar workforce. His assimilation and learning of English lead to â€Å"diminished occasions of intimacy† at home because he â€Å"sensed the deepest truth about language and intimacy: Intimacy is not created by a particular language; it is created by intimacies† where this feeling arose because he used his public language, English, most of the day to move â€Å"easily† through society. (32) Through mature self-awareness he later became aware of the value associated with family and seemingly acknowledges that his family and immigrant background was like a reverse role model-ship. One example of this distance was when his father one day â€Å"opened a closet†¦and was startled to find me inside, reading a novel† (45) which was highly unusual and led to his family joking about what he â€Å"sees in (his) books†. This cultural adversity and mental hardships molded Rodriguez into a man who was ultimately virtuous, highly respected, successful, and knowledgeable. It also encouraged him to intellectually analyze material and find security in learning. This ethnocentric challenge to fit in is not unheard of for first generation children of immigrants. In reality, there are many immigrants from all over the world who come to America seeking to fulfill their hopes and dreams. Some come here under refugee status, some as students, others as H1 workers, and many as illegal immigrants. It is interesting that many have their own story and experience to tell about living in a foreign country. From my driving instructor, Victor Yang, I told that in Saudi Arabia they arrest both the driver and spouse of the driver if they were caught drinking while under the influence. You would think that only the guilty party would be affected, but in this manner the spouse too suffers. Therefore, the husband would probably feel less inclined to commit such a crime again as his loved ones too pay a penalty for violating the law. It might eliminate the freedom of the innocent, but for some it is the psychological and emotional embarrassment suffered by the guilty which limited the violations. I had the opportunity to work with a Muslim refugee from Bosnian who came to America as a teenager, and who was given the hard responsibility of caring for her one-armed mom whose left arm was blown off in the Bosnian marketplace, illiterate father, and young sister. She had to perform all the linguist responsibilities of obtaining paperwork, living space, find a job for her father, enrolling her kid sister in elementary school, running a household, and finally making her way through school. Her determination for education, her drive to live up to her own self-identity, her goals, and her insistence that the family not be on welfare lead to her having a successful job in corporate America. During my many conversations with her, I have heard how difficult it can be to insert your awareness of yourself and goals into a society which covertly favors Americans versus immigrants. Hers too is a story of triumph over adversity. Hers too is the story of many immigrants who faced identity hurdles, but stuck to their determination and knowledge-driven mindset. Her motto is â€Å"Always be self-driven and self-aware. † From my friend’s experiences as immigrant, I found myself curious as an American in uncovering if this â€Å"melting pot† was truly functional or fictional. One newspaper article that I ran into within the Washington Post, â€Å"America’s Racial and Ethnic Divides: Immigrants Shunning Idea of Assimilation† illustrates how a naturalized Mexican does not feel like she is American and she â€Å"resists the idea of assimilating into U. S. society (because she says) ‘I think I’m still Mexican†¦when my skin turns white and my hair turns blonde, then I’ll be an American†. From her external perspective and self-image, like Rodriguez had encountered, she is being differentiated by her skin color. The article points out that â€Å"it is no longer the melting pot that is transforming them, but they who are transforming American society. † Their inputs and idea of freedom and identity enable them to bring new perspectives and ideas into the American society; hence, the melting pot theory is invalid. We might consider it more to be a bowl of chili where every ingredient plays its own role in the end flavor. This ‘segmented assimilation, in which immigrants follow different paths to incorporation in U. S. society’ allows for immigrants to educate themselves and take advantage of opportunities and freedoms that they might not otherwise have. This also enables them to more easily face hurdles and complexities within their public identity. Richard Rodriguez found himself in a more difficult position because of his desire to not be defined as Mexican; which was his own self-identity in question.