Understanding Jazz Essays - Jazz Genres, African-American Music

Understanding Jazz Understanding Jazz A mellow vibration lingers throughout a smoke-filled room, as eloquent music escapes the callused fingers of relaxed musicians. The tempo speeds up and grows into a fusion of spontaneous and uneven chords, exploding with rhythmic soul and life. The sound of jazz embraces the room. Jazz is primarily a dazzling, spellbinding, introspective beauty. The musician and the listener find they can derive meaning from the music. The music exists first, and its meaning is defined later. When a jazz musician is improvising, he is spontaneously composing, and at that moment his music is completely subjective. He must imagine the future in his music. He cannot transcend the subjectivity of the improvisation because it is created while it is being played. Every performance is new, giving it a fresh and exciting twist. Life cascades from the music, giving it emotion. The audience can feel the depression of the blues, the hype of swing, the funk of bebop and hard bop, and the dazzle of numerous instruments. The coolness of jazz invades and captures the mind with brilliant originality. Jazz is the future of itself. What that means is that within each improvisation there the entire body of black music --- ancient to the present --- is at work. Jazz exists only in the present, be cause it is like Heraclitus' river --- it can never be played exactly the same way twice. If jazz has any purpose, it is a way to discover, to create, and to define a missing part within human beings of what it means to be human. In this sense, jazz could be called an existential art. Jazz musicians create their essence by playing jazz, as Eric Dolphy claimed: I'll never leave jazz. I've put too much of myself into jazz already, and I'm still trying to dig in deeper. Besides, in what other field could I get so complete a scope to self-expression? To me, jazz is like part of living, like walking down the street and reacting to what you see and hear. And whatever I do react to, I can say immediately in my music. The other thing that keeps me in jazz is that jazz continues to move on. There are so many possibilities for growth inside jazz because it changes as you change (Dolphy, liner notes, Far Cry, December 21, 1960). The subjective quality to jazz is explored most successfully in Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea. Sartre describes how Roquentin first feels when he hears the old Path? jazz record, played with a sapphire needle. He describes the notes as living as ephemerons, and then dying before the listener. It is almost sacrificial: For the moment, the jazz is playing; there is no melody, only notes, a myriad of tiny jolts. They know no rest, an inflexible order gives birth to them and destroys them without even giving them time to recuperate and exist for themselves. They race, they press forward, they strike me a sharp blow in passing and are obliterated. I would like to hold them between my fingers only as a raffish languishing sound. I must accept their death; I must even will it. I know few impressions stronger or more harsh (Sartre, 21). After Roquentin heard the jazz record, there is silence and he realizes in the existential event which has just taken place that the Nausea has disappeared. He says: When the voice would heard in the silence, I felt my body harden and the Nausea vanish (22). What he feels at that moment is the connection between his own humanity and the music on the jazz record. When she sings, he understands all at once, in what Charlie Parker called an epiphany, that existence and the ability to make choices is very brief, and then dies. The second time he hears the record, he only hears it for a moment, and the feeling returns: Now there is this song on the saxophone. And I am ashamed. A glorious little suffering has just been born, an exemplary suffering. Four notes on the saxophone. They come and go, they seem to say: You must be like us, suffer in rhythm. All right! Naturally I'd like to suffer that way, in rhythm, without complacence, without self-pity, with an arid purity (174). The suffering Sartre describes is eliminated by the jazz, the act of listening to the

Thins Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe essays

Thins Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe essays Things Fall Apart is Chinua Achebes first novel and was published in 1958, a time often called the Nigerian Renaissance because in that period a large number of very strong Nigerian writers began to create a powerful new literature that drew on the traditional oral literature, European literature, and the changing times in Nigeria and in Africa at large. Writers as varied as Ben Okri and Wole Soyinka developed in the context of the ideas and energy of the Nigerian Renaissance, but Achebe is considered one of the earliest and best novelists to have come out of modern Nigeria, in fact one of the top English-speaking novelists of his time anywhere. In 1958 much of Africa was still under the colonialist yoke, although a few countries (most notably Ghana) had already achieved independence. Set in a time of great change for Africans, Achebes novels illuminate two painful features of modern African life: the humiliations visited on Africans by colonialism, and the corruption and inefficiency of what replaced colonial rule. Things Fall Apart in particular focuses on the early experience of colonialism as it occurred in Nigeria in the late 1800s, from the first days of contact with the British to widespread British administration. Achebe is interested in showing Ibo society in the period of transition when rooted, traditional values are put in conflict with an alien and more powerful culture that will tear them apart. Achebe paints a vivid picture of Ibo society both before and after the arrival of white men, and avoids the temptation to idealize either culture. In this context, he believes that the novelist must have a social commitment: The writer cannot be excused from the task of re-education and regeneration that must be done...I for one would not wish to be excused. I would be quite satisfied if my novels (especially the ones I set in the past) did no more than just teach my readers [Africans] that their...

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Surgeon

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Surgeon Becoming a surgeon can take over a decade of schooling to get full certification and potentially even longer to begin your true medical practice. Investing in medical school is not only a matter of time, though; the cost is also a factor you should consider before choosing to pursue your doctorate in medicine. Life as a surgeon also comes with some special stresses. Benefits Doing good. Surgeons, as are all doctors, are required to take the Hippocratic  oath to ensure that they provide the best medical care, to the fullest extent of their abilities, to all those in need. If youre the type of person who thoroughly enjoys helping others, this career path is chock full of the opportunity to provide service and support to others as well as saving lives.   Regular career development. For those who value constant mental stimulation, few careers have practical skills that are applied as regularly as that of the medical field. Surgeons continuously learn on the job as medicine and technology constantly update and evolve. Their minds are constantly on the move, learning and applying new  medical science  almost every day.   Various career paths. Aspiring surgeons can choose from more than a dozen areas, ranging from general surgery to more specialized fields like orthopedic surgery and plastic surgery. Helping others. Not only do surgeons help their patients, they also help other aspiring clinicians. Many medical experts get the benefit of teaching students and patients about medicine and can help advance the field of medicine through research and collaboration with other medical experts. Respected career. Many consider the medical field to be among the most revered occupations, and it carries with it a higher social status than most. Many surgeons make upward of $300,000 a year, with many orthopedic surgeons exceeding $500,000. Drawbacks Expensive schooling. Although the salary for being a surgeon starts out pretty high and just keeps climbing throughout the rest of ones career, most medical students typically graduate with a large financial debt. It may take years to pay off the debt and begin to see a profitable life as a surgeon. Still, long hours arent behind you just because youve graduated from  medical school  and completed your internship and residency. Its an arduous process of acquiring  a medical license, and once youre on the staff at a hospital youll pull many overnight and emergency shifts.   High stress. A medical career can be highly emotional and draining. While some incredible highs comes with saving lives, once you begin practicing, it can take a toll on your emotional well-being when you encounter patients whom you cant save. That- paired with the long hours, difficult procedures, stressful work environment, and overwhelming responsibility- often lead to depression or at the very least anxiety problems. Time-consuming. Not only do surgeons undergo up to 15 years (or more) of schooling and training, they often must work long hours, too. This can interfere with ones personal life, limiting the amount of time the surgeon has to spend with family and friends. Lawsuits. An unfortunate side of being a surgeon is a high potential to encounter medical malpractice suits. Mistakes happen in all careers, but for medical professionals, the repercussions of mistakes can be physically damaging and even deadly. According to the Risk Authority, $381 billion was awarded in medical malpractice cases in 2017. Choosing a Career as a Surgeon Surgeons are highly respected and fulfilling, but the career is not for everyone. The long hours, huge student debt, stressful work, and years of educational preparation can deter those not dedicated to the field. However, being a surgeon comes with its fair share of advantages like a high salary, rewarding life work, and actually getting to make a difference in the world.   Really, it comes down to whether or not you have the dedication and passion for sticking with the medical field for over eight years just to get your career started. If youre ready to take the Hippocratic oath and swear to help the sick and damaged to the fullest of your ability, go ahead and apply to medical school and get started on your path to success.

Transcendentalism in Thoreaus Walden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Transcendentalism in Thoreaus Walden - Essay Example Surrounded by forest, it was and remains a peaceful town, close enough to Boston's lectures, book-stores, and colleges to be intensely cultivated, but far away enough to be serene. Concord was the first rural artist's colony, and the first place to offer a spiritual and cultural alternative to American materialism. It was a place of high-minded conversation and simple living (Emerson and Thoreau both had vegetable gardens). Emerson, who moved to Concord in 1834, and Thoreau are most closely associated with the town, but the locale also attracted Hawthorne, Fuller, Alcott and Channing. The transcendental club was loosely organized in 1836. Unlike many European groups, the Transcendentalists never issued a manifesto. They insisted on individual differences - on the unique view point of the individual. American writers often saw themselves as lonely explorers outside society and convention. It is the writing of Thoreau and of Emerson that has been the most enduring product of American transcendentalism. Thoreau and Emerson's friendship blossomed during the autumn after Thoreau returned home from college in 1837. "Emerson was then at the height of his intellectual and creative powers. His philosophy of striving and self-reliance strongly attracted Thoreau, who had the good fortune to be granted the society of America's leading progressive thinker just as he began his career." (Cafaro, Philip. Thoreau's Living Ethics: Walden and the Pursuit of Virtue.) Thoreau accepted Emerson as his mentor and began to keep a journal on his suggestion. Emerson criticized Thoreau's articles and sent them across to different editors, with mixed reviews. He provided the site for Thoreau's experiments at Walden Pond. While Emerson was disseminating his mature philosophy, Thoreau was still trying to formulate his own message, acquire the necessary skills to write creatively and gain a footho ld so that he could at least make his ends meet. Given Thoreau's extreme individualism and his sense of independence, this relationship of dependence was bound to give rise to discontent. The two men were two different personalities and differed greatly in temperament. Emerson was active socially whereas Thoreau preferred to his solitary mode. Emerson owned some property and was a family man, which made him regard the social norms with some respect. Thoreau on the other hand, was explicitly critical of what he considered hypocrisy, pettiness, and herd mentality. Quite naturally, these personality clashes gave way to grave intellectual differences: "one of their first recorded quarrels occurred during an afternoon walk when Thoreau, noting the proliferation of fences along the road, declared that he would not abide by them, as he had as much right to "God's earth" as anyone. Emerson responded with a defense of the institution of private property. Harmon smith suggests that Emerson's subsequent essay, "The Protest", was directed towards Thoreau. In it, Emerson warns aspiring youths of the dangers of letting their frustrations at society's shortcomings consume their time and talents." (Cafaro, Philip. Thoreau's Living Ethics: Walden and the Pursuit of Virtue.) Gradually, when Thoreau began to think on his own, their relationship was further strained. "Emerson was a generous open-minded man, but as

Rape and sexual assault in deployed military Term Paper

Rape and sexual assault in deployed military - Term Paper Example However, some senators have taken a bleak view of the lackadaisical manner, in which the armed forces deal with such incidents. For instance, Senator Kay Bailey Hitchison wrote to the Air Force Secretary, directing an investigation into 24 cases of rape of females at the Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. What was of great significance was that she was apprehensive regarding the manner, in which these cases would be dealt with. In addition, she had serious misgivings about whether the rape victims would obtain justice from these investigations (News in Brief. National , 2004). The US military gives the victims of sexual assault, two choices, in respect of reporting. The first is that of restricted reporting, wherein the assault is brought to the notice of a chaplain, DSARC, UVA or medical provider. Such reporting remains uninvestigated or unreported to the next superior officer, in the chain of command. The other option provided is that of unrestricted reporting, in which the assault is not reported to any entity of restricted reporting. Such unrestricted reports have to be perforce investigated and brought to the notice of the appropriate authority in the chain of command. There is a provision for victims to commence restricted reporting and subsequently change over to unrestricted reporting (Pariante, 2009). The victim obtains the same medical care, irrespective of the mode of reporting. They are provided with treatment that addresses physical injuries, pregnancy or infection with sexually transmitted diseases, pursuant to the sexual assault. In addition, such individuals are also provided with psychiatric assistance to come to terms with emotional effects, like depression, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts and rape trauma syndrome. Many a victim of rape has reported numbness, a dazed feeling, sense of being withdrawn from the surroundings, fear for personal safety, humiliation, shame and guilt (Pariante,

Peace and order Essay Example for Free

Peace and order Essay Maintenance of public order is a core function of governance. The Indian Constitution, while according a pre-eminent position for the fundamental rights of citizens, recognizes the importance of public order, by providing for legislation imposing reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. Under the Constitution of India, the Union and the federating units, that is, the States have well-defined areas of responsibility. Public Order and Police are essentially the responsibilities of State Governments. However, the Central Government assists them by providing Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) as and when required. The Administrative Reforms Commission is looking at ‘Public Order’ with a view to suggest a framework to strengthen administrative machinery to maintain public order conducive to social harmony and economic development. And also to build capacity for conflict resolution. ARC is looking into all aspects of the subject therefore the focus is on studying the causes of public disorder, how early symptoms of disorder should be detected and addressed well in time, what should be the role of various stakeholders in maintenance of public order, how the enforcement machinery should be made more effective to deal with public disorder. The Commission is examining the subject by focusing on its components namely causes of conflicts and their resolution, secondly the role of civil administration, media, society, Judiciary and NGOs in maintaining public order, and thirdly the role of police and the need for reforms. Accordingly each one of these is being discussed in great length in t hree separate workshops. In the first workshop which is being organized jointly with the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), the role of civil administration and other stakeholders would be discussed, in the second workshop, which is being organized jointly with CPR and the Kannada University the different types of conflicts in the Indian Society would be discussed, and in the third workshop being organized jointly with the National Police Academy the Role of Police would be discussed. The aim of the first workshop on public order is to identify the salient  lessons we can learn from a variety of experiences in dealing with public disorder. The workshop will help the ARC to think through some of the challenges posed for the maintenance of public order by the role of the four agencies namely the civil administration, the judicial interventions, the civil society and the media. How can these agencies be strengthened to make them promoters of a more humane public order? What are some of the difficulties that actors in these different domains face? What are some of the commonly leveled criticisms of these agencies? Do these criticisms need some administrative or legal response? What explains the success of failure of these agencies on some occasions. Although the focus of the workshop will be on reforms that can be implemented, this workshop would like to discuss these issues in the widest possible perspective so that new and innovative ideas can be countenanced. The main task of the workshop will be to identify problems and challenges in these domains, and to recommend possible solutions. The purpose of the second workshop that is on ‘Conflict resolution† is to (a) engage in free and frank discussions about the causes of conflicts in India, (b) arrive at some conclusion about the role and importance of different ethnic factors in the origin and continuance of these conflicts so that (c) fundamental solutions can be proposed to address the deep-rooted causes for the sustainable maintenance of public order. The emphasis will be on coming up with specific recommendations pertaining to administrative reform. Similarly the third workshop, which is being organized jointly with the National Police Academy, would focus on the role of police and police reforms.   Before I go into the role of various stakeholders, I would like to clarify the meaning of the word public order. Any violation of Law is a problem of Law and Order, but every such violation is not a case of disturbance of public order. The dividing line between ‘Public order’ and ‘Law and Order’ is very thin. The Apex Court has explained the concept of public order.   It is the potentiality of an act to disturb the even tempo of the life of the community which makes it prejudicial to the maintenance of public order. If the contravention in its effect is confined only to a few  individuals directly involved, as distinct from a wide spectrum of public, it would raise the problem of law and order only. It is the potentiality of the act to disturb the even tempo of the life of the community which makes it prejudicial to the maintenance of public order. Importance of maintaining public order: India today is poised to emerge as a global economic power with all its high growth rate of economy and all-round economic development. For realizing our legitimate aspirations of economic development, it is essential that the problems of peace and order are managed efficiently in the country. No developmental activity is possible in an environment of insecurity and disorder. Failure to manage the multifarious problems arising out of violent conflicts based on religious, caste, ethnic, regional or any other disputes, can lead to unstable and chaotic conditions. Such conditions not only militate against realization of our economic dream, but also would jeopardize our survival as a vibrant democracy. We have to look at the problem of public order management and the role of law enforcement in that regard, in this perspective. We should not forget that it is the weaker sections which suffer the most in any public disorder. Whose responsibility is to maintain public order-role of civil administration: Undoubtedly, it is the role of the police, as the principal law enforcement agency to preserve public order. The magistracy and the judiciary also have a vital role in preserving public order. But there are other agencies within the governmental set up which have to contribute towards preserving public order. It is the police which bears the brunt of violations of the Laws and also the ensuing violence. But in a large number of addressing the root cause is much beyond their purview. The case of recent demolitions in Delhi is an example. The main cause there has been the non enforcement of the building regulations by the officials who were entrusted this task. Another example is the ‘Ulhasnagar demolitions’. If one looks at the causes of public disorder, there are a host of reasons. These may be broadly classified into socio-economic, political, historical  and administrative. I am not going into the details of each one of these but I would like to highlight that a large number of public disorders have administrative reasons as their root cause. Therefore we have to bring in change in our mindset. Our response to public disorder should commence at the very initial stage, and it is here that the role of entire civil administration including both regulatory and developmental becomes important. The period after independence has seen a tremendous increase in spread of education and alongside has increased the awareness among the people and so also the aspirations. And when these aspirations are not met, tensions prevail within the society, which if not redressed have the potential of erupting as a problem of public disorder. Increasingly, and rightly so, administration is not being perceived as a ruling class. People are realizing that they are service providers. The administration must also realize this role. Wrong doings of administration, which in the past may have got muted acceptance, are no longer being tolerated by the civil society. We have to provide an administration which is fair, objective and transparent. How to achieve this is a challenge before us. Role of the Judiciary: Access to justice is fundamental to the ‘Rule of Law†. If the citizens feel that access to justice is delayed or is not effective, they get alienated. If they feel that punishment is meted out to the wrong doers only in a few cases, they have a tendency to disassociate them with the judicial process and stop taking interest as a complainant, a witness or a pancha. Sometimes a landlord looking to get a recalcitrant tenant out, a tenant seeking protection from an avaricious landlord, families involved in property disputes, start by thinking that gangsters (goondas) can settle their problems which the courts are going to take ages to do. If this becomes common, criminality will be a substitute for ‘Rule of Law’. We have to ensure that we do not reach such a precarious situation. Criminals should be intimidated by what Shakespeare called The awful majesty of the law, other wise they will become a law unto themselves. Various Law Commissions  have suggested reforms in the criminal and civil justice administration system, which need to be acted upon. Role of the media: The importance of a free press, for a healthy democracy cannot be overemphasized. More importantly, it is a sort of check and balance that keeps the authorities on their toes on the one hand and a type of mirror that enables people in authority to get a continuous reality check, on the other. This remains an important role for the media, despite the increasing pressures of commercialization. The fact that democratic India could avoid famines, Amartya Sen has suggested, was almost entirely due to the role of the media in sensitizing authorities to the urgency of providing relief. Indeed our free and energetic media is, in fact, our best early warning system. But what is essential is that the media should play a responsible role. It has been observed that at times, a part of the media has not been quite objective in their reporting. Sometimes the media also plays a role in spreading prejudices, as they needless to say, are more interested in sensational news than sensible constructive news. We may deliberate as to how the potential of media can be tapped in maintaining public order. Role of the Society, NGOs: A democratic society cannot function properly if everything in it is left only to the State or even to statutory bodies. Because of the increasing complexities of societies everything cannot be taken care of by the Governmental institutions. The gap has to be filled up by the civil society. Government intervention itself will be in fructuous if it is not underpinned by voluntary action. Moreover the exercise of political power through civil society opens the way for democracy in real sense of the term. Civil society consists of open and secular institutions that mediate between the citizen and the State. In the absence of civil society, the State machinery and civil servants becomes the dominant and the only repository of power. The modern idea of civil government requires emergence  of civil society which would make people self-reliant rather than remain dependent on State institutions. Participation by the civil society makes the citizens active agents instead of becoming merely passive recipients of welfare. We, especially in the government need to realize that in a healthy growth model of a free democratic society, the Government is just one of the participants. The Government exists as one of the servitors in the service of the society. Indeed the awareness that government alone can neither solve all the problems of the society nor it is the only crucial actor in addressing major societal issues has dictated the need to look beyond Government. Interdependence and need to find solutions to societal problems call for greater collaboration between the government and civil society. A large number of Non Governmental organizations (NGOs) are working in the developmental fields. But the number of such NGOs dedicating themselves to preservation of public order is limited. We can perhaps learn from experiences of some of these NGOs and recommend measures to pave the way for their greater involvement. Role of the Police: I should have taken up the role of police first, as they are the main actors in this process. But as I have mentioned that we will be discussing this issue at great length in the third workshop, which we are organizing at the National Police Academy. But I would suggest that aspects of police administration which require interaction with other governmental agencies and stakeholders may be discussed in this workshop. Conclusion: Development and security are truly mutually inter-related. We need therefore, to evolve a combined strategy to deal simultaneously with the twin challenges of development and security within the framework of a democratic polity committed to respect for all fundamental human freedoms and also committed to upholding the rule of law. Internal conflict management is the key to the success of participative democracy, strengthening national  solidarity and cohesion and firming up the nation’s resolve and capability to meet any external threats to its security and territorial integrity. The deficiencies in this vital area need to be plugged through judicial and police reforms, better citizen participation in governance, transparency and more effective and integrated approach to public order maintenance. Violations of public order, given their socio-economic, political and administrative causes demand a concerted response from different wings of the civil administration. When this is done at the nascent stage itself, minor discords can be prevented from turning into major public disorders. The challenge lies in institutionalizing a mechanism so that all wings of the civil administration as well as other stakeholders work in a coordinated fashion. I hope that these two workshops would be able to come up with substantial recommendations for a framework and a roadmap for maintaining public order.

Philosophy :: essays research papers

Interpreting Plato Alfred North Whitehead once remarked that all of philosophy is but a footnote to Plato. This proves true in the case of St. Augustine’s Confessions, where he specifies Plato’s good as God by personalizing the forms, Eros, sin, and recollection. Specifically, Augustine’s idea of â€Å"original sin,† forgetfulness and recollection follow the philosophy of Plato, bringing them into the â€Å"God realm,† rather leaving them in a figurative sense open for interpretation. In the Confessions, Augustine says that â€Å"the soul commits fornication when it is turned away from you and, apart from you, seeks such pure, clean things as it does not find except when it returns to you† (2.6.14). Here Augustine provides an overview of his idea of God: it is initially with God, because it must turn away, or forget, in order to leave God, but is left unsatisfied until it returns, or remembers. This is a direct use of Plato’s theory that the soul of man originally dwells with the forms in the realm of the â€Å"good,† then the soul forgets on earth what the â€Å"good† is, but spends life trying to remember. For both Plato and Augustine, the journey begins at birth. When a person is born, they possess both an original sin and an original innocence. Being born into the world, people are certainly corrupted by society and prone to sin, because in the eyes of Plato and Augustine, the body itself is corrupt and leads to sin. At the same time, though, man is born with â€Å"good† inside of them. The soul of humankind comes from God or from the â€Å"good,† and it has a recollection of the good of which it once knew. Augustine said of infancy that, â€Å"the sin that is in him you have not made†¦For in your sight, no man is clean of sin, not even the infant who has lived but a day upon earth† (1.7.11). So what is it about living a day on the earth that makes an infant sin, and what is it in a person that makes them turn away from sin? According to Plato, the body leads to sin. As with Plato, while a person becomes a sinner when they enter into the body, they have with in them an inherent, incorruptible good, the soul; only it forgets from what it came, thus turning away from the good. In the speech of Diotima, she says that love is giving birth to new ideas, bringing beauty in the presence of mortality. Philosophy :: essays research papers Interpreting Plato Alfred North Whitehead once remarked that all of philosophy is but a footnote to Plato. This proves true in the case of St. Augustine’s Confessions, where he specifies Plato’s good as God by personalizing the forms, Eros, sin, and recollection. Specifically, Augustine’s idea of â€Å"original sin,† forgetfulness and recollection follow the philosophy of Plato, bringing them into the â€Å"God realm,† rather leaving them in a figurative sense open for interpretation. In the Confessions, Augustine says that â€Å"the soul commits fornication when it is turned away from you and, apart from you, seeks such pure, clean things as it does not find except when it returns to you† (2.6.14). Here Augustine provides an overview of his idea of God: it is initially with God, because it must turn away, or forget, in order to leave God, but is left unsatisfied until it returns, or remembers. This is a direct use of Plato’s theory that the soul of man originally dwells with the forms in the realm of the â€Å"good,† then the soul forgets on earth what the â€Å"good† is, but spends life trying to remember. For both Plato and Augustine, the journey begins at birth. When a person is born, they possess both an original sin and an original innocence. Being born into the world, people are certainly corrupted by society and prone to sin, because in the eyes of Plato and Augustine, the body itself is corrupt and leads to sin. At the same time, though, man is born with â€Å"good† inside of them. The soul of humankind comes from God or from the â€Å"good,† and it has a recollection of the good of which it once knew. Augustine said of infancy that, â€Å"the sin that is in him you have not made†¦For in your sight, no man is clean of sin, not even the infant who has lived but a day upon earth† (1.7.11). So what is it about living a day on the earth that makes an infant sin, and what is it in a person that makes them turn away from sin? According to Plato, the body leads to sin. As with Plato, while a person becomes a sinner when they enter into the body, they have with in them an inherent, incorruptible good, the soul; only it forgets from what it came, thus turning away from the good. In the speech of Diotima, she says that love is giving birth to new ideas, bringing beauty in the presence of mortality.

Novel Critique: Will Grayson, Will Grayson Essay

One winter night in Chicago, two teenage boys named Will Grayson met by chance in an adult entertainment shop. They were both juniors in high school but they live in different suburbs. The book is told through alternating chapters between the two Will Graysons with John Green writing one and David Levithan the next. Their styles of writing are similar yet different enough which did not make it seem repetitive. John Green’s Will Grayson was written in normal type while David Levithan’s was written in all lowercase, which made the story more interesting. John Green’s Will Grayson believes that all problems and pains in life could be avoided by keeping quiet and not caring. Tiny Cooper, his best friend, is a proof of what heartache can do. Tiny is always in love with different boys and always have his heart broken. Tiny Cooper was a very perfect addition to the story. Him being John’s Will’s best friend and him meeting David’s Will and then them having a thing for each other, really helped the two Will Graysons in figuring out who they are. On the other hand, David Levithan’s Will Grayson is very anxious and does not have any real friends, except for a boy online who he’s in love with. When the two Will Graysons finally met, it seems like it is the most random thing that has ever happened. Though they only interacted a bit, when they did it was both so awkward and at the same time comfortable. The fact that meeting each other reminded â€Å"It’s hard to believe in coincidence but it’s even harder to believe in anything else.† them that just because they are both named Will Grayson does not mean their names define them, and that there are tons of people with the same out in the world, too. John Green’s Will Grayson does not want too much attention drawn to him, which did not exactly work for his best friend, Tiny Cooper. Tiny Cooper, his quest to make the world better though his musical and his and Will’s friendship is really just wonderful. David Levithan’s Will Grayson is angry and sarcastic but as the story progresses, readers would get to see the different sides of him. Also, he did not fit into any typical stereotype of a gay teen. In fact, in the conversation between the authors found at the end of the book, it is very interesting how David Levithan explained how he wanted his Will Grayson to be in the middle of things and also explained that Will writes in all lowercase because he sees himself as a lowercase person. The book blatantly attacks a lot of issues in the modern teenage world, and a lot of it is actually very harsh. At some points, it could be a little bit uncomfortable but it is the authors’ willingness to speak the truth. In a winter full of love, fake IDs, weird band names, two Will Graysons, and an epic musical about love and all the things about Tiny Cooper – Will Grayson, Will Grayson is really a hilarious novel about things that we cannot choose. While some humorous books are just humorous, Will Grayson, Will Grayson also touches on bigger issues that are relevant especially to teenagers nowadays.

Single Dwelling Family

Single Family Dwelling The dwelling has 19 lighting outlet and 12 convenience outlet. It has the typical household appliances including one 8-kw electric range, two 1. 5-hp room air conditioning unit, one 2. 5 kw water heater, one laundry washing machine. Lighting Layout Power Layout Lighting and Power Panel| CircuitNo. | Description| No. of Outlet| Volts| Watts| Phase Current| Circuit Breaker| Conductor size (mm2)| Size of Conduct| | | | | | | AT| AF | P| | | 1| Lighting| 10| 230| 1000| 4. 35| 15| 50| 2| 2. mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Conduit pipe| 2| Lighting| 9| 230| 900| 3. 91| 15| 50| 2| 2. 0mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Conduit pipe| 3| Receptacle (C. O)| 6| 230| 1080| 4. 69| 20| 50| 2| 3. 5mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Conduit pipe| 4| Receptacle (C. O)| 6| 230| 1080| 4. 69| 20| 50| 2| 3. 5mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Conduit pipe| 5| 1. 5 HP Aircon| 1| 230| 2300| 10. 00| 30| 50| 2| 3. 5mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Conduit pipe| 6| 1. 5 HP Aircon| 1| 230| 2300| 10. 00| 30| 50| 2| 3. 5mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Condui t pipe| 7| Water Heater| 1| 230| 2500| 10. 6| 20| 50| 2| 3. 5mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Conduit pipe| 8| Laundry| 1| 230| 1500| 6. 52| 20| 50| 2| 3. 5mm2 TW + GND| 15 mm O Conduit pipe| 9| Electric Range| 1| 230| 8000| 34. 78| 40| 50| 2| 8. 0mm2 TW + GND| 20 mm O Conduit pipe| 10| Spare| -| 230| -| -| 40| 50| 2| -| -| Schedule of Loads IT= 89. 8 + 0. 25% (10) x 0. 8 D. F. =73. 86A * Use 2-30mm2 THW Copper Wire and 1-22mm2 THW Copper Wire in 32mm O Conduit Pipe * Use 100 AMP 2-Pole Circuit Breaker 230 Volts Single Line Diagram Electrical System Design LayoutSubmitted to: Engr. Raymund C. Ycay Submitted by: Villanueva, Joshua Francis A. BSIE III-2 Lighting and Power Panel| CircuitNo. | Description| No. of Outlet| Volts| Watts| Phase Current| Circuit Breaker| Conductor size (mm2)| Size of Conduct| | | | | | | AT| AF | P| | | 1| | | | | | | | | | | 2| | | | | | | | | | | 3| | | | | | | | | | | 4| | | | | | | | | | | 5| | | | | | | | | | | 6| | | | | | | | | | | 7| | | | | | | | | | | 8| | | | | | | | | | | 9| | | | | | | | | | | 10| | | | | | | | | | |

The U.S. Occupation of Haiti From 1915-1934

The U.S. Occupation of Haiti From 1915-1934 Responding to near-anarchy in the Republic of Haiti, the United States occupied the nation from 1915 to 1934. During this time, they installed puppet governments, ran the economy, military and police, and for all intents and purposes were in absolute control of the country. Although this rule was relatively benign, it was unpopular with both the Haitians and the citizens of the United States and American troops and personnel were withdrawn in 1934. Haiti’s Troubled Background Since gaining independence from France in a bloody rebellion in 1804, Haiti had gone through a succession of dictators. By the early twentieth century, the population was uneducated, poor and hungry. The only cash crop was coffee, grown on some sparse bushes in the mountains. In 1908, the country totally broke down. Regional warlords and militias known as cacos fought in the streets. Between 1908 and 1915 no less than seven men seized the presidency and most of them met some sort of gruesome end: one was hacked to pieces in the street, another killed by a bomb and yet another was probably poisoned. The United States and the Caribbean Meanwhile, the United States was expanding its sphere of influence in the Caribbean. In 1898, it had won Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain in the Spanish-American War: Cuba was granted freedom but Puerto Rico was not. The Panama Canal  opened in 1914: the United States had invested heavily in building it and had even gone to great pains to separate Panama from Colombia in order to be able to administer it. The strategic value of the canal, both economically and militarily, was enormous. In 1914, the United States had also been meddling in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Haiti in 1915 Europe was at war and Germany was faring well. President Woodrow Wilson feared that Germany might invade Haiti in order to establish a military base there: a base that would be very close to the precious Canal. He had a right to worry: there were many German settlers in Haiti who had financed the rampaging ​cacos with loans that would never be repaid and they were begging Germany to invade and restore order. In February of 1915, pro-US strongman Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam seized power and for a while, it seemed that he would be able to look after US military and economic interests. The US Seizes Control In July of 1915, however, Sam ordered a massacre of 167 political prisoners and he was himself lynched by an angry mob that broke into the French Embassy to get at him. Fearing that anti-US caco leader Rosalvo Bobo might take over, Wilson ordered an invasion. The invasion came as no surprise: American warships had been in Haitian waters for most of 1914 and 1915 and American Admiral William B. Caperton had been keeping a close eye on events. The marines that stormed the shores of Haiti were met with relief rather than resistance and an interim government was soon set up. Haiti Under US Control Americans were put in charge of public works, agriculture, health, customs and the police. General Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave was made president in spite of popular support for Bobo. A new Constitution, prepared in the United States, was pushed through a reluctant Congress: according to a debated report, the author of the document was none other than a young Assistant Secretary of the Navy named Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The most interesting inclusion in the constitution was the right of whites to own land, which had not been permitted since the days of French colonial rule. Unhappy Haiti Although the violence had ceased and order had been restored, most Haitians did not approve of the occupation. They wanted Bobo as president, resented the Americans’ high-handed attitude towards the reforms and were indignant about a Constitution that was not written by Haitians. The Americans managed to irk every social class in Haiti: the poor were forced to work building roads, the patriotic middle class resented the foreigners and the elite upper class was mad that the Americans did away with the corruption in government spending that had previously made them rich. The Americans Depart Meanwhile, back in the United States, the Great Depression hit and citizens began wondering why the government was spending so much money to occupy an unhappy Haiti. In 1930, President Hoover sent a delegation to meet with President Louis Borno (who had succeeded Sudre Dartiguenave in 1922). It was decided to hold new elections and begin the process of withdrawing American forces and administrators. Stà ©nio Vincent was elected president and the removal of the Americans began. The last of the American Marines left in 1934. A small American delegation remained in Haiti until 1941 to defend American economic interests. Legacy of the American Occupation For a while, the order established by the Americans lasted in Haiti. The capable Vincent remained in power until 1941, when he resigned and left Elie Lescot in power. By 1946 Lescot was overthrown. This marked the return to chaos for Haiti until 1957 when they tyrannical Franà §ois Duvalier took over, beginning a decades-long reign of terror. Although the Haitians resented their presence, the Americans accomplished quite a bit in Haiti during their 19-year occupation, including many new schools, roads, lighthouses, piers, irrigation and agricultural projects and more. The Americans also trained the Garde DHaiti, a national police force that became an important political force once the Americans left. (Source: Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present.New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.)

Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers

Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers Conifers are commonly thought to be synonymous with evergreen trees, which stay green through the year. However, not all conifers- also known as softwoods- remain green and with needles year-round. They are actually scientifically classed by how they fruit. They are gymnosperms or plants with naked seeds not enclosed in an ovary; these seed fruits called cones are considered more primitive than hardwood fruiting parts. General Guidelines for Broad Identification Though conifers may or may not lose their needles annually, most are indeed evergreen. Trees of this classification have needle-like or scale-like foliage and usually renew many leaves annually but  dont renew all of their leaves every year. The foliage is usually narrow and manifests in either sharp-pointed needles or small and scale-like leaves. Although  studying the needle is the best way to identify a conifer, conifers as a class are defined not by their leaves but by their seeds, so its only important to note the shape and size of leaves after determining whether it is a conifer by the shape, size, and type of seed the tree produces. Softwood trees  include pine, spruces, firs, and cedars, but dont let that alternative name for conifers fool you. Wood hardness varies among the conifer species, and some softwoods are actually harder than some hardwoods. The Many Types of Coniferous Leaves While all trees that bear cones are coniferous, and many of these cones are remarkably different from other species cones, often times the best way to identify the specific genus of a tree is by observing its leaves. Coniferous trees can produce two types of leaves with a variety of slight alterations that further define the tree type. If a tree has needle-like (as opposed to scale-like) leaves, it can then be further defined by how those needles are grouped (singularly or alone), how they are shaped (flattened or four-sided and sharp), the types of stems these leaves are attached to (brown or green), and if the leaves invert or not. Other Ways to Identify Conifers From there, the way the cone or seed is shaped and the way it hangs on the tree (sticking up or handing down), the smell and largeness of individual needles, and the erectness of branches in the tree can also help determine what specific type of conifer a tree is. Chances are ​if a tree has any of these features at all it is a conifer, especially if the tree also bears cone-like seeds. The Most Common Conifer Trees in North America Three of the most common conifers that grow in North America are pine, fir, and spruce trees. The Latin word conifer means to bear cones, and most but not all conifers have cones; junipers and yews, though, produce berry-like fruit. Conifers are among the smallest, largest, and oldest living woody plants known in the world. The more than 500 conifer species are distributed worldwide and are invaluable for their timber but also adapt well to the landscape; there are 200 conifer species in North America, but the most common are listed here: Bald cypress- Genus  TaxodiumCedar- Genus CedrusDouglas fir- Genus  PseudotsugaTrue fir- Genus AbiesHemlock- Genus TsugaLarch- Genus LarixPine- Genus  PinusRedwood- Genus SequoiaSpruce- Genus Picea

Assess the management of the Canadian Wolseley company Research Paper

Assess the management of the Canadian Wolseley company - Research Paper Example These processes include frequent reporting on the status of internal control and risk management from the Audit Committee, and annual objectives’ and strategic plan reviews before the approval of the strategies and budgets of the company. Management exercises control at business unit level by monitoring monthly performance against forecasts, budgets, and cash targets. The Board regularly visits the Managing Directors and Group Chief Executive of the different geographical regions for effective communication and collaboration on all strategic matters. â€Å"The Board has formal procedures in place for approving investment, acquisition and disposal projects, with designated levels of authority, supported by post-investment review processes for major acquisitions or disposals and capital expenditure† (â€Å"Risk Management†). The management of Wolseley comprises a large team of highly qualified and competent professionals with years of experience in their respective fields. The efforts of the management are directed at developing a healthy organizational culture at Wolseley where organizational personnel can feel comfortable and reach their optimal