The Federalist Papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Federalist Papers - Essay Example The historical consensus is that the Federalist faction eventually triumphed over the Anti-federalist faction primarily because of the intellectual advantage that developed as a result of these publications. Federalist Paper 10 was written by James Madison and it specifically addresses the issue of the power and inherent danger of factional interests. The overriding argument between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists rested upon the fear of too much power in the hands of a centralized government. To counter these legitimate concerns, Madison's contribution to the Federalist Papers turned out to be one of the most important. Madison's argument rested upon the proposition that one of the finest achievements of the Constitution was that it offered a method of controlling the dangers of factions. Madison defined factions as "a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community" (Ball 41). These factions are created by differences of opinion and interests and Madison regarded them as i nevitability. The hidden danger of the inevitability of factions is that even when no single faction becomes too powerful, the political infighting can often lead to an obstruction of the interests of the larger public and they have the potential for disenfranchising entire groups and infringing upon the rights of the less powerful. Madison's contention that factions are an inevitable part of a society revealed the soft underbelly of even a representative democratic state. Those who have wealth to protect will tend to gravitate toward others with the same economic interests. Factions can be created around any shared interest or goal, but the primary issue behind the rise of factions will always be power and wealth and the distribution of each. Madison contended well before Karl Marx that property owners are in constant conflict with those who do not. The extrapolation from this assertion is that heart of factionalism in the United States arises as a result of the divergence between the haves and the have-nots. Since property is bound to be divided unequally, and since property means different things to different people, even the interests of those who own property may differ. Madison declares in Federalist 10 that it is in the interest of the government to offer protection of the interests of property owners, wh ile at the same time regulate the inevitable conflicts that arise between property owners and those without. Madison argues that controlling a faction can only be accomplished by eliminating the cause of the conflict or taming its effects. To eliminate the cause of conflict would require the surrender of certain liberties and rights and Madison considered this to be a cure that would do more harm than the disease. The only other way to eliminate the causes of conflict would be to somehow ensure a system in which such things as opinions and interests were shared. Obviously, that would be impossible. The only choice left is to control the effects of the conflict that creates factions and Madison proposed the Constitution as the finest mechanism by which such control could be enacted. Pure democracy was deemed to not be the answer as Madison and the

Medical Records and Privacy of the Famous Essay Example for Free

Medical Records and Privacy of the Famous Essay Medical Records and Privacy of the Famous Privacy seems to be something that many people desire, but is becoming less and less available. With all the new technology, it is easier than ever to invade someone’s privacy. With cameras everywhere, from ATM’s to people’s cell phones, it is difficult for anyone to do anything that can be kept to one ’s self. While privacy is a right that the average person doesn’t normally struggle with, it is a problem that celebrities encounter everyday. Paparazzi are constantly following these famous people around as they do their everyday things like shopping, playing with their children, partying, or simply hanging in their homes. It is basically the price to pay to be famous. While these celebrities’ lives are invaded to a large degree, shouldn’t they still enjoy the right to keep some aspects of their lives private? Celebrities should have the right to keep things like medical records private, because not only is it a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), it is unethical to release medical information about someone to the public, even celebrities. In recent years, there have been a number of break-ins of celebrity medical records that have been leaked to the tabloids. In 2006 one of the country’s leading medical institutions discovered that the security of their medical records had been breached when The National Enquirer printed a story about Farrah Faucet’s cancer relapse, before the actress even told any of her family members† (Steinhaurer, 2008). Ms. Faucet is not the only celebrity who has had this happen. In 2007, George Clooney was informed that his medical records were accessed by people who didn’t have the right to look at them, following a motorcycle crash that left the actor with broken ribs and scrapes. Britney Spears was also a victim when the media reported that she was involuntarily hospitalized in 2008 and put in the psych ward under the thought she could be a danger to others or herself. Gossip outlets and other news media reported on her interactions with staff and visitors throughout her hospitalization (Techweb, 2008). These are incidents that have occurred for many years, as tabloids are always interested in the medical issues celebrities deal with, and keeping it under wraps is more difficult with technology making it easier for anyone to gain instant access to health secrets. â€Å"With the advent of networked computers, the problem has increased exponentially, and celebrities are constantly surrounded by people who are willing to trade in medical information for profit or their own 15 minutes† (Blankstein, 2008). While the people who accessed the records of these celebrities and leaked the stories are definitely at fault, I think that much of the blame also lies with the reporters and journalists who actually print and air the stories. The press is violating privacy by releasing these stories in two ways, legally and ethically. â€Å"Medical privacy rules apply to everybody, including celebrities,† Alicia Mitchell, spokesperson for the American Hospital Association said. â€Å"Everybody is entitled to confidentiality of what is often very personal information† (Rhea, 2007). By printing the very private medical information, there was a violation of HIPPA. HIPPA is an act that went into effect in 1996 and it set a national standard for securing and protecting patient health information. Hospitals have strict policies against leaking information, with the exceptions of insurance and law enforcement investigations. Because of this law, many health care providers won’t even admit to treating some patients (Techweb, 2008). While the people who leaked the stories to the press have been reprimanded by either suspension or termination, there wasn’t any type of consequences for the press for reporting this illegal material. That brings me to the ethical violation. â€Å"Depriving people of their privacy is a cruel and immoral act, which could destroy their lives. The sole objective of tabloids is to make money, so they’ll go to any extreme to satisfy their readers and increase circulation figures† (Heng, 2006). It is obvious that celebrity news is an outlet that sells, as seen by the numerous tabloids and entertainment shows. The public has an interest in what is going on in the lives of these rich and glamorous people. This brings on a form of mediated voyeurism, which can be defined as, â€Å"the consumption of revealing images and information about others’ real and unguarded lives, not always for the purpose of entertainment but frequently at the expense of privacy and discourse, through the means of the mass media† (Calvert, 2000). Basically saying that the public has a need to see these famous people and learn about their lives, even at the risk of invading their privacy. The tabloids simply exploit the public’s desire to learn these things, regardless of the ethical issues of invading a human being’s privacy. They know people will buy it and that they will make money. I think that to be an ethical journalist it is important to empathize with the person whose life is about to be splashed on the papers. Of course there is the matter of getting the story and pleasing the readers and the editor, but it should take into account the public’s real right to know. A story about the health of someone like the President of the United States might be something worth printing, because knowing how he is medically is of public interest because this is a man that is running the country. However, that is a different scenario with someone like Britney Spears. She is simply an entertainer and it isn’t important for the public to know her health because it will not affect the daily lives of people. It is simply news that the public likes to learn about. If I were a journalist, I would like to think to myself how I would feel if someone had released my medical records for the public to read. I would feel very violated. As Lance Morrow states, â€Å"Good journalistic standards are not difficult to state, just tough sometimes when applied case by case. Journalists function best when they are mature, experienced, and intelligent; when they keep their work as clear and simple as possible; when they fall back upon decency and common sense if questions arise about whether to run a piece† (Morrow, 2002). If these people were true journalists, they would think ethically about whether or not to release this type of information, and whether or not it is simply the decent thing to do. I would think that it would be an easy answer because, just because someone is famous, doesn’t mean that all of their privacy rights should be violated.

Mineko Iwasakis Geisha, A Life :: Mineko Iwasaki Geisha, A Life

Mineko Iwasaki's Geisha, A Life Geisha is a wonderful book for people who want to learn about Japanese culture and the geisha arts. Iwasaki explains the intricacies and politics of the business while telling of her life as a geisha in post-World War II Japan. Reviewer Alyssa Kolsky writes â€Å"there’s something alluring about a book that details the day-to-day minutes of one of the world’s most fascinating, secretive and oldest professions† (74). Mineko Iwasaki is a strong willed woman who becomes the Number One geisha of Kyoto’s top geisha house, the Iwasaki oikya. Starting her career at age five, Mineko quickly gains notoriety and overcomes the hurdles that come with being a geisha. She retires at age 29 after fourteen years as Japan’s most famous geisha. People experienced with Japanese culture might find the narration too simple and straight-forward, but beginners will gain a wealth of knowledge. As Mineko describes her life in the oikya, she also includes the histories of the Gion Kobu district where she lived, and the women in the oikya, along with the details of the social-political structure between geishas, their clients, and the businesses that support the geisha arts. Some readers might also find Geisha a little dispassionate for their tastes. â€Å"Her lack of reflection and tendency toward mechanical description make the work more of a manual than a memoir,† (56) writes Sarah Gold and Mark Rotella. An anonymous reviewer for Kirkus Reviews describes a number of passages as â€Å"quite a mouthful for the uninitiated† (1198). Despite Iwasaki’s writing style, Geisha is a wonderful book for fans of the geisha arts and women rising above obstacles that stand in their way. Resources â€Å"Geisha, A Life (Book)† Kirkus Reviews.

Charles Goodyear Essay -- essays research papers

Charles Goodyear was born in New Haven, Connecticut on December 29, 1800 to Amasa and Cynthia Goodyear. Charles’s father was a hardware manufacture and a merchant. Amasa Goodyear built mainly farming tools like hayforks and scythes, which he invented. When Charles was a teenager he wanted to go into the ministry and become a pastor, but his father convinced him that he was a good business man and placed him in the hardware store of the Rogers brothers in Philadelphia at the age of seventeen. He worked there until he was twenty-one years old. At that time he returned to New Haven to join his father’s business, making farm tools. For five years he worked for his father, building up the family business. On August 24, 1824, while he was still working for his father he married Clarissa Beecher who also lived in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1826 Charles Goodyear decided to move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There he opened a hardware store where he sold the products that his f ather made. Four years after opening this store both Amasa and Charles Goodyear were bankrupt because they would extend credit to customers and the customers would never pay back the money that they owed. Charles’s health started to decline and both father and son owed tens of thousands of dollars. For the next thirty years Charles Goodyear was thrown in prison over ten times because he didn’t pay his debts. In 1834 when he was in New York, on a business trip, the Roxbury India Rubber Company caught his eye. ...

Judgement on Charles Warren and the Ripper investigation

Charles Warren became head of the Metropolitan Police when they were in dire need of help after the incident that occurred in 1886. Police officers and officials were all shaken up and the police force was a mess. When Charles Warren came into action the police force changed. Although he had several difficult and complicated problems to deal with; I think he done an outstanding job in taking control over things which proved grateful from the many men and women that commended all that he did. He received countless complimentary letters which I think says it all. He was very effective in keeping the police force calm in order to handle any problem that arose. In his compliments he received one from the Home Secretary, Commander in Chief; H. R. H, The Duke of Cambridge, The Prince of Wales and Lord Salisbury which was a huge honour for him which he so rightly deserved. On top of all the compliments he was awarded with a Knight Commandership of the Order of the Bath. He dealt with other difficulties which included burglaries, muzzling of dogs along with everything else going on which lead to the police being abused by the irritated public. Despite all of these positives, people began to criticise him in the case of Jack the Ripper, people would slate him, accuse him of things he didn’t do and generally oppose him. He was unfairly accused of not catching the murderer and frequently had to face the press with outrageous thoughts and articles which gave him a bad image. I disagree with this for he coped very well with what problems he was faced with. The case of Jack the Ripper was his most difficult case but he faced it head on and didn’t back down to defeat. I believe people could not see the inner workings to all that he did. After all the issues that he still received he resigned which left officers in dismay and disappointed for the great job that he did do. To conclude I believe that he was very effective as Head of the Metropolitan Police for all of the difficulties that he dealt with in a sensible manner which enabled the public to feel safe and the officers around him to be at ease, he improved Police investigation strategies which gave him great respect. I also think that all of the criticism he received off of the public and press he still continued to do his work and did not let things overcome him. Overall he really did help the Metropolitan Police to improve and was a very good man in what he did and achieved.

The eNotes Blog Got Swag Top Ten Historic PoliticalButtons

Got Swag Top Ten Historic PoliticalButtons If you think that buttons proclaiming your enthusiasm for one presidential candidate or another is a twentieth century invention, it may come as a surprise to learn that swag has been around since the time of Americas first president.   George Washingtons political buttons were made of brass; in the center were his elegant initials, circled by the words, Long Live the President. The buttons were actually buttons, and were worn on the lapels. Buttons continued to be made from brass until the invention of tintype  (also known as ferrotype or melainotype) in 1853. Tintype allowed a candidate to press an image of himself, or any other image, onto sheets of iron metal. Worn around the neck, a hole was punched into the top and a ribbon was threaded through. In 1896, a patent from The Whitehead and Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey brought about the political pins we know today. Of course, today, temporary buttons, in the form of stickers, send the same message as their heartier cousins and are often distributed by the thousands at campaign rallies or in mass mailings. No matter what the form, though, the purpose of the campaign button has never changed: it shows other like-minded people the wearer is one of them and may help uncommitted voters be persuaded to join their cause. Here are ten memorable examples of campaigns-past: 1.   McClellan  Democrat 1864 (Tintype) 2.   William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, 1900. Prosperity at Home, Prestige Abroad. 3.   Herbert Hoover, 1928. Put Hoover On. 4.   Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Dick Nixon, 1952. Ike / Dick: Theyre For You. 5. John F. Kennedy, 1960. If I Were 21, Id Vote for Kennedy. 5. Richard M. Nixon, 1972. McGovern Cant Lick Our Dick.   (Nixon opposing George McGovern. Truly. Stop that laughing.) 6.   Gerald Ford and Robert Dole, 1976 7.   Ronald Reagan, 1980. Renew Americas Strength with Great American Values. 8.   Bill Clinton, 1992. I Still Believe in a Place Called Hope. 9. George W. Bush, 2000. Republican Dignity. 10.   Barack Obama, 2008. Yes We Can. Here at , we hope youll pin on whatever button most appeals to you and exercise your right to participate in democracy. So get offline, get IN line. GO VOTE!

On Writing Reader Response Section #2(pg80-136) essays

On Writing Reader Response Section #2(pg80-136) essays In the second assigned section of On Writing, Stephen Kings life is still being told in a memoir style. The section starts off with King finishing his explaining his high school inspirations for Carrie. One was Sondra, a social outcast who went to high school with King. When hired by the mother of Sondra to move furniture, the first thing that King noticed in the house was a graphic, near to life-like crucifix. The other girl was named Dodie. She, like Sondra, was a social outcast too. She only had 1 outfit for school and got teased for that fact. It got old, tattered, and smelly. When se finally got a new outfit after Christmas, the teasing only intensified. Both the girls ended up dying soon after high school. When King did publish Carrie, he ended up receiving two hundred thousand dollars for it; eliminating any financial worries. The book go on to describe Stephen Kings drug problems. He had started his drug addictions with alcohol on his senior trip and it ended up with him sniffing crack. He managed to beat the addictions after an intervention. After the biography ends, King goes on to the technical side of writing. It begins with a demonstration of describing details comparing it to telepathy, Then he goes on to describing the tools of writing to an actual toolbox. Important tools, like grammar and vocabulary on top and other tools such as paragraphs on the lower level. ...

Free Essays on Marijuana

Marijuana Marijuana (pot,) is one of the most widely used recreational drugs. The legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial debates in today’s government. For years the debate to legalize this drug has grown stronger and stronger. There are various arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana. Those who are for legalization argue that marijuana is a stress reliever, it enhances creativity, and can be used for medicinal purposes. On the contrary, those who are against the legalization of marijuana argue that marijuana is a doorway drug to harsher more dangerous drugs, pot makes you stupid, and will make drugs readily available to our nation’s youth. Until its ban, pot was used for over 50,000 non-drug commercial uses including paper, textiles, fuels, food and sealants. Marijuana is also a medical herb that has hundreds of proven, valuable therapeutic uses- from stress reduction, to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy, etc. THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, can be extracted and made into pill form for medical purposes. Marijuana was a major active ingredient in 40-50% of patent medicines before its ban. During the 1930’s the American media spread false stories about marijuana facts and depicted pot as an extremely dangerous drug. This caused marijuana and hemp to be effectively banned in 1938. Many say that by legalizing marijuana it will cause the crime rate to increase. In actuality legalizing marijuana would decrease the crime rate if the herb is readily available. It would eliminate the need of an underground subculture. For example, during the prohibition when alcohol was banned, the only way to obtain alcohol was through the black market. Once alcohol was legalized, distributors sold alcohol at a cheaper price, therefore driving bootleggers out of business. The same thing would happen if marijuana was legalized. Distributors would sell pot at a cheaper price and w... Free Essays on Marijuana Free Essays on Marijuana â€Å"Marijuana prohibition applies to everyone, including the sick and dying† (NORML). Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since 1937. In 1937 the United States of America passed the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, this made it illegal for anyone to possess, sell, or manufacture marijuana (Whitbread). There are many different views today on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Many people support the idea of medicinal marijuana, the legalization of marijuana for chronically ill people. Others feel that legalizing marijuana will lead to the use of other â€Å"harder† drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, because it is viewed by many as a â€Å"gateway† drug. Since marijuana was made illegal there has been the creation of many different organizations to try to decriminalize marijuana. One major organization known as NORML, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, â€Å"supports the removal of all penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults, including cultivation for personal use, and casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts† (NORML). This policy is known as decriminalization. If marijuana were decriminalized it would mean that the marijuana smoker could no longer be charged by the criminal justice system. Today in Missouri, if caught in possession with thirty-five grams or less of marijuana it is considered a misdemeanor and punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to one thousand dollars. Possession of greater than thirty-five grams of marijuana it is considered a felony and is punishable up to seven years in prison and a fine up to five thousand dollars. Possession of greater than thirty kilograms is considered trafficking and the penalty is five to fifteen years in prison and a fine up to twenty thousand dollars. Possession of one hundred kilograms or more carries a penalty of ten years to life in prison and a fine up to twenty thousand do... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana Hemp is the plant called "cannabis sativa" which is more commonly called marijuana. Marijuana has been illegal in the U.S.. ever since the Great Depression. The question we must ask ourselves is "why?" Why is a drug that has so many beneficial uses illegal? Is it because its poisoning the youth of today? Is it because it leads to harder drugs, the health problems, the addictiveness, the short-term memory impairment, the auto accidents, or is it simply because politicians tell us it is for "our own good?" We have grown up learning that marijuana is a terrible drug, and that using it gives us brain damage, kill all of our brain cells, and makes us lose our memory. The fact is though, that marijuana does not effect us in any of the ways listed above. The idea that marijuana impairs short-term memory is true, but misleading. Any signs of short-term memory impairment vanish once the user is no longer intoxicated. Mainly the reason we think marijuana is bad is because that is what the Partnership for a Drug-Free America wants us to believe. They tell us that marijuana will cause brain damage and memory impairment, it will kill brain cells, and lead to more crime. But what they forget to mention is all the benefits we can receive from legalizing marijuana. For example, the medicinal uses, and the textile and construction uses. It is very likely that legalizing marijuana would decrease the crime rate, and by legalizing marijuana we will save a lot of money because we won't have to spend it on fighting marijuana as part of the War on Drugs. There are many habits much worse than marijuana, one example being cigarette smoking. "Tobacco smoking kills more people each year than AIDS, heroin, crack, cocaine, alcohol, car accidents, fire and murder combined. Tobacco smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the US. Tobacco smokers have 10 times the lung cancer of nonsmokers, twice the... Free Essays on Marijuana â€Å"Just say no to drugs,† a phrase we were all brought up with. It’s everywhere from our parent’s mouths to every kids love, candy boxes. Marijuana, one of the most common illegal drugs smuggled and used in the United States, is every parents nightmare. Since I can remember I was always told â€Å"drugs are bad,† and â€Å"never get mixed up with them.† At the time I was young and that was more than enough information for me so I never once questioned it, but as I grew older my curiosity began to grow along with me. I wanted to know â€Å"Why is this drug so bad?† and â€Å"What exactly are its effects on the human body?† My questions began to expand over time. â€Å"If this drug is so bad, how come almost half of America is on it, well at least that’s what it seems like in my neighborhood.† With all these unanswered questions roaming around in my head there was no question that this was the topic I was going to write my I-search paper on. I began investigating the issue at home online. I started by searching various search engines such as yahoo, excite and dogpile. The one I found to be the most resourceful was dogpile. â€Å"Marijuana: facts for teens,† was one of the web pages that contained an abundant amount of useful facts. I found it very easy to use because of its format. It contained frequently asked questions about marijuana along with scientific answers. The second step I took in locating my information was visiting the Mastic-Shirley Community Library, located in my town. In the library I stumbled upon books such as The Residual Cognitive Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use in College Students, by H.G Pope and Clinical Relevance Of Cannabis Tolerance and Dependents, by Ralph Jones These books also contained useful, relevant information such as the long term effects of marijuana. The first thing I researched was what marijuana exactly was. â€Å"Marijuana is a a green, brown or gray mixture of shredded leav... Free Essays on Marijuana Why should marijuana be legalized? Many people, old and young, everywhere in the world, partake in the activity of smoking this plant and buying paraphernalia. There are many substantial reasons to use this plant, besides for extra-curricular purposes. Marijuana should be legalized because it’s the holder of many beneficial uses including suppressing pain, raising the United States out of debt, saving millions of acres of forests, and creating jobs for many people. Through the legalization of marijuana, the U.S. could benefit immensely. Marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance in the United States. Since it is used so often, why not take the money it could create by selling it and help the economy. For every 1/8 ounce sold, the U.S. government could take 40% of the $40 or $45 with the other 60% going to the seller. The seller would have to be monitored by the government and would have to have licenses and have their crops tested for harmful fertilizers. Crime would also be affected in a positive way. Illegal drug crimes would drop, allowing the police to turn their attention to more serious problems. There is a marijuana smoker arrested every 45 seconds in the United States. Normally, they receive large fines and small jail time but repeat offenders can get up to five years. Sadly, rapists and murderers are able to get only one year. Do you really think smoking a joint is worse that raping and killing someone If marijuana were to be legalized, the jail would have room for criminals that deserve jail time for their crimes. Tax dollars that go to prosecuting and jailing these so called ‘criminals’ could go towards programs in helping inform smokers of how to do it responsibility. Drug dealers that dealt illegally would soon go out of business and drug smuggling would drop to a low. They would still sell cocaine and PCP and the other illegal drugs but they wouldn’t have the same profit that they got prior becaus... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana Marijuana (pot,) is one of the most widely used recreational drugs. The legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial debates in today’s government. For years the debate to legalize this drug has grown stronger and stronger. There are various arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana. Those who are for legalization argue that marijuana is a stress reliever, it enhances creativity, and can be used for medicinal purposes. On the contrary, those who are against the legalization of marijuana argue that marijuana is a doorway drug to harsher more dangerous drugs, pot makes you stupid, and will make drugs readily available to our nation’s youth. Until its ban, pot was used for over 50,000 non-drug commercial uses including paper, textiles, fuels, food and sealants. Marijuana is also a medical herb that has hundreds of proven, valuable therapeutic uses- from stress reduction, to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy, etc. THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, can be extracted and made into pill form for medical purposes. Marijuana was a major active ingredient in 40-50% of patent medicines before its ban. During the 1930’s the American media spread false stories about marijuana facts and depicted pot as an extremely dangerous drug. This caused marijuana and hemp to be effectively banned in 1938. Many say that by legalizing marijuana it will cause the crime rate to increase. In actuality legalizing marijuana would decrease the crime rate if the herb is readily available. It would eliminate the need of an underground subculture. For example, during the prohibition when alcohol was banned, the only way to obtain alcohol was through the black market. Once alcohol was legalized, distributors sold alcohol at a cheaper price, therefore driving bootleggers out of business. The same thing would happen if marijuana was legalized. Distributors would sell pot at a cheaper price and w... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana also reduces pain caused by AIDS and cancer and helps cure glaucoma’s. According to the National Cancer Institute, marijuana is used in alleviating side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite of chemotherapy patients. Marijuana reduces intraocular pressure in the eye for relieve from glaucoma’s. Marijuana can also ease muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. If it’s the only drug that effectively camouflages pain, then it should be used. No person should have a say in this matter unless they have experienced the pain and suffering that these people with cancer and AIDS have encountered due to their illness. Marijuana has been made out by many people to be harmful, but that is not the case. Over 2000 people die each year from the toxic effects of aspirin, and it is legal to anyone. Marijuana has never killed anyone, but yet it is not legal. Marijuana has many benefits; therefore it needs to be legal. It helps curb pain, saves forests, and would be much safer to its smokers if it were to be legalized. Alternative medicines are becoming more and more popular these days. I believe that holistic and herbal medicines are a great alternative for people who are allergic to traditional medicines. Along with safe use, people can better themselves with this secondary way of healing. I happen to use many herbal cures for everyday stressors, which over- the- counter drugs cannot help with. There is a great debate right now, concerning marijuana use for medical purposes. Before I came to the US, I have always believed that marijuana was something that people experimented with as a way to deal with their daily stress. I also felt that the use of marijuana was the harmful to a person physical and mental health. –The view in my country (Cyprus) is that marijuana is as detrimental as any other hard core drug-. However, my view about marijuana has changed dramatically over the years, not just because... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana†¦Legalize it? One question that has haunted Americans for a long time is â€Å"Should the use of marijuana be legalized?† Some say, â€Å"Yes†, while others say, â€Å"No†. Owning marijuana was made a criminal offence in 1937 when Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act. Even with this new law, people continued to use the drug. Here we are years later, still without a satisfactory answer to the question. There are many reasons that marijuana should be made legal, but there are also reasons that it should not. Through out this essay, I am going to compare and contrast some of the pros and cons of the legalizing of marijuana. Many people think that the legalization of cannabis would lead to health problems, such as, the use of a harsher drug and to psychological and personality problems that can come from using marijuana. These individuals feel that the negatives of marijuana use far outweigh the positives, and feel that the use of marijuana should remain illegal. To some people marijuana is considered a â€Å"gateway† drug. Legalizing marijuana may lead to the use of much more harsh drugs. I know someone who is currently sitting in a prison on multiple drug charges. He is sentenced to eight years in a minimum-security prison. When my friends and I think back about how his life got so messed up, it’s weird to think that it started out as simple as smoking pot. Once someone experiences a â€Å"high†, they may want to experience it again, and when pot does not do the trick anymore, they may turn to stronger drugs. Many people out there have no idea what it is like to be â€Å"highâ⠂¬  so to speak. If marijuana were legalized, those people would try the drug, like it, and then perhaps move on to much more damaging drugs. Legalizing marijuana could very well cause Americans to suffer from psychological and personality problems. THC is the active chemical in marijuana that causes the user to feel â€Å"high†. This chemical is most... Free Essays on Marijuana I believe that the government cannot intervene to forbid such practices in these states, because the Constitution does not state that the states couldn’t do it. The government does not have the power to take away the states right. If it doesn’t state that the government can intervene with a state decision, then the state can do whatever it wants. Unless, the government tries to bribe them to change there ways. For example, if the government said that the state wasn’t going to get 10 million in federal funds unless the state forbids prostitution and marijuana. Of course the state would stop permitting prostitution and marijuana and take the 10 million in federal funds. It states in the 10 Amendment any power not given to the national government is then reserved to the states. Which means if there is no statement about forbidding usage of marijuana, then Alaska is free to do whatever. The national government cannot stop Alaska for permitting marijuana. If the states believe permitting marijuana is the right thing, then the state will stand by its decision. In my opinion, I believe permitting marijuana to try to cure certain diseases is a good thing. I believe if a drug had potential in curing any disease then we should allow it or try it. At least we are trying to make a difference. Instead of us just sitting there and watching people die. The bad side of the situation of the drug is that it does have side affects and people can get addicted. There are two sides of the usage of the drug. I still think it is a good idea and we should allow it. The state of Nevada should not allow prostitution. I think that is wrong and unethical. The prostitutes could be carrying a disease and infecting everyone. That type of â€Å"business† can plague the whole state. I believe the government should have the right to stop prostitution. The government should have some say so about prostitution. A state law passed in 1971 ma... Free Essays on Marijuana Daniel Chaney The people who oppose legalizing marijuana feel that marijuana is morally wrong. They feel that legalizing another drug to get high America high isn’t the answer to our drug problem. This could make our drug problem spiral out of control some law makers feel. While others feel that it could improve our drug problem. The views of how to control America’s drug problem conflicts. Both groups those for legalizing marijuana and those against it are trying to achieve the same goal. Both sides want to improve America’s drug problem, the chief impediment between the people is the way they want to do it. The groups aren’t likely to agree on a compromise because each group represents a totally opposite way to reach the goal than the other. This issue will be written in black and white with no grey area. Marijuana will be made legal or it will remain illegal. The people who want marijuana to remain illegal feel that it will add to our problem. It will make it ok to use another dangerous drug legal and easily accessible. Those who feel that marijuana should be legal, look at it as legalizing a helpful drug with untapped potential. This is why each group is so far apart, because of the differences in the definitions of the issue. I see no foreseeable agreement between the sides. Whatever the decision is made, one of the groups will be strongly opposed to the choice.... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana: The Friendly Weed â€Å"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Contrary to what you may think it was not a user of the friendly weed marijuana who said this. Just the opposite; it was the (Drug Enforcement Administration) DEA’s chief administrative law judge, Francis L. Young in 1988. People around the world have been brought up to think that marijuana is this deadly, addictive, harmful drug that will turn you into a stoner at first puff. Of course, this is not true. Marijuana is a very beneficial substance that has been used to treat serious ailments for thousands of years. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, was the first law that prohibited marijuana. Some protested it then and many more do now. Then, decades later, the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 placed all illegal and prescription drugs into five â€Å"schedules† or categories. Marijuana ended up in Schedule I, defining the substance as having: a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medicinal use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of safety for use under medical supervision. This does not apply to marijuana at all. Unfortunately, at the time the act was put into action, marijuana had been prohibited for more than thirty years. Its medical aspects put aside, marijuana was considered dangerous and addictive. However, in the 1970’s, a considerable increase in recreational users helped rediscover the medicinal purposes of marijuana. Scientists studied the health effects of marijuana and uncovered its history of helping people. Also, those who used it for simple enjoym ent, who had illnesses, discovered it’s therapeutic purposes. When word got out, people started to self-medicate. Distressingly with its Schedule I status, doctors cannot prescribe it, and medical research is severely hindered. In 1972, a petition was made to legalize marijuana for medical patients. After sixteen years of c... Free Essays on Marijuana Daily across the world millions of people are smoking marijuana. In some places this is an illegal activity, but in other places it is very acceptable. The New Encyclopedia Britannica explains, â€Å"Marijuana, also spelled Marihuana the Indian plant hemp plant, Cannabis Sativa, or the crude drug composed of its leaves and flower, usually crushed and put into pipes or formed into cigarettes for smoking†(Encyclopedia Britannica). The intoxicating chemical in pot is THC or Tetrahydrocannabinal. The use of marijuana has been practiced for thousands of years. Numerous different cultures have had their own different uses for the drug. Snyder explains, â€Å"Marihuana was probably first used as an intoxicant in India around 1000 B.C. and soon became an integral part of the Hindu culture†(www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/nc1b.htm). Today, the intoxicating drug marijuana is filled in our nation’s streets and homes. The majority of the pot, which co mes into the United Stat! es, comes from Mexico. But that does not mean that the drug is not grown here in the states. Rolling Stone Magazine writes that behind tobacco, Kentucky’s second biggest cash crop is marijuana. The cultivators will grow their plants throughout the year starting in spring and harvesting in the fall seasons. The plants are then cut down and hung upside down to dry. The buds off of the plant are then picked off and ready to be sold on the streets to our nation’s kids. Even though there are severe consequences for practicing this act in America, people still make a living doing it every year. These same people along with many other followers want this drug to be legalized in America today. Marijuana cannot be legalized in America for medical or social purposes. Smoking marijuana is not a safe or effective medicine. The use of any drug whether it be legal or not is not healthy for one’s body to smoke. A human body lives off of breathing o...

How do electric cooperatives impact the local, as well as the national Essay

How do electric cooperatives impact the local, as well as the national economy - Essay Example The electric cooperatives have raised the standard of living for millions of Americans and have contributed greatly to our gross domestic product. Though electric cooperatives had operated sporadically since the early 20th century in the US, by 1935 electric power was available to very few US farmers. In the United States, electric cooperatives were established to bring electric power to rural areas that were not being served by the large public utilities. The large investor owned utilities saw this as a losing venture with few customers per mile of line ("A 2005 Snapshot, 8). However, by 1941, electric cooperatives were serving 35% of the nation's rural homes ("Historical Overview"). The immediate economic impact was to bring business, manufacturing, and commerce to areas that were previously dependent on agriculture and self-sufficiency. The introduction of electricity also placed an increase demand for electrical appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, and radios. This has been extended to "Alaskan fishing villages, dairy farms in Vermont and the suburbs and exurbs in between" (NRECA). Today, the electric cooper atives in the US maintain 43% of the lines and deliver 10% of the nation's electric needs (NRECA). While the impact on the national e... They provide employment for 67,000 workers in the United States that contribute a payroll of $3 billion to the businesses and commerce of the local area of the cooperatives (NRECA). In addition to providing a direct benefit for the people who are employed in the generation and distribution of electricity, there are also indirect economic impacts. Electric cooperatives supply their businesses through local purchases of the required resources. This can be anything from computers to vehicles. This money circulates back through the local economies and generates a ripple effect through the communities. Construction of major projects, though temporary, contributes a considerable financial input to a local area during the life of the project and can have a significant effect on the local economy (Schunk 5). The economic activity from these business transactions creates local jobs for service and retail businesses. In addition to providing employment and stimulating the local economies around the country, the cooperatives contribute $1.2 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenue (NRECA). These revenues provide relief for the tax system and generate increased economic activity through the funding of federal infrastructure programs. In addition to the direct input of tax revenue, the electric cooperatives receive a smaller federal subsidy than municipal and investor owned power companies. According to Lawrence R. Klein of the University of Pennsylvania, "...all types of utilities (Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs), Municipal Owned utilities and electric cooperatives enjoy some form of subsidy" (qtd. in NRECA). However, the lower subsidy received by the co-ops is substantial and may amount to as much

Orthodox Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Orthodox Church - Essay Example Unfortunately, very little is known about the history of two brothers and it is still unclear whether Cyril was the priest or simply the deacon. From religious point of view, the liturgical innovation of Cyril was accepted only by the Eastern Church, but it was also offered to the Roman Church. Despite of the numerous controversies about the important of brother's mission to Orthodox Church, their contribution to the Slavic culture and church history cannot be underestimated. Cyril and Methodius both rendered important services to Byzantine Empire and were sent by the Emperor and the Patriarch on the responsible mission to Moravia. It is apparent that the beginnings of the Russian Christianity coincide in time with the Moravian mission of Cyril and Methodius and with the conversion of Bulgaria to Christian Church. The Byzantine culture was the most highly developed of its time and was spreading fast. The Moravian mission of Cyril and Methodius has further extended Byzantine religious and cultural influences to remote Slavic regions in the central Europe. "The real and unique greatness of the Moravian mission lies not so much in its achievements in Moravia as in the outstanding and far-reaching results beyond the Moravian border" (Ostrogorsky 3). Two brothers have created the Slavonic alphabet which made possible the development of Slavic writing and opened the new era in the cultural life of Slavic people. In addition to cultural contribution of Cyril-Methodius mission to Slavic nations, the Moravian mission should be viewed as the missionary enterprise. Byzantium was consolidating the existing relations and establishing new relations with the Slavs. Some of the historical events of that time include: the Russian attack on Constantinople (860), the request of Moravian prince Rastislav to send Byzantine missionaries to his country (863), the official acceptance of Christianity by Bulgaria (864). These events took place within the four years, however, their importance to Byzantine Empire and to the Slavs was great. Byzantine state in the sixties of the ninth century was strengthened, the military power increased, the regions of the Balkan Peninsula were reoccupied, the influence and authority of Constantinople in the Christian Church increased (Ostrogorsky 15). These developments have laid the foundation for powerful expansion of Byzantine religious and cultural influences that took plac e during the activity of Cyril and Methodius. Cyril, being one of the most remarkable personalities in Byzantine Empire, endowed with secular and theological knowledge, was the exponent of the highest aspiration of the Byzantine Church (Ostrogorsky 15). Cyril and Methodius did preach and celebrated the liturgy in Slavic language; they created the alphabet and translated the Bible into Slavic. Because they did these things, they laid the foundation for the Slavic literacy, literature, and culture. In the result of their mission, Byzantine Church became the powerful factor in the Hellenization of the Slavic world. For example, in Moravia the Byzantines preached Christianity and celebrated Mass in Slavic language, the Slavic self-consciousness was deliberately supported. Cyril and Methodius opposed the trilingual heresy - the theory that Christian Church was being expressed only in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Notably, the intensive research of the

Business Impacts of Computerized Accounting Assignment

Business Impacts of Computerized Accounting - Assignment Example He has always been willing and ready to offer any form of help. Company he works for Green works for Alliance for Arab women, a ‘non-governmental’ organization that operates in Cairo, Egypt. Alliance for Arab women is a human rights campaigner that spearheads fight for women’s rights and the identity of women in the society. Technology covered The subject of the interview was a recently implemented technology in the interviewee’s workplace. Having been an emerging technology in the developing countries and since his company just implemented computerized accounting a year ago, the interviewee promised to be fruitful in exploring business impacts of the technology. Even though his company is a ‘non-governmental’ organization, a ‘non-profit’ making entity, the experience that he has had with the technology is sufficient for drawing conclusions on the business impacts of the technology. Interviewee’s experience with the technolo gy The interviewee has had sufficient experience in electronic technologies. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in information technology and taken an additional accounting course, Green has sufficient experience in technological applications in accounting. ... The technology has facilitated work through easy accounting processes. Accountants have for instance been saved the agony of making double entries with respect to transactions because the technology updates entries on single recording of a transaction. This has particularly reduced chances of errors due to incorrect entry of figures in different accounts for double entry procedures. The technology has further enhanced accuracy in accounting as the use of software has eliminated errors that were previously encountered during entries and computations in accounts and statements. Application of the technology has also aided the works of accountants through its capacity to handle large amount of data. Unlike the manual accounting processes that are prone to confusion especially when the data to be handled is large, computerized accounting maintains precision and accuracy irrespective of the size of records to be kept and dealt in. The technology has also enhanced accuracy and reliability in accounting, as records are easily retrievable on demand. Drawbacks to the technology implementation Implementation of the technology faced a number of obstacles, both within the organization’s accounting department and the management. The accounting staffs were for instance reluctant to change to the new technology because of the required training that they would be subjected to. There were also reports of employees who had not been comfortable with computers and saw the technology as push towards reliance on computers. The management was on the other hand reluctant to implement the technology due to the costs that would be involved. First, the management would be expected to contract a firm that would determine and maintain the company’s hard drives

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 37

Reflection paper - Essay Example It is important for me to know who I am and to acknowledge my identity. It also helps me to determine my strengths and weaknesses. This was the most interesting yet most difficult lesson to let sink in. Though I know that self-concept is an essential part of life, it is hard to look at your own strengths and weaknesses. I know now what some of those are and the areas that are my weaknesses are those that I can work on and learn from. It is not as simple as looking at yourself in the mirror but more like looking at yourself under a microscope and sometimes what you see is difficult. That is also where I had several â€Å"aha† moments. It sounds narcissistic to only acknowledge what I learned about myself but it is difficult to build on anything else in communication without acknowledging my own strengths and weaknesses in life. The HURIER method was also a great thing to learn because it helped me learn more about listening. Sometimes I find myself busy and thinking about other things that I have to do that I sometimes may drift off and think about other things when I am in the middle of a conversation or even in class. I may be hearing someone else but I am not listening. This lesson helped me to realize I need to stop what I am doing and listen or the translation of what I hear can be completely different than the message I was supposed to be hearing. I know that I need to go through the steps of hearing, understanding, remembering, interpreting, evaluating and responding, hence the acronym. In any conversation or giving an answer in class, I have to actually hear and process the message in order to give an appropriate response to what it is I have heard. I think it is a tool that I use without thinking about it but actually seeing it in a logical organizational form makes it easier to remind myself that I need to really think things through before responding. The elements that make me a bad

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Case Study - Essay Example This incentive makes workers perform better. By making their own steel, Nucor cut down costs. This made the company more profitable. When making a product, it is normally cheaper to make your own supply. The making of steel made Nucor more profitable. Waits on shipment were eliminated, a cheaper process was used, and more effective steel joists could be made. The supply of steel allowed Nucor to bid on contracts for steel joists all across the United States. Finally the reason Nucor has performed better in the past is the cut of losses. If a division, acquisition, or venture did not perform as expected, Nucor would close the division or sell the losing acquisition or venture. This helped the remaining successful divisions make a profitable corporation. The company’s strategic positioning has been a factor in the success. The company has always changed with the times. From the beginning as a car maker to merge with a Nuclear Company, and finally as a steel manufacturer, Nucor has changed with the times in order to make a profit. Since making steel and steel joists was profitable, Nucor focused on making cheap steel products. The restructuring of the corporate level also was strategic positioning. When Iverson took over his method of vice presidents, division heads, and so forth worked in the beginning. However, after Iverson retired, a change needed to be made in order to keep up with other corporations. The strategic options for the future need to include more change. With the bad economy, development using steel joists will slow down. Cut backs will be necessary. Production cuts will have to be faced. However, the recession will not last forever. Nucor needs to look into other options for their steel. Oil rigs need steel pipes, decks, and platforms. Focusing on this industry until the economy picks up could be the answer. Development might slow down, but it will not stop. Nucor can focus on other industries, but

Strategic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Analysis - Essay Example In the modern scenario, to maintain sustainability in the global market, every organisation tends to form a basic company objective, vision as well as mission. Organisational culture has certainly created the need of following certain principles for attaining predetermined targets. These principles often help the employees to reap varied significant benefits like improved level of operational performance of the personnel. By taking into concern the present business market conditions, it can be affirmed that two vital factors including organisational culture and leadership are deemed to be quite important for any company that can assist in fulfilling desired objectives. A correct form of organisational culture and varied leadership practices may contribute in securing the future of the companies by a considerable extent (Wilson, 2005). Harley-Davidson (H-D) is a renowned American based business corporation, which deals with manufacturing motorcycles. It is regarded as one the oldest brands as a motorcycle manufacturer. It can be apparently observed that the company has strived to maintain organisational culture for fulfilling its desired targets. One of the main objectives of H-D is identified to offer quality products at a promised value. From the preceding few years, the company focused on changing its product design to gain more customer attention. In its long journey, H-D faced numerous difficulties in terms of finance. This can be justified with reference to the fact that the company experienced tremendous fall in market share due to the reason of having certain problems with one of its Japanese manufacturer. By taking into concern the trend of organizational culture prevailing within H-D, it can be ascertained that the company has produced new models with the increased level of improved operational performan ce of its employees. In the year 2003, H-D faced the challenge of severe decline in product demand, due to which, its share price

What issues of discrimination regarding Women in America since the Essay - 3

What issues of discrimination regarding Women in America since the 1920's have been successfully resolved -- and which issues have not yet been resolved - Essay Example ls or women to form a union between two powerful families through marriage and the marriage would be used to signify the bond between the families even if the young girl that was being married was doing so forcefully and unwillingly. However nowadays especially in America women have been given the mandate to marry when they feel like doing so (Tandon 45). This shows how far women have come so as to be liberated and to be responsible of their marital choices and decisions. Arranged marriage was also very rampant in the past where women were forced to marry husbands chosen for them by their parents and whom they did not love. Nowadays however women are given the freedom to marry whoever they choose and so they are free to marry whom they love hence introducing the concept of love in marriages. Unlike in the old days women nowadays are not considered as the man’s property or as economic assets. They are allowed to marry who they want and love (Coontz 56). Time has seen the rising status of the woman in marriage whereby in the current modern society in America women have a significant influence and say in their marriages and are allowed to marry at whatever age they please and they are also free to leave unsatisfying unions whenever they please. They are also free to establish certain rules that should be followed by them and their husbands within the marriage. Polygamy is one of these issues, since it is being practiced secretly by some people in America despite it being outlawed and it shows how the status of women in the current society is still being somehow undermined. Men marrying many wives secretly are enough proof that women are still being undermined in some societies and not being taken seriously. Just like in the old days even today in America the notion of marriage has not changed very much since many women are being forced to endure the state of a bad marriage rather than celebrate it. It has been discovered that even today bride price is being paid

Strategic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Analysis - Essay Example In the modern scenario, to maintain sustainability in the global market, every organisation tends to form a basic company objective, vision as well as mission. Organisational culture has certainly created the need of following certain principles for attaining predetermined targets. These principles often help the employees to reap varied significant benefits like improved level of operational performance of the personnel. By taking into concern the present business market conditions, it can be affirmed that two vital factors including organisational culture and leadership are deemed to be quite important for any company that can assist in fulfilling desired objectives. A correct form of organisational culture and varied leadership practices may contribute in securing the future of the companies by a considerable extent (Wilson, 2005). Harley-Davidson (H-D) is a renowned American based business corporation, which deals with manufacturing motorcycles. It is regarded as one the oldest brands as a motorcycle manufacturer. It can be apparently observed that the company has strived to maintain organisational culture for fulfilling its desired targets. One of the main objectives of H-D is identified to offer quality products at a promised value. From the preceding few years, the company focused on changing its product design to gain more customer attention. In its long journey, H-D faced numerous difficulties in terms of finance. This can be justified with reference to the fact that the company experienced tremendous fall in market share due to the reason of having certain problems with one of its Japanese manufacturer. By taking into concern the trend of organizational culture prevailing within H-D, it can be ascertained that the company has produced new models with the increased level of improved operational performan ce of its employees. In the year 2003, H-D faced the challenge of severe decline in product demand, due to which, its share price

Carla Potter Essay Example for Free

Carla Potter Essay Ceramic artist Carla Potter draws on her roots near the ocean to create sculpture that call the sea life to mind, bringing the vibrant ocean-themed pieces so nearly to life once can almost smell the salt air. With a piece called â€Å"Leviathan†, she inspires the beauty that perhaps an ancient sea monster might not have been able to, and throws in a bit of the serenity of the oceanscape and a fair amount of â€Å"What is that?’ In her artist statement, Potter says that it is the receeding tide that inspires her work. Her medium is clay and though some of her sculptures are also ceramic vessels, much of her work is simply brilliant renditions of the sea life brought back to life with glazes and paints designed to keep them looking wet long after the tide has rolled back out to sea. Potter is from Ketchikan, Alaska, and went to the lower 48 to study dance. While there, she discovered there she could â€Å"express grace† much easier through using just her hands instead of using her entire body (Biography, 2007). She eventually turned her studies to ceramics and earned her bachelor of arts from Humbolt State College (Biography, 2007). Then, Potter wrote athe website that local friends convinced her to act as artist in residence at the elementary schools in her home town for the next decade while raising her own children. During that time, she also participated ins everal solo exhibits throughout Alaska and many juried and combined shows in the rest o the country. Her work can be seen in the Alaska State Museum and several private museums across the state as well as in many private collections. In 2005-2006, she was the artist in residence for the Archie Bray foundation (Archie Bray, 2006). Photographs from Potter’s final exhibit at Archie Bray are available online and show some of the versatility of her work while remaining true to her basic theme of ocean life. In her artist’s statement, Potter writes, â€Å"Flashing golden seaweed, heaps of tumbled, coiled and strewn kelp fronds create a slippery veil over the busy worlds of crabs, tiny fishes, anemones, invertebrates and every texture and color of starfish. It is a wet, three-dimensional brocade that evokes the lavish costumes of can-can dancers or ladies of the night.† Even her words flow as a warm and fun description of the sea themes, but fail to do her work justice. While â€Å"Leviathan† is a simple piece, invoking the image of a stray tentacle sliding up through a pile of damp mussels, her â€Å"Rock Oyster Pitcher† is a maze of tiny details feeling like a pitcher that has been too long at the bottom of the seas and is covered in coral (Artist, 2007). The lovely pitcher calls to mind shipwrecks and lost treasurers and the wonderment that it has somehow survived under the sea. Of particular interest is the delicacy that Potter reflects in this work done in 2000 when compared to the more substantial â€Å"Leviathan.† The other joy of looking at Potter’s work is that she is able to meld form and color to make the viewer feel as though she is about to reach out and touch shells fresh from the sear. Her piece â€Å"Flamenco† from 2002 looks like a sea anemone and feels freshly plucked from a crystal blue tidal pool.(Potter 2002 Collection, 2007). The piece definitely harkens back to the artist’s statement about her work, when she wrote,† Though the look and feel of my work is inspired by life in and around the edge of the sea, the subject matter is closely paired with my experience of culture. I love to combine the pokey squishy surface of a sea cucumber with the dubious comfort and form of Victorian furniture.†(Artist Statement 2007). I love the concept of combining nature and the uptight form of formal furnishings. Her work is like a way to bring the seaside indoors without the stench of something dying in a shell and without having to kill the animal that once called the shell home. Potter’s work is an invitation to those of us who have only seen the sea through old Jaques Costeau images or through Hollywood’s lens. Instead of the highly stylized colors of Hollywood, we have the imagination and memories of a woman who spent her life on the Pacific Ocean and wants to share that love with the rest of the world. Her works somehow manages to call to mind the texture and feel of the tidal pools, an effect she managed to achieve through years of experiments with high temperature glazes (Artist Statement 2004). â€Å"For the past three years I have been experimenting with porcelain and high fire oxidation glazes. These glazes have a surface that is dense with an elusive depth and beauty. The coloration effects would be impossible to replicate with under glazes. It also provides me with a new avenue to explore the marriage of color and form unburdened by objective representation.† (Artist Statement 2004). Indeed the combination of the porcelain and high fire glazes has kept her work with the wet look and the delicacy common to many maritime animals.   An interesting twist in Potter’s work was the creation of a Cake Topper in her 2006 collection. The piece features classic images of Adam and Eve standing in a garden of green barnacles and black mussels. (Potter 2006). The figure work is reminiscent of Michaelangelo’s David, complete with the lack of arms below the mid-bicep. The piece is very classic in feel and amazing given the size of the piece. The piece is just 16 inches tall (Potter 2006). This may be my favorite of the pieces that Potter has on display at her website. It is a wonderful combination of the history of art and the addition of natural beauty to an indoor art piece. The idea that nature’s beauty can be brought inside via Potter’s work is very appealing to me. I find Carla Potter’s work to be inspiring and technically proficient, something that I believe is missing from many modern artists. Her delicate work in porcelain shows that she has the technical abilities to carve lifelong humans and the attention to detail to make a mollusk shell that looks like I should be able to pop it open and have mussels for dinner. The combination of elements makes the work feel much older and more valued, instead of feeling like modern art, something I am not as fond of. WORKS CITED â€Å"Archie Bray Foundation†, http://www.archiebray.org/residents/Potter/Potter.html, November 7, 2007. â€Å"Biography†, http://carlampotter.com/bio.htm, November 7, 2007. â€Å"Carla Potter’s Artist Statement†, http://www.carlampotter.com/statement.htm, November 7, 2007. â€Å"Carla Potter 2006 collection†, http://www.carlampotter.com/, November 7, 2007.

Intercontinental Hotels Group Analysis

Intercontinental Hotels Group Analysis Intercontinental Hotel Groups is an international hotel company that has a goal that it always aims at achieving is that to create Great hotels that the Guests love. Intercontinental hotels group which is also known in short form as IHG has more guest rooms available under their banner than any other hotel group. IHG has grown from a very small company to a massive company handling various branded hotel properties under its wings. IHG has more than 650.000 rooms in over 4,400 hotels across 100 countries the total stays that are done by guest in the IHG properties is over 130 million every year. 1(IHG website) With a clear view of what are its priorities, IHGs main purpose is creating Great Hotels Guests Love with everything done focused on the guest the staff. It operates hotels in three different ways as a franchisor, a manager and on an owned and leased basis. It also operates seven leading hotel brands InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. It also manages the worlds largest hotel loyalty programme in the industry known as the, Priority Club Rewards, which has 48 million members worldwide. IHG is molded around these three regions: The Americas; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Asia Pacific. 2(IHG Annual Report) 1 Strategic Corporate Development History of IHG: The formation of IHG has gone through various stages as any other company would have gone through which was taken successfully by William Bass who had a brewery in 1777 slowly but gradually entered in the hotel industry by acquisition of a breweries like the Mitchells Butlers in the 1960s which grew considerably large which when the government realized issued orders in legislations that breweries cannot hold on a large number of pubs which then made Bass reduce the pubs it owned dramatically which triggered a huge amount of cash flow which gave Bass an ability to develop an international hotel business which started with the acquisitions of a few hotel groups like Holiday Inn in 1988 also launched the Holiday Inn Express to be complementary to the Holiday Inn brand, side by side Bass grew his pub business side by side acquired The Harvester Chain of Restaurants in 1994 also launched its new brand of hotels known as Crown Plaza Hotels resorts climbing up to the upscale hotel mar ket. In 1996 bass tried to acquire  ½ of Carlsberg Tetley which again was hampered by the UK government which helps Bass to come back on line concentrate on the hotels pubs divisions leaving breweries aside. A year later in 1997 the hotel business focus becomes truly brand focused because Bass had already sold a few north American midscale hotels but held back to the brand name of the hotels through franchising agreements. Also that year Bass created launched a new brand of hotels known as the Staybridge Suites which was targeted at the upscale hotel market. Staybridge suites became the fastest brand in this upscale segment to reach 50 units in America. In 1998 Bass acquired the intercontinental hotel company, adding adding to its fold another upscale brand to its hotel portfolio. It was another considerable acquisition to cost saving synergies to the fold of hotel portfolio run by Bass. In 1999 Bass again acquired 550 handpicked high potential sites in UK also a strong 3500 strong pub estate from allied domecq. In 2000 Bass went on to acquire the Southern Pacific Corporation (SPHC) in Australia, which guaranteed Basss position as the leading hotel company in Asia Pacific. Later in the year Bass sold of his Bass breweries for 2.3 billion pounds. This was the final step by Bass to completely focusing on being the international hospitality retailer from being a domestic brewer a process which took a long period of 10 years to complete. Over the period of time Bass sold off name of bass and changed the name to Six Continents PLC. a name which it bettered into to reflect the global spread of the groups business. In the month of February 2001 Six Continents sold 988 of its smaller unbranded pubs for 625million pounds, which further funded the buying of the European Posthouse chain of hotels for 810million pounds. The acquisition of this company which had strategically placed hotels could be converted to Holiday Inn concentrating the Holiday Inn brand in UK Europe. Later that year it went on to acquire Intercontinental Hong Kong for 241 Million pounds strengthening its position in the Chinese Asia Pacific markets. On 1st October 2002 Six Continents Plc announced its separation of the groups hotel soft drinks businesses (to be called Inter Continental Group Plc) from the retail business (to be called Mitchells Butlers Plc) of which 700 million Pounds of the proceedings returned capital to shareholders. The whole procedure of separation was completed on the 15th of April 2003. Intercontinental Hotels Group Plc (IHG) from then on is a distinct, discrete company, listed in the UK US stock markets. In July 2003 IHG sold Staybridge Suites to Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) entered into a 20year management agreement. Later in the year they added a midscale extended stay brand Candlewood Suites to its portfolio. In the year 2004 IHG announced the introduction of a new brand, hotel Indigo which focused on providing affordable boutique accommodation. In the same month, the group adopted new standards for selling and re-selling hotel rooms for guest stay through online travel companies. Following the success of the Up Scale market brand of Staybridge Suites North America IHG launched its extension of Staybridge suites to UK in April2005. Also in 2005 IHG went ahead disposed of its soft drinks 100% holdings in Britvic Plc. With this disposal IHG became a company with a pure hotel focus. In 2006 IHG went ahead signed a joint venture with All Nippon Airways (ANA), resulting the following projects IHG ANA hotels group Japan will be the largest international hotel operator in Japan, the worlds second largest hotel market. The deal saw the introduction of three new brands created for Japan. ANA-IHG, ANA-Crowne Plaza ANA Holiday Inn. In the year 2007 IHG announces that a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand family, comprising Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn Holiday Inn Express. The re launch was done with the intention of giving it a refreshed contemporary brand image. All the hotels were supposed to have completed the re launch in 2010 with the 1st re launch taking place in 2008. In the year 2008 after the re launches of Holiday Inn taking place Staybridge Suites extended its brand more in UK the first Hotel Indigo opened in London. In 2009 the1500th hotel was relaunched over the 40% of Holiday Inn Holiday Inn Express. Strategy used from the start to the current time period: Bass the main brain behind the whole formation of the Intercontinental Hotel Group has played a major role in the slow but steady growth of this company from a small company to a worldwide known company. Bass has grown this huge group through the basis of trial error round which he has experimented in various concepts of owning then selling then franchising finally managing properties. Bass has being following the linear model of growth through various acquisitions. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC was formed by the separation of Six Continents PLC (previously Bass PLC) on 15 April 2003. The restaurant and pubs part of Six Continents became Mitchells Butlers plc. However, IHGs brands trace their history back much further than 2003. Our Holiday Inn brand, one of the worlds most recognized was created in the 1950s by Kemmons Wilson in the US. InterContinental, another of our brands was created by Pan Am in the 1940s, when hotels were built in many of Pan Ams destinations. 3(ihg.com) Over the past few years, Intercontinental hotels group has maintained itself strategically to be more efficient and effective and make full use of their global status. A predominantly franchised and managed, fee-based business was the main focus of IHG. The strategy that IHG followed made their income stream predictable with a strong cash generation which allowed it to continue in growth because all their new hotels were funded by third-party investment. IHG went ahead and relaunched Holiday Inn in 2007 and although the unexpected economic circumstances that came by IHG during that time period, it went on and got on with the $1 billion programme because of the belief of the heads of IHG that it was exactly the right time to go ahead with the relaunches. The relaunch went on to building back peoples perceptions of Holiday Inn. The guest wanting to try Holiday Inn with IHG with its value theyre giving the Brand once down another try and liking and accepting what they found. Guest satisfaction was going up and owners could see the Revenue per rooms out perform. These economic circumstances might seem like a great reason to shy away from making such big changes, but time will show that it is both a very opportune and very effective initiative for this, our biggest brand, as quoted by the CEO of IHG Mr. Andrew Cosslett. 3 http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=40 Current strategy used by Intercontinental Hotels Group: Bass the main brain behind the whole formation of the Intercontinental Hotel Group has played a major role in the slow but steady growth of this company from a small company to a worldwide known company which currently has an operating strength of 4400 hotels with 130 million guests visiting a year and under its umbrella has and widely known and reputed hotel brands covering all the major segments of the market, also have a reservations system which consists of 10 call centers in 29 languages it has also strived to be the top leader in the market has been able to position itself through its strategy of growing doing retailing in hotel sector have been able to position itself among the 6 largest hotel market, much more than any other company. Intercontinental hotel group has also been able to make the no.1 website for its guests investors in 13 different languages. They also have a global sales team of 8000 to conduct the sales of the hotels situated all over the 100 countries that they have their presence. Intercontinental hotels also has a loyalty programme which offers priority club rewards which are largest in the industry for over 48milllion of the guests which has been planned so strategically that . It has been stated on IHGs website that We have moved from investing heavily in hotel properties to return to our roots as a hotel franchise and management company with only a few owned assets. This change of focus has led to an industry-leading asset sale programme. Since 2003 we have sold  £2.9 billion worth of property. Many of these hotels have remained under our brands with management or franchise contracts, thereby creating a future income stream for IHG 4 (ihg.com). Over the past few months, IHGs continued growth in new rooms has helped to put off some of the revenue lost from Revenue per room declines. Driving in coming revenue into the hotels had been a priority and its system is the key to delivering this. Their system comprises of world class reservations centres, websites, global sales teams and Priority Club Rewards loyalty scheme and delivered 68 per cent of rooms revenue to the hotels in 2009. Reducing the overall cost base of IHG was crucial to managing through the downturn. IHG was already reducing costs to run the properties more effectively but with the economic downturn they steeped up the pace of change that was being gradually run. While they were reducing costs by taking better advantage of their way of operation as well their spread being worldwide, this also forced them to make reductions in the number of staff which unfortunately impacted jobs of IHG staff all over in the majority of properties. All these actions were taken in 2009 to reduce costs, while it was a very difficult period of the economic downturn; it allowed IHG to save a lot of cash and continue its investments in those things that attract guests to come to its hotels and revenues to the owners. The great working relationship that IHG shares with the owners of their properties, both directly and through the IAHI, which is IHGs Owners Association, has also been major contributor to the quick recovery also to the massive expansion taking place. By working alongside with the hotel owners, IHGs able to focus on the guest experience and on delivering Great Hotels Guests Love. 5 (ihg.com). 4http://www.ihgplc.com/files/reports/ar2009/files/pdf/2009_Annual_Report.pdf 5http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=40 The 48 million members of IHGs Priority Club Rewards programme remained loyal though the economic downturn and had been most supportive during the difficult times. Not only did these guests stay with IHG more often, they spent more when they did. A guests loyalty can never be taken for granted it is something that can take years to achieve and seconds to lose. So IHG had made sure they have continued to add benefits to the loyalty programme right through the downturn, and made membership of it even more worthwhile. In 2009 it enrolled six million new members into the programme thats a significant number of people whose first choice will now be to stay in one of IHGs hotels. IHGs future growth will be achieved predominantly through franchising and managing rather than owning hotels which in turn will drive down costs increase profits by the fact that all the investment in the hotels would be done by third parties. Approximately 641,000 rooms operating under the Group brands are franchised or managed and 5,800 rooms are owned and leased. The franchised and managed fee-based model is attractive because it enables the Group to achieve its goals with limited capital investment at an accelerated pace. A further advantage is the reduced volatility of the fee-based income stream, compared with ownership of assets. A key characteristic of the franchised and managed business is that it generates more cash than is required for investment in the business, with a high return on capital employed. Currently 87% of continuing earnings before regional and central overheads, exceptional items, interest and tax is derived from franchised and managed operations. The Current Strategies followed by IHG Hotels Group: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 90% of deals signed in scale markets and key gateway cities; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 10 signings of Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites outside of North America; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 439 hotels opened globally. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increased proportion of revenue delivery through IHG global reservations channels and PCR members direct by four percentage points to an average 68% of global hotel rooms revenue in 2009 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Major procurement savings made; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increased use of offshore transaction processing; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Technology infrastructure developed to support owner management and loyalty marketing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Continued to cascade Great Hotels Guests Love in hotels and corporate offices; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Meeting ongoing resourcing requirements to match hotel growth in scale markets; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Managing employee engagement; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continued focus on attracting and retaining talent. 1,697 relaunched Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels open around the world; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industry-leading Priority Club Rewards (PCR) loyalty programme with 48 million members, contributing $5.6bn of global system rooms revenue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Green Engage sustainability management system developed (patent pending); rolled out to over 900 hotels by 31 December 2009; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Extensive consumer research undertaken to quantify green opportunity with consumers; and (IHG annual report) 3 Future strategies to be used by Intercontinental Hotels Group: IHGs prime focus should be on growing faster by making its brands the first choice for both guests and hotel owners. We will do this by building the hotel industrys strongest operating system, focused on the biggest markets and segments where scale really counts. 5 (ihg.com). During these tough economic times, IHG had taken decisive action both to strengthen the efficiency of its businesses and to keep their course with its growth strategy. IHG should continue to invest in its staff, its systems and its brands, while moving even closer in working relationships with its hotel owners and partners. With momentum and a united, winning spirit inside the business, IHG is well placed to make the most of the upturn when it comes. As quoted by the CEO of IHG Mr. Andrew Cosslett. IHGs Ambition IHG should focus on its core purpose of creating Great Hotels Guests Love as the moto has always been, which is a growing crave to deliver among other key performance indicators (KPIs), closely enduring top quartile shareholders returns when measured against a broad global hotel peer group. For the three-year period of 2007 to 2009, IHG was fourth among its peers on Total Shareholder Return (TSR) and should always remain focused and try to come to the 1st position. Measuring IHG against a collection of specific KPIs aimed at delivering its core purpose, cascaded to the hotel level. Successful performance against various combinations of these metrics would result in higher profitability.. IHGs Future Strategy: IHGs strategy has seen significant development through 2009 as it moved to make its core purpose a reality, despite challenging economic circumstances. In 2009, IHG took a hard look at its operations and capabilities to focus on what really matters most to deliver Great Hotels Guests Love. It has backed this up with a major effort to align its staff and measure the most important drivers, resulting in a clear, target-based programme within the hotels to motivate teams and guide behaviors. IHGs strategy encompasses two key aspects: Where does it choose to compete; and How will it win where it competes? The Groups underlying Where strategy is that IHG would grow a portfolio of differentiated hospitality brands in select strategic countries and global key cities to maximise the scale advantage. The How aspect of our strategy flows from our core purpose and our research at the hotel level as to what really makes a difference for guests. In support of this overall strategy there are key priorities like Where we compete and How we win. To help IHGs hotels and corporate staff measure their efforts in achieving Great Hotels Guests Love, IHG provides clear metrics aligned with the four How we win priorities against which progress is gauged. The Group strategy also translates into specific regional objectives and priorities. . IHGs Delivery System:C:UsersdDesktopUntitled.png Driving demand IHGs operating system is made up of all the things we do to drive demand for our brands. This includes our advertising and marketing campaigns, our 10 global call centres, 13 local language websites, an 8,000-strong sales force, Priority Club Rewards the worlds largest hotel loyalty scheme which has 48 million members and all the advantages that IHGs global hotel distribution and scale brings to brand awareness. Hotel distribution IHG has over 4,400 hotels in over 100 countries worldwide. Our brands are in the top 3 in 7 of the 12 largest hotel markets in the world. When people travel, they look for familiar brands they know from home, increasing the demand for hotels that operate under our brands around the world. Advertising and marketing Each year, IHGs franchisees pay a fee into a central fund. This fund is used on their behalf for marketing and promotions to drive guest demand for IHGs brands. Brand sponsorships, television and print advertising campaigns and public relations activity across the globe are all ways in which the fund can be used. Priority Club Rewards IHGs Priority Club Rewards is the largest hotel loyalty scheme in the world, with 48 million members. Web presence The 13 local language websites take over 7.4 million bookings a year theyre a shop window for the hotels across the world under IHG,s banner, 365 days a year. www.holiday-inn.com is one of the industrys most visited websites, notching up 75 million site visits in 2005. The websites operate in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. Reservation system IHG,s 10 global reservation offices are available to take hotel bookings from guests 24 hours a day in 26 languages including Arabic, Cantonese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog and Thai. They deal with 700 transactions per minute. Sales force IHG have a global sales force of more than 8,000 professionals throughout the world, talking about and selling the booking of hotels under our brands to individuals and companies. Considering the future strategy which is goin to be used to the growth achievement of IHG are as follows: Consumer understanding: As one of the worlds largest hotel groups, IHG has gained valuable insights into where and how consumers seek hotel information and make reservations across various channels and from various local, regional and global sources. This information has shaped the way we engage with our customers and enabled us to drive up returns for owners. Global Reservations System All IHG hotels benefit from the worlds most advanced reservation system Holidex Plus.The system links more than 230,000 terminals worldwide and processes over 130 million stays a year thats about 700 transactions per second. This is serviced by our 12 worldwide reservation centres which receive up to 14 million calls annually in 15 different languages. Global Distribution Systems (GDS) Our reservation systems also link with all the major GDS, the channel of choice for travel professionals and large corporate buyers. This gives us global around the clock access to the travel trade. IHG online Our websites continue to be a fast-growing reservation channel. They offer a comprehensive, customer-friendly and secure booking service in 13 languages and provide a low cost of sale. We receive more than 5 million unique web visitors per month and also benefit from the lowest clicks-to-book rate in the industry. Worldwide sales IHGs worldwide sales team is more than 8,000 strong. As well as generating new revenue, the team also manages key corporate and agent accounts and provides local hotel sales support to maximise revenue and keep IHG hotels top of mind. 6 (IHG.com) Some Of the Future Milestones to be achieved: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue international roll-out of Staybridge Suites and Hotel Indigo; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Execute growth strategies in agreed scale markets; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue to leverage scale and build improved strategic position during the economic downturn Increase global sales force effectiveness; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue further procurement programmes to identify efficiencies; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Begin migration to next-generation revenue management IT systems; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue focus on owned and managed estate margins and return on capital employed (ROCE), especially in our key InterContinental assets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drive greater efficiency and simplicity through better use of technology; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Focus on developing skills to support the key goals for responsible business, guest experience and financial returns. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Complete Holiday Inn repositioning roll-out; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue to simplify brand standards process to improve owner returns without impairing guest experience; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue to enhance experience for PCR members in hotels and across global reservations channels; increase IHG business from PCR members à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Continue to roll out the Green Engage sustainability management system to 100% of our owned and managed hotels and expand into the franchised estate in all three regions; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Focus on innovation within new and existing brands to deliver valued green related hotels and services to guests. (IHG annual report) 6 http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=293 BIBLOGRAPHY: 1http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=16 2http://www.ihgplc.com/files/reports/ar2009/files/pdf/2009_Annual_Report.pdf 3 http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=40 4http://www.ihgplc.com/files/reports/ar2009/files/pdf/2009_Annual_Report.pdf 5http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=40 6 http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=293

Essay --

Heraclitus Heraclitus was born approximately at 540 B.C, He is one of the aristocratic families of Ephesus, near Colophon. Heraclitus had a reputation as a deliberately obscure thinker. Heraclitus often referred as â€Å"The Dark† due to the darkness of his writings. Even though there is no adequate English translation of the term â€Å"Logos† based on the writing, it can be seen that the logos was interpreted by Heraclitus as â€Å"The word of God† â€Å"Unity in Oppositeness†. Due to the fact that it is the controlling, magnificent force within nature, Heraclitus could simply classify it (Logos) as the mind of God. The fundamental dogma of Heraclitus’s orderliness is the allegation that there is a balanced structure of the solar system and that this structure establishes and maintain the stability of the universe. In order to understand what is â€Å"Logos† one should have a soul (Seeing, Hearing, Perception). It is said by Heraclitus that God is always better than men. Unity in Opposites could be interpreted as even though there are things which are the total opposites of each other, they are still able to unite in one unity. For example, Sea could be considered as two things, Sea could be the most pure water for fishes, yet sea water could be the most polluted water for men. For fishes it is drinkable and sanitary, while for men it is undrinkable and deleterious. (Fr. 61) Moreover, looking further on Heraclitus â€Å"Logos† we can say that he thinks that antithesis/opposites make unity. For example, God is day night, winter summer, war peace, satiety hunger (Fr. 67). In this writing, it is safe to say that Heraclitus considered fire as the most fundamental and important element in this world. Heraclitus strongly believes that fire is the most essential com... ...equilibrium is a place where everything is constantly changing. Hence, the idea of fire. Based on this paradigm now we could possibly understand why in the first place Heraclitus uses fire as the most suitable metaphor for the logos as fire never stays in one form, it is always changing. It is probably based on the same reason why Heraclitus likes the nature of river as the river is always changing, new water will continuously flows through replacing the old one, and it will remains the same for a very long period, probably forever. Moreover, still in the coverage of the previous theory, Heraclitus expanded Anaximander’s idea of the interaction of opposites. Heraclitus views that the animosity between all the opposites’ things in this world is actually universal; it never end. In fact, animosity might be the reason behind why we could have justice and equilibrium.

Existence of God :: Ontological arguments

The dilemma of the existence of God has troubled mankind for thousands of years. Many philosophers have put forth their theories in order to prove the existence of God. Most of these arguments can be termed as ontological. These arguments differ from other arguments for the existence of God since they are not based on empirical data such as the existence or nature of the universe, but are rather grounded in pure logic. First we will consider the arguments presented by Anselm. He believed that God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’; if one understand this, then God exists in his mind; but it is greater to exist in reality as well as in the mind than to exist only in the mind; therefore, something that exists only in the mind is not ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’; therefore, God exists in reality as well. Anselm also puts this another way: we can conceive of a being that cannot be conceived not to exist; such a being is greater than one that can be conceived not to exist; therefore the greatest conceivable being cannot be conceived not to exist; therefore, the greatest conceivable being exists. This argument does seem to conclude that something resembling the traditional theistic God exists – unlike the cosmological and teleological arguments, which seem restricted to a creator and a designer respectively. This argument was immediately criticized by Gaunilo, who argued that parallel reasoning could be applied to prove the existence of a perfect island. This is a reduction of Anselm’s position: it shows it to have absurd consequences. However, it is not clear that there is a coherent concept of the perfect island to start with: how many palm trees is the perfect number? Anselm’s own reply seems to distinguish the perfect island – which is a perfect example of one kind of thing – from the perfect being – which is a perfect example of a thing, with no restriction to kind. It is no virtue, excellence, perfection of an island qua island that it exists, but it is a virtue, excellence, perfection of a being that it exists, so the argument works only for the concept of a perfect being. The bigger criticism is the one Kant levied at Descartes’s version of the argument, but applies equally to Anselm’s. It is that existence is not a great-making quality of a being, because it is not a quality of a being at all; in Kant’s terms ‘existence is not a real predicate’.