Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Conflicts with Native Americans essays

Conflicts with Native Americans essays In the 1830s the United States was beginning to expand west of the Mississippi. There was, however, usable land east of the River. It was inhabited by the Native Americans and it was very valuable. In 1830 and act called the Indian Removal Act was passed. It allowed the federal government to remove the Native Americans from their lands and relocate them to areas in and around present day Oklahoma. They would be paid to move. Many Native Americans agreed to the act, accepted compensation, and moved. Others, however, were very reluctant to leave their long-time homes. Some of those that did not want to move included the Cherokee, the Sauk and Fox, and the Seminole. The people of the Cherokee Nation refused to leave their homes. They argued that in the 1790s they had been recognized by the federal government as a nation of their own with their own laws. The Cherokee sued the Georgias government for refusing to recognize their importance as a nation. The case was eventually taken to the Supreme Court who ruled that the Native Americans were protected by the Constitution and the federal government. President Jackson, however, refused to honor the ruling. He supported the state of Georgia in the case. A few Cherokee signed a treaty in 1835. This treaty allowed the government to take their land. However, most of the Cherokee population of 17,000 refused to move. They wrote a letter to the government. It, however, did not soften the President. The letter read: We are aware that some persons suppose it will be for our advantage to move beyond the Mississippi...Our people universally think otherwise...We wish to remain on the land of our fathers. In 1838 7,000 troops, led by General Winfield Scott, were sent to remove the Cherokee from their lands. He threatened to use force to move them, Chiefs, head men, and warriors-Will you then, by resistance, compel ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas essays

Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas essays Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas It is my third visit to the museum of Metropolitan art, this time we are focusing on the arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas. In the meantime the instructor gives important facts, and explanations about the purpose and meaning of the objects created. One of my favorites is the Pendant Mask: Iyoba from the Benin culture and its representation of power. First of all, this pendant mask was created by the Benin culture in Nigeria. The texture and the fine materials of the pendant specify that it was worn by a king on ceremonial occasions. It is believed that this object was created by the royal ivory carvers of the king. The main material used in this mask is Ivory, Iron and Copper. Furthermore the Ivory was made out of the elephant tusk which was highly prized, and it was a symbol of wealth and purity. In addition to the value the materials had, this mask also represents the influence the mother of the oba (king) had in the Benin society. Moreover, Idia was the mother and advisor to one of the most powerful leader of Benin, Esigie who ruled in the early sixteenth century. Esigie created this pendant to honor Idia for helping to secure his claim to the throne and for the wise counsel that she provided him throughout his reign. As a result of Idia's role, the title of Queen Mother (Iyoba) was introduced to the Benin court, granting the mother of the oba (king) equal authority to that of senior town chiefs. Furthermore, the mask also gives information about the ancient Benin society. For instance, the mask displays multiple figures, each one with a different meaning for example, the mudfish that line her head and collar. The mudfish is one of the most primary symbols of Benin Kingship. This creature was associated with the qualities of aggressiveness due to its electric stings and the ability to survive in water and on land as the Oba move through both earth and t...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Cash Flows in Business Organisations Coursework - 1

Cash Flows in Business Organisations - Coursework Example On the other hand, net cash flow can be defined as the difference between the cash that is brought in and that goes out of a company. First, to understand the underlying factor causing the difference in these two major accounting items, it is imperative to be known that the determination of a company’s net profit for the financial period depends on some criteria as provided by the GAAP (Eisen 2007, pp. 101-110). Unlike net profit, cash flow determination is not affected by any criteria. Second, the difference is brought about by the fact that some expenditure considered as non-cash such as the depreciation costs are deducted from the revenue in order to obtain the net income. On the other hand, these non-cash costs are added back to obtain the net cash flow. Third, the difference may be caused by the rules regulating the recognition of revenues and expenditures, which do not apply to a cash flow statement but to the profit and loss account. Consider a company with a net income of $ 1,117,500. To obtain the company’s cash flow, some costs such as the amortization ($ 101,100) are added back to the net income to obtain the net cash flow. Therefore, $ 1,117,500 + 101,100 + (or less other items) will result in a higher value of net cash flow as compared to the net income (Gilbertson & Lehman 2009, pp. 428). As provide in the international accounting standards 7, the indirect method of cash flow presentation involves beginning with the net income, which is then adjusted to obtain the net cash flow. On the other hand, the direct method specifically shows the cash inflows that make up the operating activities as shown in appendix 1a and 1b (Jury 2012, pp. 228-230). Operating activities: The extracts of operating activities of the two companies are available under appendix 2. In the year 2011 and 2012, the following are the cash flow analysis: Viacom has net earnings of $ 2,173,000 and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Intelligence and Aging of People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Intelligence and Aging of People - Essay Example Depending on the definition of the term intelligence, it can either be decreasing with age (when defined as unitary property), or it can be increasing with age (when defined as an entity consisting of multiple factors) (Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner, 2007). There are many studies that prove that fact that ageing does not necessarily mean a reduction of intelligence. In one of the researches, the authors present their findings based on various tests which help to analyze long and short-term memory tasks of older adults ageing (ages 60 through 80) and younger adults (ages 18 through 30) (Bartlett, 2002). The aim of the research was to analyze how ageing and experience might affect different aspects of cognition. This research was conducted on the basis of a variety of tasks. It was found that there was little to no age effect. Moreover, it was concluded that both adult and young participants of the study equally benefited from the â€Å"usefulness of domain-specific musical knowledge† (Barlett, 2002, p. 18). Interesting, ageing was in many tasks considered more beneficial than experience. Finally, the researchers found that there were no relationships between ageing and music cognition skills; besides, they never found that age differences were reduced in persons who had had more years of musical practice. The research based on musical expe rience may be transferred to other domains of cognition. Thus, it could be concluded that ageing should not be viewed as some negative process of adulthood, but rather as the ability to get to a bank of cognition resources.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A Synopsis of the Movie Fight Club Essay Example for Free

A Synopsis of the Movie Fight Club Essay The movie begins as Jack, the protagonist, is trapped in a state of insomnia by his job at calculating the cost of recalling a faulty car as opposed to paying court settlements to the relatives of the people killed by that car. He then recommends the one that seems less expensive. While he tries to argue with a doctor about how he can start sleeping, the doctor happens to make a sarcastic remark about how if he wants to see real pain he should go to a support group for men with testicular cancer. Jack takes this remark literally. It is there that he meets Bob, whom I shall describe shortly. Anywhere, he begins to find the support groups addictive, and attends more and more of them, and finds that they allow him to sleep. Soon after in the movie we find Jack meeting Tyler Durden on a plane trip, and when his apartment later explodes Jack meets Tyler Durden in a bar. Having agreed to let Jack stay at his house, Tyler asks Jack to punch him. He tells Jack this will make him feel that his life was indeed exciting, and Jack obliges. They begin to fight, and others begin to stand around, wanting to join as well. They gather together, protesting amongst themselves that society was trying to turn them into wimpy and uniform machines and preventing them from feeling like real people, constantly telling them that they need to buy all sorts of stuff that they only need because the advertisements said they did. Pretty soon there are weekly gatherings of these men, waiting for a chance to fight one another, and then they move into the basement of a local bar. More and more men begin to attend Fight Club with the express agreement that they would not mention it, and rumors begin to circulate of Clubs in other cities. Gradually Durden begins to make the Club more involved, giving out homework assignments such as to start a fight with a stranger and lose. Thus Jack finds himself watching as Durden institutes Project Mayhem, an outward attempt at changing society based on widespread attacks on coffee franchises and corporate artwork. Finally Durden plots to blow up ten major credit card companies, with the intent that to erase everyones debt would create chaos, and allow society to re- organize itself from that chaos. Many critics of the movie found it to portray antisocial behaviors as a valid way of expressing oneself. (Particularly if only the beginning and middle of this movie are looked at. ) They argue that its violence is there merely to draw an audience. This is supported by numerous instances of young men and boys vandalizing cars as was done in the movie or forming clubs of their own. Therefore many say that the movie succeeds in condoning what the ending condemns. They say that it promotes violence by making it seem so attractive in muck of the movie, regardless of the conclusion. With this argument in mind, we shall proceed with our analysis of the movie itself. One of the principal themes in Fight Club is its treatment of violence and its relationship with masculinity. The men in the film are portrayed as confronting a society which gives them little meaning and refuses to give them what they feel to be a birthright, a meaningful, productive place in society. Tyler Durden, the leader of Fight Club and the manifestation of the angry, alienated, and purposeless feeling, articulates this, Were the middle children of history, with no special purpose or place. We dont have a great war in our generation, or a great depression. The great depression is our lives. The great war is a spiritual war. We have been raised by television to believe that well be millionaires and movie gods and rock starsbut we wont And were learning that fact. And were very, very, pissed off. The men in this movie, having their traditional masculine role of breadwinner seemingly denied by feminism and left with meaningless corporate jobs compensate for this loss of masculinity and control by re-affirming their masculinity for themselves through the only masculine behavior they still can do: fighting. According to Jackson Katz: One way that the system allows working class men (of various races) the opportunity for what Brod refers to as masculine identity validation is through the use of their body as an instrument of power, dominance, and control. For working-class males, who have less access to more abstract forms of masculinity-validating power (economic power, workplace authority), the physical body and its potential for violence provide a concrete means of achieving and asserting manhood. Bob also fits this description of fighting as compensation for that sense of paralysis preventing men from being either a crucial part of society or being able to change it so that one can be. Through a combination of the treatment for testicular cancer and of increased estrogen as a result of his steroid use while a body-builder which Bob was left with unusually large breasts and left him with very little perception or himself as masculine or valuable to anyone. However, Bob later appears in the movie as a member of Fight Club, where he finds that once again he can act like a man and feel as if his masculinity is validated. Jack finds Durdens assertions that the men in their generation have no other way to express their individuality or to free themselves from materialism than to fight each other, and to use their fighting as a method of filling the void left by the removal of worthy roles for men in society. In the beginning of the film Jack is using mail-order catalogs, becoming so obsessed with buying whatever he sees advertised in them that his orders become an end to themselves. I would flip and wonder, What kind of dining room set defines me as a person? He became so obsessed with obtaining what he saw in the catalogs that he filled up his apartment with furniture and all sorts of other stuff he didnt need. This seems also to address the increasing assertion by advertisements that you can be defined and given a soul by acquiring products. Durden also spoke of this sort of cycle: Look at the guys in fight club. The strongest and smartest men who have ever lived and theyre pumping gas and waiting tables; or theyre slaves with white collars. Advertising has them chasing cars and clothes. A whole generation working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy shit they dont really need. He was alluding to the shackles that a culture based on acquisition has on its members, and inviting thes e members (namely men) to throw off the shackles and prove that they didnt need a better dining room set to define them. All they needed, he assured them, was to fight, and would show their humanity and masculinity through that. During another one of his outcries about the male relationship with society, Durden once came upon a designer clothing billboard featuring a muscular man in jeans and no shirt, and criticized it much like various critics of ads which use unrealistic shows of feminine beauty to sell products asked, Is this what a real man looks like? After smearing it with blood, he proclaims, Guys packing into the gyms, all trying to look like what Calvin Klein says. Fight club isnt about looking good. Susan Faludi, author of Stiffed: the Betrayal of the American Man calls this sort of ornamental masculinity a major factor in the Angry White Male mentality: The more I consider what men have losta useful role in public life, a way of earning a decent living, respectful treatment in the culturethe more it seems to me that men are falling into a status oddly similar to that of women at midcentury. The 50s housewife, stripped of her connections to a wider world and invited to fill the void with shopping and the ornamental display of her ultrafeminity, could be said to have morphed into the 90s man, stripped of his connections and invited to fill the void with consumption and a gym-bred display of his ultramasculinity. The empty compensations of a feminine mystique and transforming into the empty compensations of a masculine mystique. Douglas Rushkoff gives his account of the switch from a linear and continuous world to one that was non-linear and discontinuous. Before this switch, middle-class men were seen as valuable and benevolent authority figures who were a pillar of society and who always succeeded in bringing home food for the table because his work paid relatively well. The society felt that there was value also in acquiring as many new and technologically advanced possessions as possible, which allowed for the men to ensure that their wives would find it enjoyable to expend all of their energy at home, cooking and vacuuming and buying better things for cooking and vacuuming. In this way men were given the great majority of political power and respect. However, the awareness of the corruption in politicians lives from Watergate, the national confusion after a country was able to watch Kenn edy assassinated on TV, and possibly the most lasting of all, the first time that ordinary citizens were able to see combat in Vietnam on the nightly news, creating a much more suspicious outlook on the government and military, caused society to become discontinuous. The former male status symbol was gone along with continuity, replaced by gender equality which prevented men from using the feminine mystique to their advantage, making them less likely to have a dependent wife and family. They lacked that meaning which they had when they were providing for their offspring and mate, to put it in a biological concept, so their motivation to work was largely gone, with consumerism alone unable to fill the void. Their power having toppled, the male now tried to fill this void and prove that he indeed was still a man for society. Consumerism was unable to do that anymore, and so the male body itself, as Jackson Katz said, became the tool. This is shown by the film, in which Tyler Durden attempts to destroy the discontinuous society which tells him that he should not have this total control. This is shown by his completely anti-feminist outlook, particularly his meaningless sexual relationship with Marla Singer. Except for their humping, Tyler and Marla were never in the same room Jack relates. Tyler also describes a generation of unaggressive men raised by their mothers, that characterized his peers who grew up in a time of increased divorce rates and in turn grew up without fathers. The last thing we need is another woman. He gives reason to his masochistic fights and burns by saying that you could create pain for yourself, thereby hitting bottom. He describes it not as a painful and agonizing experience, but a turning point, where you are going to feel excellent after having your teeth knocked out no matter how bad your station in life is. And so Durdens scheme to create chaos which would then begin society anew, Rushkoff would say, actually was showing that he was trying to mold society around himself. Meanwhile Jack in the end renounces Tylers ideas of violent upheaval, instead deciding that he would accept society as discontinuous and use its discontinuity as part of his life. This film therefore shows the advantage in not letting what happens matter to you such as it would in a linear world. Edward Hermans perceptions of the film would be those of contradiction, largely centering around the fact that the movie is marketed and designed to make a profit, yet at the same time it criticizes the idea t hat you need to buy what society tells you to buy and that material goods are unnecessary to life. He might postulate that the companies had realized that a capitalistic message promoting conformity doesnt sell, and instead used and anti-capitalistic message of being skeptical of what society and everyone else tells you to make an even greater profit (much like Sprites paradoxical campaign which made fun of soft drink ads, then told people to buy Sprite). he would observe in short not that corporations indeed rejected themselves, but that they now make themselves even more effective by letting people pay to watch them pretend to do so. My own impressions of the movie are that along with its messages on corporations and their relationship with the identity crisis in American men is that it also offered a lot of information on the ultimate problem with taking violence as a way of demonstrating masculinity. This is especially apparent with Bob, who, managed to rediscover his manhood in Fight Club and in Project Mayhem, but was also killed while part of the latter. Following his death , he is spoken of by his comrades as if he had never been human. This is saying that to become part of violence unquestionably despite perceived acceptance and purpose is to swap one form of denial of yourself for another. Bibliography. Katz, Jackson/ authority on phenomenon of violence and its link to masculinity and cultural trends creating this phenomenon/ Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity This article discussed the use of violence by white men as a tool to regain power they feel to be lost to other groups. Discusses overuse of portrayals of violence and its symbols in advertising. Faludi, Susan/ author of Backlash and Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man, a contributing editor for Newsweek, The Betrayal of the American Man, At Ground Zero of the Masculinity Crisis, The Ornamental Culture, Beyond the Politics of Confrontation Newsweek, (09-13-99) Its Thelma and Louise for Guys, Newsweek (10-25-99) These articles discuss how men have reacted to the identity crisis from their loss of job status and expresses that much of it comes from a modern image of manhood impossible to attain and in the latter relates such phenomena to the film. Fletcher, Kim, Male Fantasies The Spectator (11-2 0-99) Much like Faludi in that it concludes that film is the result of male feelings of inadequacy in modern culture addressing the question of how to react. Rushkoff, Douglas/ author of Media Virus and Playing the Future among others content take from excerpts of Playing the Future This book describes the cultural evolution caused by the digital age and resulting in adopting non-linear thought and in chaos mathematics. Herman, Edward/ linguistics professor at MIT, comrade of Noam Chomsky The Propaganda Model Revisited from Capitalism and the Information Age This essay enlightens as to the role producers and reporters personal biases and more particularly of their desire for profit plays in how the media portrays certain events or whether they even mention certain events at all. Braun, Bill, Auto dealership vandal released after finishing bootcamp', World Staff Writer final home edition (date not given) This, among other articles, outlined or mentioned the violent and anti-social ef fects that the film seemed to have on the younger adults and adolescents, such as forming their own little fight clubs or vandalism. Uhls, Jim Fight Club screenplay available at http://geocities.com/scifiscripts/scripts/fight_- club_shoot.txt

Friday, November 15, 2019

Tragic Heros In Shakespeare

Tragic Heros In Shakespeare Macbeth serves as an example of a tragic hero in Shakespeare s Macbeth. His tragic decision stems from the influence of a tragic flaw. Once he has made the decision, it is irreversible, and produces his downfall. In an attempt to save himself, the tragic hero tries to reverse his decision, but ultimately fails. The tragic hero must be neither villain nor a virtuous man but a character between these two extremes. A man who not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity but by some error or human frailty. 1st Paragraph: Topic sentence: At the very beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo are returning to Scotland. Won the war for Duncan. Shows a noble virtue of Macbeth, a requirement of a tragic hero Three witches appear and make prophecies about Macbeth and Banquo. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter! (I,ii,48). Ross enters tells Macbeth is thane of Cawdor now. Macbeth is surprised. Prophecies coming true. Duncans sons, would be the rightful heirs to the throne. Nowhere near the next in line to the throne Closing sentence: Macbeths tragic flaw is that of ambition; Macbeths ambition will cause him to decline. 2nd Paragraph: Topic Sentence: At this point, Lady Macbeth knows all about the witches prophecies. Lady Macbeth wants to be Queen of Scotland, encourages Macbeth to get rid of Duncan. After killing Duncan, Macbeth feels sorry for himself. His ambition has caused him to kill a good friend and even worse, the King! Macbeth brings dagger back. Lady Macbeth gets angry but Macbeth says: Ill go no more; I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on t again I dare not. (II,ii,51). Lady Macbeth controls and tell him: a little water clears us of this deed. (II,ii,67) Macbeth becomes satisfied with what he has done especially after Malcolm and Macduff leaves Scotland. The third prophecy has come true; Macbeth is King of Scotland! Macbeth wants Banquo and his son dead because of the witches prophecy that Banquos sons will become Kings. He hires three murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. Fleance escapes. Macbeth is outraged when he hears this. He says: Then comes my fit again; I had else been perfect, Whole as the marble, founded as the rock, As broad and general as the casing air. But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in To saucy doubts and fears. But Banquos safe? (III,ii,21). Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo at the banquet. Macbeth says Which of you have done this? and Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me. (III,iv,48). Lady Macbeth senses that something is definitely wrong and she asks everyone to leave immediately. Macbeth is shown as a hubris character. Closing Sentence: He was not afraid of the consequences of his actions although he knew very well what they would be. This is another tragic flaw. 3rd Paragraph: Topic Sentence: Macbeth is worried and goes to meet the witches. First apparition: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Second apparition: The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. Third apparition: Macbeth shall never vanquishd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill. Shall come against him. Macbeth is scarred and says: Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o the sword. His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls.(IV,I,151) He is scared by the apparitions prophecies and wants to kill anyone who comes in his way. Macbeth thinks he has it made; that nothing can take his crown away from him now. Birnam woods climb the hill in form of the Malcolm army.(Third prophecy comes true) Macbeth is shown once again at the end of the play when Macduff challenges Macbeth to a fight. Macbeth says he will not fight, so Macduff says: Then yield thee, coward (V, viii, 23). Macbeth answers: I will not yield (V, viii, 28). Macbeth finally realizes what he has done and how the witches prophecies and apparitions have all come true. Fights back but is killed by Macduff. (Second and First prophecy comes true) Closing Sentence: But he did not just give up like a coward. He fought like the great warrior he once was. Conclusion: In conclusion, Macbeth was a noble, honest, authentic man. However, Macbeth, tragically followed the Witches philosophy in life, fair is foul and foul is fair. The constant fricative sound in this alliteration infers the bitter outlook the Witches have towards life; and henceforth creates the appearance that unless Macbeth changes, he will be damned to this embittered panorama, therefore he decides to change, following the witches prophecy that thou shalt be king hereafter . He decrees that he shall follow this prophecy and do anything to become the king. the prophecies given to him by the witches, Lady Macbeths influence and plan, and his intensified ambition, all contributed greatly to his degeneration of character which resulted to his downfalldeath. Therefore Macbeth character displays strong signs of a tragic hero, making him the ideal classic example. -Palash jain 1(A)

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Locating the company Essay

Mary Anne used to work in the public library but has resigned four years ago. Currently she writes articles on Wicca and witchcraft for an online website under an assumed name for privacy. She claimed that her ancestors were into the practice long before they came to the US to migrate. According to her, the practice was never foreign to her having grown with a doting father who was a physician studying herbology along with his siblings. Animatedly she began to talk about her funny experiences as a child and showed me her private carpeted room which I was not allowed to step inside. Standing in the halls, I was shown a set of altar tools used in rituals which includes a broom or a besom, a cauldron, the goblet, a hardbound Book of Shadows, a boline or a knife for cutting things and many more. The room was well-lighted with several lamps that looked like candles, and there were several unlighted candles of white, black and gold colors. I was then told that the tools are just plain tools that have no actual powers of their own. According to Mary Anne, the â€Å"tools† are used for a particular purpose and while they may seem unimportant, it is considered rude to touch them without permission. A pentagram was framed at the corner of the room with 3D effects. Altogether, the Wiccan room she showed me was a stark contrast from the rest of the house. We went back to her sitting room and started talking about the popular Wiccan groups in her community. For her, there was no difficulty in locating the company of others but her path is unique and so are the paths of her family members before her. According to her, the Divine is everywhere present in every being. She respects other members and practitioners but prefer to practice alone to maintain focus. Although she attends meetings from time to time, these are often associated with certain religious ceremonies. Knowing that I was quite interested in the craft, she started preaching on the value of ethics and the threefold law that what you do to others comes back to you threefold times. Respect for others and their liberty is critical in the wiccan culture and religion that allows us to be freed from our own selfish ambitions according to Rountree (2002). For Anne, the air, water, and the earth are essential for life such that she is a vegetarian unable to hurt and kill animals even for food. Fire according to her is in her heart as her zest for life is written down for others to read and aid in the wiccan practice and religion. For her, the principles of Alexandrian Wicca or the Gardnarian wicca is important but does not have to be the ultimate guiding force into the practice if the religion allows freedom and liberty as its cardinal rule. Her parting joke to me was, â€Å"do not be afraid, the true wiccans are not into evil practice† made me see that a true religion does not impart teachings of subjugation and control to its members.