Influences On Government Essays - Elections, Political Terminology

Influences On Government Our governmental system is influenced by a number of "inputs" and factors that shape the outcome of political movements and decisions. These "inputs" include public pinions, political parties, interest groups, and the influence of mass media. They influence our government directly as well as indirectly. Not to mention, that our government also uses these "inputs" for its own benefit. The main issue that forms governmental decisions in a democracy is of course the public opinion. In order to be eligible to run for an office in our governmental system, one must be elected by the people or a representative thereof, and to achieve this task one must listen to and obey the public's opinion. Therefore, the theory of democracy is most purely applied through election on behalf of the public opinion. Another important factor in our system of government are of course our political parties. Parties enable the citizen living in a democratic society to establish a connection to governmental action and lead policy-making to his benefit or liking. Furthermore, a citizen can participate in society quite easily, since 2 party platforms which clearly indicate a parties goals and preferences. However, this democratic ideal does not always prevail. Parties can be influenced or even manipulated by people who contribute great amounts of funds to the party to have their own personal political wishes fulfilled which do not necessarily have to benefit society as a whole (power elite theory). Interest groups account for an additional 'mover' in Washington. This political devise provides a supplement to our citizens broad area of interests. Since the American People can only choose between two main parties. Therefore, certain issues might not come to political debate. Interest groups fill this gap and thus withhold the theory of democracy. Yet, 'Big Business' has also found this devise to help fulfill its political needs. Once again politics is influenced by a small amount of citizens, that own about two thirds of our nations worth. Interest groups have grown more influential over the years and created a pluralistic society, in which people's everyday issues and interests are brought to the attention of our governmental system. However, since there is a rapid growth in interest groups and political action committees, the competition among groups might become so extensive that demands on politicians might be to high and hence, our system would come to a halt or gridlock and nothing would be achieved anymore. Last but not least mass media provide another 'input' to our system of government. The media provide the people with information they need to be able 3 to make sensible political decisions. In formation on election debates current poles help the public to stay in touch with the policy-makers in Washington.

Axial age thinkers

Axial age thinkers Introduction It is evident that there have been radical changes in the political, religious and philosophical structures over time in the world history. One such transformational age was the axial age. Karl Jaspers, a famous German philosophy was the one behind the descriptions of the axial age.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Axial age thinkers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The axial age basically refers to the period between the 800 to 200BC (Morris 458). One of the significant attributes associated with the axial age was the spread of revolutionary thinking. The axial age was originally witnessed in the West, and further spread to Persia and India (Morris 460). The axial thinkers played a significant role in the determining of the nature of the philosophy of the post axial age. The revolutionary thinkers also had a great influence on religion, and they mostly shared common characteristics with respect to t heir places of origin. One of the profound and universal trends of the axial thinkers was their views towards religion and philosophy. The spiritual and philosophical frameworks that were laid by the revolutionary axial thinkers are still used in the present date (Freedman 234). The foundations of humanity during the axial age were laid by individual thinkers of the axis age. The Socrates, Plato and the Aristotle were greatly influenced by the teachings of the axial thinkers. The basic fact that all the axial thinkers had in common was the dire need to discover the basic ideologies of existence and their respective implications on human life (Achebe 67). Individual axial thinkers in China- Confucius China was a home to one of the many axial age thinkers: Confucius, Mo Tzu and Lao-Tse. The axial Chinese philosophers laid emphasis on the principles of ethical human existence (Freedman 243). This paper attempts to critically analyze the works of Confucius and how his philosophical pers pectives contributed to the transformations of the philosophical schools of thought, his implications on the on the ethical principles of human existence. Arguably, it is evident that Confucianism rose from the teachings of Confucius. Confucianism is considered as one of the world’s religion which originated from China and subsequently spread to Korea. It is based on ethical and philosophical perspectives of Confucius (Kung-fu-tzu), an axial age thinker. The works of Confucius focused morality, both at personal level and government level, the rightness in relation to social relationships, and justice. This ethical and philosophical value were soon integrated into Chinese culture, and as a result, gained dominance compared with other present schools of thought such as Legalism and Taoism (Freedman 249).Advertising Looking for term paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Confucius teachings were widely accepted, and as a result, spread further into Europe. Confucius teachings widely drew on the ethical and moral perceptions of the society; his teachings were and still widely accepted as a framework for religious and ethical issues in the society. Confucianism is considered to be more rational compared to the western philosophical perspectives; it draws a correlation in terms of Christian ethics (Morris 470). An account of the Analects reveals that Confucius laid much prominence on the value of study; as a result he was always viewed as the Greatest Master. Confucius tried to establish a correlation between the theory of life and implications on the society, he wanted his students to analytically and critically study themselves and try to relate with the outside world. In his philosophical work, he used scriptures to relate moral problems that were present during the axial age (Morris 475). The basic teaching of Confucius was based on individual morality and political morality; hi s argument was based on doing what is right rather than doing what is to ones advantage. Simply put, it was the practice which was based on reciprocity, which implies that one should not do to others what he does not want himself or does not want to be done to him. Ruling was to be based on moral example rather than ruling through the use of violence. Confucius was of the view that a ruler who deployed the use of force can be termed unsuccessful in his ruling practice. The Analects depicts that the job of a ruler is to govern, rather than killing. The Chinese rulers at the axial time did not obey this principle towards the exercising of leadership. Confucianism proposes a government system that is based on ruling by example (Morris 480). Confucius argued that the laws established by the government were meant to put people in line, but governing by virtue would make people to control themselves with or without the presence of the laws and punishments of the government. The principle of self control is paramount for individual development; this explains why the Chinese have been successful, whenever an opportunity presents itself to do so. Interestingly, the Confucian school of thought condemns the desire to make high profits; this was a negative influence to the prosperity of the Chinese people. Evidently, this principle has been ignored over time (Morris 483). Another teaching of Confucius was based on the limitations of morality. Morality in itself is a limitation to towards the realization of self interest. Confucius however states that morality should not serve as an excuse to deny oneself. It is based on the principle that, if you do not want it for yourself, then you should not do it for others. Whatever you like for yourself, you should do for others.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Axial age thinkers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A similar implication is depicted in the Analects of Confucius, which is referred to as the principle of mutual profitableness. The principle mutual profitableness is also practiced by the Japanese. Helping yourself and others is the Confucian philosophy and one of the characteristics of Chinese civilizations. The Confucian school of thought is hostile to the desire to make high profits; this is contrary to the principle of mutual profitableness and the principle of self interest (Morris 490). A critical aspect of the implications Confucius philosophy was that it later became a widely accepted religion among the Chinese. The Confucius aspect of religion was later disputed by Socrates, whose lifetime was after the death of Confucius. It is somewhat interesting to note that the Socrates philosophical projects concerning religion was rejected by the Chinese; this later saw Confucius being made a Chinese god, with every temple in almost every city being dedicated to him. Conclusion The Confucianism practices do not conform to the phil osophical perspectives of Confucius; however, his perspectives played a significant role in shaping the aspects of Chinese religion. The Confucius ethical and philosophical principles significantly affected Chinese cultural background (Freedman 240). It can be argued that Confucius principles gained dominance because its basis drew a correlation with the Chinese traditions. His political philosophies were based on ethical perspectives of leadership by virtue of example. Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann, 1996. Freedman, Russell. Confucius: the golden rule. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2002. Morris, Ian. Why the West Rulesfor Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.

Nevada State Senatorial Race Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nevada State Senatorial Race - Research Paper Example The contest for the Nevada State Senate relied on a single seat. The contested seat was District 9, in a contest that made Becky Harris (R) beat current Justin Jones (D). GOP anticipated that Jones election in favor of needing background scrutiny for personal gun sales would swing voters to select Harris (Ballotpedia, 2014). The Nevada State Senate hinged on a 20 state lawmaking chambers renowned by Ballotpedia personnel as being a battlefield chamber. The Nevada Senate had a disparity in partisan equilibrium between Republicans and Democrats of one seat, which led to 9% of the vacancies for voting in 2014 (Ballotpedia, 2014). In a review of the behaviors of Nevada’s Senators, I would say the behaviors do not match more to the parties’ rhetoric. This is because the powers bestowed on them surpass partisan conducts. The Constitution empowers the Senate the authority to endorse, by a two-thirds majority, agreements made by the administrative branch. The Senate has discarded comparatively few of the hundreds of agreements it has assessed, although several have failed in committee or been inhibited by the president. They may also alter an agreement or adopt amendments to an agreement (Unite States Senate, n.d). The head of state may also enter into administrative agreements with overseas nations not affected by Senate approval. The Senate has the solitary authority to conduct summons trials, essentially issuing as judge and jury (Unite States Senate, n.d). Since 1789, the Senate has convicted seventeen government officials, comprising two presidents. The Senate has constantly enviously guarded i ts authority to review and commend or reject presidential choices to implement and judicial branch seats. The Constitution empowers that the head of state shall nominate, and by and with the counsel and approval of the Senate, shall hire Ambassadors (Unite States Senate, n.d). In considering the above constitution responsibilities that senators

Time Warner Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Time Warner Case Study - Research Paper Example Such a situation may progressively lead to market monopoly. It is obvious that a monopolistic market environment may hurt the interests of buyers, suppliers, and new market entrants. Sometimes, mergers adversely affect the feasibility of integrated organizations also if the business becomes too large because of the merger. Under such circumstances, the merger process may cause the firms to incur higher unit costs. Similarly, often huge mergers result in employee termination, which in turn, would contribute to growing unemployment issues. In short, thoughtless mergers would threaten the economic uplift of the country and, therefore, government regulation is essential in a market economy. 2. It is observed that the US government has constantly intervened in the country’s market process over the last decade, especially after the 2008-09 global financial crisis. The US government identified that accounting fraud was the root cause behind a series of corporate failures in the count ry. Hence, nowadays the US government greatly intervenes in the country’s market process on the belief that those restrictions would put a check on illegal and unfair business practices. In addition, the US debt crisis also persuaded regulators to exercise more control over the country’s market process. ... As Perry and Dell (2010) pointed out, investigations discovered that the US bank collapses were partially attributable to inefficient government control over its market operations. Policymakers believe that government intervention in the market process would assist the country to overcome the impacts of debt crisis and, thereby, promote sustainable economic growth. 3. An organization or an industry would face some additional complexities if it needs to expand its business sector by means of capital projects rather than merger strategy. Acquisition strategy is an alternative to merger and this method demands huge amounts of money. If the Time Warner proceeds with the acquisition strategy, the firm would be forced to raise huge capital in order to acquire another firm. In addition, organizational change associated with the acquisition strategy may sometimes raise potential managerial challenges to the organization. New venture expansion is another strategy for self expansion and it req uires the firm to raise abundant potential sources of capital. In case of large venture projects, Time Warner alone cannot fund its operational requirements and, thus, the firm may be forced to depend on debt financing practices. However, such policies would adversely affect the financial viability of the firm and consequently threaten the long-term sustainability of the organization (Debt financing). Furthermore, other capital projects based on self-expansional strategies may raise a series of operational difficulties to the company while entering an overseas market. It has been identified that the level of uncertainty is higher under self-expansion strategies based on capital projects other than merger process. 4. When the industry is confronted with government

US Criminal Justice-Incarceration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

US Criminal Justice-Incarceration - Essay Example Locking up the criminals and isolating them from the society would prevent them from committing more crimes. Moreover, incarceration would introduce the criminals to criminal lifestyle, which they would never like to adopt for themselves. However, there are other people who do not agree with these views. They believe that incarceration changes nothing, the prisoners are just â€Å"locked up† and the â€Å"key is thrown away†. According to them, this system does not do enough good to the society. The present essay examines the different approaches in regards of incarceration, analyze the present situation, and provide a viable conclusion at the end. In USA, the policy of criminal justice has been shaped under the guidance of President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice (1969). According to Samuel Walker, this commission issued a report called â€Å"The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society†, which had ground breaking effects. The report had over two hundred recommendations, which developed a comprehensive approach in fighting and prevention of crime in the United States. This involved a system that required coordination among the courts, law enforcement agencies, and correctional agencies. Incarceration is an important instrument in relation to the activities of the correctional agencies. Actually, incarceration would effectively do the following: However, people who are against incarceration have their own arguments. According to Hide Yamatani and Solveig Spjeldnes, â€Å"The Second Chance Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-199) is a federal recognition that the decades old strategy of locking up the criminals in the name of public safety has been disastrous.† In this context, elimination of racial discrimination and disparity in regards of recidivism among the people who are exposed to the social services during their imprisonment is critical indeed. Hence, â€Å"seamless, intensive, and comprehensive

Cell-Permeable Stapled Peptides from HIV1 Gene Products

Cell-Permeable Stapled Peptides from HIV1 Gene Products Cell-Permeable Stapled Peptides Based on HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitors Derived from HIV-1 Gene Products Introduction HIV-1 Integrase (IN), is necessary enzyme for the replication of the virus into the host cells. It catalyzes the integration of viral DNA into the genome of host cells. The mechanisms employed by the enzyme are strand transfer and 3†²-end processing reactions. The enzyme is vital for the virus life cycle and as a result it is a target for anti-HIV-1 drugs. It is reported from previous studies that HIV-1 protein Vpr has inhibitory effect on Integrase activity. The inhibition is a result of protein-protein interactions. Specifically Vpr interacts through its C- terminal domain. Results from previous studies indicate that the active petptide inhibition motif is peptide 1 (Figure 1). Figure 1. Amino acid sequences of peptides 1 and 2, and outline of the study. Regarding the SAR studies, E-K pairs were introduced in i and i + 4 positions to increase the helicity, by forming salt bridges. In the same study to peptide 1 was added an octa-arginine tail, the purpose of which was to improve, cell permeability. The presence of the octa-arginine tail however resulted in increase of cytotoxicity of the peptide. The hypothesis on which the current study was based is that by finding a different way to improve cell permeability without the 8-R tail the cytotoxicity of the peptide would decrease. The idea was to make the peptide more lipophilic, by adding hydrophobic groups on the external of the a-helix, and at the same time improve its helicity. An available method to achieve that is the use of a-helix stabilized peptidomimetics. Specifically, hydrocarbon stapled peptides, in which a hydrocarbon link is formed between successive turns, via a ring closed metathesis (RCM) reaction, were used. By having a hydrocarbon linkage between positions i and i+4 in the a-helix, the helicity is improved because the two positions are covalently bound via the hydrocarbon chain, and simultaneously the lipophilicity and cell permeability of the peptide is increased because of the presence of a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain on the external part of the a helical structure. In Figure 1 is presented an outline of the study. Design and synthesis of the peptides The lead peptide sequence used was sequence 1 (Fig.1). From previous studies it was known that residues: Phe12, Ile13, Phe15, and Ile17 are vital for IN inhibition activity. Stapling was performed between i and i+4 positions by avoiding substitution of these residues. Protected linear peptides were constructed by Fmoc-solid phase peptide synthesis. The RCM reactions of the protected linear peptides were performed on the resin by treatment with ruthenium-mediated Grubbs second catalyst in 1,2-dichloroethane. All hydrocarbon and all ether stapling was performed, however the first technique resulted in higher yields as it’s presented in Table 1. After RCM, the peptides were deprotected, acetylated, and cleaved from the resin. Purification of the stapled peptides was done by HPLC. However it is not the purpose of this paper to present experimental details. Table 1. Sequences of Designed Stapled Peptides and Their Conversion Yields of RCM Reactions CD Spectroscopy of Linear and Stapled Peptides. CD Spectroscopy was used to analyze the secondary structures of the synthetic stapled peptides, 3S−9S and 11S. Linear peptides, 4L−6L, 8L, 9L, and 11L, were used as control (Figure 3). Negative peaks at 208 and 222 nm, are characteristic for ÃŽ ±-helical structures. All stapled peptides, except 3S, formed ÃŽ ±-helices. The corresponding linear peptides on the other hand including compound 1 showed a broad negative peak around 215 nm, which indicates a ÃŽ ²-sheet structure. It is obvious that stapling of the linear peptides leads to the formation of ÃŽ ±-helices. Figure 3. CD Spectra of stapled peptides (left) and corresponding linear (right). Integrase (IN) Inhibition Assays and MT-4 Luc Assays (anti HIV). The next step was to determine the potency of the synthesized peptides using integrase inhibition assays. IC50 values were determined for stapled and linear compounds regarding both 3-end processing and strand transferring reactions (Figure 4 Left). Anti HIV activity was also screened for all peptides using MT-4 Luc Assays (Figure 4 Right). Figure 4. IC50 Values (Left). MT-4 Luc Assay (Right) All compounds had integrase inhibition activity, however lead compound 2 was way more potent. Regarding the MT-4 Luc assays compound 6S showed similar anti HIV activity as lead compound 2 at concentrations higher than 2.5 um. Compound 8S also showed significant activity at concentrations higher than 5 um. 6S and 2 have almost the same level of anti-HIV activity in cells, however 2 has much higher IN inhibitory activity in vitro than compound 6S. Imaging Experiments Stapled and linear peptides were labeled with fluorescein and imaging experiments were performed to examine their cell permeability. The stapled peptides 6S and 8S demonstrated improved cell permeability compared to the lead compound and the linear peptides. Octaarginine tail functional role investigation. The next step was to study the functional role of the (Arg) 8 tail, besides influencing cell permeability. By using 6S and 6L as lead compounds, a new set of peptides was synthesized (Figure 5). Specifically conjugates of 6S with octaarginine (17) and with the quartet repeat of arginine and glutamic acid (18). For 6L, with the quartet repeat of arginine and glutamic acid (19), and the conjugates of 6S with tetra-arginine (20), penta-arginine (21), hexa-arginine (22), and hepta-arginine (23). IC50 values were determined for the new set of peptides and also MT-4 Luc assays were performed. The presence of the octaarginine tail is necessary for the inhibitory activity however it still makes the peptides cytotoxic. Different lengths in the Arg tail were also examined. Still the octaarginine (17) conjugated peptide is the most potent but compounds 22 and 23 had good potency and lower cytotoxicity than 17, so those compounds were selected as lead compounds for further development. DNA binding experiments were also performed to examine the role of Arg8 tail, and the results indicate that 17 has high DNA binding affinity and that might influence the high inhibition activity of the peptide. Conclusions and Critical Review Stapling caused a significant increase in ÃŽ ±-helicity and cell membrane penetration, and in the expression of potent anti-HIV activity in cells. Stapling and the addition of octa-arginine caused cell membrane penetration. Stapling by itself did not involve cytotoxicity while incorporation of octa-arginine into the structures increased the cytotoxicity of the compounds. Generally it was a well-organized paper. It had good flow of information and background information was provided. The hypotheses were not stated but were easy to understand. The experiments and the data supported the conclusions and the concepts. The figures and the graphs were interpretable and accurate in supporting the conclusions related to them. However there are several interesting points to be addressed. The first point is the configuration of the new double bond formed. It would be interesting to see if the configuration of the double bond would affect the secondary structure and the helicity of the peptides. Another question that need to be addressed is why the stapled peptide 3S did fold into b sheet structure unlike the other stapled peptides which formed a helices. It would be interesting to examine the role of the substituted amino acids of 3S, in the folding of the peptide. Regarding the role of the octaarginine tail, the DNA binding experiments indicate that the octaarginine conjugated peptide has affinity for DNA binding. However it is unclear how exactly the tail affects the potency and the cytotoxicity. Further experiments are necessary to clarify that. I would suggest some NMR experiments to investigate the binding. First 1H-15N HSQC may be performed to the (Arg)8 fused peptide before and after binding with DNA. That would show which residues are involved in binding and would give data to determine the specific interaction. References: Nomura, Wataru, et al. Cell-Permeable Stapled Peptides Based on HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitors Derived from HIV-1 Gene Products. ACS chemical biology 8.10 (2013): 2235-2244.

Excellence Redefined :: essays research papers

Excellence Redefined   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 1980’s has been called the â€Å"me† generation, the decade of materialism, and was responsible for the greatest number of mergers and takeovers in the history of the US market. People were transformed by the power of money, and tried to take advantage of the opportunities in the stock market. The stock market has never guaranteed a profit, but there were those willing to take the risk. People have lost millions from speculating on what was supposed to be a â€Å"sure thing† in the stock market. People would bet their children’s college fund, and their retirement money on a stock tip, only to find bankruptcy the next day. But the growing desire for power and money caused people to achieve success by any means necessary, regardless of the legality. Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken bet their money, but they always seemed to win, even when others would lose. It turns out that they had many â€Å"sure things,† only with one problem : they were all illegal. Boesky and Milken characterize the rest of the financial world at the time, and Wall Street is the movie that exemplifies the such attitudes of the 1980’s from Oliver Stones accurate point of view.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boesky and Milken had a great system. They would befriend executives in â€Å"blue chip† companies or merger and acquisition lawyers , hoping they would be given information regarding takeovers and mergers of companies before the common public. When Boesky and Milken received such information, they would strategically buy a massive amount shares in a particular company, and simply wait for the corporate announcement to drive the price of their stock up. In an effort to alleviate the Securities and Exchange Commission, Boesky and Milken spread their purchases over a period of time, and each was funded by different offshore and domestic banks to misrepresent the number of buyers. When a company would makes its corporate announcement about the merger, the public would then begin buying the shares, causing the price to skyrocket. Boesky and Milken had purchased the stock so long ago and at such a low price that their profit expectations were quickly met, so th ey wanted to sell everything they had at the same time everyone wanted to buy. Because they owned such a massive amount of stock, there was no liquidity in the market in the market as Boesky and Milken were willing to sell for much less than the market value, and their profits soon became the loss of the public.

Freedom of Speech Essay

In the United States we have many freedoms that we as citizens possess. Freedom of speech is one of the freedoms we enjoy. But what is the meaning of the word â€Å"freedom†, and how free is our speech? The word free, according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary means: having the legal and political rights of a citizen. With this in mind, it does not mean that we have the right to do and say as we please. The First Amendment states: â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances† (The Constitution of The United States). The Citizens of the United States misinterpret the phase â€Å"Freedom of Speech† to suit their own needs and wants. In this essay we will discuss how our interpretation of our freedom is only a myth brought on by our selfish ways and thoughts and interpreted according to what we feel it means in the situations that fit best. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Courts to only protect citizens in certain applications and situations and, not protect some companies and corporations nor does it offer to protect citizens of the United States from speaking against the government. Governmental agencies have twisted the first amendment to fit what the individuals of that particular agencies likes or dislikes, and their view of certain speakers. When the first amendment was written it was meant strictly for congress not to be able to make any laws to hinder our so called â€Å"Freedom of Speech†. The first amendment has absolutely no bearing on private of public laws that have gone into effect that limits what can or can’t be said. In the article â€Å"Can the FCC Shut Howard Stern Up† by Jeff Jarvis, he states that the FCC enforces rules that unevenly depending on who says a certain phrase. The FCC condemned Howard Stern for his explanation of sexual colloquialisms, but did not punish others’ references to â€Å"giving head† and â€Å"finger-banging your boyfriend† (Jarvis). The FCC has had its way with instituting censorship on the radio and television by threatening stations with gigantic fines for not complying with their agenda of what is allowed to be talked about or seen. At one point in time, FCC chairman Powell urged broadcasters –under threat of gigantic fines–to adopt a â€Å"voluntary† Code of Good Practices and stated â€Å"It would be in your best interest to do so. â€Å"Voluntary doesn’t mean voluntary†, more like volun-told (Jarvis). The censorship doesn’t apply only to the media either. Schools have jumped in on the band-wagon with trying to censor out what they feel is inappropriate for everyone else. In April 2004 at Poway High School in California a student wore a t-shirt expressing his views about homosexuality after the â€Å"Day of Silence† organized by a Gay-Straight Alliance club. The day of silence was designed to encourage tolerance. When the student was asked to remove his shirt or turn it inside out, he refused and was forced to spend the day in a conference room in the schools front office (Taylor, Kelly 2013). How does the school justify that his anti-homosexual shirt was any different than being forced to endure a full day of silence that was ok with the school? The student later sued the school (Harper v. Poway Unified School District). The courts upheld that the school officials are permitted to censor what students are allowed to wear and not allowed to wear. Another student in Ohio banned a shirt that the school officials found questionable. The shirt in question was a Marilyn Manson rock band t-shirt that depicted a three faced Jesus on the front and the word believe on the back with the letter l-i-e highlighted. The student believed his right to free speech had been violated when the school officials told him to change the shirt, turn it inside out or leave the school and be considered a truant (Schools Win Rights To Ban). The student lost his case against the school, even though the shirt did absolutely nothing to disrupt classes or learning. All it did was cause officials to strut their power to take away free speech and censor the kids. While some schools are busy trying to ban clothing and other things that it considers inappropriate or offensive, some schools are just plain banning everything whether harmful of not if they feel it is controversial. In an article by Denise Penn titled â€Å"Gay/Straight Clun Banned in Orange County, CA H. S. †, she describes a group of teenagers who tried to start a club dropped off an application in the school office. The principal wanted to approve the Gay/Straight Alliance club, went to the superintendent for guidance and it was taken out of her hands. The school board engaged in several delays and finally held a public forum about the club. The students endured antigay rhetoric at the forum (Penn). The students faced a panel that took an extremist position. The school officials done away with a program that provided counseling for at-risk students in elementary, middle and high schools, who were having adjustment problems in school. The counseling was provided by interns and cost the school district nothing at all and helped kids. It also took some of the strain off the teachers so they could concentrate on teaching and not on the troubled youths. The council ended the program because it â€Å"burdened the school to administer the program†. The censorship of speech is even taking hold of the political arena. The McCain-Feingold â€Å"Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act† criminalizes political speech in connection with political and even state elections (Roane). The law makes it a felony for a corporation, labor union, or non-profit advocacy group to criticize or even mention a member of congress in broadcast ads within 60 days prior to a federal election. It is now a federal crime for state and local candidates, officeholders and political parties to engage or participate in political speech that attacks or even supports candidates for federal office (Roane). If it is illegal to voice anyone’s opinion, then the government has taken away a big chunk of our freedom of speech to support or object to any candidate. It basically makes it illegal for anyone to place an ad on the radio or television to support them in any federal election. The law also dictates what money can be used for certain applications and also lessens the chance for newer candidates to be heard, unless they already have a name for themselves in the public arena. It basically guarantees already elected officials a better chance for re-election in future elections (Roane). The government is closing down on our freedom of speech slowly by instituting their power to censor our speech. Whether it is through the schools, limiting what any students can say or wear, or through banning clubs that school official think could be objectionable, or through the media outlets governed by another governmental agency. Our freedom of speech is being taken away from us a little at a time without us even knowing it.

Delights Nursing Care Home Essay

Here is an induction document explaining any risks or hazards that could potentially result in residents, visitors, and staff being harmed or abused within the nursing home. Physical Within the care home there will be some residents and visitors that may require to use a wheelchair or walking frame, this means that hallways can become very crowded and doorways can be awkward to get through. As well as physically disabled people, people with visual or hearing impairments can equally be at risk as if the hallways are blocked and a visually impaired resident has no knowledge of this it could lead them to be confused and potentially end up falling. A hearing impaired resident may not be able to hear if there is an emergency meaning that people have to leave the building quickly this could fault in them being pushed over or them bumping into objects. Hallways should be widened for easy wheelchair access and should be kept clear of furniture and objects making it efficient for all residents. If there is object restricting the residents to move and there was an emergency that requires first aid or a member of staff to assist they would be slowed down in attempt to help them. This is why staff, residents and visitors should be able to move freely, for both comfort and easy. Equipment The Care Homes equipment (hoists, lifting equipment) are stored on the second floor next to the fire exit. This could be a serious risk as if their was to be an accident requiring the residents to evacuate the building quickly this is unlikely to happen as staff would have to go up stairs and possible bring equipment down for the residents. Also if equipment is not sided properly this means that it could be blocking the fire exit meaning no one can exit the building as quickly as possible. The bedrooms are located on two different floors meaning some residents can access the kitchen which is located on the ground floor, this could potentially lead to appliances being turned on accidentally if a resident gets confused or falls switching them on, if a member of staff is not present. Infections With the Care Home looking after many residents infections can spread quite easily, the staff will have to make sure that they put in place any rules to stop infections from spreading. For example; all dirty laundry should be taken straight to the laundry room be washed, all infected wasted should be disposed of correctly by a member of staff, any medical waste MUST be disposed of immediately after use as this is one of the main ways infections can spread. If precautions are not taken seriously infections can begin to spread meaning the visitors and staff could pick up the infect and take it home. The care home needs to keep all equipment and areas of the home disinfected as elderly people have low immune systems meaning their body does not fight infections of like someone of a younger age. Substances All of our residents take medication for their disorders. It is vital that these medications are locked up safely in the office and are not left lying around to avoid the risk of someone accidentally taking them and doing themselves harm. Staff must also write down the time and dosage of which medication was dispensed to a resident. If not staff may give too much or too little medication which could seriously affect the resident. Medication must also be labelled with the name of the resident it is intended for. If not, strong medications could be given to the wrong resident which could be fatal. Working Practices Every member of staff should have the appropriate training for each resident in the home to avoid mistakes being made. If staff fail to have correct training the residents could be at harm as the staff member might not be able to calm certain residents down in times when they are stressed or be able to handle certain aspects of a resident, like lifting or medication. It could also affect the residents ability to trust staff if they do not know what they are doing as well as making other staff having to undo mistakes being made putting strain of the bond of the staff. The number of staff working in the care home should be efficient with the number of residents present in the care home. Currently Delights Care Home has a manager, a  senior nurse, several care assistants, who all work shift patterns of morning, afternoons and nights as well as two cleaners, a cook, a kitchen assistant and a handy man. All staff should make sure shifts are planed accordingly to decrease the chance of being short staffed, this will reduce the chance of some residents being slightly neglected or left out. Being short staffed could mean residents may not receive their medication on time or wound dressings might not be changed as often leading to infections. Security Systems As the care home is situated near the main road it is important to keep security to a maximum. If a resident was to leave the building without a staff member or carer, they could be at risk of being knocked down trying to cross the road or getting lost because their confused. The Delights care home have a double entry door with a key code for staff which must be kept confidential as anybody could come in off the streets and cause harm to the residents, staff or visitors and a bell for any visitors, when the visitors enter the building there is a book they must write in to say they are here this is for health and safety. If there was a fire, this means that everyone in the building could be accounted for. We have a safe where residents can keep their money and valuables. This must be locked as to not tempt theft. This is also where the computer system holding the medical records is. If not kept secure this could breech the confidentiality rights of the residents.

Finding a Friend essays

Finding a Friend essays It was a hot and humid June day in Georgia; the kind of typical summer weather that leads to violent thunderstorms in the late afternoon. With the drought we had been experiencing, however, our last good rainfall was two months prior. I was pushing the speed limit, and then some, as I barreled down the road. Even with the windows of my car fully down, the hot air smacked my face like the heat of an oven. I was late, and I hate being late, especially when I first meet people. I was following the directions Amy had given me to her house, but when they called for me to turn off the main road onto a rutted dirt road, I hesitated. I stopped the car and did a double take between the directions and the street sign to make sure they were right. Everything looked okay, so I put up my windows, and proceeded down the dry dirt road at a much more leisurely pace, as to minimize the amount of dust I kicked up. I traveled down that road for about a mile, and when it curved to travel around a small lake, I saw what had to be her house. The only one on the road, cedar shingles, and a small pickup truck parked in the driveway. As I parked my car behind the pickup, and made my way up to the front porch, I heard a dog barking from the backyard. When I rang the bell, a teenage boy in a bathing suit, and still wet and dripping, greeted me. Is Amy here? I asked, but before he could reply, I heard Im up here quickly followed by her feet pounding down the stairs. She, too, looked like she had just finished swimming, wearing only a pair of shorts over her suit. Her hair was tied back attractively into a ponytail where the ends of it left a tiny rill of water down her shoulder. Hi, She said breathlessly as she bounced to a halt in front of me. ready? Oh, this is my brother Tim. She turned and pointed to the boy who greeted me at the door, I do hope she ...

Misrepresentation of Women in Cinema Movie Review - 1

Misrepresentation of Women in Cinema - Movie Review Example The author of the paper states that the concept of women and its consequences are built also by the influence of cinema and its production of images in everyday life of subjects. Analysts say that culture is an intervention area of ideology and the picture of a woman presented culturally is a stereotypical image. It can also be said that the social construction of woman, that worked for various types media (whether by magazines and advertisements, whether for film and television) is usually based on criteria pre-established socially and imposes an idealized image of women.  Misrepresentation of women in cinema can be in many ways although the most common form of misrepresentation is the objectification of women. Objectification is the treatment of a person like a tool or an object while disregarding their dignity. A person is objectified if they are treated as if they are owned by another or like a tool for another person’s purposes. Objectification means there is no concern for their feelings thereby the particular person is denied subjectivity. The most relevant form of women objectification is sexual objectification. It is the treatment of a woman simply like an instrument for deriving sexual pleasure thereby making the particular woman a sex object. Sexual objectification is an important idea in feminist theory and psychological theories derived from feminism. Most feminists view sexual objectification as deplorable and as playing a vital role in the promotion of gender equality.  One of the feminists Laura Mulvey uses psychoanalysis and her own impressions to enlighten on what would be the female representations within the macho culture. For the system, there is already an idea of woman as an eternal victim: it is her lack that produces the phallus as a symbolic presence; her desire is to compensate the lack what it means.

Informative speech on music and marketing or Presentation

Informative on music and marketing - Speech or Presentation Example This era is regarded as techno-oriented era more commonly as digital age therefore the old marketing strategies are not going to work here anymore when there is lesser time consuming, cheap and easily accessible marketing strategies are available through social media. Internet is now hailed as â€Å"â€Å"contemporary society’s great equalizer of social, economical, and political power†, with little cost and immense communication effects (Fox, 2009). Various marketing tactics such as viral marketing are spreading consumer awareness of the product even by masking their names generating their attention and intriguing consumers before even revealing the company’s name. Reverse psychology marketing strategies also create interests and awareness among the consumers by tarnishing the brands (Fox, 2009). Buyers no longer wait for the new marketing information and they are not even paying much attention today. They are more interested in seeking out the desired informat ion in their own ways. The flyers, brochures, TV ads, in transit media etc have become too trivial. On the other hand, asking face book about which novel marketing tactic to use is effective, in which it is mired and there is an ongoing debate for that. Zuberance, a firm, allows its customers to advocate about the company on their favorite social media channels. They are requested to write a review or recommendation about the product that is accessible to the company official website endorsed with customer’s name and spread around his peer network and he actually finds himself as a promoter of the product. Our timings of consuming meals is varying greatly due to work load, late night studies, slumber parties, networking hangouts etc. Many of the U.S restaurants are being triggered due to this changed habit of the people around. Consequently, Big M launched a new marketing tactic of luring and targeting these â€Å"up-high nights† and nocturnal diners with value deals. They extended their closing hours till 2 a.m. Furthermore, they also started offering mid night deals on Night Hunger menu with Buffalo wings from Thursday till Saturday. Almost all the restaurants are targeting the Nighters with their light night menus where serving the â€Å"Nighters† has now become a niche. Another significant marketing tactic was used by Target (Big Data) which identified the pregnant ladies before anyone. Target conducted an exclusive and extensive research on the shopping habits of the pregnant females for example when they purchase vitamins, see the couples and kids, and many more. They utilized this research and started sending the valuable coupons to those they had identified as â€Å"pregnant†. A father of a girl who had been receiving such coupons complained about these annoying coupons but later on discovered that he was unaware that her daughter was pregnant but they knew it. So it is a cliche now which says, â€Å"All stores will be doin g this, and all governments will be doing this. Your doctor will do this. Your employer will do this. This is the new norm† (NPR STAFF) Another very amusing tactic is how Google tracks the flu. Google never wastes or ignores any of its searches stores every bit of the searches. Google used to scribble over the searches screening them with intent to look for those searches from the database that were either a likely predictor or related to the outbreak of flu collecting from certain various regions of America. The seasonal flu outbreaks is reported by CDC, â€Å"