Shadowmaker by Apocalyptica free essay sample

Apocalyptica is a Finnish neo-classical metal band/cello metal band that basically includes some elements of an almost Finnish baroque style, progressive metal, and the obvious heavy metal. What a combination of styles if I do say so myself. The band has three cellists, a pianist and the occasional violinist along with your traditional heavy metal artillery, and man does this give the band more options in terms of sound. When you mention Apocalyptica, you generally think of the Metallica covers early in their career or their Worlds Collide album including tracks like I Dont Care, Im Not Jesus, Helden, and Not Strong Enough all of which include a famous vocalist from the rock universe. Adam Gontier from Three Days Grace was in I Dont Care, Till Lindermann from Rammstein was in Helden and Corey Taylor from Slipknot was in Im Not Jesus just to name a few. We will write a custom essay sample on Shadowmaker by Apocalyptica or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Now with Shadowmaker, they only enlisted the help from one single vocalist who Ive been reliably told is from System of The Down I believe. He does have a pretty versatile voice I will admit and can for the emotional impact of each track very well. That said, some of Apocalypticas longest tracks could possibly be here in this album. The title track, Till Death Do Us Part and Dead Mans Eyes are the longest tracks on the album with the latter spanning nearly ten minutes. Yeah, theyve gotten serious and are not pulling any punches here. Tracks like Slow Burn, Cold Blood, Till Death Do Us Part and Dead Mans Eyes all register a more somber, a more emotional feel to the album and is heavily backed by beautiful sounding cellos and violin work. The instrumentals, and theres three of them, are all great representations and provide great use of the band-cello coordination. With the exception of Till Death Do Us Part, the instrumentals mostly seem to act as more of a look what I can do scenari o though, which doesnt seem like the Apocalyptica Im fairly used to. I can sense a very classy, almost chamber music style from this as well that you can almost imagine that sort of scenario when listening to this album and is always something that needs to be explored more in my opinion. Dead Mans Eyes seems to take a page out of Nightwishs Endless Forms Most Beautiful and leave almost nothing but pure atmosphere for the last half of the song, similar to The Greatest Show On Earth. Whether or not that has paying homage, you be the judge but it makes the ending of this album, that much sadder and emotional, at least in my case. Also if you get the deluxe edition, you will get a live performance of The Hall of The Mountain King which is incredible and probably better than I will ever be able to do for a while. They do seem to change up some parts as well and include some extra parts as well. If you love that song, you will love their version both live and in studio. For elegance and emotional prowess, I will safely say its gonna be a great contender for the end of the year for me. I just have to say, long live Apocalyptica and I will always love your music. You guys rock! I give this album a 9.5/10. I am the Grim Reaper, signing off.

Why Marine Life Is So Diverse in the Gulf of Maine

Why Marine Life Is So Diverse in the Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine is one of the most important marine habitats in the world and home to a wealth of marine life, from giant blue whales to microscopic plankton. Overview The Gulf of Maine is a semi-enclosed sea that covers 36,000 square miles of ocean and runs along 7,500 miles of coastline, from  Nova Scotia,  Canada,  to  Cape Cod,  Massachusetts. The Gulf is bordered by three New England states  (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine) and two Canadian provinces (New Brunswick and Nova Scotia). Water depths in the Gulf of Maine range from zero feet to several hundred feet. The deepest spot is 1,200 feet and is found in Georges Basin. The Gulf of Maine has many dramatic underwater features, which were carved out by glaciers  10,000 to 20,000 years ago. History The Gulf of Maine was once dry land covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which advanced from Canada and covered much of New England and the Gulf of Maine about 20,000 years ago. At that time, the sea level was about 300 to 400 feet below its current level. The weight of the ice sheet depressed the Earths crust, and as the glacier retreated, the area that is now the Gulf of Maine filled in with seawater. Types of Habitat The Gulf of Maine is home to a variety of different habitats. They include: Sandy banks (such as Stellwagen Bank and Georges Bank)Rocky ledges (such as Jeffreys Ledge)Deep  channels (such as the Northeast Channel and Great South Channel)Deep basins with water depths over 600 feet (such as the Jordan, Wilkinson and Georges Basins)Coastal areas near the shore, whose bottoms are composed of rocks, boulders, gravel, and sand Tides The Gulf of Maine has some of the greatest tide ranges in the world. In the southern Gulf of Maine, including the area around Cape Cod, the range between high tide and low tide may be as low as four feet. But the Bay of Fundy, which borders the northern Gulf of Maine, has the highest tides in the world. Here, the range between low and high tide can be as great as 50 feet. Marine Life The Gulf of Maine supports over 3,000 species of marine life. They include: About 20 species of whales and dolphinsFish, including Atlantic cod, bluefin tuna, ocean sunfish, basking sharks, thresher sharks, mako sharks haddock, and flounderMarine invertebrates such as lobsters, crabs, sea stars, brittle stars, scallops, oysters, and musselsMarine algae, such as kelp, sea lettuce, wrack, and Irish mossPlankton, which provide food for many larger marine species that live in the Gulf of Maine Scientists believe the Gulf is probably home to many more unidentified species, including small worms and microscopic bacteria. Information about individual marine species is available from the states Department of Marine Resources. Human Activity The Gulf of Maine is an important area, both historically and today, for commercial and recreational fishing. It is also popular for recreational activities such as boating, wildlife watching (such as whale watching), and scuba diving (although the waters can be chilly). Threats to the Gulf of Maine include  overfishing, habitat loss, and coastal development.

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Business - Essay Example The movie profiles the cases of seven employees who have acquired injuries in the course of their employment. One of the victims is Marcos Lopez. He has worked in the company since high school. Marcos suffers serious back injuries from working form long hours sometimes up to sixteen hours in a day. The company Tyler pipe has a record of violating the safety rules. A former engineer with the company, Ron Howard describes the company’s policies that safety is sacrificed to increase productivity and make profits at the expense of humans. In a scene on the movie, a man dies when moving iron parts. The corporation responds by saying that he was a good man who made a very big mistake. Other actors featured are Kennedy Valve and Frank Wagner. They are ordered to dispose of toxic paint into an incinerator. Frank Wagner dies from an explosion in the oven. The company also does not provide adequate training for the job. Mc Wane Company also requires employees to sign a contract that they should never sue it and therefore benefiting from the compensation. The movie also features a single director for the entire plant known as Clyde Doran. The director does not have authority to stop production. He is also ordered to withhold information from officials. After the death of Frank Wagner, criminal charges were forwarded against the company. They were charged with criminal negligence. Consequently, Mc Wane threatened a massive loss of jobs if forced to change its policies. Other late discoveries were made. Delaware River had an eight-mile oil stick that came from a Mc Wane pipe plants holding tank. The companies holding tanks were not big enough for toxic waste that the company produced. In response, Mc Wane defended itself by saying that with competition from all over the world mainly China and Latin America, it is hard to maintain the environmental

International Environmental Analysis Assignment

International Environmental Analysis - Assignment Example The implication of internalization of the Tata Group on Europe has also been explained in this paper. The Tata Group The Tata Group is a multinational corporation from India with its headquarters being in Mumbai. In India, the Tata Group is among the biggest companies. This group has a large annual revenue and extensive market capitalization. The investment of the company includes the ICT sector, materials, energy, engineering, services, chemicals, and consumer products. According to Pandit (2005, p. 61), the multinational company has extended its arms across the world with its operations covering over 80 countries. The company is an active exporter of goods and services to many countries across the six continents of the world. This corporation has more than 144 subsidiaries and companies, which include Tata Steel, Tata Technologies, Tata Motors, Tata Tea, Titan Industries, Tata Sons and Tata Teleservices. Sen (2009, p 31) says that the Corporation is reputable in the world because i t has financed and established many institutions and funded research initiatives within India and across the world. The corporation gets more than two thirds of its revenue from countries outside India and therefore this demonstrates its international expansion. Tata Group SWOT Analysis The vision of the Tata Group is to improve the quality of life. The company’s strategies facilitate the achievement of its vision. Taylor (2011, p. 86) says that the strategies of the company are designed to enable the corporation overcome its weaknesses and make maximum utilization of the opportunities available within the local and international markets. Capabilities and resources are the main strengths of the Tata Group. The resources of the corporation are the capable employees and the raw materials, which give it its business capabilities. New markets, acquisitions, and exports are the business opportunities of the corporation. The weaknesses, which the corporation aims to overcome, inclu de the macro environment, innovation of its value chain and distribution. To allow the company serve the local and international market effectively with quality services and products, overcoming its weaknesses is inevitable. Furthermore, the Tata Group needs to provide goods and services at reasonable prices so that it will not lose its loyal customers. Sen (2009, p. 42) explains that the mergers of the corporation with global companies and its internationalization have led to local threats such as competition. However, the international strategy of the corporation is part of its strategic plan, which does not compromise the need to achieve its essential goals within the local market. Taylor (2011, p.91) asserts that as a way of expanding its business internationally, the Tata Group uses the corporate strategy of mergers and acquisitions. This is an opportunity in the international market, which the company utilizes to overcome its weaknesses. For example, the Tata Group acquires co mpanies in the steel industry so that it would get raw materials at lower prices to enable it serve the automobile industry with low steel prices. This will enable the group to provide its customers with value added and low price products as a way of overcoming the competition in the market. Through the mergers and acqui

Risk of Derivatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk of Derivatives - Essay Example Derivatives are either traded in stock markets or can be quickly made or created through any financial institution (including banks). Derivatives are widely used these days by corporate entities and other users in order to manage and control the risks associated with financial transactions and to limit the risks of changes in rates of commodities, interest rates, market conditions, or foreign currency rates. Derivatives can occur in many forms and types â€Å"including futures, forwards, swaps, options, structured debt obligations, and deposits,† (Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks, 1997, p. 1). These financial instruments produce many risks for the users and both the parties involved (that is, the drawer and the drawee of the derivative contracts). Some of the dangers include the risk of change in the price of the derivative itself, a change in interest rates, and a change in foreign exchange rates, if applicable, to name only a few. In this paper, the manageability of risks of derivatives, as per the given text, is discussed and evaluated. The ideas of Thomas A. Bass, who considers that the risks of derivatives are manageable are compared and evaluated with the ideas presented by Justin Welby who argues that the risks of derivatives are not controllable. The management of risks associated with the use of derivatives and the ideas and conclusions of two authors, Bass and Welby, were discussed. In his article, â€Å"The Ethics of Derivatives and Risk Management,† Welby’s view was that the vast use of derivatives in the financial markets these days in order to reduce certain financial risks and control them is itself quite dangerous. However, the risks associated with the derivatives are quite doable with the help of implementing ethical investment policies, including transparency, governance, and so forth. He believed that derivatives are those financial instruments that can be used to â€Å"alter the risk profiles† rather

The Anselm Ontological Argument Philosophy Essay

The Anselm Ontological Argument Philosophy Essay In this paper I will argue that Anselms ontological argument for the existence of God is indeed adequate for establishing the necessary existence of the Greatest Conceivable Being. In order to accomplish this, I will argue that Anselms premises are sound, and that his conclusion rightfully follows his premises. I will also defend Anselms argument by demonstrating that objections to Anselms argument are unconvincing. My focus will be on Gaunilos objection to Anselms argument. Essentially, Gauinilos objection is that Anselms argument can be altered to prove the existence of any concept simply by using the definition that the concept is greater than all other concepts which can be conceived this will be refuted. Before I begin my argument I will reconstruct the a priori ontological argument put forward by Anselm to prove the existence of the Greatest Conceivable Anselm begins his argument by introducing â€Å"the fool†, a reference to Psalms 53:1. This fool â€Å"has said that in his heart, [that] there is no God†, or denying the existence of God. Anselm states that even this fool, â€Å"when he hears of this being of which I speak a being-than-which-nothing- greater-can-be-thought understands what he hears, and what he understands is in his understanding; although he does not understand it to actually exist† (Anselm 15). Essentially, Anselm makes the claim that even â€Å"the fool† is forced to concede that the concept of the Greatest Conceivable Being exists in the mind, because he has been told of it. In order to prove the existence of God, Anselm adopts the fools position for his A priori argument. Anselm does not believe the fools position to be correct, but uses it to show that if God exists in understanding, or the mind, then He must exist in reality. Anselm declares that it is one thing for an object to exist in the mind, yet another to understand that it actually exists. To this end, Anselm moves on to give an example of how something can exist in the mind and in reality. The example of a painter is brought forward by Anselm. Before a painter creates a picture, claims Anselm, he has an understanding of what the painting will look like in his mind. Upon completion of the painting, the painter will understand that it exists in his mind, for they had the image of the painting before he created it, and in reality, because now they can see the painting before themselves with their own eyes (Anselm 15). Anselm next defines God as a being-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-conceived. Anselm follows this definition with the premise that if a being exists in the understanding, but not in reality, then a greater being can be conceived (Anselm 15). To assert this point Anselm argues, â€Å"For if [The Greatest Conceivable Being] exists solely in the mind alone, it can be thought of to exist in reality as well, which is greater† (Anselm 15). Utilizing the idea that if a being exists only in understanding then a greater being exists, Anselm reaches the conclusion that a greater being than God can be conceived. Anselm does not believe that this conclusion is accurate, however, stating that it is â€Å"obviously impossible†. By reaching this conclusion, Anslem is trying to show that if one understands God to be the Greatest Conceivable Being and only exist in understanding as a concept, but not reality, then the conclusion opposes the premises. Anselms case is essentially that because the definition of God is not in question, â€Å"the fool† must be mistaken in assuming that God only exists as a concept. Therefore, Anselm reaches the conclusion that God must exist in both concept and in reality. I will now move on to offering a critical assessment of Anselms ontological argument. To accomplish this task, I will examine both the validity, and the soundness, of Anselms premises. In order to do so, a condensed form of Anselms argument is required. Essentially, Anselms premises can be construed as such: God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived We can conceive of a being than which none greater can be conceived God exists in the understanding, To exist in reality and in the understanding is greater than to exist in the understanding alone. Therefore, God necessarily exists in reality. According to chapter two of Writing Philosophy, a valid argument is â€Å"an argument that has a form such that if its premises were true, its conclusion would be too.† There is nothing to suggest that Anselms argument is invalid. Provided that the premises are sound, the conclusion does indeed follow. However, while the ontological argument may be valid, it remains to be shown that it is sound. A sound argument is one which is both valid and contains true premises (Chapter 2, Writing Philosophy). In order to show this, the individual premises of the ontological argument must be evaluated. Firstly, The truth of premise B] depends on the acceptance of Anselms definition of God (premise A] ) as that than which none greater can be conceived. If we are to accept Anselms definition of God to be plausible, then premise B] is sound because we have accepted the concept and have the idea in our understanding. If we do not accept the definition, then we are not able to proceed to evaluate the rest of the argument. This is not to say that Anselms definition of God is a controversial one, indeed it is a commonly accepted monotheistic interpretation of the nature of God (Mark C. Smith, January 18th Lecture). Secondly, premise B] is sound because existence of such a being is logically possible. No fault can be found with postulating the existence of such a being as defined by premise A]. Finally, Anselms assertion that â€Å"to exist in reality and in the understanding is greater than to exist in the understanding alone† is necessarily sound by our acceptance of his definition of God. By accepting premise A], as we must in order to evaluate the argument, we must concede this it is necessarily greater for God to exist in reality. As a result, we can see that Anselms ontological argument is both valid, and sound, from an examination of its premises. Anselms conclusion that God exists in reality logically follows the premises, given their soundness and validity. In order to demonstrate that Anselms argument is indeed adequate for establishing the necessary existence of the Greatest Conceivable Being, objections to the argument must first be examined and then refuted. One of the more potent objections to Anselms ontological argument is that of the monk Gaunilo. The objection raised by Gaunilo is that the same logical reasoning used by Anselm to prove Gods existence can be used to prove things certain do not exist. Gaunilo puts forth this objection when he argues about the existence of the â€Å"Lost Island†, a conceivable perfect island. Gaunilos proof of the perfect island follows the same logical reasoning as Anselms. He starts with the premise that the idea of a perfect island can be conceived of by the mind. The perfect island is by definition an island than which no greater island can be conceived, and that if a perfect-island exists in as an idea in the mind but not in reality, a greater island than the perfect- island can be conceived (Gaunilo 17). Using a similar argument as Anselm, Gaunilo has shown that the perfect-island must exist in both the mind and in reality for the same reasons that God must exist in the mind and reality. According to Gaunilo, if one accepts Anselms argument as being valid, one must accept the similar perfect-island argument as being valid as well. Both arguments would appear to valid since if the premises are true then both conclusions must be true. The only critical difference between Anselms argument and Gaunilos argument is the use of the perfect-island in place of God. As a res ult, if Anselms method of reasoning is deemed appropriate, then Gaunilos must be appropriate as well. Gaunilo however states that this â€Å"proof of the existence of a perfect-island is implausible, or â€Å"doubtfully real† (Guanilo 17). Gaunilo contends that it is only the definition of â€Å"a-concept-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-conceived† that allows Anselm and himself to prove the existence of God and the perfect-island respectively. By proving one of the concepts, the perfect-island, to be implausible, Gaunilo feels that the other concept must follow suit (Gaunilo 17). I will now move onto a refutation of Gaunilos objection to Anselms ontological argument. The major fault with Gaunilos objection is that that by proving the existence of a perfect island, using an argument of the same structure as Anselms, he has tampered with the definition of an island. This error becomes apparent when considering what the nature of a perfect island would be. In order for the island to be perfect its characteristics must be perfect as well. Any variation from this â€Å"conceivable† perfection would make the existence of a greater conceivable island possible. Furthermore, the perfect-island could be made greater in a measurable fashion if it was to have a slightly increased landmass this reasoning would persist until the perfect-island becomes infinitely large. An infinitely large island, however, is impossible. An island, by its very definition, must be surrounded by water, and something that is infinite in size cannot be surrounded. Moreover, a perfect island presumably has an abundance of lush trees and pristine beaches. The more of these t hat an island has, the better the island would conceivably be. However, there is no defined maximum number of trees or beaches that an island could possibly have; for any one conceivable island, there is another, even-more -perfect-island with one more exotic fruit tree and one more white sandy beach. As a result, there is no island than-which no-greater-can-be-conceived the more trees and more beaches that are conceived, the more perfect the island would be. Therefore, the perfect-island moves towards infinity in its characteristics once again. The concept of the perfect island is therefore flawed, causing Gaunilos objection to be adequate to impair Anselms ontological argument. In conclusion, Anselms logical a priori ontological argument is adequate for establishing the necessary existence of the Greatest Conceivable Being. The premises of Anselms ontological argument were demonstrated to be sound when examined in the context of Anselms definition of the Greatest Conceivable Being. Moreover, Anselms argument was shown to be a valid argument, with a conclusion that follows from the premises. Gaunilo raised an objection to the ontological argument on the grounds that Anselms argument can be altered to prove the existence of any concept simply by using the definition that the concept is greater than all other concepts which can be conceived. However, this objection was shown to be inadequate on the grounds that the concept of the perfect-island is flawed when conceived with Anselms argument. Therefore, Anselms ontological argument is convincing, despite Gaunilos objections, and is adequate for establishing the necessary existence of the Greatest Conceivable Be ing.

Selling The Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing Essay

Selling The Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing Book Review: Harry Beckwith is the founder of Beckwith Advertising and Marketing. He has worked with four of America’s best 100 service companies, nine Fortune 500 companies, and many smaller business and venture-capitalized start-ups. Beckwith divides the book into eleven main topics and ends it with a â€Å"summing up†. The book mainly talks about what the marketers need to know to sell their services. This book begins with the main problem of service marketing. It then suggests how to learn what you must improve, with examples of techniques that work. Later it talks about the service marketing fundamentals: defining what business you really are in and what people really are buying, positioning your service, understanding prospects and buying behavior, and communicating. Chapters are made in short format, they are intended to convey one point and free of jargon. The author summarizes the point in one sentence in boldface italics. Hints and tips cover the conventional four P’s of marketing, which are product, place, price and promotion, in an irreverent and iconoclastic manner, nothing is sacrosanct. The first part of the book is about how to get started. Here Beckwith emphasizes that the core of service marketing is the service itself. A company needs to make sure that they offer the best service quality before they spend more money on promoting the company. Beckwith says that a company needs to let their customers set the quality standard. Moreover, to stay in the competitive market, it is not enough for a company to just think how to do better in the future. They also have to think different. The services that they offer have to be different from their competitors. Beckwith says: â€Å"Create the possible service; don’t just create what the market needs or wants. Create what it would love.† A company needs to differentiate itself clearly from the other companies. Thus, since more company try to offer a service that meet the customer needs, we need to offer a service that can catch customer’s attention and a service that a customer would love. Part Two is about survey and research. For a company to be able to improve its services is by asking everyone about it, by doing a survey. However, to have a significant result from a survey, ... ...lue to any organization in which business relationships are less then desirable. Everything he suggests combines common sense with a sensitivity to others’ needs and interests. Indeed, almost everyone in almost any organization must constantly be â€Å"selling† various services to others within and beyond that organization. First, they must establish credibility, then trust, and finally obtain agreement to cooperate. Beckwith examines them with in business context however, in process suggest wide and deep implication relevant to all other areas of human experience. What I like about this book is the fact of how this book is being structured. It contains short anecdotes about how other services have effectively marketed themselves. This type of structure makes it easy and interesting to read. The book gave concrete examples of how others succeeded in marketing something that was not a product. The downside of this book is that it does not go into details. Aside from showing how other did it, the author rarely tells how to specifically apply it to your situation. However, in overall, I can say that it was an inspirational read. It gave me a whole new perspective about marketing.

Marijuana

The use of marijuana in human civilization dates back to 6000 B. C. In this era, China found that cannabis seeds are edible and later discovered a greater use as textiles. From that time period, humanity has made significant advancement, and has discovered further uses for the marijuana plant. Today, marijuana can be used as medical cannabis to treat ailments that other medication cannot possibly treat. Although medical cannabis has some great benefits, in the many countries it is still illegal to possess and/or use.Thus the legalization of marijuana should be legalized through its promising and beneficial results. Contrary to belief, medical cannabis has very few health risks compared to propaganda suggested to most people in mainstream media. Throughout the years many random and bogus facts of marijuana have circulated, many of these disputes however, have been debunk through actual scientific study done today. The monkey marijuana experiment in 1973 for example was a huge hoax. In the case study, the monkeys were exposed to marijuana smoke everyday and died after ninety days.The autopsy report ruled that hey died to a dead brain through great loss in brain cells. Therefore, the conclusion of the study was that marijuana kills brain cells, but the experiment failed to report the monkeys were being suffocated for five minutes on a daily schedule for three months. The process of asphyxiation or suffocation causes lack of oxygen to the brain, which leads to death of brain cells. Soon after, many more theories have been tested and most of the so-called health risks were nothing more than hokum.Marijuana has fairly less harmful effects, unlike other legal drugs such as: alcohol, tobacco, cetaminophen, amphetamine, OxyContin, Xanax, sleeping pills, and many other legal drugs. Adversely, compared to other drugs and the drugs listed prior, marijuana has very few health risks. Since there are very few scientifically proven health risks, they are much more minimal in h armful effects than other recreational drugs. Alcohol and tobacco for instance, have higher risk in use than marijuana.The Center of Disease Control and Prevention states that: There are approximately 80,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use each year in the United States. l This makes xcessive alcohol use the 3r d leading lifestyle-related cause of death for the nation. 2 Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 2. 3 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) annually, or an average of about 30 years of potential life lost for each death. l In 2006, there were more than 1. 2 million emergency room visits and 2. 7 million physician office visits due to excessive drinking. The economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2006 were estimated at $223. 5 billion. 3 Compared to the average marijuana smokers, tobacco smokers frequently smoke more as stated in Mikaela Conleys ABC News article, â€Å"Among the study participants, the average pot smoker lit up two to three times per month. The average tobacco user smoked eight cigarettes per day. † Due to the greater amount of frequency in lighting a cigarette the average tobacco smoke causes much more air pollution as well as second hand smoke.In summation, the negative output of marijuana is miniscule compared to the negative output of most legal drugs/over the counter drugs. The medical uses of prescribed a mysterious herb as tea. This tea was marijuana and was used to treat, everything from pain relief to earache to childbirth. Doctors also warned against overuse of marijuana, believing that too much consumption caused impotence, blindness and â€Å"seeing devils. (Stack& Suddath)† Ever since then the uses of medical cannabis has varied from nausea to cancer and even to pain relief.According to â€Å"Disabled World†, Few herbs offer a wide variety of therapeutic applications like these: Relief of muscle spasms, relief of chronic pain reduction in interlobular pressure inside t he eye, suppression of nausea, weight loss – increase and restore etabolism, AIDS – Marijuana can reduce the nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting from the condition itself and the medications as well. Today, medical cannabis remains one of the most controversial social issues around the world.Although many people disagree with the drug, for one boy it proved valuable results. Jayden David of California suffers from a, â€Å"debilitating form of epilepsy, which causes him to experience frequent seizures – some lasting up to 90 minutes. (Fox40)† This only treatment for his epilepsy prior to medical marijuana was twenty types of medication hat he must take everyday in order to control his epilepsy. Once Jayden was on CDB (cannabidol), â€Å"Jayden's seizures are down approximately 80 percent. Jayden is functioning now,' David, of Modesto, Calif. told Fox 40. ‘The doctors told me Jayden would never walk or talk. ‘ (Fox40)† This is Just one of the stories of many lives that medical cannabis has managed to improve, including: cancer, chemotherapy, anorexia, bulimia, and many other ill patients. Due to its already besmirched image, the process in which obtaining medicinal marijuana has become such a hurdle that it is much harder to obtain than it should. Along with its beneficial results as medical cannabis, marijuana could have a substantially great impact on economy.With the drug being legal, less police force is needed to enforce the law, thus saving a substantial amount of taxpayer's money from the â€Å"get-go'. The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States reveals that, â€Å"The report estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $7. 7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. $5. 3 billion of this savings would accrue to state and local governments, while $2. 4 billion ould accrue to the federal government. This is Just from deprivation of reduced polic e force, TBIMP states that, â€Å"50% of possession arrests are due solely to marijuana possession rather than being incidental to some other crime. † Declaring the arrest rate of 50% of all arrests are marijuana possession shows and reinforces the idea of how much the United States can save with reduced arrests and enforcements. In addition to the legalization of the drug, it could be taxed and distributed as a product worldwide for increase GDP in not only the United States, but also many other countries. However in the U. S. he estimated report says it would yield is, â€Å"$2. 4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6. 2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco. † Increase of new product in the market allows more economic growth worldwide. If the enormous revenue of legalization of marijuana is so great, it imposes the question of the legitimacy of illegalization of a drug in the first place, and to answer that question frankly it should! morality of it (which is the only answer to the question imposed prior to this entence).Most people against marijuana say that it is a drug and it is bad, but hold no other credible evidence of it truly being â€Å"bad†. In 1920 the United States imposed an alcohol prohibition because of their morale of it being â€Å"bad†. Just like marijuana alcohol is a drug, and has many pros and cons, such as medical uses like a disinfectant as well as a recreational drug. The hypocrisy came when the government imposed the prohibition when the motto has been â€Å"for the people by the people†. This lack of representation of the people caused one of the greatest failures in law reation since slavery.Not only did prohibition fail in stopping people from drinking alcohol, it also increased the amount of people drinking as well as crime rate. The distillation process of making alcohol became a homemade Job, but due to the lack of proper equipment and sanitation this beverage was much more hazardous to drink. It was estimated at least ten thousand people died during the enforcement of the 1920 to 1933 Prohibition. During this time the profit of making alcohol skyrocketed, which made it more tempting to break the law.Along with the increase crime rate, it as also reported that vandalism and public disturbances increased. This example is currently like the prohibition of marijuana, not only is it making crime more profitable, but it is also increasing the negligence of the people consuming and the law enforcement. However, due to a greater understanding of responsibility and information of recreational drugs, modern day society has allowed awareness in safety of alcohol consumption. This awareness could also be used for marijuana, Just as it has been done for tobacco and other drugs.In summation, the use of marijuana medically and recreationally has been around ince the beginning of civilization, and sh ould still be continued today; Just as Bert Lance once said, â€Å"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. † In addition, the legalization of marijuana should Just be reinstated prior to it's ban through its promising medical uses for all sick and ill patients, its beneficial economic results for everybody, and its use as a reminder that public opinion are still held accountable; even with the modern political Jargon going around today.So, for the sake of the ill who needs the drugs, to us, the people who could benefit from the drug, we should keep in mind that the ecision is more than Just a basis of morality, but also the basis of something for all. â€Å"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. Marijuana Even the Persian founder of Suffix, who struggled with depression until discovering the plant, requested in his death, ‘to be buried amid cannabis leaves so his spirit may walk in the shade Of the plant that eve him much joy in his lifetime† (Medical-Marijuana-Mentor. Com). However, if marijuana has been embraced by diverse faiths and civilizations, why is marijuana such a controversial subject now? In America's inception marijuana was used to generate vast government money by our founding fathers; George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp on Mount Vernon.But in 1932, the Confirm State Narcotic Act gave legislative control of marijuana from the federal government to the states, thus prohibiting the use of marijuana (The Free Dictionary). Nevertheless, numerous studies have shown the benefits of marijuana outweigh its negative effects. Therefore, the stigma should be lifted so that the people of the Lignite States can enjoy the benefits of marijuana. The legali zation of marijuana in the U. S. Would lower crime, stimulate the economy, and provide medical relief.First of all, the legalization of marijuana would lower the crime rate in the United States by creating a safe environment for its users. If marijuana is taken off the street, and out of the hands of the dealers, the crimes associated with these types of dealings would also be taken off the street. It would put marijuana into a legal market where it could be controlled by the proper authorities. â€Å"By providing legal supplies of currently illegal drugs the price will fall, leading to a collapse in the illegal drug industry, and a reduction in crimes committed by both drug suppliers and users† (Legalization of Marijuana).To illustrate this, just three months after the state of Colorado legalized marijuana, crime decreased 14. 6% and in Denver from the same time last year†¦ Violent crime also went down 2. 4% (Natural Society). Another disconcerting problem with marijuan a being sold on the street is its accessibility to minors. Drug dealers do not discriminate and do not care whether the buyer is a minor or not; their interest is solely in their own profits. High school students have reported that illegal drugs are easier to access than alcohol and tobacco.This would obviously explain why the percentage of teens using weed is drastically on the rise. On the other hand, if marijuana was legalized and sold as cigarettes, the buyer or consumer would have to produce a valid identification before purchasing it, and a vendor cannot legally sell alcohol and tobacco to minors. As a result, legalizing Arizona would establish more of control of its distribution, and would also reduce the usage of it among minors. With the economy in the United States in shambles, legalizing marijuana would allow it to be a taxable item and would produce millions of dollars into the system. The new measure is expected to bring†¦ [in] $550 million combined, with more than 300 economists previously estimating that legalizing pot could save the U. S. Up to $14 billion a year† (Huff Post Business). We should not allow drug dealers the ability to control the market and benefit on a product that has the potential to ring in high profits into our much-needed empty confers. With marijuana being sold on the black market drug dealers charge exuberant prices because they have the monopoly on the market; keeping pot illegal is inadvertently enriching greedy drug dealers.On a similar note, by legalizing marijuana the demand will rise for more farms and dispensaries. With this comes more jobs because establishments like this would be hiring farmers, growers, and employees would be needed to run the new dispensaries, thus creating a new and large job market. By legalizing Marijuana it can be something the American people can profit from as a whole, as well as the U . S. Government, instead of a small group of criminals who's only priority is to enrich thems elves. Lastly, and most importantly marijuana can treat diverse mental and physical illnesses.Medical marijuana or cannabis has already been legalized in 20 of the 52 states in the U. S. Marijuana can treat cancer patients suffering from the affects of chemo and radiation by dehydrogenation's (TECH) -? which has pain-relieving properties. It can also be used to prevent the spread of cancer cells. â€Å"CB (one of the components n cannabis) represents the first nontoxic exogenous agent that can significantly decrease old-l expression in metastasis breast cancer cells leading to the down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness† (National Library of Medicine).Furthermore, marijuana can be used to treat and prevent eye disease such as glaucoma. It has also been know to treat mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. In addition, some independent studies have shown Marijuana to prevent suicide in those who use it for medical purposes. Marijuana is, at present, successfully treat ing people suffering from the effects of illnesses, but only in the states that have legalized it. However, everyone should have access to the medicinal properties found in cannabis and the ability to use them legally.Therefore it should be legally available to those whose health can benefit from it. In closing, it is safe to say there are many beneficial uses to this controversial drug known as marijuana. Prohibiting the use of marijuana does not prevent it from being used, but rather gives a small and dangerous group a large portion of control and power. If we are to learn anything from the history of prohibition in the hearties in relation to alcohol is that it did the opposite of what it was intended, â€Å"Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; organized crime blossomed; courts and prisons systems became overloaded† (1 920-30. Mom). Such is the case of the country today in regards to marijuana. The legalization of marijuana would not raise but rather lower crime, and would allow marijuana to be more controlled by the governing authorities. It would produce billions of dollars into an economy frocked with debt and create jobs in a time where unemployment is at record highs. It would allow those offering from the horrors of illnesses to find a means to ease their pain, and in some cases actually treat the illness itself.

Definition and Examples of Persiflage in English

Definition and Examples of Persiflage in English Definition Persiflage is a light, flippant, and/or mocking manner of speech or writing. Also called banter, idle chatter, or small talk. Philip Gooden describes persiflage as a variant on banter. It doesnt add much to that word or other English equivalents and has a slightly twee or over-literary quality (Faux Pas: A No-nonsense Guide to Words and Phrases, 2006) See Examples and Observations below. Also see: ConversationParodySarcasmSnarkVerbal Irony EtymologyFrom the Latin, whistle talk   Examples and Observations Persiflage is speech or writing with tongue in cheek. It combines irony, levity, and paradox, treating trifles as serious matters and serious matters as trifles.(Willard R. Espy, The Garden of Eloquence: A Rhetorical Bestiary. Harper Row, 1983) Lord Chesterfield on Persiflage- There is a certain jargon, which, in French, I should call un Persiflage dAffaires, that a foreign Minister ought to be perfectly master of, and may be used very advantageously at great entertainments, in mixed companies, and in all occasions where he must speak, and should say nothing. Well turned and well spoken, it seems to mean something, though in truth it means nothing. It is a kind of political badinage, which prevents or removes a thousand difficulties, to which a foreign Minister is exposed in mixed conversations.(Philip Dormer Stanhope, Lord Chesterfield, letter to his son, January 15, 1753)- Persiflage. Lord Chesterfield, in a letter of 1757, was the first to use this word in English. Upon these del icate occasions you must practice the ministerial shrugs and persiflage. Hannah More in 1779 presented the feminine attitude toward the cold compound of irony, irreligion, selfishness, and sneer, which make up what the French . . . so well express by the word persiflage. Carlyle, in Heroes and Hero-Worship (1840), said of Voltaire: They felt that, if persiflage be the great thing, there never was such a persifleur.(Joseph T. Shipley, The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. John Hopkins University Press, 1984) Persiflage in Women in LoveI think you are very silly. I think you want to tell me you love me, and you go all this way round to do it.All right, he said, looking up with sudden exasperation. Now go away then, and leave me alone. I dont want any more of your meretricious persiflage.Is it really persiflage? she mocked, her face really relaxing into laughter. She interpreted it, that he had made a deep confession of love to her. But he was so absurd in his words, also.(D.H. Lawrence, Women in Love, 1920) The Persiflage of Bruce WillisI remember when they told Sylvia Plath, Hey, Syl, cheer up! I remember when they told e. e. cummings, e, baby; use caps! But did ol e listen? No. Little n. Little o.(Bruce Willis as David Addison in Moonlighting, 1985)Hans Gruber: I thought I told all of you, I want radio silence until further . . .John McClane: Ooooh, Im very sorry, Hans. I didnt get that message. Maybe you shouldve put it on the bulletin board. Since Ive waxed Tony and Marco and his fri end here, I figured you and Karl and Franco might be a little lonely, so I wanted to give you a call.Karl: How does he know so much about . . .Hans Gruber: Thats very kind of you. I assume you are our mysterious party crasher. You are most troublesome, for a security guard.John McClane: Eeeh! Sorry Hans, wrong guess. Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy where the scores can really change?Hans Gruber: Who are you then?John McClane: Just a fly in the ointment, Hans. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass.(Alan Rickman, Bruce Willis, and Alexander Godunov in Die Hard, 1988) Barbershop PersiflageBuddy Litethe barbershop barfly who’s still lounging in his porkpie hat and violating the rule posted on a sign stating No jibber jabberpauses the persiflage to become sentimental.You see, what John doesn’t tell you is that all this is the sideshow, he says. The real museum here is the people.(Luke Jerod Kummer, In Pennsylvania, a Haircut to Remember. The Washington Post, February 25, 2011) Persiflage in FilmExcessive stylistic devices offer possibilities for shifting the status of the film narrative when the plot becomes secondary to persiflage, parody, and/or self-reflexive commentary. Only by recognizing the possibility of such a shift can stylistic devices such as excessive use of voice-over or pompous referencingwhich seem annoying because they hamper the progress of the storybe properly evaluated.(Peter Verstraten, Film Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative. Trans. by Stefan Van Der Lecq. University of Toronto Press, 2009) Pronunciation: PUR-si-flahz

Law School Competition and Factors to Consider

Law School Competition and Factors to Consider When the words law school come up, chances are cutthroat and competition arent far behind. Youve probably heard tales of students removing resource materials from the library so fellow students cant get to them and other similar sabotaging actions. But are these stories true? Is law school competition really cut-throat? In true lawyer form, the answer is: it depends. Higher Rankings Often Mean Less Competition The level of competition in law school varies greatly by school, and many surmise there is less competition at higher ranked schools, especially among those who dont use traditional grading and ranking structures. Indeed, instead of grades, Yale Law uses credit/no credit and honors/pass/low pass/failure; it also has a reputation for being one of the least competitive law school atmospheres. The theory is that students who attend higher-ranked schools are more confident of securing legal employment simply because of their law school and that grades or class standing matter less. Whether or not this continues to be a solid line of reasoning in the current economy is debatable, but at least one survey seems to back up this idea. Princeton Reviews 2009 Most Competitive Students maintains the top five most competitive schools are: Baylor LawOhio Northern LawBYU LawSyracuse LawSt. Johns Law Although they all have strong legal programs, none of these schools are traditionally ranked in the top 20 law schools nationwide, possibly lending credence to the above theory. Other Factors that Affect Competition Levels Chances are if your law school class has a large percentage of students with real world experience, more students will have realized that working together toward a common goal is preferable to slashing competitors and burning bridges. Also, schools with evening and part-time law school programs may be less competitive as well. Finding Out Whether Your Future Law School is Cut Throat So are all law schools cut-throat competitive? Certainly not, but some are definitely more competitive than others, and if youre not looking to scratch and scrape for the next three years, its something you should investigate thoroughly before choosing a law school. The best way to get a better idea of the competitiveness of a law school is to talk to former and current students and/or look for their opinions online. Admissions offices probably arent going to be your best source on this issue as no one is going to tell you Yes, most law students here will do whatever they can to make sure theyre on the upside of the curve! When you get to law school, if you find yourself knee-deep in cut-throat competition and you dont want to be around it, just refuse to play. You have the power to shape your law school experience, and if you want a collegial atmosphere, start by setting a good example.

Group Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group Dynamics - Essay Example This was primarily about assessing how serious they were in their passion for music, whether the group and its members loved the kind of music that I loved, and whether they were at par with me in their knowledge and skills about music. I could see that there was some imbalance between the kinds of behavior I expected and the kinds I actually received. But I could rectify this imbalance considerably by my efforts to prove myself before the other members and also sometimes by demanding what I felt, I deserved. I could prove to them that I was seriously passionate about music and that I have serious knowledge and skill in the subject as well. All the same, I could feel that the group and its members were evaluating me as well in the same way. I could feel they concluded their evaluation with a positive note and thus I also became an accepted and trusted member of the band. It was out of this whole experience that I became closely emotionally attached to the group. I also felt that by r emaining in this group, I could gain personally in future also. Thus I became totally committed to this group. I was the only keyboard player in this group and thus I could contribute to our dream to become a winner in the prestigious national level competition.

Organisational Culture Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Organisational Culture - Research Proposal Example This paper is a research proposal on the organization culture of McDonalds that has enabled it to be successful in the emerging market of India. The hypothesis for the research is that McDonalds organization culture and entry strategy into India is the main factor that has contributed to the success of the organization in the market. The proposal will explore the literature on international business and emerging markets and relate them to the success of the organization in India. The final study will use primary inquiry to identify if and how the organization culture relates to success in the international market. Over the years and especially in the last thirty years, the global business competition has become a very important consideration for entrepreneurs (Knight & Kim 2009)(Griffith et al. 2008). The competition has begun to have a decisive influence on the strategic planning, organisational culture and management both in the large corporations and in other small companies that have previously relied on the local markets (Ghemawat 2003). Corporations are now largely involved in establishing their place in international business environment either directly or indirectly. The increasing need for globalization and exploration of international business has led many companies in the world to allocate more resources to cross-cultural management (Doz 2011) (Kedia & Englis 2011). The nature of culture and its implication on the internationalization of business have been studies for long (Field et al. 2010). Hofstede (2009) defines culture as the programmed state of mind that distinguishes members of one group of people from those of another. In the case of international business, culture can be defined as the way of doing things that differentiate people from one country to another or one organization to another (Hofstede 2009). Culture, be it of a country or