Ruther Gruber – American Jews

Ruther Gruber is a Jewish writer, journalist and photographer originally from US, who is known for her work in rehabilitant several Jews who were persecuted in Europe. She belonged to a Russian Jewish family. She was born in Philadelphia in September 30, 1911, lived year life as a child in Pennsylvania, and later moved to Europe for studies. She is known for rescuing several Jews from oppression under the Nazi Germany of Hitler (Servin, 2001). Ruther Gruber had completed her Ph. D.studies in Cologne when she was only 20 years old, and at that time the youngest person in the world to earn a Ph. D degree. She had completed her Ph. D studies in Art History, Modern English Literature and German Philosophy. Gruber was shocked at the threats dictatorship under Hitler proved against the Jews. She was also concerned about Hitler’s feeling about other countries of the world such as US, Europe, etc. Once she completed her studies she returned to the US in the year 1931.She joined a care er as a journalist in the year 1932 and joined the New York Herald Tribune in the year 1935. She initially wrote a series of books about women facing communism and dictatorship. Ruth Gruber traveled to several countries including Siberia, Eastern Europe and the Northern parts of Soviet Union, which was first for any American journalist. Following this she was given an assignment by the President’s Roosevelt Sectary (Harold Ickes) for determining the whether Alaska could be militarized after the World War 2 (Jewish Virtual Library, 2009).In the year 1944, Ruther Gruber was given the most important assignment of her life to lead a secret special mission in rescuing 1000 Jewish people from Nazi Germany who were imprisoned in concentration camps in Italy and bringing them back alive to America. Ruther Gruber worked as a General for this particular project. During her travel in the American ship from America to Europe, it was continuously attacked by German fighter planes and subm arines.Ruther Gruber managed to save the 1000 Jewish refugees from the concentration camps in Germany, but there was no law in the US that permitted the refugees to be free or to have residency in the US. The refugees were stationed in a decommissioned training camp in New York for 2 years, after which President Roosevelt decided to give them permanent residency in the US (due to strong recommendations from Gruber). These Jewish refugees later became radiologists in the US, developing new radiological techniques such as CT-scans and MRI-scans.In 1946, once her role in the rehabilitation of the Jewish refugees was enabled, Gruber returned to her former profession with the New York Post. She was asked to cover the formation of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on Palestine (Gruber, 2003). Gruber played a role in ensuring the settlement of more than 100, 000 European Jewish refugees in the newly created state of Palestine in 1947. Gruber often accompanied the UN Special Committee on Palestine to missions to Europe and Middle East, representing the New York Herald.She had captured the incidents of the attack by British destroyers on the American Pleasure Boat Exodus carrying Jewish refugees and orphans. Gruber strongly criticized the event and created a lot of awareness of the Nazi-like attacks of Britain on Jewish refugees. She was terrible troubled by the pain and suffering that Britain had given to Jewish people (Jewish Virtual Library, 2009). Gruber got married in the year 1951 and was more into writing for magazines and newspapers. She often travels to Israel and spends time in her farmhouse in Italy (Gruber, 2003).Gruber is definitely a role model for the responsibilities she played whilst saving the 1000 Jewish refugees in Italy from the Nazi rule, ensuring that the 1000 refugees were effectively rehabilitated and also allowing the 100, 000 Jewish refugees to be resettled in the state of Israel. She was highly intelligent and motivated is clearly bein g suggested by her fulfilling her PhD when she was only 20 years. She was strongly against fascism and communism that created problems for women. Her photographs and writings strongly spoke her mind and what she wanted to fulfill in life.She was against abuse of Jewish people in Europe and strongly felt that providing them with a separate state would create a new home. Gruber is one of the few persons in the world who worked for a strong cause and was motivated in her work. References Gruber, R. (2003). Inside of Time: My Journey from Alaska to Israel, New York: Carroll & Graf. Jewish Virtual Library (2009). Ruth Gruber, Retrieved on June 6, 2009, from Web site: http://www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/biography/gruber. html Servin, M. (2001). Ruth Ellen Gruber, Retrieved on June 6, 2009, from Web site: http://www. giotto. org/jesse/gruber. html

Eradicating Extreme Poverty And Hunger Essay

Hunger is one of the determinants of poverty in Africa. Hunger leads to poor health, high mortality rate, low productivity and extreme societal disability. I highly believe that if only we could work on food security in countries like Africa, we could be way up above making half of the world’s poverty level to decrease. Business could go a long way towards assisting this. People here are facing the two prime and significant problems – Extreme Poverty and Hunger. Have you seen the children and adults of Somalia, Uganda, and Congo; all of them are malnourished and suffer from different diseases due to malnourishment – by the gift of starvation and poverty. These are some of the poorest people in the world. Sucked into the cities in search of work, they live in shacks made of corrugated iron, near an open sewer. Though poverty is now in decline in Bangladesh, malnutrition rates are still among the highest anywhere in the world. One in every six people in the world lives on less than a dollar, or 65p, a day, and more than 800 million people are malnourished. The people you see in these TV and newspaper pictures just happen to have been born in the wrong place. While we drink clean tap water, they drink water from a sewage-infested river. While we consume more than is good for us, they eat rice with a little chicken skin if they are lucky. We can’t help having been born here and not there; we can’t stop eating or drinking or shopping. But if people in our street didn’t have enough to eat, we would share our food with them. Just because poverty is a long way away doesn’t mean there is nothing we can do to tackle it. In 2000, world leaders made a promise to eliminate half of the extreme poverty levels and the number of malnourished people by 2015. They can do it – but only if we keep up the pressure. As Nelson Mandela said: â€Å"Ending poverty isn’t about charity. It’s about justice. † This goal aims to reduce by half the number of people whose income is less than $1 a day, and those who suffer from hunger. In southern Sudan, drought and the effects of 20 years of conflict led to a severe food shortage in 2002, with many children very malnourished. An NGO called TEARFUND responded to this emergency with a new approach called community-based therapeutic care. Traditional feeding programmes treat children suffering from severe malnutrition in feeding centres. Children and their careers usually stay in the centre, so only a limited number can be treated at any time. This new community-based approach involves setting up many smaller distribution points, often in remote areas. Local people help build and staff them. All the malnourished children admitted to the programme are examined. If they have a healthy appetite and no medical complications, they are given supplies of a special food called Plumpynut and sent home, to be looked after by their mothers. They get regular supplies of Plumpynut from the local distribution point when they go for a weekly check up. This community-based approach reduces the time mothers have to spend away from their other children, and from their household and farming work. This was especially appreciated at the start of the planting season. Plumpynut also proved very popular with the children. Severely malnourished children with serious health problems or no appetite are admitted to a stabilization centre for medical care until they have recovered enough to return home. This new community-based approach was a success in South Sudan, and very popular with local people. The programme was able to cover a much wider area. Hundreds more children were treated than in previous, centralized programmes. There was a high recovery rate and a very low mortality rate. Nurses who had spent over five years in feeding programmes initially found it strange to let severely malnourished children leave the treatment centre. However, they soon became the strongest advocates for the new approach. Mothers attending the distribution points also received health education and supplies of seeds. Some have now formed women’s groups that meet each week to receive further health education. Alleviating hunger and poverty has been and continues to be the pre-dominant policy challenge facing global and national decision makers. Here we argue that policy interventions for addressing this challenge should be designed in the context of emerging global, regional and national trends. We discuss four major trends that are shaping the future food economy and consequently the prospects for meeting the hunger and poverty goals. These trends are: i) Rapid urbanization in the developing world and its impact on food markets. ii) Increasing integration of global food markets through trade. iii) Deterioration of natural resource base and the degradation of the global and local commons; and iv) Rising transactions costs in the acquisition and use of science and technology for development. Other ideas to meet eradicate poverty and hunger are as follows – Encourage access to micro-credit; provide free school meals for all school children, using locally produced foods; improve soil fertility through adding manure, making compost and using green manures; plant trees like moringa and leuceana that add nutrients to the soil; and encourage the use of door-sized home gardens. At the turn of the new millennium, 147 nations agreed they had the resources and the political will to eradicate the extreme poverty, hunger and disease that kills millions of people each year in the poorest parts of the world. UNDP also mentioned that seven years ago the world came together and committed to tackle poverty in all its forms and work to build a better world for everyone. This vision was encapsulated in the Millennium Declaration and the eight Millennium Development Goals that emerged from it, which include halving the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger by the year 2015; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment; reducing child and maternal mortality; combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases and ensuring environmental sustainability. These Goals are underpinned by a commitment to build a global partnership for development, a compact between poor countries that commit to focus on reducing poverty, and the richer world that commits to be an active partner in supporting developing country efforts. The MDGs represent an internationally agreed set of goals that can be achieved if all actors work together and do their part. Now, at the midpoint towards the 2015 target, it is clear that significant progress has been made in many areas. The number of people living on less than one dollar a day has fallen by roughly 250 million people and so, at the global level at least, it looks like we will meet the goal to halve extreme poverty and hunger. In some regions more children are in school – both girls and boys – and people can expect to live longer and more productive lives. However this is not happening in all parts of the world. As I saw in my visit to Mozambique, Tanzania and Rwanda last week, while many African countries are making real progress in the fight against poverty, the challenge of achieving the MDGs and other development objectives in sub-Saharan Africa is particularly acute, where only some countries are progressing sufficiently to achieve some of the Goals. Today, worldwide, more than one billion people still lack access to safe drinking water; 6,000 people die of HIV and AIDS each day; and more than 750 million adults cannot read – half a billion of them women. The impact of climate change also poses a particularly daunting challenge to many developing countries, especially the poorest. But this picture does not have to remain the same. Many of the Goals remain eminently achievable in the vast majority of countries. For this to happen, though, two crucial aspects of the partnership for development must be respected. The first relates to the theme for the Eradication of Poverty: ‘People living in poverty as agents of change’, where it is clear that developing countries themselves should own their development process and that UNDP’s role is to help build the capacity to empower them to take charge of their own development. It also means that the support we provide will be more effective as it will be given in support of the priorities of poor people, and on their own terms. The idea that people living in poverty are agents of their own change can be applied at the local level, but also extends through the national level where people can get involved in monitoring policies and reviewing budgets, as well as at the international level where poorer countries must be able to contribute fully to the global institutions and processes that can shape progress in their country. The second component of the partnership is that while poor people must be in the driving seat of their development, we have also committed to provide them with the necessary support. Implementing the commitments that the international community has already made – on increasing and improving aid, dealing comprehensively with the debt problems facing developing countries, and delivering a trading system that puts the needs of poor countries at its heart – would go a very long way in ensuring that the MDGs can be met. The policies and actions of all countries on issues such as the environment and migration must also be made as supportive as possible of development, lest we give with one hand and take away with the other. For the Eradication of Poverty we should recommit to achieving the MDGs as a whole, and to these two components in particular in the fight against poverty, so that the world can come as close as possible to achieving the ambitious Goals that has been set for 2015. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan also had said that – Today called for simultaneous action on both issues, warning that it will be impossible to eradicate one blight without the other. â€Å"Hunger and poverty are ugly siblings. You cannot get rid of either unless you tackle the other as well†¦ Hunger, after all, is both a source and a consequence of extreme poverty. A hungry man cannot think beyond his next meal†¦ This has devastating consequences for the economic and social development of society as a whole,† Mr. Annan told government representatives and other officials at UN Headquarters. â€Å"The world has the resources and the know-how to make hunger history. What we need is political will and resolve. Let us renew our pledge to work together towards the day when no man, woman or child goes to sleep hungry. Let us resolve to win the fight against hunger once and for all. And I think that, with determination, resolve and will, it can be done. † Mr. Annan repeated that the theme to eradicate poverty and hunger is the need to bolster agriculture, noting that more than two thirds of the world’s hungry live in rural areas, and increased investment in agriculture is one of the most effective means to help them. He also made a warning that the world has made insufficient progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly goal number one for eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Anyhow, global poverty and hunger are issues that affect all of us. Almost a billion people live on less than $1 a day and approximately half of the world population lives on less than $2 a day (United Nations, 2007). Since 1990, 270 million people throughout the world have died from poverty-related causes. Realizing that there are a little over 300 million people living in the United States, the figure of 270 million deaths is staggering. The majority of those that died were women and children. Every three seconds a child dies of hunger and preventable diseases (Bedell, 2005). According to CARE (2007), an organization committed to fighting global poverty and helping people become self-sufficient, more than 840 million people in the world suffer from malnutrition. Of those people, more than 153 million are children under age 5, and tragically, six million of those children will die because of hunger. In 2000, the Millennium Declaration was adopted by 189 member nations of the United Nations. These countries committed to achieving eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 to improve the quality of life in developing countries. Goal 1 is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Even though the international poverty line is being redrawn, the current poverty line has been set at an income of $1. 08 per day. The poverty line is the minimum income level to meet basic needs. The poverty line varies in different countries such as the United States. Nevertheless, the goal is to reduce by one-half the number of people worldwide earning less than $1 per day. Without financial resources, basic needs such as food, water, shelter, hygiene, education, and access to health care cannot be met. Poverty is multidimensional and affects the person’s well-being and sense of worth. According to a woman in Tiraspol, Moldova, â€Å"For a poor person everything is terrible–illness, humiliation, shame. We are cripples; we are afraid of everything; we depend on everyone. No one needs us. We are like garbage that everyone wants to get rid of† (study conducted by World Bank Group, 2007). Some progress is being made to meet Goal 1 as the number of people in developing countries that are living on less than $1 per day decreased from 1. 25 billion in 1990 to 980 million in 2004 (United Nations, 2007). However, according to the 2007 Millennium Development Goals Report, the sub-Saharan countries are making progress but are not on target to meet Goal 1. Poverty rates in western Asia increased. Poor progress has been made to decrease childhood hunger in sub-Saharan countries and southern Asia. Efforts will need to be accelerated to meet Goal 1. Because the MDGs are interrelated, it is important to be aware of all of goals. They are: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. 2. Achieve universal primary education. 3. Promote gender equality and empower women. 4. Reduce child mortality. 5. Improve maternal health. 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. 7. Ensure environmental sustainability. 8. Develop a global partnership for development. Fighting Hunger, Poverty, and Injustice The International Council of Nurses conference in Yokohama, Japan, this summer, also discussed about other international efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger. One of the presenters at the conference was Barbara Stocking, director of Oxfam International, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty and injustice worldwide. Her presentation included content about the devastating effects of poverty and hunger. As you might expect, her photographs and stories of many of the people suffering from hunger and poverty were particularly poignant. As the late Dr. Martin Luther King said: â€Å"We have the resources to get rid of poverty. There is no deficit in human resources. The deficit is in human will. † So let us work towards make the world a beautiful place

Incident of the Life of a Slave Girl Essay

The autobiographical narrative â€Å"Incident of the Life of a Slave Girl† unveils casualties of life faced by black women during 19th century. A special attention Harriet Jacobs gives to a sexual relationship with Mr. Sand and moral values of black women. Thesis An â€Å"illicit† sexual relationship with Mr. Sand described in the Narrative does not reinscribing the stereotype of the black woman as lascivious and hypersexual, but proves that the black women are loving and sympathetic creatures seeking for a relationship based on romantic love. Love and romantic relations between a man and woman has played a crucial love in their lives. For Linda Brent, an â€Å"illicit† relationship with Mr. Sand means pure relations free from social statuses and financial gain. Harriet Jacobs stresses that love and passion are typical for the black woman even if she is engaging in the â€Å"illicit† sexual relationship. As the most important, Harriet Jacobs underlines that the black women could not move beyond the constrictions of the ideology. The existence of the institution of marriage, in which men played the dominant role and wielded control, placed women at the mercy of their male counterparts. At the beginning of new millennium, there are more and more people who prefer not to get marriage, but living together for many years trying to keep or preserve their personal freedom and independence. The example of Linda Bret shows that in spite of all the negative life lessons Linda understands what it is to be an individual and loving woman. The autobiography portrays that the black women are not promiscuous or lascivious, but loving and sympathetic creatures. In this case, it is important to take into account the epoch and economic system of slavery which deprived black women their rights and freedom. Linda Brent is a person who uses love as her emotional guide. But love symbolizes psychological state of Linda who becomes more passionate and sympathetic. The problems, unveiled in the autobiography, are received much publicity, because for some people these problems are too intimate or dedicated, they touch personal feelings and human soul. Linda Brent is suppressed by the norms and circumstances, her own narrow worldview and personal low spirits which make her dependant upon life situations. One of the secrets of Linda Brent is her natural beauty, which lies in the way she perceives the world. Through the character of Linda Bret, Jacobs depicts that that to the black woman who had survived the illusions that freedom and marriage would provide lifelong companionship and identity, and who had come to recognize the existential solitude of all human beings, feminism became a kind of credo. For the black women love means dream which comes true. In this sense, she is a victim because she needs to escape from realities of life which she cannot change. She is a victim of social structure and class conflict which destroy human relations and hopes. The autobiography suggests something of the historical loss for women of transferring the sense of self to relationships with men. Her sexuality is still her life, just as it made her on the pillory superior to her disclosed lover. Jacobs associates shame over her ancestors with the guilty excitement she felt in taking up the story. Her love throughout is maternal compassion for what is vulnerable to the passage of time. But her mind does not recoil from such pain; Linda Bret never avoids disquieting realities. But it is precisely an indiscriminated change, this stream of undifferentiated ran ­dom perceptions, which is called â€Å"life†.   The â€Å"illicit† sexual relations create a feeling of guilt being one of the reasons that her sexual freedom does not take her very far. It is possible to say that despite their efforts to escape the rituals of femininity, the black women seems fated to reenact them, even though, as Jacobs recounts these scenes and revises their conventions. The values and nature of black women described by Jacobs are not lascivious or hypersexual. Modern values and realities of life support behavior and choice of Linda who wants to love and be loved. References Jacobs, H. Incident of the Life of a Slave Girl. 2003. Available at: http://docsouth.unc.edu/jacobs/jacobs.html   

Week 11 IND WORK Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 11 IND WORK - Research Paper Example Usually it is the responsibility of the legal assistants (paralegals). Basic sections of the trial note book for this case is as follows; In this case, Joseph Delgado is the plaintiff who raised the claim against the BioMed Pharmaceutical, Inc. Plaintiff works as a certified public accountant in the BioMed Pharmaceutical, Inc. Plaintiff’s attorney for trial is Laura Broke. Her address is Popson, Pierce, Rueber, and Burke Attorneys at Law 5293 St. Clair Avenue Montgomery, Alabama 36101 (205) 725-8788 [facsimile number]. The document of the trial includes the facts which shows that both the companies i.e. Rawlings Maintenance Cooperation and diversified Security Solutions are the close friends of the defendant company. Characters includes in this case are; Joseph Delgado the plaintiff, defendant pharmaceutical company, Rawlings Maintenance Cooperation and diversified Security Solutions (supporter of the defendant), plaintiff witnesses Carl Logia, Maria Mendez and some others. As in this, the accident is not caused by the negligence of our client but it was an accident that was caused by the negligence of the security and maintenance companies. Therefore because of the convincing claim of our client would be deemed by the

Review of Coca-Cola Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review of Coca-Cola Company - Essay Example This paper looks at these aspects and how they have helped the company in its overall growth strategy. Growth and Performance over the last decade. According to most of its financial reports, the company has continued to post admirable growth percentages in an increasing scale. In January 2000 the company underwent a major organizational realignment aimed at reducing the workforce around the world. This move was aimed at reducing or transferring responsibilities from various headquarters to smaller and ostensibly more revenue-generating operating units. This move was also expected to streamline corporate resources. As a result, about 6000 thousand employees worldwide would be eliminated where 3,300 of these were in the United States. This process was to take place in the calendar year of 2000. In 2001 financial report, the company reported. that the net profit had been transformed from loss of 122 million in 1999 to record a profit of 1.6 million in 2001. This turnaround was attribut ed to management actions that were seen to bring about profitable volume growth and improving of economic conditions in emerging markets. One conspicuous development of the company is the introduction of 450 products in 2007 alone. These products gave the company an enlarge its portfolio hence giving the consumers a wide range to choose from .The Coca-Cola  Zero brand is one of the additional that is making a great difference for the company. Key Factors Enhancing Development Innovation is one of the most important aspects that have seen the company improve in its growth exponentially. The company has greatly utilized the social media to its advantage especially for marketing purposes. This has been specifically demonstrated through aggressive market presence through advertising. In 2010 the company was actively involved in the sponsorship of the world cup. This saw the company collaborate with renowned artistes such as the Somalian hip hop artiste K’NAAN who recorded an up lifting African-inspire track. This track was greatly used in commercials ran during the matches and was largely viewed online. The company further collaborated with You –Tube in what is was seen as one of the greatest collaborations of the social media in a partnership that saw the Long Celebration, a campaign in which fans could view videos submitted by users from over 100 countries. Organizations continue to take advantage of globalization to influence the way they undertake their business. This has greatly favoured the Coca Cola company which has been able to expand into all various regions through various partnership programs. In 2004 Coca-Cola had a 25% world wide case volume in Latin America, 29% in North America, 22% in Europe, Eurasia and Middle East,6% in Africa and 18% in Asia. The company’s has been strengthened by the strategy to operate in local environments by catering for its requirements as they occur in individual countries. This company does this by working with merchandisers from the specific countries. For instance, the company sources bottlers in specific nations to work with. Report on Opportunities for Market Entry In recent times, Coca-Cola has seen great potential in the Indian market. This has been aggravated by an analysis which indicated that on average the Indian people consume only 12 eight-ounce bottles of Coke

Answer Question Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer Question - Article Example Often times, the form of abuse can go undiagnosed in the abused because the medical professionals do not see an abuser in the person of the caregiver, but rather a caring individual who wants to help the medical professionals cure the illness. Oftentimes, the parents - as it could be either the mother or the father, although it is normally the mother who is the abuser in this instance, suffered some form of child abuse themselves and managed to survive it (Kaneshiro, N., â€Å"Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy†). As mentioned earlier, it is difficult to detect these instances of medical illness in the adult caretaker. However, once it is diagnosed, it is important to remove the child or elderly from the dangerous situation in order for them to receive the proper medical and mental care to help them get over the trauma of what happened to them. The abuser is also taken in for treatment that often includes individual and family therapy. Due to the child or elderly abuse involved the abuser will need to be reported to the authorities and appropriate charges should be filed against

Essay writing Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Writing - Essay Example This can be done in few simple words and should only contain the main crux of the essay. Once this is done, the researcher should write out a few ideas ‘for’ the topic, and a few ideas ‘against’ the topic. These terms should be what the researcher agrees and disagrees with respectively. b) Building an outline: Once the main ideas are out on paper, it is essential to draw out an outline for the essay (Wyrick, 2007). This should include a few sentences that the researcher might want to include in the essay. An outline is normally built with the following sections: c) Creating a Draft: This is one of the best steps that allow the researcher to complete the basics in the essay. Here the researcher can include all the details of the essay and support the ideas, include facts, figures and details (McClain & Roth, 1998). It is here that the researcher needs to ensure that the introductory paragraph is a strong well decided one, as this plays a very important role in gaining the attention of the reader. d) Revising and reviewing the essay: Once the draft is ready, it is essential to move on to reading the essay and ensuring that the writer is happy with what has been presented. This stage of the essay writing process involves reading and re – reading the essay to ensure that it is clear and covers all the main ideas. Also this is a chance for the researcher to correct any grammatical or spelling errors and to improve the over all essay (Newsweek Education Program, 2003). It is always advisable for the researcher to add or remove a few parts of the essay and try to improve it to the maximum. e) Proof reading the essay: This is the last step for the researcher before submitting the essay. Here it is always better to read the entire essay out loud slowly. This will provide a chance to find any errors, in terms of grammar, spelling, or even punctuations. This step is to try and find all possible errors in the essay

ENG 315 Presentation Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

ENG 315 Presentation Critique - Assignment Example While it can be concluded from the title that the program is a meal-delivery system for the seniors, the presentation could have started with a visual description of how it will be like to have food easily and readily available to people who need it. However, this did not ruin the overall understanding of the audience on the topic. The opening statement is very catchy and able to get the audience interest. The speaker said: â€Å"Meals on wheels is taking action to end senior hunger.† Not only is the opening line catchy, it immediately gives a hint of the problem that the presentation is trying to resolve. The main points, such as what the program is, what the problem is, statistical data proving there is indeed a continuing problem, why the problem needs to be alleviated, and what the program can do were properly emphasized. However, the important detail of how a senior can enroll in the program was left out. The speaker utilized the â€Å"problem solution pattern† of speech, where the presentation informs the audience of the risks of the problem, the importance, the causes, and the solution. This pattern is alerts the audience to the fact that the issue is something to be concerned of. No, there were no transitions carried out, which makes some area of the presentation abruptly stopped. Good transitional phrases would be: â€Å"Why do we need to know this?† Such would also recapture the attention of the audience. The presentation was summarized, but somewhat too briefly. The summary was only about what the program does. It did not reiterate the reality of the problem, and did not restate how the program is a big relief for this problem. Taken on the emotional level, the closing statement is strong. However, it lacked information. The closing statement seems to call for people to take action: â€Å"Every one of us can play a very important role in the life of a senior. I encourage you to make a difference!† How? Can ordinary people call and enroll a

Sergei eisenstein and his influential on society Essay

Sergei eisenstein and his influential on society - Essay Example There are various influences of Sergei Eisenstein in the works of film and movie theory. Additionally, there are fundamental influences of his films that have inspired the European history and culture in different contexts. For instance, a majority of his films inspired the Russian Revolution through the definitions of imagery to free the lower class. This means he was at the forefront in using most of his silent films in presenting the plight of the ordinary Russian citizen taunted by the terror apparatus of the state. In the same perspective, Sergei Eisenstein was also a prolific author of reverence who related the stories of former USSR with those of Dickens, Goethe, Shakespeare and Da Vinci among others to address pertinent matters of society (Cunningham & Reich, 556). Alternatively, through consistent research in other eclectic interests, he was determined to articulate European culture and history through the comprehension of cinema theory. In that quest, he got obsessed with t he success of the Russian Revolution through varied consultations with various scholars that included Marx in understanding the significance of cinema in society. Furthermore, in his essay called the Film Sense, he attempted to clarify that film was part of both the truth and the result of the endeavors of humanity. On the same note, his extensive use of the montage in film theory ensured that he influenced a variety of filmmakers in shaping the industry. In that view, Eisenstein concurred that the essence of editing in film superseded the aspects of a scene or moment. Additionally, he also impacted upon the European history and culture by encouraging the fusion of emotion into the collision of shots to strike feelings among the audience. This would also help in the striking of meaning of the film metaphors in order to spur the peoples’ conscience. Moreover, the former architect also integrated the methods of montage in terms of juxtapositions to achieve meaning and significa nce (Cunningham & Reich, 552). Therefore, in his teachings, Eisenstein stressed on four factors of lasting and efficient film making that included over tonal, intellectual, tonal, rhythmic and metric. It is also critical to note that Eisenstein infused various themes and works of literature of authors such as Le Pere Goriot and Honere de Balzac in order to achieve the meaning of art. This strengthened various aspects of European culture especially in the encouragement of the struggle. Alternatively, the integration of the Haitian struggle into the film curricula ensured that the struggles of the world were understood by the European society in depth. Sergei Eisenstein also impacted upon the European history culture by making comparisons with the character of Jean-Jacques Dessalines through movements, actions, and drama among others. In the context, the elements of literary didactics ensured that the dramatic content presented to the audience had significance in reforming their perce ptions. Similarly, through his opportunities of lecturing, Sergei Eisenstein inculcated the technicalities odd editing, photography and directing on his students. This was backed by the encouragement from his students to attain the elements of expressiveness, creativity and individuality in making film presentations (Cunningham & Reich, 551). Furthermore, this meant that there were political and social awareness

Effective Market Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Effective Market Hypothesis - Essay Example This format requires the changes in book value. This makes equal earnings after reducing dividends and provides the net of capital contribution. This relation according to Ohlson is a clean surplus relation as the changes in assets and liabilities are passed through the income statement. It is better to use this theory without connecting it to a user’s perspective on accounting data. The numerous methods followed in valuing derivative securities include valuing an option on a stock or index that can pay continuous dividends. The unfamiliar or foreign contracts will have no closed form of the solution. This needs Monte-Carlo simulation, numerical integration, analytical and series approximation. The probabilities of a jump process by Schwartz in 1998 are to underlie the diffusion process corresponding to the coefficients of the difference equation. The trinomial tree is termed as equivalent to the explicit finite difference. This generalized multinomial jump process equivalent to a complex implicit finite difference in approximation. The two-state lattice approaches have proved to be the powerful tool and can be used to value a wide variety of contingent claims. The standard binomial approach is generalized and was included in the main existing models as particular cases of the alternative approach. There are alternative analytical approximations for continuous time valuation like CRR model in case of the single state variable. The lattice approach in evaluating the option was based on a moment matching methodology. The introduction of the numerically optimized parameter the non-negativity of the risk-neutral probabilities was ensured. 11099995. In this manner, the book value of a particular year depends on the book value of the previous year and the expected discount of the present year. The book value may decrease if the expected dividend is more.

Spiritual Diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spiritual Diversity - Assignment Example Panentheism or animism characterizes the spirituality of Native American with an emphasis on personal spirituality and connectivity with daily activities that occur in spiritual and natural â€Å"worlds† (Rainbow of Spirituality, 2013). Native American Spirituality makes the people to have a belief in sacred and that everything that is done originates from the heart of an individual. As such, the spiritual perspective of this religion is that the Supernatural Being has the sovereign power of bringing illness to the community members. For individuals to receive this healing, spiritual components such as belief, meditation and prayer have to be integrated. This acts as the means of these people to communicate with their creator in order to receive this healing. Native American belief bases on the provision of services from the heart of an individual. As such, the faith of the people is vested on the quality and reliability of services, which are offered by care providers of othe r spiritual beliefs. However, differences in cultural practices make it complex for these people to focus on the healing from the health care providers of other spiritual beliefs. This is because of ethnic barrier and differences in communication pattern with source of healing power (Rainbow of Spirituality, 2013). This makes the Native Americans not to have a strong belief in healing from health care providers of other spiritual beliefs.... Further, the philosophy of Christian and Native American is connected in terms of reliability of health care providers from other spiritual beliefs to contribute towards healing of an individual. This includes provision of quality health care and protection, which is aimed at ensuring that the patient gets well. Treatment of patients in both cases is the same such that there is no bias in terms of how health care services are provided to the patients. This implies that both Christian philosophy and Native American Spirituality accept to have health care services provision from people of other spiritual beliefs provided that their services are based on best practices and interests for the patients under consideration. Buddhism is one religion that has a strong emphasis on â€Å"mindfulness†. This implies that health care providers have to note that patients may seek for quietness and peace in order to meditate. This is an issue of concern for Buddhism religion (Ehman, 2007). Mo desty is another virtue that Buddhism religion emphasizes on. As such, cultural concerns of treatment by opposite sex may impact the process of patient caring and delivery of medication. The perspective of this religion with respect to healing of a patient is that prayers that are characterized of meditation by the patient contribute significantly towards the healing process. These prayers should be done in a silent and secure place where there are no people to interfere with the patient during the meditation process. The critical components of healing for this religion are praying. This involves loud chants that are done in a repeated manner within a quiet environment, which is

The Great Depression Essay Example for Free

The Great Depression Essay In a Bull Market, the stock market experiences a general rise in prices and stock trading volume for shares over a period of time. While in a Bear Market, the Stock market experiences a general decline in prices of stock. Not all stocks experience a decline in value, but most do. 2) Stock Market Crash- (1929) Plunge in stock market prices that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. 3) New Deal- the historic period (1933-1940) in the U. S. during which President Franklin Roosevelts economic policies were implemented. Three components of the New Deal. The first R was the effort to help the one-third of the population that was hardest hit by the depression, ; included social security and unemployment insurance. The second R was the effort in numerous programs to restore the economy to normal health, achieved by 1937. Finally, the third R let government intervention stabilize the economy by balancing the interests of farmers, business and labor. There was no major anti-trust program. 4) 100 Days- FDR began sending bill after bill to Congress. Between March 9 and June 16, 1933 which came to be called the HUNDRED DAYS. Congress passed 15 major acts to meet the economic crisis setting a pace for new legislation that has never been equaled. Later became known as 1st New Deal. 5) Bank Holiday- closing of banks for four days during the Great Depression, March 6-10. Roosevelt declared this holiday to prelude opening banks on a sounder basis. 6) Dust Bowl- Late in 1933 a prolonged drought struck the states of the trans-Mississippi Great Plains. The resulting dust storms were caused by drought, wind, and dry-farming techniques and mechanization. Tens of thousands of refugees fled their ruined acres. ) Brain Trust- Group of expert policy advisers who worked with FDR in the 1930s to end the great depression. 8) Social Security- guaranteed retirement payments for enrolled workers beginning at age 65; set up federal-state system of unemployment insurance and care for dependent mothers and children, the handicapped, and public health 9) Court Packing- Roosevelts proposal in 1937 to reform the Supreme Court by appointing an additional justice for every justice over age 70; following the Courts actions in striking down major New Deal laws, FDR came to believe that some justices were out of touch with the nations needs. Congress believed Roosevelts proposal endangered the Courts independence and said no. 10) NRA/ â€Å"Blue Eagle†- The National Recovery Administration was designed to assist industry, labor, and the unemployed. Labor, under the NRA, was granted additional benefits. Workers were guaranteed the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing. A blue eagle was described as the symbol of the NRA. 11) SEC- In 1934, Congress took further steps to protect the public against fraud, deception, and inside manipulations. It authorized the Securities and Exchange Commission, which was designed as a watchdog administrative agency. 12) WPA- New Deal program that provided relief to the unemployed in fields such as theater, literature, entertainment, and art. One of the largest alphabet agencies. 13) Herbert Hoover- President of the United States from 1929 to 1933. Republican candidate who assumed the presidency in March 1929 promising the American people prosperity and attempted to first deal with the Depression by trying to restore public faith in the community. 4) Franklin Roosevelt- He was president from 1933-1945 and was elected four times, he led the countrys recovery from the Depression and to victory in World War II. He died in office, however, just weeks before Germanys surrender. He is generally considered the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln. 15) Eleanor Roosevelt- FDRs Wife and New Deal supporter. She was a great supporter of civil rights and opposed the Jim Crow laws. She also worked for birth control and better conditions for working women. 16) Huey Long- Senator of Louisiana, who was said to have more brass than a government mule. He used his abundant rabble-rousing talents to publicize his â€Å"Share Our Wealth† program, which promised to make â€Å"Every Man a King. Every family was to receive $5000, supposedly at the expense of the prosperous. Fear of Long’s becoming a fascist dictator ended when he was shot by an assassin in the Louisiana state capitol in 1935. 17) Isolationism- Abstention from alliances and other international political and economic relations. American foreign policy. It’s what America strives to do in order to keep out of European problems and wars. 8) Appeasement- Policy pursued by the Western democracies towards Nazi Germany, consenting to concessions in which Hitlers demands to annex the German-inhabited Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia were acquiesced to in hopes of achieving peace in our time; although Hitler promised the Sudetenland would be his last territorial claim, he broke this vow only a few months later. 19) Fascism vs. Communism- Fascism is a political s ystem headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism and no tolerance of opposition. Communism is a political system characterized by a centrally planned economy with all economic and political power resting in the hands of the central government. 20) Blitzkrieg- Tactics used by Germany in invasion of Poland in 1939. Also called lightning war. Involved a surprise attack, and then overwhelming with force! 21) Pearl Harbor- was the site of an unexpected attack on an American naval fleet by Japanese bombers on December 7, 1941. The United States suffered 3,000 casualties and the loss of several naval and aircrafts. And Congress declared war on Japan the following day, and Italy and France soon after. 2) Midway- (battle) It was a U. S. naval victory over the Japanese fleet in June 1942, in which the Japanese lost four of their best aircraft carriers. It marked a turning point in World War II. 23) D-Day- June 6, 1944 Led by Eisenhower, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. It was the turning point of World War II. 24) Japanese Internment- Carried out through Executive Order 9066, which took many Japanese families away from their homes and into internment camp. Motivated (somewhat) by racism and fear of spies. 5) Hiroshima/Nagasaki- The first dropped on August 6, 1945 and the second dropped on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only active deployments of nuclear weapons in war to date. For six months, the United States had made use of intense strategic fire-bombing of 67 Japanese cities. US clued for surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945. The Japanese government ignored this ultimatum. By executive order of President Harry S. Truman, the U. S. dropped the nuclear weapon Little Boy on the city of Hiroshima on Monday, August 6, 1945, followed by the detonation of Fat Man over Nagasaki on August 9. 6) Occupation of Japan- Occupied by American army under MacArthur, he carried out his program for the democratization of japan with stunning success. Top Japanese war criminals were tried in Tokyo . The Japanese cooperated to astonishing degree when they saw that good behavior and the adoption of democracy would speed the end of the occupation. a MacArthur-dictated constitution renounced militarism and introduced western-style democratic government paving the way for a phenomenal economic recovery that within a few decades made japan one of worlds mightiest industrial powers. Occupation of Germany- Four zones France in the southwest, Russia in the east, us in the south, and UK in the northeast. Likewise, berlin was split into east and west. This maintained that Germany would be nonaggressive while rebuilding and under allied and Russian control. 28) Douglas MacArthur- (1880-1964), U. S. general. Commander of U. S. (later Allied) forces in the southwestern Pacific during World War II, he accepted Japans surrender in 1945 and administered the ensuing Allied occupation. He was in charge of UN forces in Korea 1950-51, before being forced to relinquish command by President Truman. 29) Dwight D. Eisenhower- Supreme Commander of the US Forces in Europe during World War II; became president and during his two terms presided over the economically prosperous 1950s. He was praised for his dignity and decency, though criticized for not being more assertive on civil rights 30) Admiral Yamamoto- Japanese admiral who planned Pearl Harbor Attack. Japan stealthily came in from the North.

Generalized Cross Correlation With Phase Transform Information Technology Essay

Generalized Cross Correlation With Phase Transform Information Technology Essay The sound signal from a source is captured by a pair of microphones. The analog signal from the microphone must be amplified and converted into digital for further processing. Hence, an analog to digital converter external to the FPGA is used. After the analog signal is digitized, the signal is fed into FPGA for source localization. The digital signals are first saved into input buffer. In our case, we have used First in First out (FIFO) as a memory controller. The signals in time domain are then converted into frequency domain by using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Generalized cross correlation (GCC) is used for the estimation of time difference of arrival (TDOA) of the sound signals from the microphone pair. After TDOA is estimated, we then calculate the direction from which the sound signal is arriving which we refer to as direction of arrival (DOA). The appropriate degree is used by the stepper motor controller module which controls the rotation and speed of the stepper motor. The signal from stepper motor controller module is fed into stepper motor driver circuit which is responsible in energizing the appropriate coils of the stepper motor in particular sequence so as to rotate the stepper motor to the direction of the sound source. 4.2 Time difference of arrival (TDOA) estimation: Consider a sound source and a pair of microphones located at some distance from the source. As sound travels through air with constant speed, it takes time to arrive from source to the microphone location. The farther a microphone is located from the sound source, the longer it will take for the sound to reach the microphone. Two microphones located at different places will receive the same sound (plus noise) at a different time. The TDOA method takes advantage of this delayed arrival to estimate the location of the source. [ref mediatech4] For a source signal s(t) propagated through a noisy and reverberant environment, the sensor signals of two spatially separated microphones and and can be expressed as: (4.1) (4.2) where is the attenuation factor, and are the time delays, and the additive term includes the channel noise in the microphone system as well as any ambient noise for the sensor. This noise is assumed to be uncorrelated with . The TDOA estimation calculates the relative delay of the time delays and of the two recorded microphone signals and defined as: [ref 10.1.1.9.3680] (4.3) Now formulae (4.1) and (4.2) can be written as (4.4) (4.5) The Fourier transform of captured signal from microphones and is expressed as: (4.6) (4.7) HELLO!! I am here! Fourier Transform GCC-PHAT Inverse Fourier Transform Max value to give TDOA xi(t) xj(t) Fig 4.2 Block for estimating TDOA Cross correlation between the two signals is calculated to estimate the time difference of arrival. The cross correlation of signals and is (4.8) The cross correlation, reaches its maximum at the time delay (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  t). is the fourier transform of the cross correlation spectrum and is obtained from the individual spectra of and : (4.9) where is the Fourier transform of and is the complex conjugate of the Fourier transform of . And may be expanded using equation (4.6) (4.10) It is assumed that the average energy of the captured signals is significantly greater than the interfering noise, such that (4.11) The last three terms of equation (4.10) are negligible compared to first term based on the above assumption. Expression (4.10) now reduces to: (4.12) The can be found by evaluating (4.13) where IFT stands for inverse Fourier transform Generalized Cross Correlation with Phase Transform (GCC-PHAT) A major limitation of the approach is that it is highly influenced by noise and reverberation. To minimize its influence on TDOA estimation, we need to whiten the cross correlation by using Generalized Cross Correlation with Phase Transform (GCC-PHAT) (4.14) And its time domain counterpart is: (4.15) Where FT stands for Fourier transform and IFT stands for inverse Fourier transform The output of the GCCPHAT function is delta like with peak at . The above analysis is based on analog signals and stationary . For digital processing, the are sampled and become discrete sequences . Also the are not stationary as the source of sound is liable to change location. For analysis, finite frames are also required due to computational constraints. Hence the usual windowing techniques are applied and the sampled signals are broken into analysis frames. [10.1.1.43.5850] After conversion into the discrete finite sequence domain, equation (4.15) becomes: (4.16) Direction of arrival (DOA) estimation It is possible to compute the position of the source through geometrical calculation once TDOA is estimated. We consider a simple model based on far field assumption. Microphone i Microphone j source direction  Ã‚ ¦  Ã‚ ± Figure 4.3 Computing source direction from TDOA Consider the Figure 4.3, which illustrates the case of 2 microphone array with a source in the far field. Using cosine law, we state that: (4.16) where is a unit vector pointing in the direction of the source and is the vector that goes from microphone i to microphone j. It can also be stated that: (4.17) where c is the velocity of sound. Taking microphone i as reference, we place stepper motor in the position of microphone i. The angle of sound signal arrival is given by (90- Ã‚ ¦) as shown in Figure 4.4. Also, from the figure, (90- Ã‚ ¦) =  Ã‚ ±.  Ã‚ ¦  Ã‚ ± stepper motor position 90- Ã‚ ¦ Microphone i Microphone j source direction Figure 4.4 Stepper motor position and estimation of direction of sound source. Fast Fourier Transform: Frequency analysis of discrete time signals is usually and most suitably performed on a digital signal processor, which may be a specially designed digital hardware or a general purpose digital computer. We convert the time-domain sequence to an equivalent frequency domain representation to perform frequency analysis on a discrete-time signal {x[n]}. We consider the representation of a sequence {x[n]} by samples of its spectrum X( Ã‚ ·). Such a frequency domain representation leads to the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), which is a powerful computational tool for performing frequency analysis of discrete time signals. In the view of the importance of the DFT in various digital signal processing applications, such as correlation analysis, linear filtering, spectrum analysis, its efficient computation is a topic that has received considerable attention by many mathematicians, engineers, and applied scientists[ ]. The number of complex multiplication and addition operations required by the simple forms both the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) is of order N2 as there are N data points to calculate, each of which requires N complex arithmetic operations. For length n input vector x, the DFT is a length n vector X, with n elements: (4.18) Basically, DFT computes the sequence {X(k)} of N complex valued numbers given another sequence of data {x(n)} of length N, according to the formula (4.19) Where, Similarly, Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) is given by, (4.20) The DFT and IDFT involve essentially the same type of computations. Therefore, efficient computational algorithms for the DFT also apply to the efficient computation of the IDFT. Direct computation of X(k) involves N complex multiplications or each value of k, 4N real multiplications and N-1 complex additions (4N-2 real additions). Hence to compute all N values of the DFT requires N2 complex multiplications and N2-N complex additions. We may say they have algorithmic complexity O(N2) and hence is not a very efficient method. Hence, DFT will not be very useful for the majority of practical DSP applications if we cant do any better than this. However, there are a number of different Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms that enable the calculation the Fourier transform of a signal much faster than a DFT. FFT exploits the symmetry and periodicity properties of the phase factor WN. In particular these two properties are: Symmetry property: (4.21) Periodicity property: (4.22) As the name suggests, FFTs are algorithms for quick calculation of discrete Fourier transform of a data vector. The FFT is a DFT algorithm which reduces the number of computations needed for N points from O(N 2) to O(N log2 N). The response of an FFT looks like a sinc function (sinx) / x, if the function to be transformed is not harmonically related to the sampling frequency, Radix 2 algorithm: It is one of the commonly used FFT algorithms. The Radix 2 algorithms are useful if N is a regular power of 2 (N=2p). If we assume that algorithmic complexity provides a direct measure of execution time and that the relevant logarithm base is 2 then as shown in Table 4.1, ratio of execution times for the (DFT) vs. (Radix 2 FFT) (denoted as Speed Improvement Factor) increases tremendously with increase in N. [fft.pdf] Number of points, N Complex multiplications in direct computation N2 Complex multiplications in FFT algorithm (N/2)log2N Speed improvement factor 4 16 4 4.0 8 64 12 5.3 16 256 32 8.0 32 1024 80 12.8 64 4096 192 21.3 128 16384 448 36.6 256 65536 1024 64.0 512 262144 2304 113.8 1024 1048576 5120 204.8 Table 4.1 Comparison of execution times, DFT and Radix -2 FFT There are two different radix 2 algorithms, Decimation in Time (DIT) and Decimation in frequency (DIF) algorithm. They both rely on the recursive decomposition of an N point transform into 2 (N/2) point transforms. This decomposition process can be applied to any composite (non prime) N. The method is particularly simple if N is divisible by 2 and if N is a regular power of 2, the decomposition can be applied repeatedly until the trivial 1 point transform is reached. Divide and conquer method is used to obtain the radix -2 decimation in frequency FFT. Figure 4.5 shows the first stage of the 8 point DIF algorithm. The decimation causes shuffling in data. -1 -1 -1 -1 x[0] x[1] x[2] x[4] x[3] x[5] x[6] x[7] X[0] X[1] X[2] X[3] X[5] X[4] X[6] X[7] N/2 Point DFT N/2 Point DFT g[0] g[2] g[1] g[3] h[0] h[1] h[2] h[3] WN0 WN1 WN2 WN3 Figure 4.5 First stage of 8 point Decimation in Frequency Algorithm The entire process involves v = log2N stages of decimation, where each stage involves N/2 butterflies of the type shown in the Figure 4.6. Here is the Twiddle factor. a b A=a+b B=(a-b)WN WN Figure 4.6 Butterfly scheme Consequently, the computation of N-point DFT via this algorithm requires (N/2) log2N complex multiplications. For illustrative purposes, the eight-point decimation-in frequency algorithm is shown in the Figure 4.7 below. We observe that the output sequence occurs in bit-reversed order with respect to the input. X[0] X[1] X[2] X[3] X[4] X[5] X[6] X[7] -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 WN0 WN0 WN0 WN0 WN0 WN2 WN0 WN2 WN0 WN1 WN2 WN3 x[0] x[1] x[2] x[3] x[4] x[5] x[6] x[7] Figure 4.7 8 point decimation in frequency algorithm Matlab Simulation Figure 4.8 Simulink model for verification of TDOA algorithm Simulink model is used to verify the algorithm for calculating the time difference of arrival (TDOA). Samples of audio signal is read from a wave file hello_8000.wav at 8kHz Windowing is done to take certain number of samples of the signal each time for further processing in order to estimate the TDOA . Audio signals are taken through two channels, where each channel assumes to be the signal from each microphone with certain delay samples added to one channel. From Figure 4.8 we can observe that 25 delay samples have been considered. Noise has been added externally using Gaussian Noise Generator block to check the resistance of the system against ambient noise. Our system showes good resistance to noise after analyzing with different noise conditions added to two channels. Figure 4.9 Plot of samples of time delay as viewed in scope The plot for samples of time delay obtained for simulation time of 20 sec is shown in figure 4.9. We see that a straight line is obtained at delay sample of 25. But, we can also see variations in between, with maximum value of delay samples shooting to 128. But the maximum probability we obtained is of 25 delay samples. Figure 4.10 Plot of time delay (secs) as viewed in scope Corresponding to the delay samples, we then calculate the time delay in seconds between the signals in the two channels. For 25 delay samples, we obtain the time delay as 0.003125 sec. The plot for the time delay obtained is shown in figure 4.10. Figure 4.11 Stepper motor drive model Figure 4.11 shows a Simulink model of stepper motor drive using 2 phase hybrid stepper motor. The motor phases are fed by two H-bridge MOSFET PWM converters. 28 V DC voltage source provides the voltage required for the driver module. The movement of stepper motor drive is controlled by the STEP and DIR signals generated from the Signal Builder block. Square-wave current references are generated using the current amplitude and the step frequency parameters specified in the dialog window of the Signal Builder block. The STEP signal from the Signal Builder block controls the movement of the stepper motor. A positive value of STEP signal will rotate the motor whereas a zero value will stop the rotation. The DIR signal controls the direction in which the motor rotates. A positive value of DIR rotates the motor is one direction while a negative value will impose the reverse direction. Consider simulation time of 0.25 sec. The STEP and DIR input is shown in figure 4.12. The resulting waveforms are given in figure 4.13. The stepper motor rotates in positive direction for 0.1 sec, stops for 0.05 sec and then rotates in the opposite direction for 0.05 sec and then stops. Figure 4.12 Signal Builder for generating the STEP and DIR signals Figure 4.13 Waveforms as viewed in the scope STEPPER MOTOR A stepper motor is an electromechanical device which converts electrical pulses into discrete mechanical movements. The shaft or spindle of a stepper motor rotates in discrete step increments when electrical command pulses are applied to it in the proper sequence. The motors rotation has several direct relationships to these applied input pulses. The sequence of the applied pulses is directly related to the direction of motor shafts rotation. The speed of the motor shafts rotation is directly related to the frequency of the input pulses and the length of rotation is directly related to the number of input pulses applied. [motorbas.pdf] Figure 3.13 Stepper motor Whenever controlled movement is required, stepper motor can be a good choice. They are effective in applications where you need to control rotation angle, position, speed and synchronism. Stepper motors have found their place in different applications like printers, plotters, medical equipment, hard disk drives, automotive and many more. One of the most important advantages of a stepper motor is that it can be accurately controlled in an open loop system. Open loop control means no feedback information about position is needed. The position is known simply back tracking the input step pulses. Hence, taking into account these advantages, we have used a stepper motor for pointing to the direction of a sound source. A magnetic flux is developed in the stator when a phase winding of a stepper motor is energized with current. The direction of this flux is determined by the right hand rule. Consider figure , when phase B is energized with winding current in the direction shown, rotor aligns itself to minimize the flux opposition. In this case the motor would rotate clockwise so that its south pole aligns with the north pole of the stator B at position 2 and its north pole aligns with the south pole of stator B at position 6. Hence, in order to rotate the motor, we must provide a sequence of energizing the stator windings providing a rotating magnetic flux which the rotor follows due to magnetic attraction. [motorbas.pdf] Figure 3.14 Stator and rotor of stepper motor showing the current direction We have used a stepper motor with half step drive stepping mode has. In this case, every second step only one phase is energized and during the other steps, one phase on each stator is energized. The stator is energized according to the sequence: and the rotor steps from position: Table: Excitation sequences for different drive modes Stepper motor driver circuit: Q1 + R2 R3 D3 D5 D2 Q2 D1 D4 B1 R4 D6 GND2 GND1 R1 Stepper Coil Figure. Driver Circuit for stepper motor coil Components: Resistors: R1=330 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ R2=2.2 kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ R3=2.2 kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ R4=2.2 kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¦ Q1 is optoisolator, PC 817 Diodes D1, D4 are 1N 4007 Diodes D2, D3 are 15 volt zener diode Diodes D5 and D6 are LEDs Q2 is IRF540N n-channel MOSFET B1 is 12 V supply for motor GND1 is FPGA ground GND2 is motor supply ground Operation: The MOSFET generally remains off due to the pull down of the gate voltage by the series connection of the resistor R3 and LED D5. When the input from FPGA is of high logic the diode of the optoisolator is turned on biasing the transistor, increasing the gate voltage which turns the MOSFET on. This way the winding of the stepper motor is energized. When the input from the FPGA is of low logic, the MOSFET is turned off, which de-energizes the winding. MOSFET is highly sensitive to high voltage and gets damaged if the gate to source voltage exceeds 20V. Hence, for protection 15V zener diode is used. The protection for high reverse voltage is obtained by using diodes D1 and D4. MULTIPLIER Figure The Multiplier core can be configured in either parallel architecture or constant-coefficient architecture. In parallel architecture, the multiplier accepts inputs on buses A and B and generates the product of these two values. While in constant-coefficient architecture, the multiplier accepts the data on the A input bus and multiplies it by a user defined constant value. The multiplier core generates fixed point parallel multipliers and constant coefficient multipliers for twos complement signed or unsigned data. It supports input ranging from 1 to 64 bits wide and outputs ranging from 1 to 128 bits wide. Input signal: A[17:0] : A operand input bus, 18 bits wide B[17:0] : B operand input bus, 18 bits wide (parallel multipliers only) CLK: Rising edge clock input Output signal: P[35:0]: Product output bit 35 downto bit 0 6. EPILOGUE 6.1 System Required To deploy any system, both supporting hardware and software must be good enough to make the system work properly. The major requirements in our system are mainly FPGA, microphones, audio amplifiers, stepper motor, MOSFETs and the necessary software for VHDL coding and simulation. Hardware: Microphones Audio amplifiers Connectors and cables Proto board Resistors, capacitors MOSFETs Power supply Software: Xilinx ISE Modelsim Matlab Proteus Windows XP, Vista COST INCURRED We have presented here, the cost incurred during the undertaking of the project. Input section: S.No. Component Quantity Rate (NRs) Cost (NRs) 1 Microphone 2 10 20 2 ADC (0808 CCN) 1 450 450 3 Buffer (HEF4050BP) 2 50 100 4 Audio Amplifier (LM 386) 2 25 50 5 Resistor 1 pack 50 50 6 Capacitor 1 pack 200 200 7 Miscellaneous 400 Total 1,270 Output section: S.No. Component Quantity Rate (NRs) Cost (NRs) 1 Stepper motor 1 500 500 2 12 V battery 1 1000 1,100 3 Optoisolator (PC 817) 4 25 100 4 MOSFET (IRF540N) 4 45 180 5 15 V zener diode 8 5 40 6 Resistor 1 pack 50 50 7 Diode 20 1 20 8 Miscellaneous 250 Total 2,240 TOTAL COST (NRs) = 3,510 Note: Spartan 3E starter kit was provided by the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering. Communication and transportation cost has not been included.

The communist ideology

The communist ideology The main events of the latter half of the 20th Century remain a topic of intense debate with the reasoning behind these events still a source of speculation. This essay will examine the key events in Soviet Foreign policy through the four leaders of the period between 1945-1991; Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev and will be contrasted against the teachings of Communist ideology in an effort to determine whether ideology had greater influence in the foreign policy decisions made by said leaders or if state interests played a more significant role. Marxism-Leninism was the ideology of the Soviet Union. Thus, Marxist-Leninist ideas influenced foreign policy. For a Marxist-Leninist, the world is divided into classes rather than individual states and in strict Communist doctrine, the key objective of foreign policy was the ultimate achievement of world revolution by the proletariat. As a result, Marxist-Leninism has no theory of international relations. It was well expressed by Trotsky[1] when he was appointed Peoples Commissar for Foreign Affairs in 1917, I will issue a few revolutionary proclamations to the peoples of the world and then shut up shop. Revolution would displace the state system and end the need for diplomacy. On the other hand, failure of a world-wide revolution to take place meant that the sate interests of the USSR quickly acquired great importance for Soviet foreign policy-makers. The Soviet Union increasingly turned to building a Communist society at home, believing that strengthening Communism within the USSR was the way to ensure a Communist society outside of its borders: Socialism in One Country, and that once strengthened, the Soviet Union would prove strong enough to lead the whole world to Socialism. There are other Marxist-Leninist ideas that strongly influenced foreign policy, one of which was the necessary antagonistic nature of Communism towards Capitalist states, which Stalin strongly believed would inevitably lead to war[2]. Related to this idea was the concept of correlation of forces the Russian equivalent to our balance of power- where the overall strength of capitalism was measured against communism. The idea that capitalism suffered from such profound contradictions; states competing for resources, economic problems, led Communists to believe that their system would prevail and therefore were always on the look out for the correlation of forces to change in their favour. It also reinforced the effect of the Leninist conception of imperialism. Lenin held the view that war would bring the prospect of revolution as the ruling classes became demoralised by the burdens placed by war on the states concerned and the working classes plummeted into misery. As previously mentioned, communism was not adverse to war if the outcome would be revolution. This was a belief strongly held by Lenin. Alternatively, Stalin, was more interested in war that served his interest. An example of which is the Second World War officially known in the Soviet Union as The Second Great Patriotic War. He reasoned that World War I was brought about by capitalists, who inflicted damage and destruction on each other, but is seen as positive as it led to the emergence of the USSR. After the Second World War, the USSR was left absolutely devastated, the class struggle also had to be balanced with the desire of the Soviet population for peace so that they and their country could recover. Soviet leaders were aware of this desire, which tempered any revolutionary ardour they may have felt. Nevertheless the years to follow were also years of great triumph for the USSR. The destruction of the German army meant the USSR was the only great European military power, had b ecome a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and it had broken out of the capitalist encirclement of having allied states on its borders. Stalin sought to increase Soviet power beyond what the Tzars had accomplished now that he had Communist ideology driving him. He was the dominant creator of Soviet foreign policy, the subject of which remains under dispute by several historians. One such historian, LeFeber entertained the notion that (Stalin) displayed a realism, a careful calculation of forces, and a diplomatic finesse that undercut any attempt to explain away his actions as paranoia[3], while another criticises Stalins foreign policy as inexplicable in its parts as incoherent in its whole[4]. It has been argued that Stalins foreign policy from 1945 onwards was a direct result of material interests and power play with the United States of America, that the USA was now perceived as Glavny Protivnik (greatest adversary) and that Stalin was scared of war because of its strength. The exact origins of the Cold War remain under dispute, even with new archival evidence from former Eastern-bloc states. The role to which Stalins foreign policy played in the build up to the Cold War can be categorised in a small number of groups. The orthodox view, which entertained Stalins aggressive and expansionist policy, his desired expansion along all of the USSRs borders from the Pacific to the Atlantic, which can be argued to be in following with Marxist-Leninist theories of expansion[5], even though he permitted discussion on what governments could be formed within newly acquired states. It is interesting to note that Stalins aggressive and expansionist policy has been attributed to his own declining mental health. He had even been diagnosed, albeit incorrectly, in 1927 as a paranoid schizophrenic nevertheless this diagnosis was proved to be inaccurate. The revisionist view, perceived by Marxist and Marxist-Leninist historians, depicted the USA as an aggressive power, to t heir own people and others around the globe, imposing its empire on an unwilling world, ignoring the security interests of the Soviet Union and conforming to the classic Leninist model of Imperialism.[6] This view gained credibility later in the 1960s, partly owing to the Vietnam War. Other historians, not Marxist in inspiration, claim that the USA wanted to establish an economic system across the globe which would promote trade and economic growth from which the USA would benefit. Separate to the ideological views is the notion that the conflict was inevitable and thus both superpowers were responsible for it. That the Cold War was the natural result of a situation in which two superpowers with differing ideologies remained. Tactically speaking, the USSR had only three strategic enemies, of which Japan and Germany had been defeated and China was embroiled in a civil war. In addition, the Soviet Union had the largest army with mobilised resources, it was also geographically the larg est country in the world. The USA on the other hand was a massive economic power and its population had not been morally exhausted by recent war nor were they at odds with their own government. The resulting clash between the two would turn into a global disaster. At this time, it appears Stalin preferred to avoid a military confrontation with the USA and having determined that military probes into Europe would be too hazardous, Stalin sought to expand Soviet influence into regions where there would be less risk of confrontation with the USA and so he turned to Asia[7]. After repeatedly denying approval of North Korean leader Kim Il Sungs proposed military attack of South Korea, the Soviet Union unexpectedly began secretly providing large technological and military assistance to North Korea. This U-turn decision has been cited by both Gaddis and Westad to support their assertion that Marxism-Leninism was of crucial importance in Soviet foreign policy[8]. Westad also provided another theory to Stalins unexpected decision change in that Stalin had seen Mao Zedongs Chinese Communist victory and had been unnerved by it. Stalin therefore gave approval for the attack on South Korean when he realised his rival in Mao would support North Korea with Stalin or without and Stalin did not want to appear less revolutionary than Mao[9]. Regardless of the ideological reasons, be it enthusiasm in response to Maos ambitions or jealousy and an attempt to outmanoeuvre Mao by condoning North Korea, even an avoidance of the USA to prevent a catastrophic war, it is indic ated that ideology was a factor in Stalins foreign policy involvement in Asia. Stalin died in March 1953. He was succeeded by a collective leadership with Nikita Khrushchev soon emerging as the main figure. The new leaders quickly realised that changes in foreign policy were necessary; the main reason for this being the arms race which was now becoming more prominent in world events. In 1952, the USA had detonated the worlds first thermonuclear device followed in 1953 with the USSR testing its first hydrogen bomb. In the years that followed, both powers created and tested various delivery systems for these new weapons that resulted for the USSR in the creation of Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) which had the range to strike the USA. Khrushchev called these weapons the Gods of War[10]. The realisation of the enormous power of these new weapons caused Stalins successors to abandon key principles of Marxist-Leninist ideology. The precept of the inevitability of war between capitalism and communism, which in Stalins eyes, would be won by communism, had t o be discarded as a conflict would result in the mutual assured destruction of both the capitalist and communist states. In addition, the principle of revolution that, although perceived as inevitable and the only way to a Communist society according to Marxist-Leninist doctrine, could now be the cause of a war that would also end in complete devastation for the warring states and thus it was at the 20th Party Congress in 1956 that a set of initiatives were launched which came to be known as destalinization which established a policy of long-term peaceful cooperation with the capitalist world. The superpowers had inadvertently become partners, with the incentive to prevent thermonuclear war. Although there initially appeared to be a change of direction from Marxist-Leninist doctrine there were still elements of it that were pursued even with the new initiatives in place. The Party leadership was quick to introduce the idea that a peaceful transition to Socialism was still very much possible. The changes to foreign policy included the commencement of armistice talks in areas of conflict, for example, the Korean war. The Soviet regime also attempted to strengthen its satellite states in the bloc and draw them closer to the USSR. This all culminated in 1955 with the creation of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation. In addition, a massive amount of economic and technical assistance was given to the communist nation of the Peoples Republic of China. This assistance has been described as the greatest transfer of technology in world history[11]. The regime also encouraged trading and other forms of communication with the Western world, it opened up to tourism, Soviet citizens were pe rmitted for the first time to visit other states not in the Eastern bloc of which the reverse was also the same. Stalin, would have avoided this as, in his view, it would have potentially opened up the USSR to hostile foreign influences. Competing ideological tendencies and institutional interests allied with Khrushchevs own over-ambition in foreign policy were the prime factors resulting in his fall from power in 1964[12]. During the Khrushchev years, Brezhnev had supported the process of destalinisation but as soon as he became leader, Brezhnev changed direction and reverted to a more regressive, Stalin-type attitude, even taking the title General Secretary, which Stalins held until 1952. Brezhnevs overriding aims were to ensure the primacy of the USSR in the world communist movement. Establish strategic parity in the US and on that basis, to secure western acceptance of the post-war order in Europe while extending Soviet power in the developing world[13]. The first foreign policy crisis of the Brezhnev regime occurred in 1968 when reforms began sweeping through Czechoslovakia, initiated by leader Alexander Dubcek, that posed the reduction of importance of the ruling Communist party. The Soviet leadership attempted to limit the impact of Dubceks reforms through negotiation but their efforts proved in vain. Soon after, Soviet and Eastern bloc troops invaded Czechoslovakia tasked with restoring it to Marxist-Leninist doctrine. This became known as the Brezhnev Doctrine.[14] The doctrine was used to justify the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and also used to put an end to liberalisation efforts that had the potential to disrupt Soviet control within the Eastern bloc. The concerns of the Soviet Union fit an ideology based explanation of Soviet actions. It is interesting to note that while the western states heavily criticised the invasion, they were unable to challenge the Soviet military force in Europe without risking nuclear war. The events surrounding the collapse of Communism and the relatively quiet dissolution of the Soviet Union can be attributed to the euphemistically named Sinatra Doctrine. It was the name that the Soviet government of Mikhail Gorbachev used to describe his new policy of allowing the eastern bloc Warsaw Pact nations to determine their own affairs. This was a complete change of direction from the Brezhnev Doctrine which tightly monitored and controlled the internal affairs of the satellite states. For Wohlforth, once Gorbachev was in office, his perception of the USSRs relative decline grew steadily more pessimistic. He had to accept retreat after retreat from the Soviets great power commitments, which let to the sudden end of the Cold War[15]. Gorbachev had many issues facing him, one of which was the prevention of anti-Soviet violence from breaking out. Previously, any dissident uprising would have been resolved by military intervention, however if a crisis erupted now, then a massive amount of military intervention would be necessary. It was decided that Soviet policy should aim to achieve two basic goals: avoid direct military intervention at any cost[16] and for the rapid transition to a new political order to be achieved peacefully. Gorbachev obviously could not see that the changes he initiated would lead to the demise of the Soviet bloc, it can be argued that he was depending on like-minded leaders to emerge from the Communist groups in Eastern Europe.[17] The question of whether communist ideology played a role in the transformation of Soviet policy still remains. If Gorbachev had decided to maintain the orthodox Communist rule in the Soviet bloc and enforce the Brezhnev doctrine, the Soviet army would have ensured his success. It appears that it was Gorbachevs own choices, on domestic priorities and a desire to lay to rest all remnants of Stalinism'[18] that led the Soviet Union down the path to disintegration. While it is undeniable that the ideological differences of Capitalism and Marxism-Leninism provided the Cold War with a catalyst, it is not outside the realm of possibility that differences between the two superpowers left in the power vacuum after the Second World War would not have provided the fuel to ignite the conflict themselves. Some of the specific policies adopted by the Soviet leaders could have just as easily been pursued by a non-communist government responding to a tense global situation, however that does not mean ideology had no relevance. It appears that the USSRs state interests were themselves influenced by Communist ideology and thus influenced the foreign policy decisions of the leadership. Bibliography Craig Nation, R. Black Earth, Red Star: A History of Soviet Security Policy, 1917-1921 (1992) Fink, C., Junker, D. Gassert, P. (eds) The World Transformed :1968 (1998) Gaddis, J.L. The Emerging Post-Revisionist Synthesis on the Origins of the Cold War (1983) Khrushchev, S. N Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev Volume 1: Commissar, 1918-1945 (2000) Kramer, M. Ideology and the Cold War Review of International Studies (1999) Kramer, M. (ed.) The Collapse of the Soviet Union (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, (2000) LaFeber, W America, Russia and the Cold War, 1945-1992. Rosser, R.F. Introduction to Soviet Foreign Policy (1969) Taubman, W, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era (2003) Tompson, W. The Soviet Union under Brezhnev (2003) K zasedaniyu Politbyuro 6/X-88 g. 6 October 1988 (secret), reproduced in Tsena svobody: Refornatsiya Gorbacheva glazami ego pomoshchnika (Moscow: Rossika-Zevs, 1993) Westad, O.A. Cold War and Revolution: Soviet-American Rivalry and the Origins of the Chinese Civil War, 1944-1946 Wohlforth, W. Realism and the End of the Cold War. International Security, 19:3 (1994/5) Craig Nation, R. Black Earth, Red Star: A History of Soviet Security Policy, 1917-1921 (1992) p.1 Rosser, R.F. Introduction to Soviet Foreign Policy (1969) p.74 LaFeber, W America, Russia and the Cold War, 1945-1992. p.20. Westad, O.A. Cold War and Revolution: Soviet-American Rivalry and the Origins of the Chinese Civil War, 1944-1946, p.55 Rosser, Introduction p.80 Gaddis, J.L. The Emerging Post-Revisionist Synthesis on the Origins of the Cold War (1983) p.172 Kramer, M. Ideology and the Cold War Review of International Studies (1999) p.542-543 Kramer, Ideology p.541 Kramer, Ideology p.542 Khrushchev, S. N Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev Volume 1: Commissar, 1918-1945 (2000) Taubman, W, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era (2003) p.337 Tompson, W. The Soviet Union under Brezhnev (2003) p.28 Tompson, W. The Soviet Union under Brezhnev (2003) p.28 Fink, C., Junker, D. Gassert, P. (eds) The World Transformed :1968 (1998) p.163-8 Wohlforth, W. Realism and the End of the Cold War. International Security, 19:3 (1994/5) p.109 K zasedaniyu Politbyuro 6/X-88 g. 6 October 1988 (secret), reproduced in Tsena svobody: Refornatsiya Gorbacheva glazami ego pomoshchnika (Moscow: Rossika-Zevs, 1993) p.368 Kramer, Ideology p.569 Kramer, M. (ed.) The Collapse of the Soviet Union (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2000)

Exposing the Human Soul in Lord of the Flies Essays -- Lord Flies Essa

Exposing the Human Soul in Lord of the Flies      William Golding in his novel Lord of the Flies symbolically describes the degeneration of a civilized society in three stages. Embedded within this story of a group of young boys struggling to survive alone on a deserted island are insights to the capacity of evil within the human soul and how it can completely destroy society. After a plane crash that results in their inhabitation of the island, the boys establish a democratic society that thrives on order, necessity, and unity. Slowly, however, the peaceful society that they create shatters through a path of hatred, disrespect, murder, and the release of the true human soul.    Upon a desolate tropical island, the lost boys begin to organize themselves to gain a sense of stability, order, and brotherhood. They elect Ralph, the oldest boy at twelve years of age, as leader and use a conch found in the lagoon as a symbol of democracy and respect. Two other children, Jack, the head of a choir group, and Simon, a small but intellectual boy, accompany Ralph on an expedition to determine whether the land is truly an island. They find that it is indeed true, and compose a plan to light a fire on the beach to create smoke; their only hope of rescue. After they obtain the glasses of an intelligent and rather fat child called "Piggy," they make a fire using the sunlight and glass lenses. However, the fire spreads to the forest quickly and destroys the group's supply of firewood. The boys shrug this off as an accident and Ralph and Simon commence work on shelters.    They begin to build a society that contains rules and government. "'I agree with Ralph,' states Jack. 'We've got to have rules and obey them. After a... ...tegrate in the evil within themselves.    They start in peace and end in hatred and murder. With the exception of Ralph and Piggy, the boys completely abandon reason, civilization, and the thought of rescue. They fight the harmless "beast" that terrifies them, not knowing that something so much more fearful, deadly, and destructive lie within themselves. Being human, they have a capacity for evil inside of their soul that is immeasurable and can destroy the life of everyone around them, including their own. They never realize this and continue to break their "morals," which were simply superficial rules of society that were fed to them unwillingly. They act upon these morals despite their own thoughts and emotions. The latter is the definition of civilization. As it wears away layer after layer in this book, the true human soul is bared, naked and fearless.  Ã‚  

Essay --

Assignment #1 Ethics Bernie L. Madoff Investment Securities LLP was part of what is considered to be one of the largest financial frauds in U.S history. The Wall Street investment firm was used as an elaborate â€Å"Ponzi Scheme† that extorted upwards of $65 billion from unsuspecting investors. The Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays earnings to older investors using the money generated from newer investors. The Ponzi scheme was perpetrated by founder Bernie Madoff and was carried out for a number of years until 2008 when he was finally convicted. Bernie L Madoff Investment Securities LLP was founded in 1960 by Chairman Bernie Madoff and was one of the top market-maker businesses primarily serving as the middleman between buyers and sellers of shares. Bernie Madoff first started his firm as a penny stock trader using the $5,000 he saved up from his job as a lifeguard and sprinkler installer. As time went on he was able to build up his firm with the help of his father-in-law, Saul Alpern who referred him to a large circle of friends and families which further helped expand his business (Biography.com). The firm eventually became so successful that by the 1980s, the firm handled up to 5% of the trading volume on the New York Stock Exchange. The firm also helped develop the National Association for Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ), a computer technology information platform which the firm used to broadcast stock quotes. In the 1990s Bernie Madoff was eventually named chairman of NASDAQ (DeGrace, 2011). Alongside B ernie Madoff was his brother Peter Madoff who was the firm’s chief compliance officer and senior managing director. Bernie also hired his two sons Mark and Andrew Madoff at his firm. ... .... According to the nytimes.com, it is required under the SOX that brokerage firms such as Madoff Securities are required to be audited by firms registered with the Public Company Accounting Board. However, the S.E.C issued a rule to waive that requirement for privately held brokerage firms. This again allowed Friehling & Horowitz who weren’t registered with the board to continue on doing the audits for Madoff Securities. (Norris, 2009) It’s obvious that Bernie Madoff was highly respected among his peers for his knowledge and experience in stock trading and he used that leverage to manipulate hundreds of investors. His returns despite seeming suspicious left his investors wanting more. There’s no doubt greed was the driving force behind Madoff’s unethical behaviour but it could also be said greed was also the reason Madoff was able to get away with it for so long.

Oscar Romero Essay -- essays research papers

Remembering a Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You can only describe him as a man of determination. Someone who demonstrates extraordinary courage in the face of injustice and inhumanity. He had a resolute intent to do what is right, true, and just, which made him the Archbishop that people remember and make movies about. Because of him, the world was informed about basic human rights and dignities and how this was being ignored in his country of El Salvador. He took it upon himself to use the church as a light of hope to the oppressed and a challenge to the oppressors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oscar Romero was born in 1917 and taken away in 1980. He was appointed Archbishop in 1977. Before he served his term, the Church in Central America was being protested by two political ideals. One was those priests who wanted non-confrontation with the Church and the state. And those who thought the Church should have say in the government and what it was doing. Romero was chosen because he was thought to be a â€Å"middle man† whom all could agree with. Although, soon after being appointed Romero’s close, personal friend Father Rutillo Grande was assassinated by the government’s soldiers. Obviously, this had a significant and intense effect on his life, changing him from a moderate and equal lookout to a ferocious and impetuous activist against injustice. His dramatic and passionate change in view shows how if you put your mind behind...

How does Macbeth change between Act one scene three and act three scene one Essay

Shakespeare is definitely the most influential writer of all English literature and the author of many comedies, history plays, poems and tragedies. Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedy was Macbeth. It is a dark tragedy that tells of ambition and guilt in a background of violence and supernatural. It has been described as â€Å"not Shakespeare’s most complex play, but †¦certainly one of his most powerful and emotionally intense†1. It tells the story of a man that changes from a noble warrior to a murderer and a cruel ‘abhorred tyrant’. In this essay I will analyse how Macbeth changes through the play and who is to blame for his changes. It is very important to state that Drama plays are usually created to be performed on stage and seldom created to be read. There is a great difference between reading a play and watching it performed; the performed play is performed the way the director and the actors themselves imagine the characters and the scenes. Hence we get a good idea of what characters are like. On the other hand, when reading a play, we have no description of the characters or places available and therefore we have to recreate the characters in our heads, only using the stage directions and the dialogue of the characters -the rest is up to our vivid imagination. The stage directions are a vital thing in understanding the characters, their emotions and of course in understanding the whole play. The opening of this play is very short but very meaningful-however the stage directions give us our fill of details: the place of the action, the mood and weather conditions and the characters that are present in this scene. Further understanding follows as we start reading the play. The weather in the first scene is hostile to men; the ‘fog and filthy air’ suggests unusual darkness but it also tells us a lot about the play as a whole. We understand that the play will be filled by lies, betrayal and unclearness. Additionally we meet the ‘weird sisters’ talking about a battle being ‘lost and won’. The quotations ‘ the battle is lost and won’ and ‘ Fair is foul and foul is fair’ chanted by the witches during Act 1 scene 1 are considered to be curious paradoxes since their words contradict themselves. Furthermore Macbeth’s personality will contradict itself during the play also as he starts off as a noble warrior and ends up as a cruel tyrant. This very first scene is on the whole a prologue of the evil present throughout the play, evil that is somehow connected to Macbeth from the very beginning. In the next scene we are give a lot of valuable knowledge about Macbeth, although he is not yet present on the scene. We learn that he was a ‘good and hardy soldier’, was called ‘brave’ by the captain and ‘valiant cousin, worthy gentleman’ by Duncan the king of Scotland. After hearing all this praise we expect Macbeth to be a noble warrior and a loyal subject to the king. However we are still knowledgeable that the three evil witches present in the first scene were somehow connected to Macbeth. The first time he meets the witches (Act I Scene 3) he is with Banquo who is amused by them. He asks them if they are really women since he exclaims that their ‘beards forbid me to interpret that you are so’. The witches hail Macbeth as thane of Glamis and as thane of Cawdor and finally they say that Macbeth is fated to be king of Scotland one day. Perturbed, frightened and amazed, Macbeth asks the witches for more information but they were now predicting Banquo’s future and declaring that he is somehow â€Å"lesser than Macbeth, and greater,† and â€Å"not so happy, yet much happier†. Then they state that he will never be king but that his children will rule Scotland. Macbeth tries to make the witches explain what they meant by calling him thane of Cawdor, but they disappear as quickly as they came leaving him in total confusion. The paradox appears once more since Banquo is clearly aware of the witches’ nature while Macbeth, only focused on their promises, forgets about the other, more important details; Banquo realizes that the witches are ‘ foul’ while Macbeth still believes the witches are ‘fair’ due to all the good they have predicted him. As an audience we can judge the witches better than Macbeth can. We know from act 1 scene 2 that Macbeth was going to be declared ‘thane of Cawdor’ because of his courage and not because of their evil magic. In act 1 scene 2 we find out that the thane of Cawdor was a villain that betrayed Duncan and therefore was executed. After his execution, noble Macbeth received this title, the title of a previous villain. This could be interpreted as a clue that Shakespeare is giving his audience that Macbeth might have the same fate as the previous Thane. It would be hard for an ambitious and noble soldier, such as Macbeth, to resist the temptation of killing Duncan, and becoming king himself, once he has such a high position. The witches appear to have washed Macbeth’s brain since soon after the meeting with them; Macbeth admits that he has some ‘horrible imaginings’ and he says the word ‘murder’ to himself. In only one scene Macbeth has already changed completely and already has in mind ‘black and deep desires’ -the killing of his king. This first change is due to the witches’ prophecy combined with his fierce ambition and we realize that the predictions please his hungry-for-power soul. Shakespeare emphasizes the terrible effects of ambition on his noble character, Macbeth. On the other hand, Macbeth remains an honest and loyal subject to his beloved wife. He sends her a letter explaining everything that happened. This is an important proof of loyalty and devotion to his subjects, weakened ever since he met the evil witches. Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as ruthless and evil, a woman who is ready to give away her soul in order to reach her goal. She prepared her mind for killing the king right after reading her husband’s letter and to help her do so, she calls evil spirits to dehumanize and defeminise her. She sees Macbeth’s kindness as a crucial weakness which might be the doom of their rise to the throne of Scotland. In act 1 scene 7 Macbeth is wrestling with his conscience because he admires and respects Duncan a lot and can not bring himself to kill him. He speaks in a soliloquy explaining the audience all the duties he owes Duncan: ‘ he’s here in double trust:/first, as I am his kinsman and his subject’ and ‘ as his host /who should against his murderer shut the door/ not bear the knife myself.’ But even if Macbeth was not a host and a kinsman, killing the king would still be an unforgivable sin and he admits that the only reason for committing this horrible murder, his ambition was now not enough . The imagery in his speech ( act I scene 7 lines 1-28) is dark. We hear of ‘bloody instructions,’ ‘deep damnation,’ and a ‘poisoned chalice’. This suggests that Macbeth is aware of the seriousness of his crime. At this point Macbeth has already won a victory over himself and is prepared to give up but his ruthless wife would not let him. She asks him ‘was the hope drunk/wherein you dress’d yourself? †¦and wakes it now to look so green and pale†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ She’s shocked that he wants to give up and she asks him if his hope had a hangover. Lady Macbeth’s worst fears have come true and Macbeth can’t commit the terrible crime. She said in her first soliloquy that ‘I do fear thy nature, / it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness/ to catch the nearest way.’ She knows her husband very well and she is aware of his great ambitions but she also knows how honorable he is. She knows very well that he will not want to ‘ catch the nearest way’, murder. However she’s not prepared to give up! To persuade him she calls him a coward and declares that she would rather kill her own child than break a promise as he has done. Her main argument is that Macbeth has to prove his manhood in her eyes. Lady Macbeth does not bother to contemplate failure and Macbeth is encouraged by her enthusiasm. In this scene we can see that Macbeth was not a bad person. His only fault is that he lacks strength of character and lady Macbeth uses this fault to her advantage. After the murder of Duncan Macbeth is horrified but lady Macbeth is only worried about destroying the evidence. Here we can see the difference between the two people. Macbeth feels guilty but Lady Macbeth is proud of him! She shows her good side in this scene when she confesses that she could not kill Duncan herself because he reassembled ‘my father as he slept’. However we are terrified by her evilness when she says ‘a little water clears us of this deed’. This is the hardest time for Lady Macbeth and her husband because they have to pretend that they are shocked and hurt when Macduff finds the dead body of Duncan. Because of the stress Macbeth manages to awaken the suspicion of Banquo and Macduff. From act 1 scene 3, the first scene when we meet Macbeth, he has suffered some serious character mutations. In the first scene he is described as a noble warrior and he’s prized for his courage and loyalty to King Duncan. However by the end of act 3 scene 1 he has killed his king and is planning to kill his best friend and his son in order to have Scotland’s throne for himself. However there are causes for his changes. As far as I am concerned the witches are partially responsible because they fooled Macbeth with their prophecies. On the other hand they are not to blame for the fact that Macbeth believed in their predictions. Banquo was with Macbeth the first time he met the witches but he did not fall in their trap. Thus Macbeth’s ambition is mostly to blame for his change since had it not existed in the first place none of these terrible deeds would have happened. As I explained Lady Macbeth is also greatly responsible fro her husband’s actions. She is the one who persuaded him too kill the king when he was ready to give up. She made Macbeth want to prove himself a man in her eyes by killing the king and rising to the throne himself. Despite what he has done, Macbeth is a good man. He proves this before and after the murder of Duncan. After the murder he feels very guilty and realizes that he has committed a terrible crime. However Shakespeare shows us how Macbeth becomes hardened to his crimes and yet the guilt and fears bring him imaginings. Another proof that he feels guilty for his actions is at the end of act 3 scene 1 when he talks to the murderers. He tries to show them that he is a good king and he tries to make them think that Banquo is their enemy, in order to get the burden of the deaths off his own soul. In conclusion Macbeth has changed from a noble warrior to a murderer due to his ambition, his lack of character and of course the persuasion of his wife. The message Shakespeare tries to convey to his audience is that ambition is the doom of the Victorian and modern society, and will always manage to end lives of good and innocent people. The quotations ‘ the battle is lost and won’ and ‘ Fair is foul and foul is fair’ chanted by the witches during Act 1 scene 1 are considered to be paradoxes since their words contradict themselves; a concept that can be easily applied about the perception of Macbeth’s character and his actual personality during the play. During Act 1 scene 2 , he is described by the Captain and King Duncan to be a ‘ worthy gentleman’ and ‘valiant’- adjectives which lead the audience to believe that Macbeth is a loyal warrior and a very correct person; while in Act 1 scene 3 ( when he officially steps into the play) he proves to be easily manipulated and swayed by the prospect of power after the witches exclaim their prophecies and disappear. His erroneous judgment, which eventually leads to his downfall and the mutation in his personality, is further displayed since Banquo is clearly aware of the witches’ nature while Macbeth, only focused on their promises, looses focus over the other , more important details; banquo realizes that the witches are ‘ foul’ while Macbeth still mistakenly believes the witches are ‘fair’ due to all the good they have brought upon him.