Friday, November 29, 2019

Book Report After The Bomb Essays - After The Bomb, Prince Philip

Book Report: After The Bomb After the Bomb, written by Gloria Miklowitz, is a thrilling novel that takes place before, during, and after a bomb, which supposedly was sent from Russia by accident. The disastrous happening alters all of Los Angeles and surrounding cities. Philip Singer, a teenager, is in a position as leader of the family. His brother, Matt, is awfully sick, possibly from radiation, his father was away at work during the blast and for all Philip knows he might be dead, and his mother was badly injured and needs immediate attention. Hospitals are flooded with injured and dying people and the government doesn't send help for a few days. The badly injured don't even get the chance to be helped because the hospitals have to send the ones that are likely to live to hospitals that specialize in burns. His mother is so badly burned that the hospitals put her on the bottom of the list to be flown to burn centers. By the end of the novel Philip has taken charge, snuck his mom ahead to be flown to a burn c enter, and in a sense saved his town from thirst. He truly survived the terror, shock, and danger of the bomb. The novel goes through a couple of settings such as, Philip's struggle to keep his family alive, and the conflict between the nature of a nuclear bomb against the Los Angeles area. When the bomb hits he is playing around in a playroom shelter with his brother and his girlfriend. They go out to find out what had happened and found burning houses, their home only left with one wall, rubble on the ground, debris all over the place, and people running frantically for shelter. Philip's brother became sick after finding his mother and bringing her back down to the shelter, and found that his mother had been burnt severely and needed immediate medical attention. Philip struggles to keep his brother from getting even sicker and to bring his mother to a hospital. Philip's family wasn't the only people affected by the bomb. A devastating bomb pounded the entire surrounding area of Los Angeles. Churches, hospitals and streets were flooded with sick, dying, and even dead people. Hospitals that w ere built to only withstand 200 people now have thousands, and hospitals lack food, doctors, and water. Philip's struggle for survival, and the devastating blow against LA was only the beginning of the disastrous bomb. The setting is practically the whole plot of the novel showing Philip's struggle to get his mother to a burn center that could save her life, bring his family to safety, and to save his town from thirst. When Philip arrives at the hospital with his mom the government and hospital had already started flying patients to burn centers, but his mom was too sick and so badly burned that the hospital didn't care for her. She was placed on the bottom of list to be flown away. Philip secretly switches the tag on his mom with one that says and earlier number, so that she would be flown out more promptly. He does so and she is flown out early and he most probably saved her life by doing so. Another example was when the bomb had just struck and Philip's family was in the shelter, which wasn't very safe and stable. He went up to the surface to check out his neighbor's house which was miraculously intact. Philip found the owner and his wife in good shape and arranged to bring his family over to th e neighbor's cool basement for safety and refuge. A third example was when the hospital in his town was almost put of water and Philip was asked by a nurse to find a worker that works with the town' s plumbing at his house and manage to get water to the hospital. He did so and after a while drained water from a resident's pool and had it flown down to the hospital. After the Bomb is an exciting and stimulating novel which shows the leadership of a teenager over his family. The novel displays a realistic happening that can happen any second and describes

Monday, November 25, 2019

There are no moral absolutes Essays

There are no moral absolutes Essays There are no moral absolutes Paper There are no moral absolutes Paper Moral absolutism is the view that morale standards are unchanging and universal. On the opposite side of the spectrum there is a relativist approach. Relativists believe that moral claims are true or false depending on the moral standpoint. These opposing viewpoints can bring about great societal and political debates even in the modern days. Recent examples include the attempt to legalise euthanasia in the UK and the protest to get rid of abortion laws in the Republic of Ireland. Both of these situations are trying to legalise specific forms of murder. An absolutist in this situation will argue that all killing is wrong therefore current laws are right, whereas a relativist would look at specific standpoints, such as quality of life for euthanasia. In this essay I will attempt to explore both sides of the argument coming to my conclusion that relativism is a superior standpoint and that there are no moral absolutes. Some absolutist people disagree with the above statement about moral absolutes. This is because absolutism is a deontological argument which judges the morality of an action based on the actions appliance to rules. For Christians these rules might link back to the Ten Commandments. One of which is â€Å"thou shalt not murder†, this clearly and undeniably is an unbreakable law in the eyes of an absolutist. Another argument for their being moral absolute is that of a criticism to relativist acts. By Relativist thinking it is quite easy to come to the conclusion that slavery was a perfectly moral thing to do. To an absolutist, slavery did not become immoral when it was abolished, it was simply always immoral and being imposed by immoral governments. Per Contra the relativist approach has been backed by many a philosopher including the famous Empiricist, John Locke. Locke believed that absolutes were an abomination from his religious standpoint. He believed this because Absolutism subjected people to abide by absolute rules set by other people at some point. This goes against his belief that all people were created equal by God. By enforcing Absolutism we raise our rule imposing leaders to a God like Status of which no man should be. Furthermore this goes against the fist commandment that men should serve God alone; if we serve a ruler we can then not worship God. Another argument for Relativism is that absolutist moral standards, in some circumstances can lead onto extreme evils. The famous example that illustrates this is that of a crazed axe-murderer coming to your front door and asking you where your children are. Now a relativist could lie based on the circumstances thus saving his children whereas an absolutist must tell the murderer where the children are with full knowledge that they will be killed, thus allowing an even greater evil to be committed, they could even be called an accessory to the murder of their own children. Furthermore there cannot be moral absolutes as eventually they will contradict each other. For example, Jewish doctors in the Holocaust performed abortions to prevent women from being sent to the gas chambers. Two rules here are conflicting. One of which is that Doctors should not perform abortions and another that Doctors should try and save lives. Either way from an absolutist standpoint the doctor will be doing the wrong thing, but a relativist approach allows us to overlook this. On the other hand, there may have to be moral absolutes, because if everything is relativists then how do we decide what rules to abide by. If two tribes cross paths on a Sunday and one of which believes that a sacrifice should be made on Sunday whereas the other tribe does not, if the first tribe then sacrifices a member of the other tribe, it that then morally right or wrong. A relativist would say that it is right for the first tribe but wrong for the second. But how can society work based on right for me, wrong for you system without falling into moral conflict and chaos. Moreover, some relativist arguments when further analysed have absolutist roots, proving there are moral absolutes. For example, the Eskimo practice of leaving female infants out to die as so future male hunters could thrive appeared to be a significant disagreement between their moral systems and ours therefore seeming to deny the universal approach of Absolutism. But when dug deeper, given the hardships of the Eskimos to survive and limited resources for survival, keeping every child puts the whole family at risk. So there is actually a fundamental moral value of preserving life that we share with the Eskimos. The only difference being that they have to make choices based on what they value most (future hunters), these choices we do not have to face. This said the Eskimo example is also a benefactor the relativist approach of situation ethics. Joseph Fletcher, founder of situation ethics argued that in certain situations, absolutist principle have to be put to one side in order to do the right thing. He believed that absolutism didn’t lead to the best of most loving outcome, and the best thing to do may be to break a rule. Utilitarian also reject moral absolutes and focus more on consequences. They believe that the right action is the one that brings the most pleasure and the least pain. Sometimes this may admit Killing in order to save more lives. For Jeremy Bentham, there was no rule he would not break in order to bring about greater happiness. In short if there are no moral absolutes we are left with a Relativist state of mind. This is the belief that moral reasoning is a matter of taste and opinion and is subjective and relative to time and culture. Leading to conclusions such as the killing of Eskimo girls to be morally correct and the act of abortion by a World War 2 doctor also to be moral. Whereas if there are moral absolutes than the same moral rules are applicable all across the world and throughout history. These rules may be some form of innate knowledge or come from the divinity of God and do not change as opinion does. Meaning that if slavery comes back into fashion and is agreed upon to be good, it does not make it morale. In conclusion, I hold a relativist point of view because different cultures have to adapt to live in their surroundings. Extreme measures are often taken for survival which to us in western society would seem abhorrent; however it is for the greater good of future generations. I very much believe that ends justify the means therefore making me a Consequentialist even if rules such as absolutist murder have to be broken. Finally morale absolutes can also seem cruel, for example branding Euthanasia as murder makes people live their final days in unimaginable pain, whereas a relativist approach could give people a dignified end to their life, is that not moral.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Food Marketing 'ethics' play in food marketing Assignment

Food Marketing 'ethics' play in food marketing - Assignment Example There is need for socially responsible business to strike a fine balance between its profit making goals as well as the need to protect the long term interests of their consumers and the environment. The concept of ethics usually involves conflicting interests whereby people can disagree about the right course of action in a given situation. Marketers are therefore re-examining their connections with social values and responsibilities for the social and environmental impact of their actions. Corporate ethics and social responsibility have become hot topics for every business and only a few misguided companies can ignore these issues. As such, this essay seeks to critically analyse the role played by ethics in the process of marketing food. This essay is divided into three sections and the first part is concerned with outlining what is considered to be the most important ethical issues currently facing the food retail industry while the second section is concerned with describing how Tesco is tackling the issue of ethics in food marketing. The third part will look at economic and social trends within the European Union (EU) which may pose a conflict to the consumers with regards to ethics in marketing of food. Section A In recent years, it can be noted that the concept of ‘ethics’ has played an increasing role in food marketing. ... n be described as the â€Å"essential and enduring tenets† that help define the company and are â€Å"not to be compromised for financial gain or short term expediency,† (DesJardins, 2006, p.5). Values are obtained from a cultural environment which is made up of institutions and other forces that affect the society’s basic values, perceptions, preferences and behaviour these beliefs incline us to act in one way rather than the other (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). There are many types of values which include financial, political, historical as well as religious among others. In as far as marketing of food is concerned, ethics may relate to a number of areas, for example, the healthiness of food, the effect of the food chain on the environment, and social effects of the food chain such as worker employment conditions. There are many factors as going to be outlined below that are considered to be the most important ethical issues currently facing the food retail indust ry. It is the responsibility of the organisation to ensure that the food they sale does not endanger the health of consumers or others. There is need to ensure that the organisation observes the health needs of the targeted consumers in order for it to remain viable. Whilst companies are not charity organisations, they need to safeguard the interests of the consumers with regards to their health concerns. For instance, genetically modified organisms (GMO) can be used to make food. However, these have come under criticism as a result of their side effects on the consumers’ health. This is an issue of ethical concern given that the organisation in question will need to take the health interests of the people into consideration of which failure to do that will result in negative publicity of the organisation

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

To what extent is the Aeneid symbolism of the Augustan regime and the Essay - 1

To what extent is the Aeneid symbolism of the Augustan regime and the association between Augustus and Aeneas - Essay Example Symbolically, the course of the epic mirrors the real historical events that connect the death of Julius Caesar, the chaotic struggle of power that followed, and the rise to of the Augustan regime. The establishment of the Augustan regime was a culmination of political tragedies and uncertainties that followed the death of Julius Caesar. The demise of Caesar led to the emergency of power struggle between Augustus on the one hand, Antony, and Cleopatra on the other. The lengthy power struggle led to the emergence of Augustus as the lone victor. He proceeded to consolidate power and establish a prosperous reign over the Roman Empire. In the estimation of many historians, the triumphs and challenges that he encountered and his eventual end as the ruler was not only a testament of his bravery and fighting spirit but also a measure of wisdom and courage, which comprised the hallmark qualities of leadership as understood within the Roman context. As such, it might be argued that many of the challenges encountered by Caesar were a manifestation of his drive towards the establishment of a strong empire that would quell the unease and the unrest that followed the assassination of Juliu s Caesar. Comparably, the character of Hector, as understood within the element of symbolism, stands in for Julius Caesar. Although Julius Caesar is remembered more for his wisdom than for war antics, the great respect, admiration, and adoration, he commanded mirrors nearly perfectly with the kind of honor that Hector enjoyed among the Trojans. Repeatedly, Virgil shows the manner in which Hector’s spirit helped propel Aeneas to great heights of victory and courage2. In essence, a part of Aeneas was attached to Caesar in a way that affirmed the latter’s support and endorsement to the former. Aeneas derived courage and strength from the inspiration

Monday, November 18, 2019

Did the government bail outs actually work Term Paper

Did the government bail outs actually work - Term Paper Example Though counter to his conservative ideology, Bush relented and worked with Congress to pass TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a move applauded by then presidential candidate Barack Obama. TARP and the auto bailout were and remain controversial topics. These were big gambles that, with all the associated drawbacks, paid big dividends. The bailouts saved a major American industry, the world from the Great Depression, the sequel and millions of people from living in â€Å"Bushvilles.† TARP, otherwise known as the â€Å"bank bailout,† was hurriedly implemented in 2008 as the world appeared on the threshold of a catastrophic financial meltdown. To stabilize financial markets, Congress authorized the Treasury Department to spend $700 billion, a move that caused widespread public outcry against the program. Most economists, however, understood that the move played a central role in rescuing the global economy. The Treasury didn’t use the entire amount though. It spent $470 billion on hundreds of banks, the auto industry and trying to help prevent home foreclosures. Treasury calculated that the total lifetime cost for taxpayers to be $17 billion in losses from the investments in the auto industry and auto finance companies plus a $46 billion loss from mortgage modification programs. â€Å"By any measure, TARP’s final tally will be far less than expected amid the crisis. But the program remains a big loser politically.† (â€Å"Credit,† 2010). According to a Treasury Department official Timothy Massad, Read Mthe federal government successfully stopped the 2008 financial crisis by â€Å"acting with overwhelming force and speed.† â€Å"The actions we took to stabilize the crisis worked. We really did arrest the panic,† said Massad. In addition, the financial regulatory reforms implemented the past three years have afforded economic policymakers enhanced tools to scrutinize systemic risk and better manage future crises. The U.S. government’s rapid and robust actions are in contrast with how European Union countries handled their banking crisis. â€Å"We’ve seen Europe struggle with its problems for two years. They haven’t been able to act as forcefully with their problems.† (Mowbray, 2011) To gain a little perspective, TARP and other government actions taken due to the financial crisis will cost taxpayers less than the savings and loan debacle during the 1980s, as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product). Following the initial payout, President Obama continued the attempt to revive the financial system by implementing a scheme to help banks raise private money so that they can pay the government back. The Obama administration forced the 19 biggest banks to submit to a â€Å"stress test† to give potential investors confidence that those banks were solvent and reporting accurate financial records. Consequently, â€Å"banks have been able to raise enoug h private capital that today banks totaling only about 8 percent of bank holding companies by assets still have TARP money, down from 75 percent at the dawn of the crisis.† (Mowbray, 2011) Another element of the Obama administration’s reaction to the financial

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Introduction to Company Law

Introduction to Company Law Q1. There are the difference between a private company limited by shares and a public company, as following: Transfer shares A private company limited by shares is restricted to transfer share according to its articles but a public company is not restricted. Number of members For a private company limited by shares, the number of member is limited to 50. However, the number of member of a public company is no limitation. Subscription Any invitation to the public to subscribe for any shares or debentures of the company is prohibited in a private company limited by shares. Nevertheless, it does not restrict a public company. Levels of regulatory regimes The requirements of a private company limited by shares in the Companies Ordinance are lower than those of a public company. Its annual returns filing with the Companies Registry are less information than ones of a public company. In addition, it does not have to file its accounts with the Companies Registry so that its financial information is not in the public domain. Therefore, the cost of compliance of a private company limited by shares is lower than a public company. Functions A private company limited by shares cannot become a listed company since becoming a listed company requires first becoming a public company. Thus, a public company may become a listed company. Risk A private company limited by shares is the lack of freedom to exchange shares and the low transparency level of their accounts. It leads to a higher risk investment. Consequently, it is lower level of capital investment. To opposite, a public company is lower risk investment. (Unit 1 P.32-33) In this case, it is about the corporate veil between the company and its members. That is to say, it considers whether the rights and liabilities of the company are treated as separate from the rights and liabilities of its members in company law. Lifting the corporate veil is no guidelines in law but there are many law cases in previous years. Generally, a company is a separate legal entity which its members are legally permitted to hide behind the corporate veil according to Salomon v. A Salomon Co Ltd [1897] AC 22. Nevertheless, the courts may lift the veil because of obtaining improper advantages, perpetrate fraud or conceal illegal activities. The corporate veil seems a sham or facade so that the courts would lift the veil. For example, the courts determine the criminal responsibility of a companys staff or a director acts dishonestly with the companys property. In Re H and others (Restraint Order: Realisable Property) [1996] 2 All ER 391, a lot of individuals failed fraudulently to pay more than  £100 million in excise duty. Two family companies had the total of owned 100% shares. The government applied a court order to restrain them for dealing with the companies’ property and their own property. The Court of Appeal held that it was a prima facie case that the companies had been used for the fraudulent evasion of excise duty. Moreover, it lifted the corporate veil because it treated the companies’ property as the individuals’ own property. John suggests that Kelvin sell his shares to Leo who is Johns brother. However, Leo is a fresh graduate so that he has no money to pay in Genius Limited. John wants to pay Kelvin HK$700,000 from the company. After that, John as a shareholder of Genius Limited should receive dividends and then he will use the dividends to set off the sum of HK$700,000. Therefore, he will transfer the 30% shares to Leo Free of charge. It is improper method because it treats the companies’ property as his own property in accordance with the case. He does not have right to use the companys property to set off Leos liability. At the same, his behavior is unfair for others and David is deprived of his right to buy the shares. Hence, it is an improper advantage. In conclusion, the property of the company is used to set off Leos liability and the behavior is illegal. The amount of HK$700,000 is the companys property, not the members. (Unit 1 P.26) In a private company, its shareholders right is restricted to transfer shares in compliance with its articles. Generally, there is a pre-emptive right which is a shareholder must firstly provide his shares to other shareholders if he wants to sell and transfer them. After the other shareholders reject, he offers to a third party and cannot provide a discount on the shares. That is to say, the selling price cannot be lower than the amount of selling to other shareholders. The reason is that a private company is very small scale and there is trust among shareholders. When a shareholder withdraws in the company, hence, the other shareholders have an opportunity to determine whether they accept a new shareholder. In this case, John should have a prior right over David due to the above reason. Genius Limited is a private company which the articles restrict to transfer shares. In addition, John is the majority shareholder in the company. As a result, Kelvin should comply with its articles and he should first offer his share to John who has a pre-emptive right. If John refuses Kelvins shares, Kelvin has a chance to sell David which is the third party. However, the selling price cannot be lower than the price of selling to John. Model articles should be read to determine whether directors refuse any transfer of shares. Generally, it allows directors refuse the transfer. The reason is that they can first offer their shares to existing shareholders and the behavior is a pre-emptive right. That is to say, Kelvin should first offer his shares to John. Except that, directors provide share buy-back that is to offer shares back to the company. In other words, Genius Limited may repurchase Kelvins shares. Furthermore, shareholders agreements restrict the transfer of shares but it is only suitable for existing shareholders of the company. To conclude, John can object that Kelvin sell his shares to David because he can choose buy Kelvins shares or share buy-back. Q2. George wants to know whether FG Limited buy back its own shares. In the past, it was not allowed because of the rule in Trevor v. Whitworth case. However, it is allowed under the new Companies Ordinance, as following: According to the House of Lords in Trevor v. Whitworth (1887) 12 App Cas 409, it was not permitted that a company could buy back its own shares even if the Memorandum of Association allowed. That is to say, its paid-up capital should be maintained and kept unless: it was lost due to ordinary business risks, or there has been a reduction of the share capital authorized according to the legislation. The reason of prohibition of repurchasing a companys own shares is that it would make the damage of creditors and other abuses. For instance, an entity may pay higher than the market value when there is share buy-back. It leads to dilute the value of the remainder. But the entity pay lower and the value of the remaining shares would increase. At the same time, directors may use this method to enhance the value of their own holdings or to expand their voting power. In recent years, the rule about capital maintenance is abolished. In other words, share buy-back for all companies is allowed and it subjects to a solvency requirement (CR 2008). The following share redemption or buy-back may be funded in accordance with the new Companies Ordinance: Payment is paid out of a company’s distributable profits. (section 257(2)(a)); There is out of the proceeds of a new issue of shares which is for the purpose of share redemption or buy-back (section 237(2)(b)); or There is out of capital if a solvency test is passed. (section 248-266). It is unlawful for a company or its subsidiaries to give indirectly or directly financial assistance for the purpose of acquisition of its shares in accordance with section 275. Breaking the prohibition leads to the directors in a fine and imprisonment. Under section 274, financial assistance refers to gifts, guarantees, security, indemnities, loans and any other financial assistance. Acquisition means shares transfer and shares subscription. However, there are the following exceptions: the payment of dividends, allotment of bonus shares, distribution of assets in winding-up, reduction of capital confirmed by the court (section 277); the ordinary business of the company is lending money (section 279); a company in good faith in the interests of the company provides financial assistance for the employee share scheme (section 280); or the company provides loans to its eligible employees for the purpose of enabling them to purchase fully paid shares in its holding company or the company (section 281). Under section 283 to 285, it subjects to solvency test and one of the three procedures, as following: Under section 283, it provides financial assistance if : directors pass a resolution to give the assistance; those directors make a solvency statement; the aggregate amount of the assistance and other financial assistance given under this section not repaid (such as guarantee or security) is less than 5% of the paid-up share capital and reserves of the company; and the assistance is given not more than 12 months of the solvency statement. According to section 283(4), the company has to send a notice and the solvency statement to all members within 15 days after giving the assistance. Under section 284, the assistance is approved by written resolution of all members. Under section 285, the assistance is approved by an ordinary resolution. Directors must show the benefit of the assistance to the company. To conclude, share buy-back in Franklin Limited is allowed in recent years but there is some above restricted conditions. (Unit 2 P.34-38) If FG wants to reduce its capital, there are two methods for reduction of share capital. One method is that a company passes a special resolution and applies by petition to the court for an order confirming to reducing share capital under the new Companies Ordinance under sections 226 to 232. On the petition, the court makes the order on any terms and conditions it thinks fit. In fact, every creditor of the company has a right to reject the reduction of share capital. The court confirms the reduction of share capital when it is satisfied that: the creditors consent is obtained; or the creditor’s debt or claim is discharged, determines or is secured (section 229). Another method is a court-free procedure and there are some following criteria: All directors make a solvency statement in accordance with section 216. Members approves in a special resolution passed within 15 days of the solvency statement in section 216. A public notice of the reduction of share capital is published in Gazette declaring the content under section 218. A notice is published in one specified Chinese and one specified English newspaper and a written notice to be given to its creditor before the end of the week after the week in which the special resolution is passed according to section 218(3). A copy of the solvency statement is filed to the Registrar for registration. The members or creditors of the company have a right to examine the solvency statement and special resolution within five weeks’ time. If no application of objection is raised by dissentient members or creditors to cancel the resolution, the company can deliver a copy between five and seven weeks after the resolution to the Registrar for registration in accordance with section 224(1). The reduction of share capital and the special resolution should take effect when the return is registered. If a creditor or member objects to the special resolution, the court may cancel or confirm the special resolution and on any terms as it thinks fit under section 222. In order to determine whether the reduction is approval, the court may consider various elements, such as whether the reduction is equitable among shareholders and whether the interests of the creditors in the company are protected (CR 2013a). The above states the solvency statement which each of directors makes to form the opinion that the company needs to satisfy the solvency test in accordance with section 206(1). The statement should be applied to reduction of share capital, share redemption and buy-back and financial assistance under section 204. In section 205, it states the solvency test is satisfied if: immediately after the transaction, the company will be capable of paying its debts; and the company will be able to pay its debts within 12 months after the transaction or commencement of winding up. Given an opinion, a director must ask the company’s state of affairs and prospects and take into account all the liabilities of the company in section 206(2), for example, contingent and prospective liabilities. Besides, a solvency statement is in the specified form, states the date on which it is made and the name of each director making it, and is signed by each director who makes it according to section 206(3). In conclusion, George can choose either one of the above two procedures to reduce the capital of FG Limited. (Unit 2 P.30-33)

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Abortion Can Never Be Justified :: Papers

Abortion Can Never Be Justified Christians all react differently to the issue of abortion. Some would say that abortion is murder because they would believe that life starts from the moment of conception. This follows a Roman Catholic Church view but not all Roman Catholics would agree. The mainstream Roman Catholic view is that life is sacred. They would say that life is God given and the only person who has the right to take life is the one who created it (God). If God has created all life then God is the only person who can take it away. So if a woman was raped then the Roman Catholic view would be to raise the child by "loving her enemies" Mark 12:29-31. This would mean that she would be loving her enemy, which would be the baby from her oppressor and love the child to give it a healthy way of life. Roman Catholics would support giving her help and aid to raise the child by giving the mother money and if needed a secure living environment. Even if she could not look after it herself most Roman Catholics would accept her putting the child into adoption, that way the child is not murdered and can be loved and cared for. But not all Roman Catholics as I mentioned before have this opinion on abortion. Some would adopt their own opinions or those of other churches. The Church of England say that abortion is wrong unless having the child is putting anybody's life in danger. They see that life does not begin until birth. Anything before that is only potential life, therefore to have an abortion is not murder but it is still not acceptable to have one for any other reasons. They would explain in the case of rape that abortion of the oppressor's child would be seen as the lesser of two evils and should be accepted. The Church of England still recognise that human life is valuable as it is created in the image of God but they would argue that life does not start at

Monday, November 11, 2019

Wild horses

During first years of ass's a new generation was blossomed all over the world. Apparently, this Juvenile posture was trying to brake all the rules from their previous generations. Freedom, liberty and peace were part of manifesto expressed by millions of young people demanding social revolution under one common flag: Rock and Roll. By middle of decade, different rock styles were played all over America: folk, surf, collides, chicane, southeast, bruit among many others.Perhaps for first time In the story the music meant more than chords and scales, It became an expression canvas for all up coming generations. Rolling Stones is one of my favorite band, they were very interested to dig into find the roots of the rock and roll music: Delta blues. Mica Eager and Keith Richards did several trips to Chicago to learn the old school blues with musicians like muddy water or chuck berry. Once they finally dominated the basic tune they could fusion it with the Bruit rock creating the base for th eir up coming albums and influencing numerous new bands in England and the rest of the world.Wild horses theme is written by Mica and Keith on 1971. It has an acoustic and melancholy melody. The words are easy to follow and they have metaphoric and idiomatic expressions: Wild Horses: if you say that wild horses couldn't make you do something, you mean nothing could persuade you to do it Wild horses couldn't drag me to a party tonight. Dragged something away: push or pull something from a place. In my opinion, the lyrics make reference to a break up and all the process to leave all memories behind.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Enormous Bronze Age Shang Dynasty Capital of Yin

The Enormous Bronze Age Shang Dynasty Capital of Yin Anyang is the name of a modern city in Henan Province of eastern China that contains the ruins of Yin, the massive capital city of the late Shang Dynasty (1554 -1045 BC). In 1899, hundreds of ornately carved tortoise shells and ox scapulas called oracle bones were found in Anyang. Full-scale excavations began in 1928, and since then, investigations by Chinese archaeologists have revealed nearly 25 square kilometers (~10 square miles) of the enormous capital city. Some of the English-language scientific literature refers to the ruins as Anyang, but its Shang Dynasty residents knew it as Yin. Founding Yin Yinxu (or the Ruins of Yin in Chinese) has been identified as the capital Yin described in Chinese records such as the Shi Ji, based on the inscribed oracle bones which (among other things) document the activities of the Shang royal house. Yin was founded as a small residential area on the south bank of the Huan River, a tributary of the Yellow River of central China. When it was founded, an earlier settlement called Huanbei (sometimes referred to as Huayuanzhuang) was located on the north side of the river. Huanbei was a Middle Shang settlement built around 1350 BC, and by 1250 covered an area of approximately 4.7 sq km (1.8 sq km), surrounded by a rectangular wall.​ An Urban City But in 1250 BC, Wu Ding, the 21st king of the Shang Dynasty {ruled 1250-1192 BC], made Yin his capital. Within 200 years, Yin had expanded into an enormous urban center, with an estimated population of somewhere between 50,000 and 150,000 people. The ruins include more than 100 pounded earth palace foundations, numerous residential neighborhoods, workshops and production areas, and cemeteries. The urban core of Yinxu is the palace-temple district at the core called Xiaotun, covering approximately 70 hectares (170 acres) and located at a bend in the river: it may have been separated from the rest of the city by a ditch. More than 50 rammed earth foundations were found here in the 1930s, representing several clusters of buildings which had been built and rebuilt during the citys use. Xiaotun had an elite residential quarter, administrative buildings, altars, and an ancestral temple. Most of the 50,000 oracle bones were found in pits in Xiaotun, and there were also numerous sacrificial pits containing human skeletons, animals, and chariots. Residential Workshops Yinxu is broken into several specialized workshop areas that contain evidence of jade artifact production, the bronze casting of tools and vessels, pottery making, and bone and turtle shell working. Multiple, massive bone and bronze working areas have been discovered, organized into a network of workshops that were under the control of a hierarchical lineage of families. Specialized neighborhoods in the city included Xiamintun and Miaopu, where bronze casting took place; Beixinzhuang where bone objects were processed; and Liujiazhuang North where serving and storage pottery vessels were made. These areas were both residential and industrial: for example, Liujiazhuang contained ceramic production debris and kilns, interspersed with rammed-earth house foundations, burials, cisterns, and other residential features. A major road led from Liujiazhuang to the Xiaotun palace-temple district. Liujiazhuang was likely a lineage-based settlement; its clan name was found inscribed on a bronze seal and bronze vessels in an associated cemetery. Death and Ritual Violence at Yinxu Thousands of tombs and pits containing human remains have been found at Yinxu, from massive, elaborate royal burials, aristocratic graves, common graves, and bodies or body parts in sacrificial pits. Ritual mass killings particularly associated with royalty were a common part of Late Shang society. From the oracle bone records, during Yins 200-year occupation more than 13,000 humans and many more animals were sacrificed. There were two types of state-supported human sacrifice documented in the oracle bone records found at Yinxu. Renxun or human companions referred to family members or servants killed as retainers at the death of an elite individual. They were often buried with elite goods in individual coffins or group tombs. Rensheng or human offerings were massive groups of people, often mutilated and decapitated, buried in large groups for the most part lacking grave goods. Rensheng and Renxun Archaeological evidence for human sacrifice at Yinxu is found in pits and tombs found across the entire city. In residential areas, sacrificial pits are small in scale, mostly animal remains with human sacrifices relatively rare, most with only one to three victims per event, although occasionally they had as many as 12. Those discovered at the royal cemetery or in the palace-temple complex have included up to several hundred human sacrifices at once. Rensheng sacrifices were made up of outsiders, and are reported in the oracle bones to have come from at least 13 different enemy groups. Over half of the sacrifices were said to have come from Qiang, and the largest groups of human sacrifices reported on the oracle bones always included some Qiang people. The term Qiang may have been a category of enemies located west of Yin rather than a particular group; little grave goods have been found with the burials. Systematic osteological analysis of the sacrifices has not been completed as of yet, but stable isotope studies among and between sacrificial victims were reported by bioarchaeologist Christina Cheung and colleagues in 2017; they found that the victims were indeed nonlocals. It is possible that rensheng sacrifice victims may have been slaves before their deaths; oracle bone inscriptions document the enslavement of the Qiang people and chronicling their involvement in productive labor. Inscriptions and Understanding Anyang Over 50,000 inscribed oracle bones and several dozen bronze-vessel inscriptions dated to the Late Shang period (1220-1050 BC) have been recovered from Yinxu. These documents, together with later, secondary texts, were used by British archaeologist Roderick Campbell to document in detail the political network at Yin. Yin was, like most Bronze Age cities in China, a kings city, built to the order of the king as a created center of political and religious activity. Its core was a royal cemetery and palace-temple area. The king was the lineage leader, and responsible for leading rituals involving his ancient ancestors and other living relations in his clan. In addition to reporting political events such as the numbers of sacrificial victims and to whom they were dedicated, the oracle bones report the kings personal and state concerns, from a toothache to crop failures to divination. Inscriptions also refer to schools at Yin, perhaps places for literacy training, or perhaps where trainees were taught to maintain divination records. Bronze Technology The Late Shang dynasty was at the apex of bronze making technology in China. The process used high-quality molds and cores, which were pre-cast to prevent shrinkage and breaking during the process. The molds were made of a fairly low percentage of clay and an accordingly high percentage of sand, and they were fired before use to produce a high resistance to thermal shock, low thermal conductivity, and a high porosity for adequate ventilation during casting. Several large bronze foundry sites have been found. The largest identified to date is the Xiaomintun site, covering a total area of over 5 ha (12 ac), up to 4 ha (10 ac) of which have been excavated. Archaeology in Anyang To date, there have been 15 seasons of excavations by Chinese authorities since 1928, including the Academia Sinica, and its successors the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. A joint Chinese-American project conducted excavations at Huanbei in the 1990s. Yinxu was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. Sources Campbell Roderick  B, Li Z, He Y, and Jing Y. 2011. Consumption, exchange and production at the Great Settlement Shang: bone-working at Tiesanlu, Anyang. Antiquity 85(330):1279-1297.Cheung C, Jing Z, Tang J, Weston DA, and Richards MP. 2017. Diets, social roles, and geographical origins of sacrificial victims at the royal cemetery at Yinxu, Shang China: New evidence from stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope analysis. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 48:28-45.Flad R. 2016. Urbanism as technology in early China. Archaeological Research in Asia 2016/09/29.Jin ZY, Wu YJ, Fan AC, Yue ZW, Li G, Li SH, and Yan LF. 2015. Luminescence study of the initial, pre-casting firing temperatures of clay mould and core used for bronze casting at Yinxu (13c. BC~11c. BC). Quaternary Geochronology 30:374-380.Smith AT. 2010. The evidence for scribal training at Anyang. In: Li F, and Prager Banner D, editors. Writing and Literacy in Early China. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p 172 -208. Sun W-D, Zhang L-P, Guo J, Li C-Y, Jiang Y-H, Zartman RE, and Zhang Z-F. 2016. Origin of the mysterious Yin-Shang bronzes in China indicated by lead isotopes. Scientific Reports 6:23304.Wei S, Song G, and He Y. 2015. The identification of binding agent used in late Shang Dynasty turquoise-inlayed bronze objects excavated in Anyang. Journal of Archaeological Science 59:211-218.Zhang H, Merrett DC, Jing Z, Tang J, He Y, Yue H, Yue Z, and Yang DY. 2016. Osteoarchaeological Studies of Human Systemic Stress of Early Urbanization in Late Shang at Anyang, China. PLOS ONE 11(4):e0151854.Zhang H, Merrett DC, Jing Z, Tang J, He Y, Yue H, Yue Z, and Yang DY. 2017. Osteoarthritis, labour division, and occupational specialization of the Late Shang China - insights from Yinxu (ca. 1250-1046 B.C.). PLOS ONE 12(5):e0176329.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Reaction paper to film, A Question of Color essays

Reaction paper to film, A Question of Color essays The film, A Question of Color, taught me a lot about the psychology behind discrimination within the African American race. The film reminded me even more of the continuous discrimination African Americans face, yet it bothered me to know that I too am a participant in that discrimination. We are the products of a society that treats African Americans as second-class citizens. It seems like the closer a persons appearance is to the African image, the farther that person is from the white idea of beauty. I think I can say with certainty that we all have associated a persons character with the tone of their skin. If not as an enlightened adult, then for sure we all have done so as children. The film pointed out that our society teaches us that white is right; the closer a person is to white, the better off that person is perceived to be. The film also made me more aware of the detrimental psychological lessons that African Americans have learned about their value in this society. The film noted how some other non-Caucasian groups have sought to emulate the white ideas about beauty, but it has not eroded their sense of worth as it has done African Americans. I thought the footage of Malcolm X in the film telling of the white mans plot to keep African Americans down by making African Americans devalue who they are, was effective in getting that point across. This was also evident, when an African American mother and her two sons were eating breakfast, and the older brother teasingly asked the younger brother if he ever wished he was light skinned, the younger brother did not have to say a word; his answer was all over his face and it was obvious it made him uncomfortable. In his young mind he already knew that his darker skin was less desirable. Socialization had already taught him that people with lighter compl exions are better in some way than those with darker complexions. ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Report on Recommendations for changes the financial portfolio in Essay

Report on Recommendations for changes the financial portfolio in response to various scenarios in Cheep Petrol (CP- the company is not real) plc (UK) - Essay Example ble to demonstrate an excellent command of sophisticated energy derivative transactions while it strives to respond to the diverse energy risk management needs of its customers. Abstract: Developing a framework for analyzing the investment allocation and investment structure decisions facing institutions. Our model should incorporate two key features: i) value-maximizing institutions should have a well-founded concern with risk management; and ii) not all the risks they face can be hedged frictionless in the capital market. This approach allows us to show how institutional-level risk management considerations should factor into the pricing of those risks that cannot be easily hedged. Several applications should be examined, including: the evaluation of proprietary trading operations; and the pricing of unhedgeable derivatives portfolios. One of the fundamental roles of investments of the companies and other financial intermediaries is to invest in illiquid financial assets--assets that, because of their information-intensive nature, cannot be traded frictionless in the capital markets. The standard example of such an illiquid asset is to have a bond portfolio. Below were given developed diversified portfolios with varying risk/return profiles from conservative to aggressive. They are designed to help you choose a real-world portfolio suited to your investment goals, time horizon, and risk profile. Asset allocation is the process of distributing wealth among different investment types, most typically stocks, bonds, and cash. Asset allocation attempts to increase potential return and reduce risk in portfolios over time. Research has shown asset allocation decisions are the most important factor affecting overall portfolio performance. While this process can be performed on any portfolio with two or more assets, it is most commonly applied to the asset classes mentioned above—stocks, bonds, and cash. Studies between 1991 and 1995 demonstrated that allocation

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Olaudah Equiano Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Olaudah Equiano - Essay Example Moreover, in these instances, we might say that freedom is imaginary. Imaginary in the sense that the subjects will, which was the core of his being, was stripped of from him as he then become a slave by none of his choice or against of his will. Here, we can begin to identify or had first identified the points or key features in the system of African slavery. It is in the reason of adopting the context of how was his will being scarce or limited for him on his state as a slave. In this manner, the idea or condition of its identity as a slave connotes with less value of his being, and that his being becomes only mechanical comparing to a puppet having its body but doesn't have a mind of its own. These instances were seen through the moment of his captivity with her sister, the trading of which he was sold as a slave and his experience then as a slave having masters that would decide for him of his actions. Second, the manner of treatment the subject experience on navigation adds more suffering he had as a slave on the boat.