Aphorisms in Tuesdays with Morrie Essay

â€Å"Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do.† (Albom 18) is the first and one of the most major aphorisms in Tuesdays with Morrie. I believe Morrie is speaking about recognizing your strengths, and not focusing so much on your weaknesses. He means, as he said, to â€Å"accept† your limitations. We are all affected by this aphorism everyday. We have limitations, and a lot of times we get so focused on our weaknesses we don’t take advantage of our strengths., and waste time simply trying to improve upon those weaknesses. For example, I’m not athletic. For a while, I focused on that and I let it upset me. I would set myself up to fail focusing on that, and wasting on my time trying to get rid of that lack of skill. Instead, I should have been focusing on non-athletic things that I am good at, and toning those skills, enjoying using them, rather than focusing on what I’m not able to do. â€Å"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.† (Albom 42) Here Morrie is speaking about the views culture and media release to us, how it preys upon us. Much of the social media is put out there to prey upon our insecurities, or create them to earn our business. We see this everywhere. Beautiful celebrities are plastered all over the tv, movies, and print, which makes us think that we aren’t attractive if we don’t look like them. You can see how prominent this is simply looking at a magazine cover. The titles for the articles, â€Å"The 10 Easy Workout Tips to Get You Slim Fast!†, â€Å"How to get Perfect Skin Now†, imply that you aren’t slim, with perfect skin, know how to get a boyfriend, be popular, etc. As Morrie said, you have to see above those and manage to stay confident even when the media is pressuring you no t to feel that way. â€Å"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.† (Albom 43). In this quote Morrie speaks of the truly important things in life. He was telling this specifically to Mitch because it affected Mitch personally. He spent all his time focused on his work, and living wealthily that he pushed away his family, friends, Morrie, and his whole old way of life altogether. Like Mitch, this applies to many people, and me, too. We spend their whole life putting work, or money, or a certain person or thing as their number one. When this happens we think we’re happy, that we’re satisfied, and that we’re doing things we see as â€Å"important†, when we’re really wasting life. Morrie means you should spend your time doing the things that are best for you and everyone else that you truly enjoy. They should devote themselves to the best life possible, and thinking, if we died today, would we be truly satisfied with our life? We should be. In the quote, â€Å"Don’t let go too soon, but don’t hang on too long.† (Albom 162) , Morrie is speaking about his oncoming death, and experiences altogether. He’s saying that when we have very important experiences, we should take the time to experience them, and feel the emotions – not to move on immediately, but not too move on so fast that it keeps us from living our lives. I’ve lived this aphorism in the experience of losing friendships, and also living people, and not moving on quite as well as I should have. All you want to do is live in memories, and you can’t forget your regrets. Instead of feeling the emotions while you’re still living your life, you simply dwell in the depression and sadness. Morrie wants to prevent that from happening. When Morrie asks, â€Å"What if today were my last day on earth?† (Albom 64) he’s speaking about the elephant in the room with him everyday, which was that he was getting closer to his death everyday. He’s talking about thinking of everyday as your last day. If you died today, what would you regret not doing? Would you wish you had called your dad and apologized for what happened all those years ago? Would you wish you had finally told someone how you felt? Wish you had fulfilled your lifelong dream of skydiving? He’s talking about how, even thought it was most literal for him, any of us could die anytime, any day. We should live without regrets now, because you never know. You see this throughout real life. People die everyday, and many times when people find out they only have a certain amount of time left to live, they go out and do everything they’ve always meant to do. The problem is, we don’t always know our time, and Morrie was saying to live the way you mean to, living life not leaving things unsaid or undone.

Alexander The Great In Afghanistan

Alexander the great was born in Pella, Macedonia in 350 B. C. His father who was the Macedonia King Philippe died when Alexander was 20 years after being killed in a Persia’s battle. He immediately replaced the position of his father. Alexander had several talents ranging from being smart, brave, proud and ambitious. His military and brave skills were witnessed when he took part in the battle at the age of 16. One of his ambitious dreams was to establish the world empire and become the ruler of the whole inhabited world. He had inherited his father’s idea to conquer Asia and wage a campaign against the orient.(Hornblower S, 2002). Alexander the great had made several achievements in his interest to populate the world empire with a unity nation but on the other hand his governance had some setbacks. This paper highlights some of the real achievements and failures that Alexander the great made in his time for leadership. At the death of his father when he was 20 year old, he was proclaimed to be the Czar of Macedonia. He did everything to strengthen the armies military skills, developed the army’s organizational system and lead Hellenic Campaign to the Orient.His army entered the main residence of Persia palace which was the most beautiful and had taken 60 years to be built. This action made Alexander to be the ruler of the whole orient. â€Å"Since the time he mounted the throne of Persian czars he started to demand from his subordinates to keep the oriental ritual of worship† (Alexander the great encyclopedia. ) During this period, Czar Darius was still alive and he settled in Ekbantak in Midia. Alexander sent his army to Persian Czar. Darius refused to take the battle and sought safety in flight.His empire ended after his death as a result of a wound inflicted on him. (Kaplan R, 2001). Alexander the great also confronted the rebels in the Sogdian Rock of Sisimitr. The confrontation was faced with confrontation in accessing the solgd ian noblemen who had settled in un sailable mountain which was filled with snow. These noblemen had a great influence on the population of Soldgiana. However with a promise of great reward to his warriors, 300 brave volunteers managed to climb the mountain, and reached where the noblemen had settled. The rebels surrendered as they were astonished by this action.Alexander the Great led to the spread of the Greek Culture all over his empire which affected the law and the government for a very long period. He was an open-minded man in that he integrated more Persian/Asian ideas in his empower and military. He said that Asia found many things that are worthy to be copied. (Mirzaev R, 2006). The king also encouraged the cultural, political and religious development of the western thinking. This was as a result of conquering Darius Persian Armies eliminating the Persian threat in invading Europe. This had loomed for a number of centuries.Alexander the great also lead to conquering the Mac edonia to Modern India. However, Alexander the great cut the Gordian knot which established the physical force, power and brute reasoning, over spiritualism and religious mysteries. He was defeated in India. This defeat came about due to the distance from Europe and the lack of supply lines. It essentially established the borders of European imperialism during that era of technology which remained intact through the time of the Roman Empire. Alexander the great led to disintegration of the great empire after his death.This is because his governance lacked the political and economic ties and instead relied absolutely on the military forces. He neglected his health to a point where he died. Before he died he had failed to provide an heir, and refused to designate an adult successor. His role would not have been taken by any other person because he eliminated aspirants that could have taken his role to succeed him. Neglecting to delegate his responsibility to any other person also kill ed his administrative system because he played all the duties alone.Alexander the Great had made conquest in life which was very extraordinary. This was witnessed all the way since he was 16 throughout his life in the leadership. However the overall outcome was failure due to the collapse of his governance and the rise in the Roman republic. ( Donova D. C. ) A good leader makes a better leader that him/her. (Covey S. 95) One cannot lead alone; he/she should rely on others in order to get criticism and more enlighting in leadership. Delegation of some responsibilities ensures a strong leadership because the burden of leadership is shared to different people.Delegation of responsibility also ensures that leaders focus and concentrate on certain important issues rather than shifting effort to all dimensions. Alexander the Great system of monopoly of powers led to the collapse of the government after his death. It was also followed by 50 years of warfare and also the collapse of his emp ire. The Alexander system of governance could have both positive and negative attributes that one can pinpoint in order to help one employ a right leadership.Ambition and determination irrespective of the age are important leadership attributes that could be seen and copied from Alexander’s leadership. However discouragement of successors’, dictatorship and self-centeredness in leadership should be highly criticized as it can be learnt from Alexander’s leadership. Alexander should be the blame for poor leadership in Central Asia as it did not enhance continuity. References: Jeffery J. Roberts. 2003. The origins of conflict in Afghanistan. Greenwood Publishing Group Simon Hornblower. 2002.The Greek World, 479-323 BC: Exploring Ethnic Identity on Curac? ao. Routledge Publishers Robert D. Kaplan. 2001. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vintage Books Publishers R. R. Rawson. 2007. The Monsoon Lands of Asia. Transaction Publishers Mi rzaev R. 2006. Alexander the Great in Central Asia. Retrieved on 11th March 2009 from http://www. sairamtour. com/news/gems/49. html Wahid Momand. 2000. Invasion of Alexander. Retrieved on 11th March 2009 from http://www. afghanland. com/history/alexander. html

BP’s Competitive Advantage

Though the product they are probably most famous for in the minds of consumers, gasoline, is thought of as homogeneous, the success of BP in the companies ability to grow and maintain its standing as a multinational energy superpower lies in its management of human capital. BP’s true competitive advantage is not in the commodities or services it sells, their success stems from the companies ability to manage a less easily duplicated resource: knowledge. Collaboration and knowledge management form the core of the BP value system. As expressed by BP in their own words, they aim â€Å"to engage the creative talents of our employees, and develop and apply leading, cost-effective technology and intellectual creativity to enhance innovation and new ideas† (BP, n. d. ). This paper will address this unique aspect of the BP business model, knowledge management, and how it translates into financial performance. Background BP is a global energy leader, the core components of their business are: oil and gas exploration and production, refining and marketing of petroleum supply products, manufacturing and marketing of chemicals, and the manufacture of Photovoltaic (solar) cells. They are currently in the top three internationally in gas reserves, and are the largest retailer of gas in the US, as well as one of the world’s largest marketers of aviation fuel (Corporate Watch, n. d. ). Founded by William Knox D’Arcy from a significant oil find in Iran, they have expanded through growth and merger, currently operating in over 100 countries, employing 97,600 people with 2007 revenues exceeding $284 billion (BP, n. d. ). Knowledge Management The challenge to an organization the size and scope of BP can often be capturing the wealth of knowledge created by their people, engaged in business, learning best practices, and sharing and storing that information between business units to maximize BP’s potential. BP’s methodology is â€Å"encompassed by a simple framework, which describes a learning cycle – before, during and after any event – which is supported by simple process tools† (Kotelnikov, n. d. ,  ¶ 1). The BP learning method is to treat every process as a closed learning loop; lessons learned from each experience are agreed upon and posted on the company intranet to capture knowledge and experience to be shared by all BP business units. Companies create vast amounts of valuable knowledge through practice of their employees, without a system in place to capture this knowledge; it will often leave with their employees. Further, in a large company like BP, the potential exists for it to operate not as a collaborative unit, but as â€Å"a collection of individual fiefdoms in the form of individual business units† (Quelch & Deshpande, 2004, p. 96). To foster this sense of collaborative behavior, BP created peer review and cross business unit interaction strategies (Quelch & Deshpande). An example of how this has positively impacted the companies profitability, recently due to knowledge sharing between business units of engineers, they achieved a cost savings of $74 million in 1998 to meet their collective goal of reducing retail site construction by 10% (SAIC, n. . ). As management of information systems flourished in the decade of the 1990’s, the success of BP’s competitive advantage in their commitment to managing knowledge will invariably lead to other organizations creating practices and infrastructure to support knowledge management in the future. Knowledge management creates competitive advantage by storing and sharing collective â€Å"on the job† learned experiences and distributing them to present and future generations of an organization that would otherwise be lost. BP has maintained their ability to grow and improve profitability through implementation of knowledge management strategy.

The Political, Social, and Personal Implications of Democracy Term Paper

The Political, Social, and Personal Implications of Democracy - Term Paper Example The discussion is primarily centered towards the political, social, and personal implications of democracy, which this paper is able to identify critically as having a direct connection to the capitalist system with which democracy is compatible. The corresponding statuses of people in the capitalist system resulted in their commodification and dispossession, contrary to the right to life, liberty, and property, which democracy has initially espoused. Democracy is a form of government in which people exercise political power. It has been defined in terms of "sources of authority for government, purposes served by government, and procedures for constituting a government" (Huntington 1991, p. 6). Democracy has been a thriving governmental and political concept in the past and even at present, replacing old remnants of monarchy that for a long time, constituted the social and economic lives of people. Democracy has changed how people deal with social patterns, particularly on their awar eness of political, economic, and individual rights, which were unknown concepts prior to its conception (Rueschemeyer et al., 1991). The dynamism of democracy has apparently transformed various social institutions such as government, religion, trade, and education. Not only is the capacity of people to participate in political affairs covered by it, but also the reinforcement of their natural rights (Huntington 1991). Democracy has indeed become a guideline on how states can best manage the conduct of their affairs. Democracy has various political implications. Not only is the concept limited to the functions of the branches of government, but it has also broadened into the aspects of securing individual and civil rights, economic freedom, and social democracy. It contributed to the resurrection of the right to suffrage, which the Athenians initially introduced in their concept of direct democracy in nation-states. Monarchial and totalitarian systems denied this right to subjects. This denial during the pre-democratic society was due to an establishment of an autocratic empire in which the monarch (the king) was considered the absolute figurehead, and all powers of government emanated from him. This system complemented with the growth of the Church, in which a popular maxim proliferated, "the act of the government is the act of God" (Evans 2004). With democracy, newfound freedom of men and women established a stronger political and social foundation in which the political life of the nation is founded. The construction of a democratic charter in a form of a Constitution delineates the political and constitutional rights of people in a democratic state, securing and clothing them with constitutional provisions, inducible whenever necessary. Democracy has given individuals the enjoyment of various rights ranging from political (right to citizenship, to suffrage, to assembly, to information on matters of public concern, etc.) to personal (right to privacy, to re ligion, liberty of abode and changing the same, etc.). Women were finally permitted to exercise their right to vote and found recluse in education from only being mere administrators of the household. Hence, they pursued careers, education, and participation in political and social departments originally designated to men alone.

The influence of marketing relationship implementation on a building Dissertation

The influence of marketing relationship implementation on a building long-term relationship with the customers - Dissertation Example Marketing relationship is a form of marketing derived from express response marketing campaigns and is found to concentrate on retaining and fulfilling customers as opposed to focusing on sales transactions for an organization’s growth. Research has shown that profit-making organizations are in a constant competition with one another for new customers while still aiming to keep their current clientele. They are additionally reported to be competing with one another for market leadership with a constant aim of increasing earnings through customer satisfaction. For the foregoing reasons, organizations alike need to build long-term customer relationships for their sustenance. This calls for a need to develop an effective implementation strategy for establishing enduring relationships. This can be achieved through maintaining a functional customer relationship management (CRM), which aims at building strong long-term relationships between the supplier and customer (Gordon, 1999). This research paper therefore attempts to study any influence that marketing relationship has in building a long-term customer relationship. The first chapter of this paper introduces the research problem while the second chapter presents a review of the related literature followed by the methodology chapter. While chapter four presents the results of the study, chapter five subsequently discusses these results. Finally, chapter six highlights the conclusions and recommendations to the research findings. Table of Contents Page Running Head 1 Abstract 2 Table of contents 3 CHAPTER 1: Introduction 5 1.1. Overview 5 1.2. Background Information 5 1.3. Significance of the Study 6 1.4. Problem Statement and Research questions 6 1.5. Objectives of the study 7 1.6. Research design 7 1.7. Chapter Summary 8 CHAPTER 2: Literature review 9 2.1. Introduction 9 2.2. Historical Overview and Current Findings 9 2.3. Developing a long-term customer Relationship 12 2.4. Marketing Relationship Implemen tation 14 2.5. Importance of Building Relationship with Customer 15 2.6. Chapter Summary 16 CHAPTER 3: Research methodologies 18 3.1. Introduction 18 3.2. Area of study 18 3.3. Research design 19 3.4. Target population 19 3.5. Sampling technique 20 3.6. Data collection 20 3.7. Data analysis 20 3.8. Reliability of the research 21 3.9. Ethical considerations 21 4.0. Chapter Summary 21 CHAPTER 4: Results 22 4.1. Introduction 22 4.2. Characteristics of Participants 22 4. 3. Analysis of the four themes 23 4.3.1. Theme one 23 4.3.2. Theme two 24 4.3.3. Theme three 24 4.3.4. Theme four 25 4.4. Chapter Summary 26 CHAPTER 5: Discussions 28 5.1. Introduction 28 5.2. Discussion of the results 28 5.3. Practical implications of this study 30 5.4. Chapter Summary 32 CHAPTER 6: Conclusions and Recommendations 33 6.1. Introduction 33 6.2. Implications for Policy 33 6.3. Limitations of the Study 34 6.4. Recommendations for future research 34 6.5. Concluding remarks 35 6.6. Chapter summary 36 REFEREN CES 37 APPENDICES 38 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1. Overview Marketing relationship is a form of marketing derived from express response marketing campaigns and is found to concentrate on retaining and fulfilling customers as opposed to focusing on sales transactions for an organization’s growth. In practice, marketing relationship is different from other forms of marketing because it recognizes long-term effects and/or importance of customer relationship (Buchanan & Gilles, 1990). Additionally, Gale & Chapman (1994) argue that marketing relationship goes beyond customer-supplier communication and encompasses invasive sales promotional messages to establishing long-lasting benefits for the entrepreneur and the customer. In the present age of globalization and information superhighway, marketing relationship is experiencing rapid evolution as witnessed by Kotler et al (1999). It is shown to be utilizing technology in opening more and more collaborative and social communication channels that create a more collaborative atmosphere. The current trend leans towards the use Information and Communications

Future Trends of AviaitionEarospace Education Essay

Future Trends of AviaitionEarospace Education - Essay Example Now, however, there are factors that mitigate against this once-abundant pool of available talent, creating a need for more trained pilots to take to the skies. First, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the federal governing body for all commercial air flight, has a strict retirement rule. All pilots must leave the cockpit at the age of 60. While this has not yet created any dramatic shortages, writer Denver Beaulieu-Hains (2000) said that situation will change very soon. "Over the next 10 years, [the retirement] requirement may put a crunch on airline work forces, as baby boomers reach their golden years. And, with military cutbacks resulting in fewer trained pilots, the strain is hitting the industry from both ends of the runway." Beaulieu-Hains (2000) further stated that the baby-boomer pilots now approaching the retirement age represent fully one-third of the commercial aviation industry's pilot and mechanic work force. When they are forced to retire, the growing shortage will exacerbate considerably. To no one's surprise, the Professional Pilots Federation is trying to get the 60-and-out rule overturned. In April 2000, it petitioned the FAA for exemptions for 69 members of its organization, at the same time requesting strenuous testing - both physical and neuropsychological - to see if older pilots are indeed more likely to suffer from incapacitation than younger pilots (Beaulieu-Hains, 2000). (The age 60 retirement rule was set by the FAA in the 1950s, based on the belief that the ability to process and act on information slows as one gets older.) Stringent Qualifications Required Becoming a commercial pilot is not easy, even for someone who is fit physically and emotionally. All candidates for any cockpit flight position must meet strict FAA medical requirements and receive what the governing body calls an FAA Class 1 Medical Certificate. This assures the prospective employer that the person applying for a pilot's job is free from any physical or emotional conditions or disorders that would prevent him or her from performing the complex duties required of today's modern aircraft (Faa.org, 2001). And, the airlines themselves are no less strict. Anyone involved in an aircraft's flight, of course, has the lives of as many as 300 people in his or her hands. Particularly at the major airlines, standards not only meet FAA requirements, but usually exceed them. Southwest Airlines is a case in point. Before a candidate is even interviewed for a flight position, the airline requires the following: Resume, Airman Certificate (required by the FAA, as well), U.S. Type Rating on a B-737, the First Class Medical Certificate, ad at least three letters of recommendation. Those letters cannot be simply from friends or relatives; they must be from individuals who can attest to the pilot's flying skills, and who have observed them in flight over a sustained period of time (Southwest, 2000). As for flight experience, Southwest requires 2,500 total hours for jet aircraft or 1,500 hours for turbine aircraft. Beyond that, the airline also requires 1,000 hours as "pilot in command" on a turbine plane. The airline specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, and other non-turbine or jet aircraft and prefers candidates who have a four-year college degree (Southwest, 2000). Other airlines are not so stringent, especially smaller one,

Leith Agency Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leith Agency - Case Study Example This is clearly evident in the Tennents Lager, a beer brand in Scotland, wherein it had good market share with one out of four pints consumed, but it wasn't popular among younger population. The question why younger lots were not drinking the Tennents Lager was a critical incident and the challenge was to make them believe that it was their brand (Lieth Agency case study). Lieth Agency can identify the critical incidents in the similar manner by analyzing the product and its marketability as in the above mentioned case. It is necessary to assess customer satisfaction as it is the best lead indicator of future loyalty as mentioned by Hill et al (2003:3). It is further stated that customer satisfaction will enable to know whether their expectations have been met, identify priorities for improvement for customer satisfaction and set goals for service improvement and monitor progress against a customer satisfaction index. Customer satisfaction is measure of how your organizations "total product" performs in relation to a set of customer requirements. (Hill et al, 2003:6). Similarly Vavra (1997:3) states that customer satisfaction measurement is formalized, objective tool for assessing how a business treats its clients and employees as well who testify that an organization is quality oriented. In regard to Leith Agency, the company can assess its customer satisfaction through product survey and its improvement index in terms of sales and its market share after the campaign. This will give an insight int o the effect of advertising campaign on the particular product which will in turn help in assessing the customer satisfaction. Merits of Servicescape Framework The concept of a servicescape developed by Booms and Bitner emphasizes the impact of the physical environment in which a service process takes place (Ghanghas,M n.d) wherein it plays an important role, both negative and positive, in customer's impression formation (Lin, 2004:163-178). According to Lin (2004), servicescapes are an important tangible component of the service product that provide clues to customers and create an immediate perpetual image in customers' minds. At Leith Agency, customers can encounter interpersonal servicescape as the company has to provide few ideas and samples of the ad campaign, discuss the changes required and then strike a deal while completing talks in financial matters. The framework plays important roles as package, wherein the customer is allowed to see a sample of their product or what they are going to get, so that client gets what he wants; facilitator, providing equal opportunities for both customers and service employees; socializer, providing cordial and friendly atmosphere to the customers in the office and differentiator, wherein the appearance and ambience of the workplace leaves an overall impression on the customers and provides pleasant atmosphere for its employees to work (Ghanghas, M, n.d).. The merits of servicescapes as mentioned above like package, facilitator, socialzer and differentiator will be helpful to the agency in developing a cordial atmosphere among its employees and making it stand apart from its competitors. Moreover, a difference in the type of working and ambience is itself a creative thinking which may entice the existing and future customers. References 1. CALT Learning (2007)

Immigration and unemployment in canada Term Paper

Immigration and unemployment in canada - Term Paper Example he above figure shows that although Canada has been accommodating immigrants since the late 19th century, yet the number has drastically increased after the mid of the 20th century, specifically in the last two decades. (www.immigrationwatchcanada.org, 200-) mentioned in the same report that recent surveys have discovered that over 2 millions of Canadians are unemployed. The point of consideration is â€Å"if the increasing number of immigrants has influenced the number of employment opportunities for the native Canadians.† There are various factors that play their role in linking immigration and employment status in Canada. Canada is spread on a large piece of land, naturally enriched with natural resources. On the contrary, the low fertility rate of Canadian natives is not compatible with the number of workers required for the establishment and development of industries needed to make use of Canada’s natural resources for the well-being of the country. It is this characteristic feature of the Canadian culture that necessitates the influx of immigrants to overcome the deficiency of skilled workers in order to ensure economic growth and development of the country. This, undoubtedly ma y cause an apparent job-deficit for the native Canadians, yet the practice is likely to bear fruitful results in the long run as a result of a development in the industries followed by increased GDPs in the years to come. Also, the benefits of immigration outweigh the harms it may cause to the native Canadians in that the development in business results in increased facilities in no time and a better life-style for the Canadians to enjoy. Besides, Canadian policies tend to eliminate fears of economic drawback on the part of the native Canadians by creating a difference between the wages of a native and an immigrant working parallel to each other in terms of skill and position. Canadian policies tend to adopt a biased approach when setting wages in favor of the natives, who get higher

World Culture Music - Dangdut (Music of Indonesia) Research Paper

World Culture Music - Dangdut (Music of Indonesia) - Research Paper Example Some forms of music are common and recognized everywhere in the world. Examples are music from The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Luciano Pavarotti and, more currently, PSY, Justin Beiber or Beyonce. On the other hand, there are some types of music which are associated with a certain country. Dangdut, for instance, is specifically Indonesian. The term dangdut, pronounced as ‘dang – doot’, comes from how the Javanese people in Indonesia called the sound coming from the tabla drum. The drums come in pairs, one big and one small, and varying pitch. The smaller drum can be set to a specific tone range while the big one has a bass tone. (Courtney) Dangdut is only one of the many genres one can find in Indonesian music. In colonial times, people in the country employed Indonesian, Arabian and Dutch musical instruments to create a unique blend of beat. During those times, Indonesian music, especially the instruments used, was influenced by its visitors from other countries. E ventually, the native sounds combined with Malay modern music and Malay orchestras started to be popular. Melayu music or the music from Malay orchestras was a mixture of Indonesian, Middle Eastern, Indian and Western music. (1 Gorlinski) Melayu music employed a variety of instruments dependent on the group playing. The most commonly used were the flutes, tambourine-style frame drums (tabla), violins and assorted plucked lutes. Later on, artists incorporated music from Indian films, Bollywood specifically, adding a touch of modernism to the beat. Instruments such as electric guitars, electric organs, trumpets, saxophones, oboes and percussions were added. The combined sounds of the various musical influences created a beat that became recognized as Indonesian. Melayu music was for the lower class, played while slaves entertained their masters. (Arsip) It had coarse lyrics and sexually suggestive dancing. It was eventually adapted to appeal to the middle and upper class by Rhoma Iram a. He made the lyrics â€Å"safe† for the society. (Walsh) In the late 1960’s the band OM Soneta and its singer Rhoma Irama started playing around with melayu music. Irama wanted a new and distinct sound. He added a touch of Western rock music to the existing euphony of melayu music and called it dangdut to break away from the traditional melayu sound. (Gorlonski) Singing with Elvy Sukaesih in his band, Irama made dangdut very popular because of its throbbing beat and lyrics. His song Terajana is one of the most-renowned dangdut song that introduced the name ‘dangdut’ in Indonesia’s music scene. A. Rafiq, another dangdut artist, made the people love the new genre in the 1970’s. A. Rafiq was Indonesia’s own Elvis Presley, complete with the hip-gyrating movements. These three artists started the dangdut pop culture. In converting the traditional dangdut sound into a more contemporary music, Irama added electric guitars, synthesizers, dru ms, a flute or a mandolin. The Indian tabla was a main stay instrument, providing any song with that distinct Indonesian sound. Although dangdut was a welcome addition to the diverse music of Indonesia, it has presented a moral issue for the predominantly Muslim society because of its suggestive lyrics and dance moves. Already, several songs have been banned from being played because of its vulgar lyrics. (Vaswani) One singer in particular has been the object of the criticism from conservative dangdut artists and supporters. The musician, the group says, has taken dangdut to a level that is erotic and corruptive the youth. (Vaswani) Her song Jupe Paling Suka 69 translated in English reads Jupe Likes 69 Best. The song contains â€Å"lustful sighs and†¦lyrics which portray intimate relations and the singer’

IB economics internal assessment portfolio Essay

IB economics internal assessment portfolio - Essay Example However, the proportion of investment to GDP remains relatively unchanged, during the period of higher economic growth. The service sector in China is growing exponentially, which is not accounted for while calculating the GDP and the sector plays a crucial role in Chinese economy. Consistently high investment rate in China implies high rates of domestic saving which are exceptional not only by international standards, but more particularly for an economy at China's level of per capita GDP. Gross domestic product is the total value of new goods and services produced in a given year within the borders of a country, regardless of by whom. It is "gross" in the sense that it does not deduct depreciation of previously produced capital, in contrast to Net domestic product. There is two ways of calculating GDP, i.e., Income approach and expenditure approach. The income approach takes into account the income earned by the citizen. Sometime it is more important than GDP if a country has much foreign direct investment and many foreigners work in the country. Although about 70% of its population lives in the rural area, China's economic growth depends very much on the rapid expansion of manufacturing and service sector rather than on the agriculture, except for the earlier phase of the 1980s. The value added of industrial sector has accounted for 45% of China's GDP, while that of agriculture only about 10% and still declines. This gives rise to growing rural urban income disparity. The inequality within China has had mainly spatial dimensions, in terms of growing income and consumption inequality between rural and urban areas as well as across regions. Aggregate demand curve is the graph of quantity demanded as a function of price, normally downward sloping, straight or curved, and drawn with quantity on the horizontal axis and price on the vertical axis. In macro economy, aggregate demand curve indicates the various quantities of goods and services that purchasers are willing to buy at different price levels. The aggregate is negatively related to price. The inverse relationship between price and the amount demanded of a specific commodity, reflects the fact that consumers turn to substitutes when a price increase makes a good more expensive. The aggregate demand curve is downward sloping because of wealth effect on the consumption, interest rate effect on investment and the exchange rate effect on the net export. The aggregate supply curve reflects how the price is determined given the aggregate demand to aggregate capacity. The short-run aggregate supply curve indicates the various quantities of goods and services that firms wil l supply at different price levels during the period immediately following a change in the price level. The aggregate supply curve is upward sloping because with an increase in output the price or inflation rate will increase. Changes in aggregate demand cause the curve to shift outward (to the right) or inward (to the left). Changes in aggregate supply cause the curve to shift outward (down) or inward (up). Meanwhile increase in output also indicates the increase in employment and thus the decrease in unemployment rate. The unemployment is an important problem of micro economic theory which is calculated by the ratio of unemployment to the total labour force. There is a significant relation between

Church Government Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Church Government - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the congregational polity is one where there is autonomy of local churches in that these churches have no affiliation to any other church. The other form of church governance is the single elder polity in which there is the pastor is the main source of guidance and decision making organ. Lastly, the plural-led polity is the most applicable form of church governance as it involves both the clergy and the elders being on the same level of governance. Comparison between the five models Presbyterian Ideally, this form of church governance existed in the olden days of the bible to which many of the present day churches have adopted. Presently, the application of this church governance involves the congregation voting in the elders that they feel would lead them in a just manner. However, the aspect of these elected leaders having the entire decision on how to govern the congregation posses some challenges as the decision of the elders chosen is unquestionable. As compar ed to congregational churches, the decision making process partly involves the congregation making this form of church leadership be one way. On the contrary, this polity evokes some democracy aspects as the judgment on church matters does not lie in the shoulders of one elder as compared to the single elder polity. ... This makes the session have accountability towards higher authority hence making them exercise responsible leadership as compared to one elder polity. Single Elder polity In this form of church governance, the church congregation tends to have equal stature among all members meaning that an individual is superior to others in the church. Over time, this form of church governance has elicited critic as the most humble of the congregation takes up the leadership role. This makes them more special than the rest of the church because this serves as an impediment to access to God. Additionally, the scripture has no illustration of this aspect as the Bible 2 tends to have widespread application of the Presbyterian leadership as kings had sessions of elders that helped them in governance and decision-making. Others consider this as a form of secular polity as its rise was during the American expansion period due to the travels that the missionaries experienced. This meant that the Americans involved in the spreading of the gospel could not be under a specified region like in the Presbyterian polity hence influencing this form of church governance. Therefore, this encompassed service to a large fraction of society under the leadership of a single individual. Congregational polity Arguably, this is a sovereign form of church governance witnessed among contemporary churches in which the absolute decision power lies in the congregation itself 3. This has distinctive features as c compared to the above-mentioned polities in which the final decision making responsibilities tend to vary between congregations. This form of polity has also attracted critic as the congregation makes decisions for itself hence implying that they may negate God’s law in their

Paper -Econ Essay Example for Free

Paper -Econ Essay Given below is the information for the IT project we discussed in our Week 5 commentary and its network diagram. In the Week 5 commentary, we crashed the project by three days, i. e. , from 20 to 17 days by crashing Activity C for two days and Activity F by a day. A fully crashed schedule means a project that has been crashed until the cost of crashing exceeds the marginal gain associated with eliminating overhead cost (which is $100,000 per day for this project). oContinue crashing the project until the cost of crashing exceeds the marginal gain associated with eliminating overhead cost (0,000 per day). oAssume you have begun the project under the fully crashed schedule and you are now at the end of Day 6. Tasks A and C are finished, but Task B will require two more days of work. What corrective crashing decisions might you make to increase the likelihood that you can complete the schedule within the remaining 14 days? Are there any tasks you might consider uncrashing? What other actions could you consider? Submission: You must submit your answers to this exercise in the form of a single word document. You may cut and paste your excel work on this word document. Name your file as: LastName_FirstName_CrashingProjectExercise. docx

Social Responsibility And Performance Of Unilever Corporation Environmental Sciences Essay

Social Responsibility And Performance Of Unilever Corporation Environmental Sciences Essay Consumers today are progressively watchful and conscious of social performance undertaken by large corporations on how they conduct their business activities. As we all know, social performance of a corporation is heavily stressed upon and people in general have high expectations on of a companys corporate social performance (CSR) (Golob, Lah and Janccaroniccaron 2008). Lets not forget that whenever a business operates, it will somehow bring both positive and negative impact towards society. Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the worlds consumer products brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products also faces consequences for their business operation while portraying social performance in the society. This assignment will talk about the Corporate Social Responsibilities of Unilever towards the environment. Corporate social Responsibilities are the responsibilities of an organization toward the society to meet the standard of ethics towards investors, customers, employees, business partners, local communities, the environment and society at large. (Berkhout 2005) unilever-logo.jpg Unilever is the first Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Company who adopts paper sourcing policy to meet sustainability goals. This means that the company is trying to source all its products, paper and board packaging from a sustainably managed forests or recycled material within a clearly time frame. (Anne Marie Mohan 2010) Sustainable paper and board packaging sourcing policy are one of the Unilevers dedications to double the size of the business in the mean time trying to reduce the environmental impact. The policy outlines the companys goal to work with its suppliers to source 75% of its paper and board packaging from sustainably managed forests or from recycled material by 2015, increasing to 100% by 2020. (Raz Godelnik 2010) For the companys requirements for paper from virgin sources, preference will be given to supplies delivered through the Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme. Unilever also accept other national schemes under the framework of international Forest Management Certification standards, provided they comply with the Policys Implementation Guidelines. The move means the logos of the acceptable forest management certification schemes will begin to appear on the packaging of Unilevers portfolio of brands as progress is made toward reaching the target, and in order to increase consumer awareness and promote the expansion of certified forests in the world. As such it is important that Unilever promote sustainable forestry practices and help combat deforestation and climate change through the responsible sourcing of these materials. (Anne Marie Mohan 2010) Another important part which Unilever practice to protect the environment is the Unilevers water approach Sustainable Water Integrated Catchment Management (SWIM) principles. The SWIM principles is developed with the help of UK sustainability organization forum for the future. Water is vital to all sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and also human consumption. The SWIM principles include a useful approach to help Unilever and Unilevers partners to make sure that the community water partnerships they engage in are effective and successful. Unilever had adopted four villages along the Brantas River when the Clean Brantas Project was launched in July 2001. Unilever had work corporately with the NGOs and government agencies to improve the sanitation system recycling, tree replanting and environmental awareness. As a result of these initiatives, the river now can generates income for the villages through small-scale fish farming and cultivation of Java Noni fruit crops for export. (Catherine Dowdney n.d) An important part of Unilevers approach to water is our Sustainable Water Integrated Catchment Management (SWIM) principles, which were developed with the assistance of the UK sustainability organisation Forum for the Future. These recognise that competing demands for water for agriculture, manufacturing and human consumption and the need to sustain a healthy environment mean that society needs to adopt a more integrated approach to water management. The SWIM principles incorporate a practical approach to helping Unilever and our partners ensure that the community water partnerships we engage in are effective and successful. As part of the Clean Brantas Project launched in July 2001, Unilever Indonesia has adopted four villages along the Brantas River. The company works in partnership with these communities, a local university, NGOs and government agencies to improve environmental awareness, sanitation systems, waste management and recycling, tree planting and housing development along the riverbank. As a result of these initiatives, the river now generates income for the villages through small-scale fish farming and cultivation of Java Noni fruit crops for export. It is hoped that the Village Adoption Programme will be expanded by other local companies to include more villages along the river. (Catherine Dowdney n.d) A Unilever plant in Ontario, Canada, has an ongoing campaign to improve energy efficiency to help manage rising and unpredictable energy prices. This plant produces margarine and vegetable oils products which require high energy expenditure costs. In order to achieve a 6% reduction of energy consumption per year the plants energy team has implemented and invest in new technology called a reverse osmosis (RO) system that would enable an improvement in the efficiency of the steam plant operations. ((Cost savings and reduced environmental impact through lower energy and water consumption 2009) By converting to the RO system, the plant had consumed 13 million gallons less municipal water and 8% less natural gas. The plant also cut down 240,000 pound volume of chemicals into the sanitary sewer. As a result of consuming fewer chemicals, the environmental impact of producing and transporting them was reduced too. The RO system qualified the plant for a $50,000 incentive grant from the city of Toronto for decreased water consumption and a $14,000 incentive grant from the local gas utility. According to Unilever, the project has lead to the company reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.6 million tonnes as well as cutting other greenhouse gases. (Cost savings and reduced environmental impact through lower energy and water consumption 2009) Unilever factories in South Africa had been starting to divert food waste to make compost used in community and reducing waste sent to landfill. Food-grade waste that was once sent to landfill is now helping fertilize the vegetables and provide an income for poor communities in South Africa. Under project Triple R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) that was launched in 2005, Unilever Foods factories in Pietermaritzburg and Durban (Avenue East and Fountain Park) send all their waste food material to municipal composting facilities. Between 2004 and 2006, Pietermaritzburg and Avenue East halved the amount of food waste sent to landfill, cutting waste disposal costs by a third. (Composting waste material for community gardens 2010.) In a separate initiative, Unilever Brazil has committed to recycle laminated packaging material such as toothpaste tubes. It has been working with five small companies to collect and find a use for the material. When food and drink pouches, sachets and toothpaste tubes are manufactured, small amounts of plastic are cut off and discarded. The waste material is combined with laminated consumer waste. It is mixed and ground down before being heated and compressed in special ovens. The material can be shaped in special molds or, once cooled down, cut into different sizes. It is used to make furniture and building materials that can be sold by the recycling companies involved, generating income and jobs. The first products to be made were roof tiles. Since then, the material has been used to create products such floor tiles, tables and chairs, some of which have been used by Unilever Brazil to equip other community projects. The project depends on a readily available supply of laminate ma terial. Unilever has been encouraging consumers to recycle their laminated waste packaging at the community recycling stations. (Recycling consumer waste 2010) At February 10, 2010 the California Air Resources Board penalize Unilever $1.3 million last month for illegal consumer products sales between 2006 and 2008. Conopco, Unilevers parent company, sold, supplied and offered for sale in California more than 2.8 million units of deodorant body spray that failed to meet clean air standards for aerosol deodorants. The violations resulted in significant excess emissions from volatile organic compounds. These emissions contribute to ground-level ozone, or smog.   Exposure to ozone can cause lung inflammation, impaired breathing, coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and worsening of asthma symptoms.   Over 90 percent of Californians still breathe unhealthy air at some time during the year. Conopco cooperated in the investigation and will make two equal payments of $650,000 into the California Air Pollution Control Fund for projects and research to improve Californias air quality. (Dimitri Stanich 2010) Surprise spot checks by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) found that multinational Unilever discharged waste containing banned chemical substances. Unilever s plan in Hefei (Anhui), which manufactures well-known household brands such as Dove, Lux, Kelloggs and Lipton, was fined 150,000 yuan and ordered to remedy the situation. The pipe suspected of carrying the substandard water was disabled, a chemical oxygen demand (COD) monitor was installed and water treatment facilities have been upgraded. The mainlands rapid industrialisation has been pressing on at a huge environmental cost, with up to 70 per cent of its waterways polluted and air quality in its biggest cities among the worlds worst. In March 2001, Greenpeace and Palni Hills Conservation Council reported that Hindustan Unilever (HUL), a subsidiary of Unilever, had allowed 7.4 tonnes of mercury contaminated glass waste from their thermometer factory to be dumped on a scrap yard about 3 km away from the factory. The exposure, which spurred 400 area residents as well as members of Greenpeace India to protest at the factory gates, marked the beginning of an ongoing saga of dishonesty and botched cover-up efforts by Unilever. They also warned that contaminated waste had been dumped behind the factory wall onto the slopes leading to Pambar Shola, an important and protected nature sanctuary. The factory was immediately shut down by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). Data later provided by the company estimated that over 17 years a total of 1.3 tonnes of mercury had leaked into the Shola forest, a type of high-altitude stunted evergreen forest peculiar to the Western Ghats of South India. A further 366 kg wa s estimated to have contaminated the soil on the factory premises. (Indo-Asian News 2003) It is commonly known that as little as 1 gram of mercury deposited annually in a lake can, in the long term, contaminate a lake spread over 25 acres to the extent that fish from the lake are rendered unfit for human consumption. Mercury, which Unilever is accused of handling without taking environmental or worker safety precautions, is a toxic metal that converts to deadlier forms such as methyl mercury when released into the environment. Mercury accumulates in the liver, kidneys, brain and blood and can cause birth defects and serious disorders of the nervous system and kidneys. (Nityanand Jayaraman n.d.)

Individual Freedom And Rights

Individual Freedom And Rights Is it most important to value ones own life, happiness and interest or to obey the higher authority of the state? This statement raises the question of the individuals freedom and rights in comparison to the states control over individuals life. In this paper I will be arguing against Socrates and Confucius view of placing the state ahead of the individual. This paper is constructed along my line of defense which looks at the issues and arguments around the individual freedom and rights. This argument largely dwells on the concept of freedom from Socratic and Confucius philosophy, Christianity and individual freedom and also modern/postmodern thinking on this subject. The concept of freedom and rights in ancient Greek Philosophy Socrates and Confucius are two major philosophers who tried to develop the relationship between the individual freedom, rights and the state control (Philosophy study guide). According to Beck both Confucius and Socrates lived in cultures where hereditary privilege was the main factor in social status. Neither of them was extremely high-born, but they certainly were not peasants either (Beck 2010:14) .Socrates contributed much on political discussion, he did not engage in political career. He was so much concerned with how state laws were implemented in city life style, which determined a healthy relationship between the citizens and the state. However, this relationship should not be forced or coerced on them rather it should come naturally. Both Socrates and Confucius teachings were meant to prepare men for the world of politics. This is why they both stressed the value and importance of ideals and portrayed the ideal state in the midst of various prevailing governments which were far from perfect. They criticized their unjust practices and diagnosed their problems. Socrates seems to have gone into more detail in delineating the different types of government (Beck 2010:7). But Confucius went further by teaching about the importance of self control and temperature. It taught about the ideals of social controls and proper behavior. Beck maintains that for Socrates and the Greeks personal behavior was focused more on the individual as his own responsibility of self-discipline and did not extend so strongly into the social milieu. The rules of propriety were designed to bring harmony in relationships, while temperance is concerned with the harmony within the individual (Beck 2010:5 ).This shows how individual freedom and rights played an important role in the mind of the Greeks. Of course, the State is important but too is individual liberty. However, both men emphasized the need for advancement of knowledge. This knowledge is to be taught in schools and public places. Confucian philosophy it today, being practiced in Japan, Korea and China. It puts much emphasis on learning and educational values but imitating the master teachers words and deeds. Education is therefore, being used to correct some unbecoming behavior from the ethical perspectives (Philosophy study guide). The ideals of Confucius philosophy has been translated into human behavior and values in the Far eastern societies. Taking the lessons from the Socratic and Confucius ideology, this philosophy emphasizes the need to practice virtue and temperature at all times, thus avoiding friction and rash actions (Beck, 2010). Christianity and individual rights Christianity was born in Palestine at the time of Roman colonial rule. The relationship between Christianity and the State was somewhat not healthy, as these two entities often collided both in principle and practice. Being a Roman Citizen at the time would incorporate many responsibilities and roles which one needed to follow. However, the Romans were considered to be atheists for their insistence on emperor worship. Roman Citizens were commanded by the law to publicly follow and worship the cultic figures that represented the Roman gods. This worship was characterized through private and public worship and giving of sacrifices (Stumbaugh Balch, 1996) in special places and temples. However, for many years intellectuals and philosophers began to question this cultic worship. Roman Citizens were required to perform some rituals, prayers and sacrifice to company their worship. Through this worship all citizens were obliged to affirm their allegiance to the emperor. Christians refused to follow the demands of the state to follow the worship of demi gods of Roman religions. As a result, this refusal led to the persecution of Christians who insisted in worshipping their only God and Lord Jesus Christ. Christians decided to live in different set of life style which is different from the religious institutions of the Roman Empire and its social environment. This shows the unhealthy relationship between the state and the church. This forced the Apostle Paul to address the issue of obeying the state laws and control in the Romans Chapter 13. The divine right of rulers has been disputed and discussed over the years. The question often asked is whether Christians are obliged to follows state laws and regulations. How far should Christians go to obey the laws of the state even when it is against their religion? For many years, Christian theologians and theologians have tried to grapple with the concept of the State and the Church. There are those who believe that the Church and State are mere sides of the same coin and therefore, Church leaders should be involved inn the affairs of the State. This view was largely developed by theologians such as Martin Luther, Zwingli and John Calvin (Stumbaugh Balch, 1996). It is through this theological thought that led to State Churches such as the Church of England and Lutheran Churches that are commonly found in the Scandinavian countries. On the other hand, there are those theological views which holds that Church is supreme over the State because it subscribes to the higher heavily powers. It is this divine authority which makes many churches to argue that they subjected to divine power and not state control. Those theologians who subscribes to this thought argue that the State is in subsidiary position to Church. Through out the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church view developed the notion that Church and State must be separate or remain separate entities. This thought also advocates that State and Church that must not just remain separate but is also independent of one another (Bramsted, 1978). Most of theologians hold the view that Church and State different entities and have different origins. The Church owes its origin and allegiance to God and therefore Christian followers need to express their allegiance from God. Whereas the State, is seen as the divine institution that has been put in place by God for human Society to exercise power and authority of human beings. However, the Church has no control over men, but can only appeal to their minds, hearts and consciences. As a result, those who have accepted to be under the rule of the Church must adhere to Cannon laws, rules and regulations (Stumbaugh Balch, 1996). In this case, the church would exercise authority over them, control their behavior patterns, thoughts and lives. The Church also has the power to correct, admonish or even discipline those who contrary to the rules of their faith. The concept of freedom and rights in modern European philosophy Modernity is considered to be the period between 1750 to late 1960s. The development of ideas in the western world is closely connected with the philosophical thoughts of their day. This period was associated with enlightenment thought often associated with scientific progress, technological advancement and industrial revolution. This new thinking permeated social thinking, values and relations. One those of those philosophers who contributed greatly to the development of enlightenment thinking in relation to individual freedom and rights were Jean Jacques Rousseau. Jean Jacques Rousseau, who lived between 1772 to 1778, is one of those philosophers who committed his life to follows the ideal of liberty during his political career. He followed the political line of republican persuasions and sympathized with the Republican ideals. He argued that the advent of western civilization corrupted the goodness of human nature (Friend, 2004). He emphasized that progress in the arts and sciences contributed to moral degeneration and the decay of modern societies. He argued that human beings existed because they live social groups that later produced inequality. And therefore, once people begins to live in fixed relations like social groups, the quest for freedom begins to emerge because they want to free themselves from social bondages and oppressive social contracts. Therefore, this is the beginning of social inequalities and oppressions. Concerning Civil Society, Rousseau argues that it was founded by the person or people who emerged by enclosing people in groups. Then it claimed ownership over the piece of land. Therefore, civil society has been used by individuals to justify and maintain relations in property, which is based on inequality and associated moral decays (Friend, 2004). However, although people have the will to choose what is right for them, it is important for everybody to set aside their own personal and ethno-cultural interests for the common good of others. Although, the concept of common goal is important, most scholars believe that it leads to a form of dictatorial leadership or authoritarian leadership. It also leads to dictatorship of the majority. The other European who developed this concept of the rights of man is Thomas Paine. He advocated for the rights of man theory was about the defense of the Principles of French Revolution. The other philosopher who contributed to the development of individual freedom was Thomas Pain. According to Paine, human beings are born with equal, human rights even though they do not live isolation with others in the society. Every human being has the right to live in freedom and enjoy the benefits of cooperation with others in the society. However, this is not often realized, in our societies because these principles are often violated because human beings are not perfect. They have imperfect and naturally deprived nature that always wants to do evil. Paine argued therefore, that the natural rights of all people can only be secured when people learn to deposit those rights which they cannot uphold as individual human beings. Nevertheless, the state has the overall of the individuals life especially when it comes to addressing the issues of violence against humanity. The state also has the overall rights over the protection against the harm of others. To him, it is only the state that has the mandate to ensure the stability of our societies. This means that a legitimate government must be based on the concept of people rule for the sake of the people (Friend, 2004). This type of government is what is often refereed to as democracy. It is only the democratic government that can be considered as a legitimate form of government which represents the rights of the people. Democratic governments are meant to defend and protect the rights of individual human beings and secure the security of all citizens (Bramsted, 1978). The concept of freedom and rights in the post modern world views Much of the western culture resulted from the matrix of the enlightenment period. It promoted the attitude of tolerance towards others and relative view towards belief of any time. The Enlightenment doctrine promoted then doctrine of individualism, purporting that individuals are free, emancipated and must act in autonomy. The basic principles democracy is based on the notion of government consent, in other words, it is about people centered government that is elected by people for the people. The power given to people derives from the electorates. The concept of individual rights to freedom has attracted lots criticism from the intellectual communities and philosophers. The Marxist philosopher argues that the rights of individual go contrary to social progress because they are not in line with cultural or historical relativity (Bramsted, 1978). Postmodernism rejected the enlightenment views that characterized much of then 18th to 19th century. Post modernism promoted the notion of pluralism, individualism and relativism. It rejected the notion of one blue print or overall dominant theme that dictates the thinking of man. Instead, it calls for the plural form of human relations. It opposes the notion of meta-narratives and calls for one many narratives in expanding human story. Contrary to the Enlightenment theory, post modernism attacks this concept of development or progress or the so called notion of forward match of history. Therefore, the principles of justice, freedom and rights in the postmodern world view are very much fragmented. It is also socially constructed depending on the social, economic, cultural and political contexts. The World western mostly exercise liberalism which is based on freedom and rights of individual human beings. This is why post modernism is often in loggerhead with modern enlightenment theor y (Bramsted 1978). However, the Liberal individualism which subscribes to Liberal democracy promotes the ideals of civil and political liberties. Civil liberty is big movement in the USA that pressures for the rights of Citizens. The theory of rights advocates for the rights of others and as well as their own. Such rights include life and liberty of others. This view has developed into human rights movement that taken centre stage in the world of politics advocating for universal human rights. Liberalism emphasizes the value of universal freedom and cosmopolitan citizenship. This view argues that individuals are allowed to display distinctive commitment to their personal lives but not to enforce them others. Civil liberties also argue that the government has no right to infiltrate into their personal lives. This means that we all have the rights to live a peaceful and free life without interference from the state (Bramsted, 1978). Personal Opinion Freedom is some thing which we all cherish and hold on to ideally. But individual freedom is something that is socially constructed. The concept of freedom has been misinterpret and misconceived. These views of freedom are erroneous in nature. Some people think that freedom is the absence of laws, regulation and restrictions. I have personally heard a teenager shouting back saying that they want to be free from their parents rules and regulations. Some even think that freedom is without anarchy or live a life without rules and regulations or rules. Many people and especially young people think that freedom is about living irresponsibility, without being responsible or being accountable to any body. For some people freedom is about the avoidance of work and obligation. This equates to laziness and being slack. But from my own understanding, freedom demands much of our time and work than when in bondage. When your are bound, you are well looked after by your captors for instance when you are in prison, it is the responsibility of the prison authorities to look after you. Further I have heard some people saying that freedom is retiring from responsibility. But is not true because one cannot separate freedom from responsibility these are two sides of the same coins. Indeed, some extend, say that freedom is about relaxation from social boundaries and rules, but this is misconception. One does have to relax because they are free. By and large, some even argue that freedom is being released from external control. They argue that it is about being left alone to do what they want or like without control from the parents, employers or even the government. Conclusion This paper has attempted to answer the question whether it most important to value ones own life, happiness and interest or to obey the higher authority of the state. It is question which address the question of individual freedom and rights. Individual freedom and rights are two concepts that are intertwined together. One cannot do without the other. The concept of freedom is often associated with being released from the external controls whereby one thinks that they are not held accountable or responsible to the others. These two views have been very contentious for many years as scholars contend with them. Beginning with the Greek philosophers such as Socrates and Confucius, individual freedom and rights were discussed in more details. These philosophers taught that although we are free agents were are still subjected to human control and governance. This means that we are still obliged to follow the rules and regulations of the state. However, the issue of obeying the state and its decrees is what caused much friction between the church and the state. For many years, the first century were persecuted by the Roman governments for now disobeying the emperors orders on cultic worship. This factor was taken board by theologians for many years latter as to whether the church is free from the powers of the state. This is also implied as to whether indeed Christians are free from following the rules and regulations ordered by the state. During the enlightenment period various thoughts began to emerge concerning the issue of individual freedom and right from modern Europe philosophers. These discourse produced further debates on liberalism, democracy and human rights. Following the end of modernity the postmodern paradigm began to emerge to give different views to those ones held by modernity thinkers. The post modern mind view argues that there is one met narratives, that we all have our stories of what is right and wrong, we should follow what is appropriate for us. I would not subscribe to any of these views but a mixture of both. I would like to argue that individual freedom is there, but we have to be accountable to what we do to others. Our concept of freedom, rights and happiness must be inline with the laws of our societies.

Drunk Driving as a Social Issue Essay -- Papers, DUI, Alcohol

Drunk Driving as a Social Issue How much longer will we be forced to endure the pain and atrocities due to the carelessness of drunk driving? Drunk driving has been a problem in the United States since the introduction of automobiles; however, it did not become an important social issue until the 1980’s. At that time the political atmosphere defined crime in terms of personal choice and individual responsibility. Drunk driving was defined as a problem located within individuals. Drunk driving is illegal in every state. It is not only illegal, but unsafe to operate an automobile if you are under the influence of alcohol. When a person drinks, the alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream and various tests have been designed to measure the level of alcohol in a person’s blood. In most states, if a person has a blood alcohol level greater than .10%, that person is presumed to be too intoxicated to safely operate an automobile. Driving under the influence of alcohol is considered the nation’s most frequently committed violent crime, and in the 1980’s the public supported a wider range of non-criminal countermeasures, as well as stricter legal measures, to govern DUI’s. This movement against drunk driving was well reflected in the legislative arena. Between 1981 and 1987 some 934 new laws dealing with drunk driving were passed by state legislatures. Legal measures focus on deterring drunken drivers by providing stricter laws and punishment. Non-criminal countermeasures are concerned with reform and education and include treatment programs and educating citizens about the dangers of impaired driving. To prevent drunk driving, a combination of stricter laws with harsh punishments and non-criminal countermeasures must be i... ...they realize how unsafe it really is? It would be very tough to put a stop to drinking and driving completely, but by taking more action than ever before, maybe we can help to decrease the number of deaths and accidents. Bibliography: Bibliography Appelgate, Brandon. EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRIVING. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. Vingilis, Charles. ALCOHOL FROM THE BEGINNING. New York: Broadway Books, 1995. Bandura, Stephen. ALCOHOL AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM. Chicago: Gateway Editions, 1984. Berns, Walter. IN DEFENSE OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY. Chicago: Gateway Editions, 1984 Merquior, Jose. LIBERALISM OLD & NEW. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. Murray, Charles. WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LIBERTARIAN. New York: Broadway Books, 1997. Newman, Stephen. LIBERALISM AT WITS’ END. New York: Cornell University Press, 1984.

A Society in Danger Essay -- Literary Analysis, The Stranger

In the book The Stranger, Camus characterizes Meursault as an atheist, an unemotional robot, and an outcast to demonstrate how he threatens society. The way Camus characterizes Meursault impacts the book in views to which he threatens society, like when he seems useless, has no compassion or feelings, and when he does nothing to help society, making him seem like society’s worst enemy. How he characterizes Meursault proves how he becomes a threat to society through the use of syntax by displaying insensitivity, and diction to prove his atheism. He also only focuses on physical objects, and the way he sees life causing him to be a stranger. Meursault can be a threat to society by just not fitting in with everyone else and preventing everyone from being united, so he continues to be seen as a threat. Camus manipulates syntax to show how Meursault’s insensitivity symbolizes danger to society. When Camus makes Meursault be an insensitive person that does not care or feel anything for anyone else, he puts society in danger. When Meursault says, â€Å"I had never been able to truly feel remorse for anything† he never reveals any emotion at all even though the sentence sounds a little long and he also never gives a sign of compassion (Camus 100). Also, the very first sentence that Meursault states in the book only contains three words, which reads, â€Å"Maman died today† (Camus 3). No matter how long or short the sentences are Meursault never shows a little bit of compassion or feelings for her mother’s death. He just states it all plain and unemotional with only three words almost making it a fragment. For example, when Camus writes this long sentence, â€Å"He said the truth was that I didn’t have a soul and that nothing human, not one of the mo r... ...or a second I had the ridiculous feeling that they were there to judge me† which tells that he does not feel security of himself because he always thinks people are judging him (Camus 10). This thought of insecurity can be dangerous to society because Meursault will not trust the people in any way because he thinks they will always be judging him for any little thing. In conclusion of how Meursault threatens society, Camus does an outstanding job. The insensitivity and focus of physical objects only threatens the good of society by letting Meursault be part of them even though he has no feelings to offer. The atheism and way he sees life threatens society in different ways but the main one keeps society form reaching unity because they cannot exclude him from everything just because he does not believe in God and because he has a different view of seeing life.

If There Is Nothing Lurking in the Darkness, Then Illumination and Exposure Are Pointless

Charles Brockden Brown’s novel Wieland is famous as the first American Gothic novel. It was published in 1798, at the very end of the Eighteenth Century and just fifteen years after the end of the American Revolution. While the novel was written in a time still dominated by Enlightenment-era thinking, the novel questions many of the assumptions of the Enlightenment. The realizations of the limits of the Enlightenment become apparent as the book progresses. The novel offers the characters Wieland and Pleyel as opposites in the novel, the former representing religion and the latter representing rationalism. Wieland is a novel that interacts with epistemology, that is, the study of knowledge; and the two characters are prime examples to focus on. The Enlightenment was characterized by the belief that the universe is a logical and orderly place and the hope that humanity would uncover the laws that govern it. Multiple scientific discoveries led to achievements in politics, the arts, and religion; but as the work proceeded, the importance of religion seemed to decline. As the years went on and questions remained unanswered after the American Revolution, it became assumed that not everything was as logical as it seemed at the spark of the Enlightenment. Another factor that added to the â€Å"burning out† of the Enlightenment was the French Revolution. Americans saw what a bloodbath the revolution in Europe had been and realized that the American Revolution could have just as easily been as bad. The combination of the limits of the Enlightenment with the near-missed massacre led writers to adopt a dark and opposite side of the reasonable thinking of the Enlightenment: the Gothic. This movement became the exploration of the extremes of emotions and limits of human understanding, so it included many mysterious happenings. Gothic literature typically contains old ruins, inexplicable occurrences, and overall dark environments. The main purpose of Gothic work was to respond to the shortcomings of the Enlightenment. In Brown’s Wieland, the characters Wieland and Pleyel are colleagues who share different views on life. Wieland, the brother of Clara the narrator, is a man of religion and emotion while Pleyel, the beloved of Clara, is a man of reason. The novel begins with the story of Wieland’s grandfather, which is disgustingly Gothic. The son of an esteemed family, Grandfather Wieland eventually marries the daughter of a merchant, which is the first conflict for the Wieland family line. The next Wieland (father to Clara) is a very religious man who develops an obsession for his temple. His constant brooding over the need to be in his church leads him to â€Å"spontaneously combust† one evening at his beloved establishment. Grandfather Wieland seems to curse the family by betraying his noble line, and his son is the victim of an unexplainable, possibly divine occurrence; Brown is using the most blatant Gothic references he can. At the end of this stained family tree is Wieland, Clara’s brother. He is a man of religion just like his father, however his character is not a true Calvinist like his father was. Wieland hears voices from an unknown source, and due to his outstanding faith, he attributes them to God. His connection with this formless voice leads Wieland to trust in his own religious mysticism. Positive that he hears, knows, and properly understands God’s will; Wieland accepts the divine orders given to him and murders his wife and children. Carwin tells Wieland that it has been him the whole time throwing his voice and playing with Wieland’s head, but Wieland does not let himself be deterred from his heavenly task to kill Clara by the â€Å"demon† Carwin. It is not until Carwin throws his voice again that Wieland is persuaded into believing that he has acted out of madness. Only by hearing the shapeless voice does Wieland accept that he has done wrong and believe that he is insane; he does not believe Carwin when he reveals the truth because he is so certain that God has been speaking to him, but when he truly understands (because â€Å"God†/Carwin speaks to Wieland), he decides to kill himself. Pleyel is Wieland’s closest friend, even though he has no connection with religion. His opposition provided Wieland and him with an extensive amount of room to discuss their personal beliefs. Having spent his youth abroad, Pleyel is a man of reason who allows his knowledge of the world to rule his decisions. Clara even states that Pleyel rejects â€Å"all guidance but his reasons,† confirming his Enlightenment-ness even further. Even though he and Wieland are unlike each other, they both offer views on the Enlightenment. A moment in the novel in which Pleyel parallels with Wieland’s character is when the former hears Carwin throwing his voice to give the illusion that Clara and Carwin are together and have been intimate with each other. Being the man of reason that he is, Pleyel decides that since he heard Clara and Carwin speaking it is only logical to conclude that what he hears is reality. He then takes it upon himself to court another woman since Clara â€Å"evidently† is not the virtuous woman he thought she was. Pleyel does not trust Clara after hearing Carwin’s biloquism, but if he truly loved her then he would take her word over what he heard. Unfortunately, Pleyel trusts that his own mind is able to discern the truth over Clara’s heart and runs away from the reality he cannot handle. He trusts that his reasoning is greater than his emotions and ignores his own feelings for Clara, which leads him to marry another woman before he finally ends up with Clara years later. Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland is a Gothic novel of epistemology. It is unlike anything else that has been read this semester as it is one of the earliest Gothic novels written. The ancestral curse that befalls the Wieland family when Grandfather Wieland taints the noble bloodline is first carried to his son, whose only gratification is in his temple, who spontaneously combusts; and is then carried to his grandson who believes and trusts so firmly in his faith that he cannot differentiate between a biloquist and God’s actual orders and kills his family and himself. These â€Å"supernatural† occurrences are key in Gothic novels, even though Wieland and Clara are the only two characters who fall for them. Pleyel, on the other hand, relies on his senses and instead of trusting what seems to be true (like Wieland), he trusts (what he concludes) has to be true. The ongoing tug-of-war of knowledge throughout the story between Wieland’s faith and Pleyel’s reason comes to an end when Wieland, the man of religion, murders his entire family because of his mistake of certainty. Brown is offering his take on the post-Enlightenment stance on religion through the tragic flaw and downfall of Wieland; while at the same time showing how the limits of human understanding in Pleyel cause him to not believe Clara and marry another woman first. Even though both men lose their (first) wives, Pleyel manages to repair his relationship with Clara and marry her. This must be the victory of reason over religion. By embracing the dark side of the Enlightenment that was virtually untouched before and during the Eighteenth Century, Brown’s Wieland attributes religious mysticism to madness and shows the flaw of the Enlightenment to be the power of human emotions.

Macroeconomic Issue Paper Essay

Financial crisis has changed our vision of the future. We are scared by the growing unemployment rates and are not confident whether tomorrow economy will bring any positive changes. Non-economists use unemployment rates to determine, how well international and the U. S. economy performs; in simple terms, the growing unemployment rates suggest that we are at the edge of the deepening economic recession. Many of us keep to a misleading opinion that the growing unemployment is the direct result of the current financial collapse. In its recent article, the Economist (2008) sheds the light onto the major unemployment controversies that also impact real GDP, consumption, and speed up the development of the credit crisis spiral. Macroeconomics of the growing unemployment in the U. S. The Economist (2008) provides the detailed review of statistics and economic implications of the growing unemployment in the U. S. â€Å"On Friday November 7th he [Barack Obama] got the news that unemployment had shot up to a 14-year high of 6. 5% in October and non-farm employment had plunged by 240,000 from September† (The Economist, 2008). The figures are threatening, but despite the persistent opinion that the current financial crisis is the direct cause of unemployment, the Economist (2008) suggests that â€Å"whereas it had been thought that the financial crisis pushed a teetering economy over the edge, it now looks like the crisis kicked an economy that was already down†. In other words, unemployment rates had been gradually rising even before the notorious bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. What makes current unemployment different from all previous crises is that those losing their jobs do not leave labor force as quickly as they used to; â€Å"that may be because losses on retirement savings and homes have deprived many of the option of sitting out of the workforce for a spell† (The Economist, 2008). In any case, the growing unemployment may threaten the stability of the U. S. economy in short- and long-run, and macroeconomic consequences of the growing employment instability may slow down the process of economic recovery in the United States. From the macroeconomic viewpoint, â€Å"a person who is able and willing to work yet is unable to find a paying job is considered unemployed. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed workers divided by the total civilian labor force, which includes both employed and unemployed and those with jobs (all those willing and able to work for pay) – (Layard, 2005). Although the majority of the U. S. population tends to evaluate the quality of national economic performance through the prism of the changing unemployment rates, these rates are notoriously difficult to measure. As a result, we frequently lack objective view of the way unemployment impacts our economic achievements. Unemployment tends to produce irreversible macroeconomic effects and requires that state authorities and financial institutions develop sound macroeconomic policies, to minimize and prevent the long-term consequences of the deepening economic recession. In general terms, poverty, crime, and healthcare issues are the three direct consequences of the growing unemployment. In terms of economics, unemployment severely impacts purchasing activity and leads to long-term real GDP decrease. Under the growing unemployment pressures, we are unlikely to use all available financial and non-financial resources to the fullest. â€Å"Much unemployment – called deficient-demand or cyclical unemployment – thus represents a profound form of inefficiency, sometimes called Keynesian inefficiency† (Layard, 2005). The results of profound statistical analysis imply that we have not yet hit the bottom of the economic crisis (The Economist, 2008); simultaneously, it is very probable that statistical figures are at least distorted and do not form an objective and realistic vision of what processes are currently taking place in the national economy. The problem is not in that the United States is going to become the largest international source of potential job-seekers. The problem is in that the United States cannot produce relevant and reliable statistical figures that would help address the growing unemployment rates before they hit the record. Macroeconomics lacks one single universal method for measuring unemployment rates. The U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counts employment and unemployment on the basis of the weekly survey; â€Å"people are considered employed if they did any work at all for pay or profit during the survey week† (Layard, 2005). As a result, the BLS does not account full-time students and prisoners as employed. Furthermore, those who are jobless but are actively involved into job search are also considered as unemployed. Economic professionals seem to omit the whole population layer, including students, retired, and people with mental and physical disabilities – according to BLS these people are neither employed, nor unemployed. When we hear that unemployment rates have reached 6. 5%, what does that mean? Does that mean that 6. 5% of the American population is no longer willing to work? Does that mean that 6. 5% of population is actively looking for new jobs? Does that mean that 6. 5 percent of the U. S. population is likely to remain unemployed in the long-term period? Statistical research does not provide the answers to these questions. That is why it is very probable that the Economist (2008) operates unreliable measurements and risks distorting the real picture of the American labor market. Macroeconomics lacks agreement as for the causes and the consequences of unemployment. When the Economist (2008) implies that we are facing the challenges of cyclical unemployment, the real causes of unemployment may vary. According to Keynesian theory, â€Å"the main causes of unemployment result from insufficient effective demand for goods and economy† (Layard, 2005). Some economists are confident that the current economic crisis can hardly be the direct cause of the growing unemployment, and that structural unemployment does not threaten economic stability. From the viewpoint of classical macroeconomics, minimum wages and taxes may severely change the balance of forces in the U. S. labor markets. Regardless the exact cause of unemployment in the U. S. , non-economic population lacks relevant instruments that would help re-interpret statistics. We are used to the thought that statistical analysis is the source of reliable and unbiased information and that statistics may open the gateway to understanding the real causes and economic implications of the current financial difficulties; yet, the time has come when the methodology and analytical instruments behind statistics need to be reconsidered. I am confident that while statistical unemployment may cross all reasonable boundaries, the real picture of unemployment may be completely different. Certainly, thousands of people are being laid off and drown in the unemployment pool against their will, but the existing methods of economic and statistical analysis must also be refined; otherwise the coming years are unlikely to being economic relief to the American labor markets. Conclusion Statistical research suggests that the rates of unemployment in the U. S. have reached unbelievable 6. 5%. The Economist (2008) writes that the current financial crisis may not necessarily be the direct cause of the current unemployment shakes. Regardless the specific causes and consequences of unemployment in the U. S. , the national economy lacks relevant economic instruments that could be used to measure statistical variations in labor markets. Macroeconomic theorists lack unanimous agreement on the way unemployment should be defined and measured. The time has come when the major macroeconomic indicators and the means of measuring them should be refined. Non-economists are misled by inaccurate statistical data that causes panics in the labor markets. Unless we are able to evaluate the full labor market potential, and until we are confident that the results of the statistical analysis are at least close to reality, we will not be able to develop reasonable macroeconomic policies, and will fail to protect national economy from the deepening crisis. References Layard, R. (2005). Unemployment: macroeconomic performance and the labor market. Oxford University Press. The Economist. (2008). A painful job to do. November 7th. Retrieved November 18, 2008 from http://www. economist. com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory. cfm? subjectid=348876&story_id=12583077

Being Honest The Night The Day

Being honest can seem very hard to do, but will make things very easier in the end. Babbles Nicole proves this very effectively and makes It very evident by the end of her short story. She shows that lying only causes stress, trouble and places a very large wedge between friendships. It's generally assumed that being honest the first time around will prevent that. Lying causes stress, trouble and separates friends, being honest at first will prevent that and make you a better person for the future because an ounce of prevention is always worth more than a pound of cure.KOOK and Bendable, two main character of Absinthe's short story, become curious one day before school and decide to start a lab experiment of their own with the schools stuff. Upon doing this, they break a thermometer and decide to hide It from their teacher, Mr.. ABA. Once discovered, Mr.. ABA gave all the kids in the class a chance to be honest so they could avoid punishment, but to no avail. â€Å"Since no one has owned up; I'm afraid I shall detain you all for an hour aftershock† (Nicole 3). Mr..ABA wants to teach the kids honest and is using peer pressure to do so. With KOOK knowing this, he begins to feel the unbearable pressure of those around him and wants to confess of his crimes to relieve the burden that's been haunting him. ABA, decides to do a Bible and Key ritual to catch the liar, he selects Kook to hold the bible for him because of his honest face, and this Just petrifies Kook even more. â€Å"Trembling and shivering as if ice-cold water had been thrown over him† (Nicole 5).This causes Kook to have a reality check in his head because he was selected to hold the bible and he as a arson doesn't really seem like he can go on much longer keeping up that lie. Lying not only causes stress, but self-inflicted mental wounds to the liar as well. Not only does lying cause stress and pain In the liar, but It can also cause pain and stress among others as well. The kids in the c lassroom begin discussing amongst themselves trying to determine and deduce the culprit from among them.They begin to suspect a kid named Bass and begin to ridicule him because of it. â€Å"Someone threw and book at Bass and said â€Å"Confess†¦ Yes, He must've done it† (Nicole 7). Bass immediately became the prime target of the other students because he was early to the class that day, and although not said, It might be because of his Armenian ethnicity as well. Even the teacher will show some prejudice later on. Anyway, after constant ridicule from the students, Bass gets a Cut across his forehead from all the thrown objects mixed in with all the yelling and taunts. A small cut had appeared on his temple, he was bleeding â€Å"now they will hate me even more† Base is in tears because he already has trouble fitting in amongst the kids, but now that they think he s responsible for them missing the game, the will dislike him for even more than Just his Armenian he ritage. So not only does It hurt the liar, but It affects others In negative ways as well. Lying is a big wedge between friendships as well. Kook is the more mature of the two, whilst Bendable is a child. Bendable wants to just lie and forget about the incident but Kook has other ideas in mind and it begins to tear them apart. . 0 need to shout, old man. After all, it was your idea† m{o started the argument, don't be childish† (Nicole 8). Kook wants to tell the truth because he's beginning to realize It's the right thing to do and Bendable objects strongly. KOOK begins to progress morals. When KOOK informs Bendable of his intentions to tell the truth, Bendable threatens him like a child. â€Å"He told Bendable that he was going to confess Bendable had said threateningly that he better not mention his name† (Nicole 8). KOOK is not only learning honesty is better, but it is beginning his progression into the future but Bendable wants to hide like a coward.This pries apart KOOK and Bendable even more ND thus shows that honest is better than lying than being a child about life because you will never progress into the mature future. Lying causes trouble, stress and pain in the liar and in others. Being honest will prevent most of those negative outlets and will even further you as a person much more than you would think as shown in Babyish Insole's As the Night the Day. KOOK realized honesty is best and progressed into his mature future and away from childish Bendable because an ounce of prevention is always worth more than a pound of cure.