A Clockwork Orange - review essays

A Clockwork Orange - review essays Whats it going to be then, eh? the opening line of Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange, being the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are rape, ultra-violence and Beethoven. In the story, we are introduced to young Alex and his droogs, who like nothing more than lashings of the old ultraviolence. It is Alex who commits their first murder, and after being betrayed for droog-related political reasons, is sent to jail. Through a new controversial rehabilitation treatment, designed to curb violence and sexual behaviour, the state uses our unlikely hero as their guinea pig. The experiment is a success (I use this word loosely), Alex begins to feel physically repulsed by violence of any sort, and as a side effect, also to Beethoven. He will not commit crime, but he has also deprived of the capacity to chose not to. This leads us to the central point of the novel, concerned with free will: Do we lose our humanity if we are deprived the choice between good and evil? Burgess skilfully introduces us to his futuristic slang, or nadsat, making A Clockwork Orange valuable not only for the questions it raises, but also for its creative and experimental use of the English language in which we see hints of Russian. This is no fluke. What perhaps makes the novel so good is that each word Burgess uses has been chosen intentionally. Stanley Kubricks film version is cannot be left unmentioned, it is, in fact, a masterpiece. Being very faithful to the text, its violent scenes still shock us 30 years on. But perhaps the most interesting thing about the film is that its ending is different to that of the book: chapter 21 is left out. I would agree with many critics in saying that this changes the whole mood of the story. In the book we see Alexs character maturing, putting his old self behind him by choice, while the film shows Alex regressing to his former self. This has...

Free Essays on Abortions

Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, resulting in, or accompanied by, the death of the fetus. Some abortions occur naturally because a fetus does not develop normally. Or because the mother has an injury or disorder that prevents her from carrying the pregnancy to a full term. Abortion destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children and illegal in many countries. By aborting these unborn infants, humans are hurting themselves; they are not allowing themselves to meet these new identities and unique personalities. Abortion is simply wrong. Everyone is raised knowing the difference between right and wrong. Murder is wrong, so why not abortion? People argue that it is not murder if the child is unborn. Abortion is murder since the fetus being destroyed is living, breathing and moving. Why is it that if an infant is destroyed a month before the birth, there is no problem, but if killed a month after birth, this is inhumane murder? It is morally and strategically fooli sh, because we lose the middle when we talk about reproductive rights without reference to a larger moral and spiritual dimension, and we are unwilling to use language like transgression and redemption, or right and wrong. The main purpose abortions are immoral is how they are so viciously done. Everyday, innocent, harmless fetuses that could soon be laughing children are being brutally destroyed. One form of abortion is to cut the fetus into pieces with serrated forceps before being removed, piece by piece from the uterus by suction with a vacuum aspirator. Another form consists of bringing the fetus feet first into the birth canal, puncturing its skull with a sharp instrument and sucking out the brain tissue. The body parts, such as the head, are given letters, rather than refer to the parts as what they are. In my opinion this is for the doctors who cannot face the reality of what they are doing. The remains of the fetus or embryo, as the case may be,... Free Essays on Abortions Free Essays on Abortions Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before birth, resulting in, or accompanied by, the death of the fetus. Some abortions occur naturally because a fetus does not develop normally. Or because the mother has an injury or disorder that prevents her from carrying the pregnancy to a full term. Abortion destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children and illegal in many countries. By aborting these unborn infants, humans are hurting themselves; they are not allowing themselves to meet these new identities and unique personalities. Abortion is simply wrong. Everyone is raised knowing the difference between right and wrong. Murder is wrong, so why not abortion? People argue that it is not murder if the child is unborn. Abortion is murder since the fetus being destroyed is living, breathing and moving. Why is it that if an infant is destroyed a month before the birth, there is no problem, but if killed a month after birth, this is inhumane murder? It is morally and strategically fooli sh, because we lose the middle when we talk about reproductive rights without reference to a larger moral and spiritual dimension, and we are unwilling to use language like transgression and redemption, or right and wrong. The main purpose abortions are immoral is how they are so viciously done. Everyday, innocent, harmless fetuses that could soon be laughing children are being brutally destroyed. One form of abortion is to cut the fetus into pieces with serrated forceps before being removed, piece by piece from the uterus by suction with a vacuum aspirator. Another form consists of bringing the fetus feet first into the birth canal, puncturing its skull with a sharp instrument and sucking out the brain tissue. The body parts, such as the head, are given letters, rather than refer to the parts as what they are. In my opinion this is for the doctors who cannot face the reality of what they are doing. The remains of the fetus or embryo, as the case may be,... Free Essays on Abortions Throughout the years of history, there existed several controversial topics which have caused severe discrepancy among different groups of people. Abortion is a highly controversial issue which has been constantly argued over for the past few years and probably for many years to come in the future. The main controversy rests with the question of whether Abortion should be outlawed?- whether the law should permit a woman to have an abortion and, if so, under what circumstances or whether the law should protect the unborn. Abortion is the destruction of the fetus or unborn child while the child is still in the mothers womb. In other words, Abortion is the ending of pregnancy before birth. There are two sides to this controversial topic of abortion. One side is the PRO-LIFE, which describes those people who are against abortion altogether. The other side is the PRO- CHOICE which are those who believe it is the woman’s right to choose if she wants to have an abortion. ( David M. O'Brien, "Abortion," World Book Online America Edition,aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wbol/wbPage/na/ar/co/) These two groups offer different solutions to problem. The pro-life solution is to have the child and basically live with it. They believe abortion is not an answer. The pro-choice solution is abortion because of reasons they feel are appropriate. The controversy lies within Induced Abortion. Induced Abortion are procedures carried out to bring on abortion. Such include vacuum suction, which the most common type- this is used in the early stages of pregnancy, dilatation and evacuation (D and E), induction, which the injection of abortifacients such as prostaglandin into the uterus), and hysterotomy, which is a surgical procedure similar to cesarean section used later in pregnancy, especially when the woman’s life is in danger. (M. Muldoon, The Abortion Deb...

TED talks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TED talks - Essay Example As a means of understanding the speakers approach, this particular essay will focus upon a brief summary and analysis as well as discussion of the tactics employed by Charlie Todd and seeking to analyze whether the author agrees or disagrees with such tactics and based upon what grounds. It is the hope of this author that such a level of analysis will help the reader to integrate a more solid understanding and integration with the approach that Charlie Todd takes and whether or not such an approach is applicable within society and if so – to what degree. Furthermore, the analysis will seek to determine whether or not Todd’s approach is necessarily right or wrong. Ultimately, Charlie Todd moved to New York City as a means of kick starting an acting career. Seeing that entering the entertainment industry in New York City was much harder than he had anticipated, Todd sought to begin improv performances at various locations throughout New York as a means of integrating such a level of active acting participation directly with society; who he believed were ultimately the target market for any acting that takes place. In such a way, the â€Å"Improv Everywhere† group was born. ... Accordingly, the overall level of passion that Todd brings to the performances is ultimately infectious and helps to engage fellow shareholders within the participatory nature of his improv. A fact that strikes the viewer as odd in an ear that is so typically driven by greed and the level of money that any form of leisure or entertainment can ultimately be defined by. The joining activity which Todd relates to the viewer is ultimately the very crux of the point that he is trying to make. Rather than merely exhibiting a series of funny videos and situations to elicit a few laughs, the participatory nature of the entire experience is, according to Todd, what helps it to all make sense and be funny not only to the onlookers but also to the participants. This strikes at a central issue which helps to differentiate what Todd and his group do as compared to so many comedians within the current system. Whereas the comedian is interested in making people laugh by integrating them with jokes and/or funny situations, Todd’s improv allows both the participant and the recipient of the situation to realize and appreciate the funny and/or amusing aspects of what is taking place. Whereas Todd wanted to begin his career in New York City as an actor integrating with a traditional audience, he relates to the viewer the sudden and rather unexpected means by which this dream transformed in order to reveal his true talents and interest in the improve groups he was able to establish and direct. With regards to an analysis and statement of agreement with regards to the actions undertaken by Charlie Todd, it is the belief of this author that the improv group is ultimately a highly positive idea. Firstly, it allows individuals who would otherwise be hapless bystanders to take an active and

Latin American Cinema (cuban, Strawberry and Chocolate) Essay

Latin American Cinema (cuban, Strawberry and Chocolate) - Essay Example Describing those days, the film under discussion qualifies as a Cuban cinema with certain typical traits. Mr. Gutierrez Alea, the maker of this film, has always been sensitive towards â€Å"Cubanness†. This Cubanness finds expression through a social commitment, which must also culminate at a social resonance. People must be able to identify themselves with the characters of the film, and further reflect on the subject and predicate of the presentation. Memories of Underdevelopment effectively portrayed the identity factor of the Cuban society and thus it accomplishes as a typical Cuban film. Mr. Gutierrez Alea was critical to the revolution but not destructive towards it. Hence, Memories of Underdevelopment can be defined as a portrait of the Cuban society created by a critical insider of the Cuban Revolution itself. The film covers the humanistic aspects of the revolutionary outlook through the heart and mind of a sensitive filmmaker. Hence, it becomes a descriptive monologue of the Cuban Revolution as a whole. The film has a radical expressionist approach towards the Cuban Revolution and the society. It particularly seeks to point out the stringency and confusion in the post revolutionary Cuba during the 1960s. The film is about an intellectual who strives to find out his place in the post-revolutionary social framework of Cuba. Thus, the director enters a world of inter-contradiction, where we find both revolutionary commitment and humanly hesitations in one go. In the process, the critique becomes pretty innovative. The film does not attack one’s humanly weaknesses. Rather, it portrays this factor of weakness sympathetically. The assertive masterpiece is meshed into the picturing of this sensitive feature of the human mind. The weakness or hesitation actually develops from the internal mind, where subconscious reasoning often takes control of a man’s

Training and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Training and development - Essay Example Experimental collection design for training evaluation offers the best design to use in the determination of the training outcome. The design offers a stronger link between the training outcome and the learning process. Experimental training design can evaluate that the training process led to a change in behavior. As much as the design may be difficult to implement, it avails accurate information needed for organizational growth(Arthur et al., 2003). Experimental collection design is an important factor for this case because it estimates the degree to which a training program has been successful. In addition to this, the design provides stronger evidence of causality that change in training as well as a powerful connection between the training outcome and the learning process. (ADAPP) program sought out to compare the trained group to another non-trained group, which makes it a very suitable design for hypothesis testing. Furthermore, learning as well as behavior is due to the training and only training program. (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). Training and development are crucial functions of the human resource management to ensure the staff yields quality performance. Since the employees are one of the most important assets that help in achievement of organization’s objective, the nature of training and development should be one that focuses on achievement of objectives. After a successful training session, the management of an organization must then carry out an evaluation process to determine the impact of the training process on the improvement of performance. It is thus important that the human resource management must have an appropriate evaluation design that will give an elaborate indication on the training outcome(Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009). The three models that measure the effectiveness of training evaluation include;

The Rain Child, Margaret Laurence

The Rain Child, Margaret Laurence Margaret Laurence (1928-1987) is one of the most beloved writers in Canada, she was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1972 that shows her popularity. Also The range and the quality of her work made her the most recognized and accomplished of the writers of the 1960s (New 265). She began to write from age 7, but none of her stories was published until she moved to Africa, where she lived for seven years because of her husbands job. Her first published fiction, the Uncertain Flowering, was followed by several short stories, published in various journals, that were collected in The Tomorrow-Tamer in 1963. The Rain Child is one of these short stories, which sets in Africa and was influenced by Laurences experience as a minority there. Moreover, she recognized the division between their [Africans] traditional ancestral past and their contemporary partly Westernized present (New 265). The plot of the story is quite simple; an African girl, Ruth, who has been educated in England moves back to Africa with her father, and becomes a student in Eburaso Girls School where the narrator, Miss Violet Nedden is the English teacher. Her integration, her identity problems and behavioral changes are told by Miss Nedden. These themes can be found in the other short stories as well, because they focus repeatedly on outsiders trying to cope with their own identities (New 266). In addition, Laurence shows special sympathy for those, both African and European, who no longer fully belong anywhere (The Oxford Companion ti Canadian Literature 634) in her short stories. The main motif in The Rain Child is identity because every main character has identity problems. The narrator, Miss Nedden is an English woman who moved to Africa to teach and she has spent there twenty-two years, but she did not become a real African, however she has adapted herself to the circumstences more easily than her boss, Miss Hilda Povey. Miss Povey is more close-minded than Miss Nedden as she says at the beginning of the story, twenty-seven years here [Africa]. . . and she still felt acutely uncomfortable with African parents. Miss Nedden is more open-minded, for instance, she gives up to teach Daffodils and turns to Akans poetry, and she joins to the girls when they go to the Odwira. On the contrary to her achieved integration, Miss Nedden keeps her English identity, for instance, her garden chair which is like a throne for her, and the reader also can sense the superiority over Africans in her thinking. However, she also cannot be a real English woman after spending so m any years in Africa. As she says it at the end of the short story: I think of that island of grey rain where I must go as a stranger, when the time comes. The other main character, Ruth, is also struggling with identity problems because she has lived in England before she moved back to Africa with her father. She seems African with her brown skin but she cannot speak the Twi, the language of the area and she does not know a lot about the African culture and traditions. For her, everybody seems strange and somehow barbarian with the traditional African clothes that they wear after classes and their weird beliefs, for instance: Yindos talisman. She does not feel as she is at home, she wants to go back to England: I wish I were back at home. Ruth becomes happier when she meets David, an English boy, but he makes her shocked when he says: I know youre not the ordinary kind of African. Youre almost almost like a like us.. It is not enough for Ruth, therefore she runs away to the forest and at the end of the short story she leaves the school and goes to another in the town. Ruths father, Dr. Quansah also has got some kind of identity problem. He has worked in England for many years and there he has had friends but he cannot find any neither European nor African in Africa. As he says: I still find most Europeans here as difficult to deal with as I ever did. And yet I seem to have lost touch with my own people, too.. He has got a mixed identity, because he also keeps western habits, but in a way he remains African in his thinking. For instance: he eats western food, wears European clothes and speaks English, but he is not identical to Europeans because he resents the Europeans racism. The theme of identity also brings up the question of race and culture. Ruth is an African girl because of her roots, but she has been brought up in a different culture, therefore she feels herself more English than African. However, in the eyes of other people she will remain African, she cannot be truly English, as David says she is just almost like them. On the contrary, the conclusion of the short story is about the power of culture above race. Race is insignificant and artificial, Laurence is saying; culture is real and inviolable. (Craig 115). In addition to culture, the traditions have got important roles in the short story, for instance, the senior girls are allowed to wear the traditional, colourful African dress. The main traditional event in the story is the Odwira festival. There happens something shocking to Ruth when she sees Kwaale and a boy doing the Shoot an arrow ritual. The boy shoots an imagenary arrow to Kwaale and she shows her naked body to him. It is a reminder that women are the source of life, however Miss Nedden is not sure that Kwaale and the boy really know about this customs meaning or origin or they just care about the beat of their own blood. Also the title of the short story is connected to African culture because when Ruth was born her mother called her an African name which means ËÅ  child of the rainËÅ  . Her English name, Ruth is also interesting because it can be seen as a biblical refernce. Ruth in the Bible was a poor, foreigner woman and her story shows the triumph of ingenuity and courage over tough circumstences. This is a bit sarcastical because in The Rain Child Ruth is neither ingenious nor courageous because she does not want to be a part of her new country. Laurence used mainly Ruths story to tell problems with which a whole nation and generation faced at that time. The themes identity, migration, alienation, integration, race, sense of belonging she put in The Rain Child show a great sense of understaning towards these people. Laurences [style] embraces conscious symbolism while it strives for the immediacy of ordinary experience (New 265).

Religion, Creation Stories, and Creation Myths Essay -- Theology Relig

Religion, Creation Stories, and Creation Myths One of the fundamental questions that religions seek to answer is that of origin. How was man put on earth? Why and from what was he created? Who created him? What does his creation imply about the status of human beings? Some or all of these questions are answered by a religion’s creation stories. Every religion’s creation myths attempt to give solutions to problems present to that religious society. Because of this, each religion may have one or more creation stories, each of those different from one another in the questions they ask and the answers they give. Genesis In the Western world, the most well-known creation story is in Genesis (Myth A), in the Old Testament of the Bible. Surprisingly, even the Bible does not relate only a single account of Creation. In the book of Genesis itself, one can find two versions of the Creation of the world that are similar in idea, but different in content and detail. The story in Genesis I claims that God created the world and everything comprising it in six days. On the first day, God created Day and Night. Next came Sky, then Earth, and then Stars and Sun on the fourth. The fifth day was used to create water and sky dwelling creatures, and finally, on the sixth day, God created all the animals of Earth, finishing with mankind. In this version of the creation story, God created man and woman together, on the sixth day. The seventh day was Sabbath, saved for rest. However, another version of Creation exists in Genesis II, which relates the more popular story of Adam and Eve. Genesis II starts by telling how God rested on the seventh day and then goes into elaboration of the creation of mankind. This seems to imply ... ...telligent species in the universe. We cannot possibly fathom what plan this higher power has, or even if a plan exists, and any attempts to do so would be futile. Instead, we must live this life doing what we believe to be true and right, ideas we ourselves created and so only we can live by. Works Cited Deussen, Paul. The Philosophy of the Upanishads. New York: Dover Punblications, 1966. Eliade, Mircea. Essential Sacred Writings from Around the World. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1967 Freund, Philip. Myths of Creation. New York: Washington Square Press, 1965. Heidel, Alexander. The Babylonian Genesis. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1954. The Holy Bible. King James Version. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2000. The Rig Veda: An Anthology. Betty Radice, ed. London: Penquin Books, Ltd, 1981.

Balance And Stability

A true athlete develops his entire body to compete with the very best in his sport. He trains both his mind and body to reach his goals. His mind should be able to handle the pressure and stress that are involved in his competitive sport. He must be emotionally fit to compete in his sport; otherwise, he’ll lose or fair far below his expectations. His body should also be able to act and react in the right manner. The mental, emotional and physical aspects of his game must all come together as one.Whether an athlete is a catcher in baseball, a center in basketball, or a quick-running lineman in American football, he must perfectly develop all his faculties to achieve an above average level of balance and stability in his sport. Athletes should pay more attention to balance and stability because these factors are extremely critical in the success of their goals. The terms balance and stability may seem to have the same meaning, but they don’t (Carr, 2007, p. 89). These ter ms however, are very much related to each other. Balance and stability don’t always go together.Depending on the sport, an athlete may have more balance and less stability or none at all and vice versa. Both of these factors are necessary in almost all physical sports though because athletes have to constantly move their bodies while staying on the ground. Balance is a person’s ability to get rid of forces that ruin the evenness or equilibrium of things. Almost all people have balance to some degree. Young and old people use balance to stay on their feet while they're walking, running or hopping. Balance is also used in other movements, such as when a person tiptoes or dances a complex routine.Maintaining one's balance gets harder as the person encounters obstacles in his path. For example, a running back maintains excellent balance while he pierces the defense of the opposing team. In basketball, a point guard also displays above average balancing skills as he dribble s the ball around players guarding the basket (Carr, 2007, p. 89). There are many levels of balance. Not all people have the same level of balance. Athletes typically have greater balance than normal people because they arduously train to improve it. The concept of balance has been used in various sports for a very long period of time.As Sprunt (2000) and others noted, the term off-balance is also widely used in different types of sports. Thus, a basketball player may be said to have been caught off-balance if he loses his footing as he scrambles for the ball. Generally, it is not good to lose your balance in any kind of sport (Sprunt, 2000, p. 63). Balance itself is related to another important factor in executing movement: stability. Stability is the ability to maintain a person’s balance while encountering things that ruin that balance. To put it another way, stability is how balanced a person is.Different athletes have different tactics that increase the level of their st ability as they encounter forces that may be going against them. According to Foran, athletes typically face gravity, air resistance and friction when performing in sports (Foran, 2001, p. 119). For this reason, some athletes train hard to raise their stability to the level of being as steady as a rock. Sports shows typically have play by play slow-motions that showcase moving stability by players of different sports. For instance, stability is clearly shown on highlights of football plays.A football player displays excellent balance when he reaches out for the ball whizzing through the air. He jumps high using a single leg and lands gracefully on the same leg. However, that excellent balance may be disrupted by a rampaging opponent that slams into him as he's floating above the ground or standing on one leg. After the dust clears, you'll usually see the other player down on the ground because he traded stability for balance. Compare the previous example of a 300 pound lineman with his body arched and his center of gravity positioned low.This athlete can receive the hammering force of a 400 pound lineman, pushing him to get out of the way. The athlete does not drop to his knees, spread-eagle on the ground because his stability is way off the charts. If the lineman is really stable, he may even have the ability to push back his opponent or ram his way through the defense, sending him crawling on the ground. In this case, his opponent is the one that lacks stability and so he pays dearly for it (Foran, 2001, p. 119). Also, stability may be harder to maintain if forces are coming from many different directions.A lineman may be able to defend against the opponent directly in front of him, but he may not fare as easily if the opponent comes from his left, right or back. It's still possible to hold a great level of stability however, if the athlete's position is correct and if he has the right body to counter massive objects that's coming at him from different direc tions. Almost all kinds of physical sports showcase balance and stability. Sports like baseball and basketball are no different because athletes continuously move their bodies in these sports.As Thompson and Baldwin (2007) observed, athletes in these sports and others must do various drills to improve their balance. They must train their core muscle groups to have the excellent level of balance and stability that their sports require (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). In baseball, balance and stability are shown in the role of the catcher who tries to catch baseballs sent flying by the pitcher. In basketball, balance and stability are exemplified by huge, tall centers or post players that play near the basket.It is important to note that these sports are played very differently but both of them require superb balance and stability nonetheless. First, the baseball catcher has to have great physical attributes such as fast feet and hands, mighty arms and excellent balance and stabi lity. He spends much of his time on the baseball field crouching and anticipating the ball that the pitcher will throw. His weight is distributed on his heels. He bends his knees so that his upper leg is parallel to the ground. You'll also notice that his backside is positioned close to his heels.His back must not curve and shoulder blades must be positioned a little bit backward to give him more stability. To further increase stability, he must hold his head up high and he must hold out his glove. This unique crouching position is supported by the baseball catcher's amazing balance and stability (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). The baseball player in the previous example shows linearity in his balance and stability. Remember that balance is a person's ability to get rid of forces that ruin the evenness or equilibrium of things.Compare this to stability which refers to the level at which a person can maintain his balance while encountering things that may ruin it. Simply put, l inear stability occurs when you are able to resist an object that tries to move you. In the previous example, the catcher's stability is put to the test when tries to stop a ball that's flying toward him at 80 or 90 mph (Thompson and Baldwin, 2007, p. 369). Stability that is based on linear movement is influenced by the mass of the moving object that carries force and the object that tries to stop that force.The moving object here is the ball that flies toward the pitcher and may end up in the catcher's resisting hands. For many catchers, reaching the optimal stability that is based on linear movement is very easy. Baseball is a tough sport because it requires players to have great balance and stability while maintaining focus on the ball that's flying toward them. The catcher in the previous example must train hard to be able to block bad pitches and throw out runners who attempt to steal bases. In some cases, the catcher may have to abandon his crouching position to block a bad pi tch.This move trades stability for balance to catch the ball. The crouching position shows the three most important principles of a stable body (Mull, 2005, p. 174). First, the catcher increases his stability by broadening his base. The resulting position is that the catcher's feet are wide apart and firmly on the ground. Second, the baseball catcher centralizes his line of gravity by straightening his back and holding his head up high. Third, he crouches with his knees bent to lower his center of gravity, further adding to the stability of his whole body.When all of these positions are combined, the catcher comes up with a stable crouching position that allows him to easily move his whole body when catching a flying ball even when it is outside the normal zone. Stability is also based on an athlete’s capability to move his line of gravity forward, anticipating a fast-approaching force. This type of movement may unbalance him for a short duration of time, but the force of the approaching object might restore him to his previous balance. This is not the case though for a baseball catcher who blocks bad pitches.Even though the ball flies fast toward the catcher, its mass is still little compared to other balls. The catcher then puts his line of gravity directly in front of the approaching ball but quickly restores his balance. He also usually drops to his knees to bring down his center of gravity and increase his stability. Balance and stability can also take each other’s place in baseball. For example, balance and stability are reversed when a runner steals a base and is challenged by a catcher. The catcher positions his line of gravity directly in front of the fast-approaching force to throw the runner out.Another skill of a baseball catcher is throwing the ball to the base, which consists of applying force rather than resisting it. The catcher tends to rise to keep his line of gravity in the center and avoid falling down before throwing the ball . His weight is transferred to the back of his foot as he moves his body backward to throw the ball. There are also cases where the player who throws the ball temporarily moves his center of gravity outside the area where support is strongest. As the ball is thrown, the center of gravity moves from the back of the support area to the center and then to the front.The dynamics of balance and stability can also be seen in the sport of basketball. There was a time when post players were players that are massive and tall. This allowed them to block offensive players that run to the basket. Today, however, post players are not that huge anymore and they have better footwork. They are faster and more agile, so they can keep up with quick short players that have many tricks to drive to the basket. While post players of the past and today are different, they both still use the principles of balance and stability when playing their game.A post player or a center receives huge forces when guar ding the basket. This is a prime example of static stability in the face of opposing forces (Moran and McGlynn, 1997, p. 56). Post players from the opposing team constantly push and pull him to get him out of the way. Mass is important in being a post player to have enough balance and stability to withstand those vicious offensive moves. The more massive a player is, the greater is his stability. For example, Shaquille O’Neal or Shaq was extremely successful because of his extraordinary mass. There was a time when basketball experts claimed he weighed around 380 lbs.90 percent of that weight consists of muscle tissue and other nonfat tissue. Because of O’Neal’s great mass, other players find it very difficult to break his defense. Offense under the basket is also easy because his defenders just seem to bounce off him. His level of stability is excellent, which makes him an almost perfect post player. The perfect post player though, is not the perfect basketball player. In fact, a player who has a great mass often finds it difficult to change his direction when moving. In this case, quickness and agility are sacrificed for stability and balance.This is similar to a rampaging sumo wrestler that gets easily thrown out of the ring when his quick opponent steps to one side. Post players though, typically play within a very short distance from the basket, so their weakness in terms of quickness and agility is hard to exploit. New centers or post players like Yao Ming have less mass but are quicker and more agile. They are less stable because of their small base, but they can change direction quickly, which is useful in guarding against fast players that drive to the basket. Tall players however, may have lesser balance than shorter players because their center of gravity is very high.You’ll notice that short players are very balanced even when they are dribbling around a number of defenders because their center of gravity is nearer to the ground. Having a wide base is extremely important in being a post player (Chandler and Brown, 2008, p. 87). For this reason, many post players spend long hours in the gym to build their body and widen their base. If a post player’s base is not wide enough, he’ll find it harder to stop offensive attacks coming directly at him from the opposing team. Blocking a player with a small base is easy if the post player’s base is large.Another important factor in being a good post player is the center of gravity. It’s always best to lower a player’s center of gravity to increase his balance and stability. The reason why post players play with knees bent is that they have to widen their base and lower their center of gravity. It’s not always best to widen the base and lower your center of gravity though, as the post player will be sacrificing his height. This makes him vulnerable to high-jumping players from the opposing team who can always drive to t he basket and jump high against the short post player.A post player may also move his base forward to face the opposing force. Moving the line of gravity forward stabilizes the post player, helping hem to successfully guard the basket. It’s not advisable to move the center of gravity too near the front of his base though, because this might result in the player losing his balance. In conclusion, applying balance and stability when playing different sports is important to athletes for them to achieve their goals. Both athletes and coaches should pay more attention to balance and stability to be more successful in their sports.Various sports skills should be honed and trained so the athlete becomes more effective. The physical, mental, and emotional aspects of his game must all come together and become one. While other attributes such as agility and speed are also important in executing different sports skills, balance and stability are very basic in almost all kinds of sports. Without balance and stability, an athlete has a higher chance of failing in his chosen sport. He must constantly weigh the pros and cons of developing balance and stability over other attributes.He may also review the tradeoffs between balance and stability because each one presents their own advantages in a sport. He’ll be more effective in his chosen sport once he perfects his balance and stability. References Carr, G. (2007). Mechanics of Sport: A Practitioner's Guide. Detroit, MI: Human Kinetics Foran, B. (2001). High-performance Sports Conditioning: Modern Training for Ultimate Athletic Development. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Sprunt, K. , Kerwin, D. , & Fowler, N. (2000). An Introduction to Sports Mechanics: A HomeStudy Pack Providing Sportspeople with an Introduction to the Basic Mechanics of Movement. Coachwise. Thompson, W. , & Baldwin, K. (2007). ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer: Techniques, Complications, and Management. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Moran, G. , & McGlynn, G. (1997). Cross-training for Sports: Programs for 26 Sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Chandler, T. J. , & Brown, L. (2008). Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Mull, R. , Bayless, K. , & Jamieson, L. M. (2005). Recreational Sport Management. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

The Republic Concept

The Republic Concept A republic is a nationhood that does not observe direct nevertheless it has a structure of administration in which some significant members of the group retain the supreme control over the government. They make decisions in reference to established law other than the head of states.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Republic Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More â€Å"The word republic is derived from a Latin phrase, ‘res publica,’ which means public affairs†[1]. Often a republic is seen as a sovereign state, though this should not be mistaken with other sub-national units that are described as to as a republic, or that have government that is described as republican in form[2]. For example, Article IV of the Constitution of the United States guarantees to every State in this Union a Republican form of Government. The Soviet Union was a single state made up of discrete and ostensibly sovereig n Soviet Socialist Republics†[3]. In many contexts, the term republic normally refers to a system of government that gets its powers from the governed rather than from default or excessive means, for instance inheritance or divine right.[4] â€Å"Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Montesquieu supported the idea of a republic, and recommended on the city-states of Greece as models†[5] Nonetheless, both also opined that a nation state like France, with a population of 20 million, was impractical to be administered as a republic. â€Å"Rousseau explained his ideal political structure of small autonomous communes, however Montesquieu noted that a city state was principally a republic, but held that a partial monarchy was more suited for to a large nation.†[6] In 1995, a Princeton survey research association conducted an interview randomly to adults where people were asked how much they trusted their government to do the right thing, 21 percent said most of the time, 71 percen t said only on sometimes. They were again asked the same question about their state government the result were slightly better since 30 percent said most of the time while 62 percent said only sometimes[7]. From these results we can conclude that the American people believe that their government is not doing the right thing in many of actions it takes. We know that nobody is perfect in this world but this numbers are so high resulting into some questions that needs answers such as, What caused this problem in the United States, what is the extend of this problem in our country, and is this distrust of our government even a serious problem at all?[8] The answer to these questions cannot be easily found reason being there is no exact cause of the problem that can be pinpointed though people claim that it is as a result of poor leadership. Two of the biggest drops in the publics confidence in the government occurred in 1964, during the bombing of Vietnam, and in 1972 during Watergate ( Nye) during the time President Johnson and President Nixon were in power.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although these two events may have contributed to the distrust of the American government, it does not necessarily mean that they are fully responsible to what is happened[9]. This happened 20 years ago and cannot be the cause of distrust to date because for one reason, the act of mistrust of the government has been growing consistently and cannot be compared to before. Therefore the problem cannot be pegged to the two leaders but the entire American political leaders.[10] Another survey was done in a 1995 where 35 percent of the respondents viewed the main reason why they did not trust the federal government is that politicians lack honesty and integrity another 45 percent said politicians are not concerned with the interests and well-being of the people. This results clearly show that there is no way people can trust there government as a whole if they do not trust those who make up the government. To know how wide spread the problem of distrust is in the American government ABC News polling organization did seven different polls between 1985-1987 asking, How much of the time do you trust the government in Washington to do what is right? Between 56-62 percent said sometimes or never.[11] In 1994, polls results showed that 15 percent of the American public had confidence in the federal government and only 30 percent had confidence in their state and local government. Distrust in United States government is not mainly from a small segment of people mainly the poor as many people think because from the research conducted we can see that Americans have very little trust in their political leaders.[12] It is clear distrust of the government by the people and this poses serious problems when it comes to governance and cooperation. Many people state th at the cynicism and distrust in America are not a problem at all. People say that mistrust of government has been around since the country’s beginning and is nothing to worry about they farther believe that America was founded with a mistrust of government that is king George of England. Another opinion is that people value the constitution so much even though they do not trust the every day activities of the government, 80% of Americans believe United States as the best place in the world to live and 19% say that they like the democratic system of government. Thy e fact that not all the Americans actions are mistrusted gives hope to the citizens to gain back trust in there government.[13]Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Republic Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The majority of people do not trust their government and its causes are varied. This trend, though it can be related to the type of polit icians that are being elected in the country and the peoples feelings towards those officials. Although some do not believe it is really a problem, it would be nice to be able to place some faith and trust is the people who lead and direct this country. It appears that the only way to do that is to elect individual people that we can trust and the only way to accomplish that is to become educated on the issues and vote.[14][15] Adams, Paul. Republicanism in Political Rhetoric Before 1776. Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 85, No. 3 (Sep., 1970): pp. 397–421. Print. Anderson, Lisa. Absolutism and the Resilience of Monarchy in the Middle East. Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 106, No. 1 (Spring, 1991): pp. 1–15. Print. Bailyn, Bernard. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1967. Everdell, William. The End of Kings: A History of Republics and Republicans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Prin t. Everdell, William. The End of Kings: A History of Republics and Republicans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finer, Samuel. The History of Government from the Earliest Times. Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. Gelderen, Martin Skinner, Quentin. Republicanism: A Shared European Heritage, v2, The Values of Republicanism in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge U.P., 2002. Print. Haakonssen, Knud. Republicanism. A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1995. Print. Hankins, James. â€Å"Exclusivist Republicanism and the Non-Monarchical Republic.† Political Theory 38.4 (August 2010): 452-482. Print. Kramnick, Isaac. Republicanism and Bourgeois Radicalism: Political Ideology in Late Eighteenth-Century England and America. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990. Print. Maynor, John. Republicanism in the modern world. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2003. Print. McCormick, John. Machiavelli against Republicanism: On the Cambridge Schools Guicciardinian Moments' Political Theory, Vol. 31, No. 5 (Oct., 2003): pp. 615–643. Print. Nippel, Wilfried. Anci ent and Modern Republicanism. The Invention of the Modern Republic ed. Biancamaria Fontana. London: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Print. Pettit, Philip. Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and Government. NY: Oxford U.P., 1997. Print. Footnotes John Maynor. Republicanism in the modern world. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2003, p. 4. Wilfried, Nippel. Ancient and Modern Republicanism. The Invention of the Modern Republic ed. Biancamaria Fontana. London: Cambridge University Press, 1994, p. 63. Knud Haakonssen. Republicanism. A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1995, p. 15. Isaac Kramnick. Republicanism and Bourgeois Radicalism: Political Ideology in Late Eighteenth-Century England and America. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990, p. 36. Wilfried, Nippel. Ancient and Modern Republicanism. The Invention of the Modern Republic ed. Biancamaria Fontana. London: Cambridge University Press, 1994, p. 63. Wilfried, Nippel. Ancient and Modern Republicani sm. The Invention of the Modern Republic ed. Biancamaria Fontana. London: Cambridge University Press, 1994, p. 63. Bernard, Bailyn. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1967, 56. Lisa Anderson. Absolutism and the Resilience of Monarchy in the Middle East. Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 106, No. 1 (Spring, 1991): pp. 1–15. William Everdell. The End of Kings: A History of Republics and Republicans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, p. 136. Philip, Pettit. Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and Government. NY: Oxford U.P., 1997, 147. Martin Gelderen Quentin Skinner. Republicanism: A Shared European Heritage, v2, The Values of Republicanism in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge U.P., 2002, 89. John, McCormick. Machiavelli against Republicanism: On the Cambridge Schools Guicciardinian Moments' Political Theory, Vol. 31, No. 5 (Oct., 2003): pp. 615–643. Samuel, Finer. The History of Gov ernment from the Earliest Times. Oxford University Press, 1999, 245. James, Hankins. â€Å"Exclusivist Republicanism and the Non-Monarchical Republic.† Political Theory 38.4 (August 2010): 452-482. Adams, Paul. Republicanism in Political Rhetoric Before 1776. Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 85, No. 3 (Sep., 1970): pp. 397–421.

Italian Vocabulary for the House

Italian Vocabulary for the House Imagine you’re visiting a friend in Florence, and she has just moved into a brand new apartment in the San Lorenzo neighborhood. She invites you over for aperitivo, and when you arrive, she gives you a tour of the apartment. Suddenly the vocabulary has gotten very specific, and knowing how to say words like â€Å"hallway† or â€Å"cupboards† become essential. Whether you’re in a situation like that or you want to be able to talk about your home, here’s vocabulary and phrases to help you have that that conversation. Key Vocabulary Apartment - lappartamentoApartment building - il palazzoAttic - la soffittaBalcony - il balconeBathroom - il bagnoBookshelf  - lo scaffaleCeiling  -  il soffittoCellar  -  la cantinaDoor -  la portaDoorbell - il campanelloElevator -  lascensoreFirst floor - il primo pianoFloor -  il pavimentoFurniture - gli arredamentiGarage - il boxGarden - Il giardino /  lortoHallway -  lingressoHouse -  la casaNursery  -  la camera dei bambiniOffice  - l’ufficioLamp  - la lampadaPenthouse  -  latticoRoof  -  il tettoRoom  - il vanoStaircase  -  la scalaStudy  -  lo studioStudio apartment  - il monolocaleTerrace  - il terrazzoWall  -  la pareteWindow  -  la finestra Bedroom - la camera da letto Bed - il lettoCloset - l’armadioNightstand - il comodinoPillow - il cuscino​Closet - larmadio Dining room - la sala da pranzo Chair - la sediaTable - il tavolo​ Kitchen - la cucina Dishwasher - la lavastoviglieBowl - la ciotolaCupboard - Armadietti/ armadietti pensiliFork - la forchettaGlass - il bicchiereKnife - il coltelloPlate - il piattoRefrigerator - il frigoriferoSink - il lavandinoSpoon - il cucchiaioKitchenette - il cucinino Living room - il soggiorno/il salotto Armchair - la poltronaCouch - il divanoPainting - il quadroRemote - il telecomandoTV - la TV Key Phrases Abitiamo al primo piano. - We live on the first floor.Il palazzo à ¨ molto vecchio. -   The building is very old.Non c’à ¨ l’ascensore. - There’s no elevator.Abbiamo appena comprato una nuova casa! - We just bought a new house!Ci siamo appena spostati in una nuova casa/un nuovo appartamento. We just moved to a new house/apartment.La casa ha due stanze da letto e un bagno e mezzo. - The house has two bedrooms and one a half baths.Vieni, ti faccio vedere/ti mostro la casa. - Come on, let me give you a tour.L’appartamento ha tante finestre, quindi c’à ¨ molta luce naturale. - The apartment has a lot of windows, which means there is a lot of natural light.Questa stanza sar il mio ufficio! - This room will be my office!La cucina à ¨ la mia stanza preferita. - The kitchen is my favorite room.Andiamo in cucina. - Let’s go to the kitchen. TIP: Many English speakers make the mistake of using the preposition â€Å"a† with talking about going to or being in the kitchen. However, in Italian, you must use the preposition â€Å"in†. Passo molto tempo in giardino. - I spend a lot of time in the garden.Pitturiamo la settimana prossima. - We’re going to paint next week. TIP: If you were painting the walls white, you would use the verb, â€Å"imbiancare†. If you’re interested in renting an apartment in Italy for a short-term vacation or a longer term situation, here is a list of phrases and vocabulary to learn.

Japan's Postwar Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Japan's Postwar Foreign Policy - Essay Example Given that there are facts to support this argument, this paper will identify three ways in which Dower sees Japan’s postwar foreign policy shaped by the experience of defeat and occupation. The paper will also include insights into the ways of embracing defeat just as set herein by John Dower then summarize all the main points.  Analytical review of embracing defeat shows that occupation and defeat of Japan played a major role in shaping this country’s postwar foreign policy. This is because Dower explains absorbingly that after the American forces imposed democracy, the people of Japan experienced an atmosphere of uncertainty and flux. Effective archival, as well as Japanese academic sources, captured that the atmosphere came along with suicidal despair accompanied by surrender. It is of paramount importance to note that Japan and the United States share a mutual and long-lasting international relationship. Additionally, the presence of the GIs drew a huge spectrum of gratitude towards its generosity. Based on this observation, Dower set forth that defeat and occupation shaped Japan’s postwar foreign policy as democracy unleashed things like creative energy, black market entrepreneurship, and prostitution (79). Therefore, it is agreeable that America’s imposition of the revolution that led to six years of occupation and the undeniable transformation of Japan into a democratic country is indeed one of the major ways in which Dower sees Japans postwar foreign policy shaped by its experience of defeat and occupation.  For quite a long time, Japan has continued to struggle to attain favorable relations with her neighboring Asian countries. Ideally, this has been so because of the foreign policy set in place by the American occupation. Indeed, the other way in which Dower finds Japans postwar foreign policy shaped by the experience of defeat and occupation. Obviously, this goes with the pragmatic change in politics in this country. Having introduced the aspect of

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

Comparative Justice - Essay Example tries to delve into the basis of the US legal system, it becomes lucidly clear that the US legal system as per the Judi-Christian tradition, traces its origins in relation to some divine power. The US notions of justice, fairness and honesty have their moorings in the Biblical texts. Similarly, the Islamic law traces its origins to the Holy Quran and the Islamic legal system believes law to be an expression of the will of God (Terrill, 2009). The other pivotal fact is that the US legal system tends to employ the tool of law to shape a specific type of society that is in consonance with the essential American values and ethics. In other words, In America, the law is also considered to be a means of shaping and constructing a desirable society. In that context, the purpose of Islamic law is also the same. The Islamic law also intends to shape a society that is in consonance with the quintessential Islamic values, ethics and aspirations. However, there exist also marked differences between the Islamic legal system and the US legal system. The US legal system tends to guide and restrain the actions of its denizens within a defined social domain. In contrast, the Islamic legal system not only pertains to the legal rights and obligations of its citizens but also tends to define their ethical aspirations. In other words an Islamic legal system not only governs as to what its citizens could do, but also defines as to what they cannot do (Terrill, 2009, p. 612). The second thing is that the US legal system is subservient to the requirements of the time and social circumstances that is the US law is open to relative interpretations. However, the Islamic legal system considers Sharia to be an expression of the will of God that is sacrosanct and unchangeable in all times and societies (Terrill, 2009, p. 598). As per the Islamic legal system, it is not the law that is subservient to the requirements of the society, but rather it is the society that is to mould itself as per